Beginning of an ascension

The underground bunker was a labyrinth of stone corridors and concealed passages, a hidden sanctum buried beneath the city's bones. Shadows clung to the walls like sentries, their silent watch broken only by the flickering glow of enchanted lanterns. Each step I took echoed through the chamber, a steady rhythm that announced my arrival before I had even stepped through the grand doorway at the end of the passage.

The room was larger than I expected—cavernous, even—lined with thick pillars that stretched up into the darkness above. At the center stood a long mahogany table, wide enough to seat twenty or more. Hooded figures occupied nearly every chair, their faces obscured by darkness and fabric, but their presences were palpable. The weight of their auras pressed against me, some subtle like a coiled snake, others oppressive like an iron hand on my throat.