We entered the corridor without hesitation.
It was narrower than we had expected, its ceiling low, its walls solid—no carvings, no markings. The air was heavy and cold, yet disturbingly normal; no sensory tricks, no hidden pressure. Just a path that pushed you forward.
We walked for long minutes without anything changing. Then the corridor ended abruptly.
A large room.
Wide, almost square. Its floor was smooth stone, the walls high and completely bare. No doors, no passages, not even cracks. A deliberate emptiness.
I stopped at the center.
Neil stood beside me, looked around once, then again. He didn't ask. It was clear the room wasn't a direct trap… but a gathering point.
And indeed, moments later, we heard the slow sound of something opening.
One of the walls split apart, revealing a wide door.
Three adventurers emerged.
Their clothes were torn, their faces exhausted—but they were alive. After them, a second door opened. Then a third. With every door, survivors from earlier stages stepped out. They weren't many, but their mere presence was enough to create a palpable tension. No one here trusted anyone.
Then… the final door opened.
Elenius stepped out.
He walked calmly, with steady steps, as if the place meant nothing to him. His two sons were at his side. Their features were worn, but their eyes were alert.
The moment his gaze fell on me, the rhythm of the room changed. Not fear… but the weight of knowing.
He walked straight toward me, without sparing the other adventurers a glance.
He stopped at close range—speaking distance, not combat.
In a calm voice, he said: "Your attempts to retrieve the amulet will fail."
It wasn't a threat. It was a statement.
He continued: "This place does not allow the return of what is broken. And what you're trying to do… is restore something that has ended."
I didn't answer. There was nothing in his words that could be refuted immediately.
He looked at Neil.
He didn't attack him, didn't shout. He simply said: "You're still hiding behind silence. You think hesitation is neutrality—but it's a choice as well."
Neil clenched his jaw. He didn't look at him.
Elenius smiled briefly, without mockery. "You know you can join us. You know this path will end only in loss… for you and for him."
Neil remained silent.
Elenius waited a moment longer, then said as he turned away: "You will regret it. Not today… but soon."
He walked off, leaving us standing in the center of the room.
In the opposite wall, a new door opened.
A powerful light poured out—white, tinged with gold.
The adventurers moved instinctively. No orders, no discussion. Light here meant an exit… or a new stage, and either was better than standing still.
They entered one by one.
We followed.
The next chamber was entirely different.
Its ceiling was immensely high, nearly vanishing into darkness. Massive chains hung in the air, not attached to the walls, but seemingly pulled taut by an unseen force. And at its center… the entity.
A colossal creature, one eye closed. Its body partially petrified, its skin rough like stone, its back hunched and crowned with sharp spikes. The chains were wrapped around its limbs and neck, barely keeping it suspended above the ground.
Around the hall… treasures.
Open chests, gleaming weapons, coins, relics. They weren't scattered randomly, but arranged deliberately—almost displayed.
One of the adventurers approached immediately.
He didn't wait. He didn't look at anyone. He knelt and began grabbing whatever he could.
Elenius shouted: "Stop!"
But the warning came too late.
One of the chains trembled.
Then another.
A deep metallic sound filled the hall, followed by a clear cracking noise. The single eye opened.
The chains began to disintegrate, one after another, falling as if they had suddenly lost all meaning.
The creature dropped to the ground with a weight that cracked the stone beneath it.
Someone screamed.
Others retreated.
But the moment had passed.
The entity raised its head and released a short roar—then charged.
Chaos erupted.
I turned and found Elenius looking at me.
He wasn't worried. He wasn't angry. He simply said: "This is the right time… for you to return to your former nature."
Then he turned away and raised his sword.