After Max entered the chamber to the right, a strange pulling sensation gripped his consciousness. It was subtle at first—like the distant tug of a current beneath still water—but it grew stronger with each breath.
Max didn't resist. He remembered Lord Harthorne's instructions and let the sensation take over. Calmly, he sat cross-legged on the mat placed inside the chamber, closed his eyes, and allowed the pull to guide him.
Swish!
When he opened his eyes again, Max was stunned. He was no longer in the chamber. Instead, he found himself standing in the middle of the grand hall he had just walked through—a perfect replica of the one outside, yet different in ways he couldn't explain.
The air was slightly denser, the lighting a little brighter, and everything felt heightened, more alive.
'When did I come here?' Max blinked, glancing at his hands, then at the space around him. He was certain he never moved, yet here he was. It was disorienting, but not frightening.
