The stone door closed behind us with a heavy, echoing thud. I felt the cool air rush through the passage, swirling with an odd, metallic scent that made my skin prickle. Kijin and Raijuu, my two most trusted Shikigami, flanked me as we moved forward. Neither of them made a sound, their usual quiet confidence replaced by an alert wariness that I hadn't seen in them before.
The deeper we went, the more oppressive the silence became. I couldn't even hear the usual distant growl or faint tremor of other creatures roaming nearby floors. Here, it was as if the air itself had been stilled, waiting. The only sound was the soft pad of my steps and the light crackle of Raijuu's fur.
