The descent into the basement felt like a journey into another world. Each step I took down the winding staircase plunged me deeper into darkness, the air growing thick and heavy around me. The feeble light from the candles Malcolm had placed along the way cast eerie, dancing shadows on the stone walls.
As we reached the bottom, Malcolm pushed open a heavy wooden door. It creaked ominously, the sound echoing in the oppressive silence. The conference room beyond was a cavern of shadows, illuminated only by a cluster of candles on a long, ornate table. Their flickering light barely reached the edges of the room, leaving the corners shrouded in impenetrable blackness.
The dancing flames cast grotesque shadows across Malcolm's face as he took a seat at the head of the table.
