A clicking sound echoed throughout the room. The bright glow of the constellations gradually dimmed, allowing darkness to creep back in. The stars on the ceiling remained lit, but this time, they were motionless. No movement, no shifting points. A fixed pattern was now displayed above them. Veil (looking around, panicked): "What? Why is this happening again?!" A second, louder click followed, accompanied by a deep rumbling from the far end of the room. Alynia (sharp, reactive voice): "There! Look at the ceiling!" Veil looked up and saw what she meant. The stars formed a clear path—a luminous trajectory stretching from a point near them to the other side of the room. Veil (surprised): "A path? But why..." A guttural growl echoed behind them. Alynia (shouting): "No time to think! Follow me!" She grabbed Veil's hand and yanked him forward. Alynia (yelling): "That's the exit! We have to get there before the door closes!" They took off running. Their footsteps echoed across the stone floor, their breaths short and quick. The clicking sound repeated at regular intervals, growing faster and faster. Veil (panting): "Wait! Wait! What? Why are we running?!" Alynia (gripping his hand tighter): "Shut up and run! The door is closing!" Another deep growl sounded, closer this time. The scraping of claws against stone reached their ears—a sharp, grating sound approaching rapidly. Veil (panting, glancing over his shoulder): "Something's behind us!" A shadow shot past them on their left. Veil barely had time to turn his head before he felt a claw graze his cheek. Veil (grimacing, clutching his cheek): "Argh! What the hell was that?!" He felt the warmth of blood trickling lightly down his cheek. The pain was sharp but bearable. Alynia (eyes fixed straight ahead): "Don't look back! Just keep moving!" They continued running at full speed, following the path traced by the constellations. The stars above served as their guide, illuminating the way forward, while the shifting shadows on the sides were nothing more than fleeting presences. Veil (panting): "We're... not gonna make it..." Alynia (gritting her teeth): "You don't have a choice!" The clicking sounds accelerated again. The noise grew frantic, accompanied by the deep rumbling of a massive stone door moving in the distance. A heavy, resonating vibration, like a slab slowly lowering into place. Alynia (eyes locked ahead): "The door! It's closing!" They pushed themselves harder, forcing their legs to the limit. Their pounding hearts thundered in their ears, synchronized with the clicks and the rumbling stone. Veil (shouting): "We're not gonna make it!" Alynia (yelling): "Yes, we will!" The door was within reach. A massive stone slab descending slowly from the ceiling, leaving a gap of less than a meter. Alynia dived forward, sliding under the slab in a fluid motion. Alynia (turning to Veil, shouting): "Veil, now!" Veil didn't think. He threw himself forward, sliding on his stomach like Alynia, the rough stone scraping his arms and legs. The slab continued its relentless descent. Veil (internal thought): "Come on! Come on!" He rolled just in time under the door. His ankle nearly got caught, but with a desperate yank, he pulled his leg free just before the slab slammed into the ground with a muffled thud. Silence. Veil remained on the ground, panting, his gaze fixed on the ceiling. The cold stone beneath his back was both painful and reassuring. Veil (gasping): "... I hate... this dungeon..." Alynia (standing up, dusting herself off): "No one likes dungeons, Pup." As always, she extended her hand to him. Veil looked at it for a moment before letting out a faint smile and taking it. Veil (sighing): "... Thanks." Alynia (glancing aside): "Yeah, yeah. Get up." They stood up again. Before them, a spiral staircase descended into darkness. Alynia (gazing at the stairs): "Ready for floor three?" Veil (wiping his wounded cheek, staring at the stairs): "No, but we're going anyway." Together, they stepped forward into the darkness.