Shadows of the Unfinished Past

The gates of the Obsidian Citadel groaned as they slowly shut behind them, sealing Daniel and Mira within its cursed depths. The dim, flickering flames cast eerie shadows on the carved stone walls, depicting scenes of torment and betrayal—visions of warriors kneeling in anguish, of kings consumed by greed, of heroes falling to their own hubris. The oppressive silence that followed their entry was suffocating, as if the fortress itself was weighing down on their very souls.

Mira exhaled slowly, gripping her sword as she scanned their surroundings. "I don't like this place," she muttered.

Daniel nodded, flexing his fingers as the Fragment of Dawn pulsed within his chest. "Neither do I, but we're not turning back." His voice was steady, but he couldn't shake the lingering unease from his previous trial. The echo of his own regrets had felt too real, too intimate.