As I walked into the towering palace, the air seemed to shift. A suffocating darkness consumed everything, thick and tangible, as though it had substance and weight. I strained my eyes, but the darkness clung stubbornly to the walls and floor, refusing to yield even a sliver of visibility.
The oppressive silence was broken only by the faint growl of the dark, a low, guttural sound that seemed to echo in response to each of my steps. I moved forward slowly, every muscle in my body coiled and ready, my senses sharpened.
The grand hall stretched endlessly before me, its walls lined with unnatural stone statues. Most were cemented into the walls, their twisted forms merging strangely with the stone. Others stood on long pedestals, their postures regal yet disconcerting, their features warped into horrific mockeries of human and beast. The darkness veiled much of their details, but what little I could discern sent shivers down my spine.
The path led me to a massive door at the far end of the hall. It loomed ahead, carved from ancient black stone and inscribed with symbols that seemed to writhe under my gaze. They weren't just markings... they were warnings.
I reached for the door, my hand hesitating for the briefest moment as my instincts screamed at me to stop.
And then I heard it.
The sharp whistle of an arrow cutting through the air, nearly silent but unmistakable.
I reacted instantly, my body dissolving into a swirling mist just as the projectile struck where I had been standing a heartbeat ago. The arrow embedded itself into the floor with a faint thud, but even as I dissipated into the safety of my incorporeal form, something about it felt… wrong.
The arrow shimmered for a moment before vanishing entirely, as though it had never existed. No remnants, no sound, no trace.
I reformed several paces away, my mist coalescing into human shape, and immediately scanned the darkness for the attacker. My eyes darted from one shadowy corner to the next, my breath steady but my heart pounding.
Who fired that arrow?
No figure emerged, no presence revealed itself. The hall was empty, as silent and eerie as before. But the oppressive feeling in the air told me otherwise.
Does the attacker even exist?
The question lingered in my mind, gnawing at the edges of my sanity. Still, I didn't materialize any of my weapons... not yet. I needed to conserve my strength. If Yadred was anywhere within this palace, I couldn't afford to waste energy on phantoms.
I stepped away from the door and turned my focus to the hall, my gaze sweeping across the statues and their pedestals. My eyes landed on one in particular... a grotesque depiction of a winged humanoid, its face frozen in an expression of anguish. Its twisted features seemed almost alive in the flickering shadows, and I couldn't shake the feeling that it was watching me.
To be safe, I let my mist seep outwards, spreading slowly across the floor and walls, tendrils of it slithering into every crevice and corner. It was a calculated move, but costly; I could feel the strain as my energy dwindled with each passing second.
When the mist had finally enveloped the entire hall, I stopped. My senses extended through it, searching for the slightest trace of movement, the faintest hint of another presence.
Nothing.
I let out a frustrated sigh, cursing myself silently.
Fool, I thought. You're burning energy you'll need for Yadred. Save your strength next time.
Even so, I felt a small measure of relief. Whatever had fired that arrow.. or whoever...
was either gone or hiding beyond the reach of my mist.
I turned my attention back to the giant door. It loomed ominously ahead, its surface seeming to pulse faintly, as though alive. Reaching for it again, I hesitated, my fingers brushing against the cold stone.
Then I felt it.
The mist.. a part of me detected something. A faint disturbance, so subtle it was almost imperceptible.
Movement.
I didn't turn around, didn't react outwardly, but every nerve in my body tensed as the realization settled over me.
One of the statues had moved.
I closed my eyes for a moment, focusing on the mist. It wrapped around the figure, sensing its every shift. The statue raised an arm, its movements slow, as though testing its own body. In its hand was a bow, crude yet menacing, carved from the same stone as the rest of its form.
The bow creaked as the statue pulled back the string, an arrow materializing in its grasp.
It aimed at me, its movements unnaturally smooth, the arrowhead glinting faintly in the oppressive darkness.
But just as it was about to fire, the statue froze.
It didn't move, didn't flinch. The mist coiled tighter around it, binding it in place, its will no longer its own.
The stone figure trembled, struggling against the invisible force that held it captive, but it was futile. My mist had parasite into every crack and crevice of its form, controlling it completely.
A smile crept onto my face... calm, confident, but with an edge of cold satisfaction.
"Got you,".