A Key to the Unknown

He bent down to get a closer look, noticing how the runes on the key glinted with an otherworldly shimmer. Even though everything else was covered in dust, this metal surface felt oddly clean, as if time had barely touched it. He could almost imagine the artifact pulsing, alive with ancient magic waiting for the right touch. Or maybe it's my imagination running wild, he thought wryly.

An odd hush fell over the group as they gathered around the pedestal. The runes on the walls seemed to flicker in a soft, matching rhythm, like a slow heartbeat. It was strangely hypnotic. For a moment, none of them spoke, each one too absorbed by the key's presence to break the silence. Mikhailis caught the faint sound of Rhea's breathing, quick and shallow, and Lira's barely audible exhale of fascination.