The Demon Despairs 1.

Elijah braced himself and pushed against the massive stone door with all his might.

It felt immovable, like a boulder set in place for centuries, yet his enhanced strength made the impossible merely difficult.

The door groaned in protest, its ancient hinges straining as vines clinging to its surface snapped with audible cracks.

Dust and bits of debris tumbled to the ground. Slowly but surely, the door parted, revealing what lay beyond.

Elijah stepped through cautiously, his boots crunching softly against the stone threshold.

Before him stretched an expansive, circular garden, its beauty, eerie in its timelessness.

The air was thick with the earthy scent of damp stone and overgrown flora. At the heart of the garden stood a magnificent silver statue.

The statue depicted a woman astride a winged horse, her posture regal and bold.

She held a sword aloft, its tip aimed skyward, as though challenging the heavens themselves.