The darkness pressed in around them, so thick and heavy it felt as though it had a physical presence. Ryuto tightened his grip on his glowing sword, the faint light casting long, eerie shadows across the walls. Nina conjured another orb of light, though it flickered uncertainly, and Celeste steadied her staff, the gem atop it glowing faintly.
The mocking laugh from earlier echoed again, bouncing off the high ceilings of the hall. It was closer this time, more resonant. Ryuto stepped in front of Nina and Celeste, his instincts screaming that the enemy was toying with them.
"We need to regroup somewhere defensible," Ryuto said, his voice steady but tense. "This thing is trying to corner us."
"Where, exactly?" Nina snapped, her hands crackling with faint magical energy. "The whole mansion's a haunted deathtrap!"
