The heavy thud of the dungeon gate closing echoed behind them, its ancient mechanisms grinding like a final act of defiance. Emma’s breaths were shallow and quick, but she wasted no time. She knelt immediately, pulling the Bomb Stones from her bag. Her hands trembled as she arranged them in a hasty line in front of the gate, carving the final S symbol into each stone with a sharp stone.
The runes on the flat stones shimmered faintly as she finished. Without hesitation, Emma locked the gate’s heavy iron latch, stepping back just as the cries began to grow louder.
The shrill wail echoed through the corridor like nails scraping against her skull, rising and falling in grotesque, childlike cadence. Then, abruptly, it stopped.
The silence was worse.
Suddenly, the gate shuddered with a deafening BANG! A force slammed into it, shaking the very walls of the chamber.
Emma flinched, her heart pounding in her ears.
Another BANG! The impact reverberated, rattling the stones beneath her feet.
Her body tensed as it came again and again—BANG! BANG! BANG!—each strike stronger than the last. The gate held firm, but the relentless assault sent a chill down her spine.
Then, an enraged growl pierced the air, guttural and primal, followed by a sudden, sharp scream that sounded more like an infant’s cry. The scream faded into the distance, leaving a hollow, echoing silence in its wake.
Emma exhaled shakily, her body sagging with relief. “For now, we’re safe,” she muttered.
The tension lingered as Emma finally turned to take in their surroundings. The room they had entered was unlike the rest of the dungeon.
It was vast and majestic, the air tinged with a strange warmth that seemed out of place in the cold, damp tunnels they had traversed. Intricate runes adorned the chamber’s walls, glowing faintly in soft blues and golds, pulsating like a heartbeat. The floor was polished stone, etched with a massive circular design that seemed to depict constellations and celestial paths.
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At the center of the chamber, rising from a pedestal of obsidian, was a sword. Its blade was unlike anything Emma had ever seen, shimmering with a faint, ethereal light. It was embedded deep in the pedestal, surrounded by runes that glowed brighter as she approached.
Emma stepped closer, drawn by the energy that radiated from the sword. It wasn’t an oppressive force, like so many other things in the dungeon—it was warm, almost inviting. The blade pulsed faintly, each surge sending a tingling sensation across her skin.
But she hesitated, her instincts screaming at her not to touch it. She could only guess what kind of magic bound it to this place.
Maverick lingered near the edges of the chamber, his sharp eyes scanning the room for threats. His stance was tense, one hand resting on the hilt of his dagger.
Emma tore her gaze from the sword and backed away from the pedestal. As her foot touched the polished stone outside the circle, the atmosphere changed.
The warmth vanished, replaced by a suffocating chill. A heavy, oppressive force filled the air, weighing down on her shoulders and forcing her to her knees.
“What…?” Emma gasped, her voice barely audible.
Maverick was frozen in place, his body rigid as though he had been encased in invisible chains. His eyes darted to her, sharp and alarmed, but he couldn’t move.
The chamber darkened. The glowing runes dimmed and flickered before extinguishing entirely. The only light came from the faint shimmer of the sword in the center, casting ghostly shadows across the now-blackened walls.
The gate creaked open.
Emma’s breath hitched as a figure emerged.
It was small, no taller than a child, but its presence filled the room with a suffocating weight. The creature stepped forward, its tiny feet making no sound against the stone. Its skin was ashen, its form like a toddler, but twisted, unnatural. It smiled, baring rotten teeth that gleamed in the faint light.
"You know…" The being’s voice was deep, and fractured, as if a thousand voices spoke in unison. "I should thank you for this day."
It tilted its head, its black, hollow eyes locking onto Emma. "Most especially you, young lady."
A shiver ran down her spine. Emma clenched her fists, struggling against the invisible force that pinned her in place.
“Did you know about the loop?” she managed to ask, her voice trembling.
The creature’s grotesque smile widened, splitting its face unnaturally as its lips stretched to its cheeks. It began to chuckle, a sound that was both childlike and horrifying.
"You dare look down on me, human?" it hissed. "Which do you prefer? Silence… or Scream?"
Emma’s heart raced. "Wait, are you talking about—"
"Death?" The creature interrupted, its voice dripping with mockery.
Its smile twisted further as it came closer, its hollow eyes glowing faintly.
"I’m hungry!"
Its words echoed like thunder, reverberating through the chamber as the oppressive force tightened.
The glow of the sword pulsed brighter for a brief moment, but Emma couldn’t move to see what was happening. All she could hear was the creature’s voice, repeating the same chilling phrase.
"I’m hungry!"