Nikolai ascended the curved staircase, the pungent and irritating scent of sulphur and coal filling his nose. He didn't know why, but his ears also felt strange. Like the feeling of flying on a plane, just before they popped, a sense of pressure increased the closer he approached the strange doorway.
"This is it... Are the monsters here really different from those outside?"
[*Static*]
'Huh? Mother, why is your voice so distorted?!'
He touched the pendant but could only feel a weak connection—even her voice was distorted and hard to understand. It made Nikolai wonder if there was an issue with the tower and spirits or souls... 'Come to think of it, when you die in the tower, do you die or get sent outside? Why didn't I ask for more information before?'
[*Static* Care *Static* ful...*Static* Son...]
