The dust settled around us like a heavy shroud, and the echoes of our battle with the Guardian still seemed to linger in the stone walls. We were alive, but bruised and exhausted. The air felt heavier, thicker, as though the dungeon itself was shifting. Whatever we had just done, it had changed something.
Sun-ho wiped sweat from his brow, his eyes scanning the dim corridor ahead. "We need to keep moving," he muttered. But I could see the hesitation in his stance. Even Sun-ho wasn't sure what might be waiting for us now.
"Agreed," Ji-hye said, though her voice was tight with weariness. Her eyes darted around the room, sharp and watchful. "But it's too quiet. I don't like it."
She wasn't wrong. The silence wasn't just empty—it was stifling, like the calm before something terrible. The grey walls around us seemed even more oppressive, as though they were closing in.
"Stay alert," I said, gripping the hilt of my weapon. "We're not done with whatever this place has planned."
As we moved forward, something unusual caught my eye. At first, it seemed like just another part of the dungeon—a shadow among jagged rocks—but as we got closer, it became clear. An archway, half-hidden and almost easy to miss. It looked like the dungeon itself had tried to hide it.
"Sun-ho," I called softly. "Do you see that?"
He turned, his gaze narrowing as he studied it. The others followed, their expressions just as puzzled as mine.
"That wasn't there before," Sun-ho muttered.
We approached cautiously, the sound of our boots against the stone the only noise breaking the silence. As we drew nearer, we saw it: a massive, ancient door embedded in the rock. Its wood was dark and weathered, but streaked with glowing runes that swirled and twisted across its surface. The runes pulsed faintly, almost as if alive.
"What is this?" Ji-hye whispered, leaning closer. "Another trap?"
"I don't think so," Sun-ho replied, his voice quiet but certain. "It feels… different. Like it's waiting for us."
I felt it too. The air around the door seemed to hum faintly, almost pulling us toward it. The sensation made my skin crawl.
"Do we open it?" I asked, my voice low and tense. Whatever was behind that door felt important, but also dangerous.
Sun-ho hesitated, glancing at each of us. Finally, he took a deep breath. "We open it. But be ready for anything."
We moved as a group, our steps slow and careful. I reached out first, letting my fingers brush the door. The runes flared brighter under my touch, shifting and writhing like living things. My hand tingled, but I pushed the feeling aside.
Sun-ho stepped forward and gripped the handle. The door groaned as it creaked open, the sound echoing like a warning. A gust of cold air rushed out, carrying a musty, ancient smell.
When the door opened fully, we froze.
Inside was a vast chamber, its far walls lost in shadows. The dim light from our torches flickered across the space, casting eerie shapes on the floor. But it was the pedestal in the center of the room that held our attention.
On it rested a crystal, shimmering with an unnatural light. It pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat, its glow mesmerizing and almost hypnotic. The aura it gave off was beautiful—but also deeply unsettling.
"Is that…?" Ji-hye whispered, her voice trailing off as she