Black City (5)

I gasp for air, reaching up to touch my split chin. My fingers brush against the bruised skin of my face, and I sigh heavily. My eyes fixate on the obsidian ground, my thoughts scattering as time seems to slip away unnoticed. I turn to the right and descend a flight of stairs; my steps unsteady in the blackness that surrounds me. Nearly tripping, I catch myself at the last moment, but a hand grips my arm before I fall completely. Startled, I glance to my side, my pale eyes meeting the obsidian stare of a man I recognize—the towering figure from what feels like either hours ago or yesterday. I am still unsure how much time has passed.