The moment they stepped inside, the air felt wrong.It wasn't just cold anymore—it was heavy, as if the tower was breathing around them.
Dust floated in the dim light. The walls were carved with faces—dozens of them—eyes hollow, mouths open in silent screams.
Elira's steps faltered. "These… aren't carvings."
Nyra leaned closer. "Then what are they?"
Kaelen didn't answer. His gaze was fixed upward, following the spiraling staircase that vanished into darkness. "Keep moving."
They climbed. Each step creaked under their boots, the sound swallowed quickly by the dark.
The further they went, the louder the pulse in Vael's head grew.Thump.Thump.Thump.
He touched his temple, gritting his teeth. The ring burned against his finger, a faint whisper brushing his ear."Do you feel it? They're waiting for you."
He ignored it, pushing forward.
The tower twisted as they climbed, angles bending in ways that made no sense. Doors appeared and vanished, stairways folding back into the walls.
Reylen kicked a loose stone in frustration. "We've been walking for hours. This thing's a maze."
Kaelen finally turned, face grim. "It's not a maze. It's alive."
The floor shuddered beneath them.
From the walls, black veins spread like cracks, pulsing faintly with red light. The faces carved in stone began to move—eyes twitching, mouths gasping for air they couldn't breathe.
Elira stumbled back, voice trembling. "Vael—"
He raised a hand. Shadows coiled around him like instinct. His eyes glowed faint silver, reflecting the faint red light.
The air grew colder.
Kaelen's staff flared with white flame. "They know he's here. The tower remembers its master."
The walls split open. Hands—dozens of them—reached from the stone, dragging themselves out. The shadows took shape: armored wraiths, their bodies made of ash and smoke, eyes burning crimson.
Reylen drew his blade. "Finally," he muttered. "Something I can kill."
Vael's voice was low, steady. "Don't fall behind."
He stepped forward, the crown's mark glowing faintly along his neck. The air around him rippled as if the tower itself bent toward him.
One of the wraiths lunged. Vael's blade met it midair, slicing through smoke and bone.The creature screamed—but didn't die.
The sound carried upward through the tower, echoing into the unseen dark above.
Kaelen's expression darkened. "You shouldn't have done that."
The whispers grew louder. The red veins across the walls pulsed faster. Something massive stirred deeper inside the tower—something ancient, awakening.
The floor cracked open beneath them.
Vael steadied himself as a deafening roar tore through the dark.
Whatever was coming… wasn't just another wraith.
It was the thing that ruled them.
And it was awake.