I mounted Plushie, the Cerberus, who was now my unexpected guide, his massive paws thudding softly against the obsidian floor.
His fur was strangely soft beneath my fingers, but the weight of the moment hung over me, sharpening every sound, every shift of the atmosphere.
The hallway before me stretched long and winding, the obsidian walls reflecting dim, flickering light, casting eerie shadows that seemed to reach for me.
It was like walking through a dream—one where I was never sure whether I was moving forward or falling deeper into some endless abyss.
My grip tightened on the Invitational Key, its cold surface sending a shiver down my spine. The key felt like a weight of destiny in my hand, its intricate patterns glowing faintly in the dim light, pulsing like a heart of its own.
I'd earned this key, but not without cost. It had drained me, in ways that weren't just physical.
