The fractured remains of the Warden lay scattered across the platform, jagged chunks of stone glowing faintly with the dying light of its runes. The once deafening hum of the dungeon was now a dull, rhythmic thrum, as if the Abyss itself were catching its breath after the battle.
I staggered to my feet, the orb in my hand pulsing faintly. The black veins on my arms had receded, but the burning pain in my chest lingered like an open wound.
The air in the chamber felt heavier, colder. A chilling silence had descended, broken only by the faint crackling of broken stone beneath my boots.
I glanced down at the orb. Its surface had returned to its usual faint glow, but the shadows inside were different now. They didn't swirl aimlessly—they twisted with a deliberate, almost predatory rhythm.
Something had changed.
I wasn't sure if it was the dungeon, the orb, or me.
The faint glow of the remaining runes guided me forward, across the shattered arena. My body ached with every step, the exhaustion of the fight weighing me down.
But something felt wrong.
The oppressive weight of the dungeon, the ever-present hum, seemed closer now—like it wasn't just around me but inside me.
I paused, leaning against a jagged piece of the platform for support. My breaths came in sharp, shallow gasps, each one feeling heavier than the last.
Then I heard it.
A whisper.
It was faint, barely audible, but unmistakable.
"Kei…"
I froze, my heart pounding. The sound hadn't come from behind me—or from any direction at all. It was as if it had been spoken directly into my mind.
"Who's there?" I called out, my voice echoing through the chamber.
The whisper didn't answer. Instead, it grew louder, overlapping with others until it became a cacophony of voices, each one indistinct yet unmistakably calling my name.
"Kei… Keiiii…"
I clutched the orb tighter, the shadows within it stirring violently. The black veins on my arms flared to life, spreading up my shoulders and across my neck.
"Stop it!" I shouted, but the voices only grew louder, sharper, cutting into my thoughts like blades.
Then, as suddenly as they had started, they stopped.
The silence that followed was deafening.
The platform beneath me trembled slightly, a faint vibration that seemed to pulse in time with the shadows inside the orb.
I forced myself to move forward, my steps slow and deliberate. The faint glow of runes on the walls guided me toward a narrow passageway that had appeared at the far edge of the arena.
The orb pulsed faintly in my hand, its light casting long, flickering shadows on the walls.
As I stepped into the passageway, the air grew colder, the oppressive weight of the dungeon pressing against me once again. The walls were closer here, carved with jagged symbols that glowed faintly with the same crimson light as the Warden's runes.
Each step felt heavier than the last, as if the dungeon itself were resisting my progress.
And then, I heard the voice again.
"You're not strong enough."
This time, it wasn't a whisper. It was clear, sharp, and unmistakably mine.
I stopped in my tracks, my heart pounding as I scanned the narrow passageway. The light from the orb flickered, casting shifting shadows on the walls.
"Who's there?" I demanded, my voice echoing down the corridor.
The shadows on the walls twisted and coiled, forming vague, humanoid shapes that seemed to move of their own accord.
"You can't control them," the voice said, low and mocking. "You think you're special, but you're not. You're weak. The shadows know it."
I clenched my fists, the orb in my hand pulsing erratically. "Shut up," I muttered through gritted teeth.
The shadows on the walls flickered, their forms becoming more distinct. I could see faces now—distorted, hollow-eyed reflections of myself.
"They'll consume you," the voice continued. "You know it. You can feel it, can't you? The way they twist inside you, pulling you apart piece by piece."
The pain in my chest flared, sharp and unrelenting. The black veins on my arms spread further, creeping across my skin like cracks in glass.
"You're lying," I said, my voice trembling.
The shadows on the walls laughed, a harsh, hollow sound that echoed through the passageway.
"Am I?" the voice said. "You've already felt it. You lost control back there, didn't you? You let them take over. And they'll do it again. Because you're too weak to stop them."
I forced myself to keep walking, my steps unsteady as the shadows on the walls twisted and writhed around me.
The voice didn't stop.
"You think you can survive this? You can't even control yourself. The dungeon will break you. The shadows will consume you. And when it's over, there'll be nothing left of you."
"Shut up," I said, louder this time.
The shadows flickered, their forms growing more chaotic, more erratic. The orb in my hand pulsed violently, its light dimming as the shadows inside it thrashed against its surface.
"You can't win, Kei," the voice said, softer now, almost gentle. "You're not the one in control. They are."
"Shut up!" I shouted, slamming the orb against the wall.
The moment it made contact, the shadows inside the orb erupted outward, lashing against the walls of the passageway. The distorted faces on the walls shattered like glass, dissolving into smoke as the shadows coiled back into the orb.
The passageway fell silent once again.
I stood there for a moment, gasping for air as the pain in my chest subsided. My arms trembled, the black veins fading slightly as the shadows inside the orb settled.
The dungeon's hum returned, faint and rhythmic, guiding me forward.
I took a deep breath and tightened my grip on the orb.
Whatever this place was trying to do—whatever game it was playing—I wasn't going to break.
Not yet.
I took a step forward, the light from the orb flickering faintly against the jagged walls.
The passageway stretched on, twisting and turning into darkness.
And somewhere, deep in the shadows ahead, something waited.