The red thread tightened around my wrist.
Not painfully. Just enough to remind me that the castle had decided my fate for the next hour.
Keiji stood beside me, quiet in that way he gets when he's thinking too much. His jaw was set, eyes fixed on the door in front of us like it had personally offended him.
"Looks like it's you and me," I said, forcing a tone lighter than I felt.
He glanced at the thread connecting us. "I won't slow you down."
"I know," I replied. "You never do."
The door creaked open on its own, stone grinding against stone, as if the castle was impatient. No dramatic warning. No ominous voice. Just an invitation that felt like a dare.
We stepped through together.
The moment my foot crossed the threshold, the air changed. Warmer. Too warm. The door slammed shut behind us with a finality that made my stomach sink.
"Timer's running," Keiji said quietly.
I nodded, adjusting my grip on my sword. "Let's find the trick before it finds us."
