The footsteps grew louder, uneven and deliberate, like someone—or something—dragging its feet across the cold stone floor. Aidan froze mid-step, his eyes darting toward the faint glow of the runes on the walls. The light was dim at best, barely enough to illuminate the path ahead, leaving most of the corridor shrouded in shadow.
He gripped the key tightly in his hand, as if it would somehow protect him. Whatever this is, let's just get it over with, he thought, taking a cautious step forward.
The footsteps stopped. Aidan's breath hitched. He strained his ears, waiting for any sound, but the silence that followed was worse. It was as though the entire corridor was holding its breath.
Suddenly, a flicker of movement caught his eye. A shadow, impossibly tall and twisted, stretched across the wall ahead of him. It moved without a source, defying the faint glow of the runes.
His grip on the key tightened. Fantastic. A dungeon with shadow monsters. Because why not?
The shadow shifted, growing closer, and a low growl echoed through the corridor. Aidan's instincts screamed at him to run, but his legs felt heavy, almost sluggish. His stomach churned with hunger, a gnawing ache that had started hours ago but was now impossible to ignore.
He glanced down at the map, hoping for a clue, but the parchment remained blank. He shoved it back into his pocket with a frustrated sigh. Figures.
---
The further he walked, the heavier the air became, pressing against his chest like an invisible weight. His steps faltered, his energy draining faster than it should have. Aidan wiped the sweat from his brow, his throat burning with every shallow breath.
I need water. Food. Anything, he thought grimly. His stomach growled again, the sound almost mocking in the oppressive silence. He tried to ignore it, focusing instead on the faint glow of the runes ahead.
No food, no water. Great survival mechanics, dungeon.
His pace slowed as a wave of dizziness hit him, forcing him to steady himself against the wall. For a moment, he stood there, catching his breath. Am I already this weak? How long have I even been here?
---
The Watcher Appears
From the darkness ahead, two pinpricks of light emerged—eyes, glowing a faint, eerie blue. The growl grew louder, resonating through the stone walls. Slowly, a figure stepped into the faint light of the runes. It was humanoid but wrong. Its limbs were too long, its posture hunched, and its face obscured by a dark, shifting mist.
Aidan stood his ground, though every instinct screamed at him to flee. Running won't help if it's faster than me.
The creature tilted its head, its growl softening into a low rumble that sounded almost… amused.
"Not here for directions," it rasped. "Here to watch."
Aidan's throat tightened. Watch what? Me pass out? He swallowed the urge to snap back but couldn't help muttering under his breath. "Well, enjoy the show."
The glowing eyes narrowed slightly. "If hunger doesn't take you first, perhaps the stone will."
Aidan blinked, baffled. "What, you think I'm going to eat rocks now?"
The creature tilted its head again, its voice unnervingly calm. "In the dungeon, not all things are what they seem."
Aidan exhaled sharply, gripping the key tighter. "Sure, great. Thanks for the life advice, cryptic creep."
The creature's gaze lingered on him for a moment longer before it stepped back into the shadows. Its glowing eyes vanished as though it had never been there. The silence that followed was suffocating, pressing in on Aidan from all sides.
"Well, that's not ominous at all," he muttered, his stomach growling louder. Move, Aidan. Standing here isn't going to solve anything.
---
The Corridor's Grip
The oppressive air seemed to grow heavier as Aidan pushed forward. Each step felt harder than the last, his legs trembling with fatigue. His hunger and thirst were no longer just nuisances—they were distractions, dulling his focus and making every decision harder.
Behind him, a faint sound broke the silence. It was subtle at first—like claws scraping against stone—but it grew louder with each passing moment. Aidan glanced back, his pulse quickening. Great. As if hunger wasn't enough.
The runes on the walls began to shift, pulsing brighter as they rearranged themselves into strange patterns. Aidan skidded to a halt, nearly tripping over his own feet. Ahead of him, the walls seemed to twist and bend, the runes forming a glowing doorframe.
Another puzzle, he thought, his stomach sinking. Because of course it's another puzzle.
---
The Puzzle Door
The symbols on the glowing doorframe pulsed in a familiar rhythm: three flashes, a pause, then two flashes. Aidan's mind raced as he recalled the previous puzzle in the chamber.
Patterns. It's always patterns, he thought, scanning the walls for a clue. The runes around the doorframe began to shift again, forming a sequence that mirrored the rhythm.
Three flashes. A pause. Two flashes.
The scraping sound behind him grew louder. Aidan glanced over his shoulder, his heart pounding as the faint glow of blue eyes appeared in the distance.
His hands trembled as he reached for the glowing symbols. The first set lit up under his touch, pulsing brighter with each press.
Come on. Stay calm. You've done this before. He moved to the next set of symbols, his breath shallow as the growling behind him grew closer.
The final set of runes lit up with a sharp pulse of light, and the doorframe began to glow, its edges shimmering like molten gold.
He didn't wait to see if the door would hold. Aidan dove through the doorway just as the creature's claws scraped against the wall behind him.
---
Narrow Escape
The door sealed shut behind him with a heavy thud, and the creature's growl reverberated through the stone walls. For a moment, Aidan lay sprawled on the ground, his chest heaving. Every muscle in his body ached, and his limbs felt like lead.
He rolled onto his back, staring up at the glowing ceiling. So far, not my best day.
The map in his pocket twitched. Groaning, Aidan pulled it out and unrolled it. New text had appeared at the bottom:
"Well done, Traveler. But the journey is far from over."
He let the map fall to the ground beside him. No kidding.
---
A New Chamber
He sat up, taking in his surroundings. The room was smaller than the previous chamber, its walls lined with faintly glowing crystals that cast a soft, ethereal light. In the center of the room stood a pedestal, much like the one in the puzzle room. But instead of a key, a small metallic cube rested on its surface.
Aidan approached cautiously, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten. The cube pulsed faintly, its surface etched with intricate patterns that seemed to shift when viewed from different angles.
What now? he thought, his fingers hovering just above the surface of the cube.
The runes on the walls began to glow brighter, casting long shadows across the chamber. The faint hum of energy filled the air, growing louder with each passing moment.
Aidan sighed, bracing himself. "Because nothing here is ever simple."