Chapter 12 : Shadows in the Hall

We stepped through the newly opened passage, every instinct screaming caution. The air was colder here, and the tunnel walls pulsed with faint, glowing lines—like veins carrying energy from the orb behind us.

"I don't like this," Zeeshan muttered, his eyes scanning the darkness ahead.

"Neither do I," I admitted. "But we don't have a choice."

The path led us to a vast hall with towering stone pillars. Strange shadows moved across the walls, even though there was no light source. As we crept forward, we heard soft whispers—echoes in a language we couldn't understand.

Then, a loud clang echoed from behind.

We spun around.

A shadowy figure stepped out from behind a pillar. Its shape was human, but its movements weren't. It twitched unnaturally, head tilting, arms bending wrong.

I raised the journal, unsure why—maybe instinct. The moment I did, the figure hissed and backed away, melting into the shadows like smoke in the wind.

"Did that thing… fear the journal?" Zeeshan asked.

"Maybe it's not just a book," I said slowly. "Maybe it's a weapon."

We kept walking until we reached the end of the hall. On the wall was another inscription—this one glowing brightly:

"Truth lies in memory. Memory lies in the keeper. The keeper must not forget."

Underneath it, a small slot—shaped exactly like the key we carried.

I hesitated, then slid the key in.

A rumble shook the floor. The wall split open slowly, revealing a staircase spiraling downward into darkness.

"Another level?" Zeeshan sighed.

I nodded. "And probably more secrets."