"The next level awaits," Elio responded, grateful for the distraction. Though when he glanced sideways at Zara, the intensity in her eyes promised their conversation was far from over.
The night would be long again today, but perhaps that wasn't entirely a bad thing.
♢♢♢♢
The book floated before Elio, its pages emitting a soft glow in the darkness. As always, the question appeared in bright letters:
"Do you wish to face the fifteenth challenge?"
Elio nodded, and the world around him began to dissolve.
He breathed deeply, remembering the four levels he had overcome in recent days.
Each challenge presenting a new element, a new world, and new monsters to face.
The world took shape slowly, revealing a landscape that defied all earthly comprehension...
The silicon mountain rose before Elio like a gigantic crystalline prism, its multiple facets reflecting and refracting light in hypnotic patterns.
