As Thanatos and Charlotte trekked deeper into the dungeon, the air became colder, and the walls closed in around them.
A sense of foreboding hung heavily in the air, like a dense fog that clouded their vision.
Every step seemed to echo in the cavernous space, and shadows danced at the edges of their vision, as though something unseen stalked them.
"We're getting closer," Thanatos whispered, his voice barely audible in the oppressive stillness of the dungeon.
"Closer to what?" Charlotte asked, her voice a thread of nervousness in the silent dungeon.
As if in answer to Charlotte's question, the passageway opened into a vast, cavernous chamber.
Two massive, intricately carved doors stood before them, their ornate designs etched with intricate runes and symbols.
The doors towered over the duo, reaching to the heights of the chamber's domed ceiling, each one glowing with an eerie, flickering light that seemed to emanate from within.
Thanatos placed a hand on one of the doors, its surface cool to the touch. "This is it," he said, his voice solemn and sure.
As Thanatos and Charlotte stood before the massive, glowing doors, they exchanged a nod of confirmation.
Each checked their gear—Thanatos ensured his sword was primed and ready, while Charlotte ensured her grimoire was secure at her side.
With a deep breath, Thanatos placed both hands on the doors, feeling the strange energy coursing through them.
With a shove, he pushed the doors open, letting out a billowing cloud of smoke.
The smoke cleared, revealing the chamber beyond. Their eyes adjusted to the dim light, and they stepped inside.
As Thanatos took in the details of the chamber, a sense of recognition, bordering on awe, washed over him.
He recognized his own handiwork in the layout of the room, the runes and symbols on the walls, and the eerie jagged sword at the center.
The puzzle pieces clicked into place, and Thanatos cursed under his breath.
'Tch. This is not good. We fell deeper than expected.'
Him being an undead might have saved him from certain death, but it didn't stop them from tumbling down to the 15th floor.
Charlotte's perceptive gaze fixed on Thanatos, sensing something had shifted.
"What's wrong?" she asked, her voice measured and low, as if she feared to disturb the silence of the chamber.
Thanatos glanced at her, then away, his gaze settling on the jagged sword in the center of the room.
"We're on the 15th floor," he said, his voice dark with realization. "This isn't going to be an easy fight."
Suddenly, a guttural growl rumbled through the chamber, Thanatos's Undead Knight powers surged to life, his senses heightened, a primal warning coursing through his veins.
Charlotte, standing beside him, her grimoires at the ready, suddenly froze and gasped in horror as she stared into the shadows.
"What is that...?" she whispered, her finger trembling as she pointed towards the darkness. And in the flickering torchlight, a pair of crimson eyes glinted back at them.
At once, Thanatos was overwhelmed by an urgent, primal instinct. His Undead Knight senses screamed at him—run!
"Charlotte, we have to..." he started, but then the world shifted. Suddenly, the narrative switched to Charlotte's perspective, and everything slowed.
The hulking form of the figure came into focus, his eyes searing into hers as he raised his massive blade high. "Am I going to die?" she thought, her mind racing, as the blade descended in a blinding flash…
The chamber reverberated with the deafening CLANG! of their blades, sparks dancing as they clashed with the force of a raging storm.
Thanatos and the figure were locked in a deadly embrace with their swords resting on each other, their bodies a violent tangle of muscle and sinew.
"Now!" Thanatos shouted over his shoulder.
"Use your magic!" He turned his back to the monster, a split-second lapse in judgment that would cost him dearly.
Charlotte, her grimoire in her shaking hand, began to weave a spell.
As Charlotte's fingers danced over the pages, the magic sparking at her fingertips, the figure seized his opening.
In a single move, it reduced the force on its weapon, causing Thanatos to lean forward and throwing him off balance, using his own force against him and disrupting his center of gravity.
It threw its sword high and lunged forward, his fist connecting with Thanatos' side like a freight train.
The impact sent Thanatos hurtling towards the wall, the shockwave from the punch throwing Charlotte off balance.
The Corrupted Knight's weapon fell from the sky in a graceful arc, seemingly in slow motion.
With a casual flick of his hand, he caught the sword in mid-air, as though it weighed no more than a feather.
His crimson eyes, now fixed on Charlotte, bore into her with an ice-cold malice that made her blood run cold.
She found herself frozen, the fear gripping her so intensely that even her magical powers seemed to falter in the face of this unearthly threat.
The figure, which looked to some sort of corrupted knight in appearance, seemed to consider Charlotte, an icy calculation in his eyes.
But, as if deeming her not worthy of his attention, he turned away with a disdainful flick of his hand.
With a slow, deliberate pace, he began to make his way towards Thanatos.
Each step he took was heavy and ominous, the weight of centuries bearing down upon the stone floor.
His gaze never wavered from the spot where Thanatos lay, as if daring the fallen Undead Knight to rise again and face him in combat.
With a sudden, unexpected movement, a sword was towards hurled the Corrupted Knight with blinding speed.
The blade missed its target by a hair's breadth, slamming into the wall behind him with a deafening THUD.
For the briefest moment, the Corrupted Knight seemed to falter, his expression a mix of shock and curiosity.
A low chuckle erupted from the shadows where Thanatos lay. He rose to his feet, a snarl on his face as he locked eyes with his opponent.
Thanatos sneered, his face contorted with grim amusement.
"The Black Knight," he said, his voice dripping with dark irony.
"A monster I created to be a nightmare for any who would dare venture down here. To see it used against me..." He chuckled, his laughter echoing through the chamber.
'Perfect,' he thought to himself, his eyes blazing with a fierce determination.
His gaze met that of the knight, and the two locked in a deathly stare, silent and unmoving as the air around them crackled with magic and menace.