The air shifted as Tobi and his companions stepped through the massive gate. The temperature dropped sharply, and the faint hum of the Cradle's energy gave way to an eerie silence.
The chamber beyond the gate was vast, its scale almost incomprehensible. The ceiling was lost in shadow, and the walls stretched far into the distance, lined with towering, crystalline structures that pulsed with a sickly green glow.
"This is… unsettling," Hannah muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. Her eyes darted around, trying to make sense of the alien patterns etched into the floor and walls.
"Unsettling doesn't begin to cover it," Neon added, gripping their weapon tightly. "This place feels alive… but wrong."
"The core's influence," the Sentinel explained as it stepped forward. Its glowing form seemed dimmer here, as though the oppressive atmosphere was draining its energy.
