Secrets of the Hall
The doors fully opened, revealing a massive hall shrouded in deep darkness. The air was cold, and each step echoed as if the Abyss itself was holding its breath, watching them.
"Simon," Adelina whispered, gripping his arm. "This place... it's wrong."
"Wrong?" he repeated, glancing at the towering pillars stretching into the ceiling above.
"Do you feel it? It's breathing."
Simon paused. She was right. The very air around them seemed alive, as though the structure itself was observing, judging.
"We need to move," he said quietly. "The longer we stay, the more it affects us."
They moved forward, the light of Simon's fire reflecting off mosaic tiles depicting scenes of chaos and destruction. Each step felt heavier, as though the Abyss was trying to halt their progress.
---
The Call of the Abyss
As they ventured deeper, the shadows began to stir. Simon felt the fire within him burn brighter, responding to the growing threat.
"Careful," he warned, noticing movement in the darkness.
Figures emerged, twisted reflections of humans, moving with unnatural speed. Their eyes glowed a menacing red.
"They were waiting for us," Adelina murmured, raising her weapon.
Simon unleashed a burst of fire, illuminating the space. The creatures shrieked, retreating momentarily, but they did not vanish.
"We can't fight them," he said. "There are too many."
"Then what?" she shouted, fending off one of the creatures.
"Run!"
---
The Chase
They ran through the dark halls, the sound of the creatures' pursuit echoing around them.
"Through there!" Simon pointed toward an archway ahead.
But the shadows closed in. One of the creatures grabbed Adelina's shoulder, but Simon struck it with a blast of fire, forcing it back.
"We won't make it!" she cried, her voice laced with despair.
"We will!" he shouted, feeling the fire within him surge.
Stopping abruptly, he turned and unleashed a massive wave of flames, filling the hall with light. The creatures recoiled, momentarily halted.
"Go!" he yelled, looking back at Adelina.
She hesitated.
"You have to come too!"
"I will. Just go!"
---
The Sealed Archway
Adelina reached the archway, entering a new chamber. She turned back, watching Simon still fending off the shadows.
"Simon!"
He released one final burst of fire and sprinted toward her, barely dodging an attack from one of the creatures.
"Close the arch!" he yelled.
She touched a rune on the wall, and the archway began to seal, cutting off the creatures' path. Simon dove through just in time, collapsing beside her.
"Are you okay?" he asked, breathing heavily.
"Yes... Are you?"
"Still alive."
---
A Moment of Peace
Silence enveloped them. The room was smaller, quieter, offering a brief reprieve.
"We're almost there," Simon said, gazing at another door on the far wall.
"But something worse waits beyond it," Adelina replied.
Simon nodded. He could feel it.
"But we'll face it together."
She looked at him, seeing the determination in his eyes.
"Yes. Together."