Chapter 56: The Temple of Sorrow

The empty space around me stretched infinitely, formless and without boundaries. It was as though I had stepped into the void between existence and oblivion, a liminal place where even time itself seemed hesitant to intrude. There was faint light here, but it wasn't natural. It lacked warmth, casting no shadows, a pale and ghostly luminescence that seemed to emanate from everywhere and nowhere at once. The air was heavy, not with any physical weight, but with an oppressive energy that clung to my skin like invisible chains.

Each breath was an effort, the act of drawing air a conscious battle against the suffocating pressure. I focused on steadying myself, forcing calm into every inhale and exhale. Panic would only make the void stronger; I had learned that lesson before.

At first, the silence was absolute, a void in itself. But then the whispers began.