Lost

The corridors of the fortress stretched endlessly around me, an intricate maze of shadowed hallways illuminated only by sputtering torches. The air hung thick and heavy, scented with stone, metal, and the faint metallic tang of blood that lingered despite the passage of time. Each step echoed quietly against the walls, reverberating like whispers from souls long departed.

I walked alone, my cloak brushing softly over the polished stone floors. After the lesson with the Dark Sovereign, I felt strangely restless, my thoughts tangled in knots. Her teachings had left their mark both visible and invisible but it wasn't guilt that troubled me. It was the realization that my path had irrevocably shifted.

There was no turning back now.

[I'd congratulate you on embracing your dark side,] the system murmured dryly. [But honestly, it's starting to get a little unsettling.]

I didn't answer, merely tightening my jaw in annoyance.