Chapter 9: The Door Without a Key
Mikel wandered the inn's halls, his thoughts consumed by the Map of Shadows. The glowing circle felt like a beacon, pulling him toward something he couldn't yet see. But how was he supposed to find it in this labyrinth of corridors and secrets?
As he turned a corner, he nearly collided with a young woman carrying a tray of drinks. She gasped, steadying herself before looking up at him.
"Watch where you're going!" she snapped, though her tone softened when she saw his troubled expression. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Sorry," Mikel muttered, stepping back. "I didn't mean to—" He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes catching on a pendant around her neck. It was shaped like a key, intricate and ancient, with markings that looked eerily similar to the ones on the map.
The woman followed his gaze and frowned. "What? This old thing?"
"Where did you get that?" Mikel asked, his voice sharper than he intended.
She raised an eyebrow. "It's just a trinket I found in one of the rooms. Why do you care?"
"I think it's important," Mikel said, his pulse quickening. "Can I see it?"
The woman hesitated, clearly unsure whether to trust him. But something in his eyes seemed to convince her, and she handed over the pendant.
As soon as Mikel touched it, a strange warmth spread through his hand. The markings on the key seemed to glow faintly, and an image flashed in his mind—a door, hidden somewhere within the inn's endless halls.
"Did you feel that?" Mikel asked, looking up at her.
The woman frowned. "Feel what?"
Mikel shook his head. "Never mind. Do you know where this came from?"
She shrugged. "Not really. I found it in a room on the east wing, but I didn't think much of it."
Mikel's mind raced. The east wing. He hadn't explored that part of the inn yet. Was that where the door in his vision was hidden?
"Thanks," he said, handing the pendant back to her.
The woman looked at him skeptically but didn't press further. "Good luck, I guess."
Mikel didn't wait to hear more. He turned and headed toward the east wing, his steps quick and purposeful. The inn seemed to shift around him as he walked, the corridors becoming narrower and more dimly lit. The air grew colder, and a sense of unease settled over him.
Finally, he reached a dead end—a large, wooden door with no handle or keyhole. It looked exactly like the door from his vision.
Mikel's breath caught in his throat. This was it. The crossroads. But how was he supposed to open it without a key?
As he stood there, the pendant's markings flashed in his mind again. Suddenly, he realized—the key wasn't a physical object. It was something within him.
Taking a deep breath, Mikel placed his hand on the door. For a moment, nothing happened. But then, the wood beneath his hand began to glow, and the door slowly creaked open, revealing a staircase descending into darkness.
Mikel hesitated, his heart pounding. The path ahead was shrouded in shadows, but there was no turning back now.
He stepped through the doorway, ready to face whatever lay ahead.
---