Into the Maw of the Abyss

A heavy silence settled over the crumbling corridors of the Citadel, broken only by the distant hum of unseen forces shifting within the abyss. Daniel's heart pounded in his chest, each beat echoing in his ears as his shallow breaths mingled with the whispers clawing at the edges of his consciousness. The very air felt thick, suffused with an oppressive weight that seemed to press down on his mind.

"We need to move," Mira urged again, her voice strained, the anxiety creeping through every word. "That thing—whatever it is—it's not going to let us leave so easily."

Daniel swallowed hard, his eyes locked on the writhing tendrils of darkness that hovered just beyond the abyss, twisting in an unnatural dance, as if waiting for his decision. The very presence of the void seemed to stretch out toward him, like an invisible force pulling at his soul. He could almost feel its eyes on him—if it had eyes.