Norbert walked into the hall following Obsius, instantly his foot seemed to trip on something, rolling on the floor Norbert unable to catch himself as his head impacted with the stone. Feeling everything move around him Norbert slowly gained focus again, pushing himself off the ground seeing Obsius staring up at him, confirming he was fine before moving to the torch splayed far away. Looking on the floor, unable to see what caught his foot and made him fall so violently.

Shaking his head Norbert stood up, walking to the torch that was outside of the light coming from the white room behind him. Turning around Norbert was at least happy that now he had a way of navigating to the other floors instead of hoping to randomly stumble upon a stairwell leading in the direction he wanted.

Carefully stepping in, his steps echoing around the quiet hall, Obsius landing on his shoulder, having completed her task of getting Norbert to take that first step. Walking further, Norbert looked behind himself, seeing the doorway to the white ladder rooms still there, thankful it hadn't disappeared.

Checking again, Norbert looked around, happy to see no runes around him being activated, only the same monotonous brown colour the rock around him gave off.

Changing his vision back to normal, Norbert sped up, now going at a brisk walk, not wanting to run too fast with the torch in his hand; travelling through a tunnel in the dark again wasn't something he wanted to do anytime soon.

Continuing down the hall, Norbert looked at the shadows the torch was creating. Rhythmically undulating on the floor, the fire in his hand flickered and moved with his step, bouncing up and down repeatedly.

Staring at the shadows as they went rhythmically around Norbert, he stopped momentarily, staring at it as he kept it as still as possible. Looking around the room, Norbert felt something watching him from behind, the hairs on the back of his neck prickling up.

Spinning around himself, Norbert looked around, the hall remaining the same as it had been. Turning back to the front, he started walking again, trying to dismiss the growing concern in his mind.

Seeing the shadows flicker again, Norbert looked down, the way it moved grabbing his attention. Sliding to a stop, Norbert looked at the ground, seeing the shadows around him start to undulate towards himself.

Panic started to go through his body as he remembered the hands that grasped him in the hall with the doors—he held his breath to try to steady his beating heart. Turning to Obsius on his shoulder, Norbert poked the bird with his finger, watching as she stayed there without moving.

Panic coursing up his body once more, Norbert held the torch in front of him as he spun around, watching a trail of embers emerge. Panting, Norbert held it still before him, scanning the area to see if there was something.

A cold chill went down his back, Norbert feeling something clutching at his ankle. The cold limb slowly gets tighter and tighter. Looking down at his foot, he saw nothing around it, not even the boot crumpling, until he looked on the ground.

From behind him, a shadow came out of the circle, the appendage grasping onto his ankle, the cold feeling spreading up his leg. Shaking it, Norbert saw the appendage move as well, not progressing.

Feeling something latch onto his other leg, Norbert's eyes shot to that one, seeing another appendage grasping just underneath his knee. Feeling the ice pumping through his veins, chilling him to the core, Norbert looked around, confirming what he thought was happening.

Pushing energy into his body, Norbert held the torch down to the ground, trying to stop the appendages from holding onto him.

Still feeling it, Norbert looked behind again, seeing them behind him. Spreading his legs out, Norbert held the torch in the middle; instantly, Norbert felt relief, the coldness fleeing from his body.

Breathing out in relief, only to stop halfway through, feeling the coldness once more, I start to climb up each leg. Looking at these legs, I saw the shadow being bisected in two, the two appendages grabbing onto each leg.

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Stepping forward, Norbert had to force it, feeling like his knee joints were freezing up, that whatever the shadows were doing to him was slowly freezing him, turning him into a living statue.

Running forward, Norbert went as fast as he could, feeling slow down as more and more of his body was frozen, slowing down. Taking a step forward, his hip freezing, not allowing the next one to catch him, Norbert fell to the ground, the torch slipping out of his fingers as he stopped himself from face-planting into the ground.

Watching as the torch rolled away, the cold growing more as it suddenly shot up his body, Norbert used his hands to crawl towards the torch, knowing that if it snuffed out, he would be consumed by whatever was in this room.

