As Kyle stood among the students. His gaze moved across the wide chamber filled with glowing dungeon platforms.
Each one pulsed softly with mana. Bright colors lighting up the stone floor beneath them.
The air itself felt thick with energy. It buzzed around him. Invisible but impossible to ignore.
The pressure made the tiny hairs on his arms stand up.
He narrowed his eyes.
The platforms didn't just glow. They pulsed. Alive, almost. As if breathing.
And the mana they gave off was even denser than the teleportation portal they had used to get here.
Students were whispering among themselves. Their voices hushed but filled with nervous excitement.
Some adjusted their gear. Others tried to act confident. But their eyes kept flicking toward the swirling gates ahead.
Then. A sudden sound cut through the low murmur.
Footsteps. Slow and dragging.
Everyone turned to look.
