The moment the door slammed shut behind us, the world shrank to the chamber ahead, and the echo of its thunderous impact seemed to cling to every breath I took. My heartbeat slammed in my ears, undercut by the fractal glow pulsing along the walls. That fractal light clawed at my bones, scraping at my lungs as if even the air itself had turned on me. Each heartbeat felt heavier, each exhale caught on a dryness that seared my throat. The meltdown was watching, waiting, aware of our intrusion like a vast creature poised to strike.
Asterion stood at my side, so close I could almost feel the tension humming through his body. He said nothing, but his slow, measured inhales betrayed the reality beneath his calm exterior: we both knew how close we were to an end we couldn't name. Hesitation had no place here, not when illusions bled from the stone, and the city's meltdown was raw enough to rewrite the floor beneath our feet.