Slowly now, Norbert felt the ice in his veins increases; knowing that he was trapped, Norbert continued to crawl forward, his left hand starting to feel stiff as he pushed on. With his right hand underneath him, Norbert tried to move his left hand in front of him to pull himself just that bit closer.

His arm was no longer moving, just frozen in front of him. Norbert grasped with his right, pulling it halfway down, the torch now a half meter away as the light shone on his face. Now unable to feel either of his hands, using his chin, Norbert continued forward, moving at a snail's pace. He pulled himself forward, his body scraping against the cold stone, his entire body now frozen solid, unable to move anything.

He could not even push the energy around his body, no matter how much he tried to force it to move. It did not want to move around, hitting a brick wall and only shooting around his head, making it feel like it split open.

As Norbert was about to reach it, he saw the torch flicker on the ground.

"No, please don't go. Just hold on a bit longer." Norbert begged to the torch.

A tear fell on his face; Norbert lay there as he watched it flicker again, no longer moving his body as he stared at the torch. He was watching as it flickered and went out.

Norbert held his breath for several seconds, wondering what would happen. Slowly, the freezing in his veins continued; Norbert felt it climb the rest of his neck under his scalp as he felt each hair stand on edge.

It went around the side, his jaw frozen in place in an outcry as Norbert continued to breathe, slowly feeling less and less of the air coming out of his throat as it slowly froze over.

The last thing Norbert felt was his eyelids, frozen mid-way through a blink, his vision half blurry as a tear welled in his eyes. He was forcing the energy through his brain as he tried to think of something to happen.

There wouldn't be a trap like this that he couldn't get out of; they wouldn't make a hall that would result in the death of anyone who tried to make it here.

As Norbert's thoughts slowed down, thinking of ways to get out of there. The last thing he heard was a single sound reverberating around the hall.

"Tch"

***

Norbert felt something poking at his ear.

"AHHHHHH!!!!" Norbert screamed, remembering what had happened before.

Looking around the empty hall, the torch lying on the ground away from him. Obsius shoots into the air from him, jumping and screaming.

Breathing heavily, Norbert felt his heart smashing through his chest, seeing purple shine on his hands. Norbert became aware of the energy whipping through his body, starting to burn itself into him, seeing the damage that it caused to his body from being overextended.

I did not believe it was even possible before, never being able to increase it to this level. Norbert slowed it down with his breathing and beating heart, and everything slowly reached a resting place.

Hearing clacking on the stone floor, Norbert looked, seeing Obsius staring back at him with worry. Norbert breathed slowly once more as he readied his mind, compartmentalising everything that happened as a dream.

Smiling, Norbert reached out to Obsius, patting the bird on her head. "I'm all good now, Obsius. Let's see what this hall offers," Norbert said to the bird.

The bird chirped in response as she fluttered her wings, landing on Norbert's shoulder. Norbert walks towards the dropped torch, picking it up off the ground.

Staring at the flames it created, watching several embers flicker to the ground as he spun the torch. I looked towards the ground, happy that it wasn't moving.

Turning around, Norbert looked behind himself, still in the white room's light, bathing out into the hall.

Breathing in deeply once more, crushing his fears, Norbert stepped forward. Holding the torch in front of him, Norbert continued walking down the hall, looking around at his room, confirming that nothing was happening.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Norbert patted Obsius again, talking to the bird, "Thanks for the support as always." Norbert said.

Not hearing a response, Norbert turned to Obsius, watching as the bird was frozen on his shoulder, not moving at all. "What's…" Norbert asked the air before he felt the grip on his leg again.

Standing entirely still, Norbert slowly panned his head down, looking at the shadows on the ground. Seeing two appendages reaching out of the darkness, Norbert screamed as he felt the coldness spread in his veins again.

Turning around, Norbert sprinted for the white room, pumping his arms and sending sparks flying all over the ground. Seeing the room's light spilling out, Norbert reached for it, tripping over his feet as he skidded towards the ground. Norbert watched as the torch rolled into the room.

Quicker this time, the freezing in his veins enveloped his body; knowing it was coming didn't help him. Norbert panted out of fear as his thoughts once more slowed down as they reached his head.

"Tch" was all he heard before everything stopped.