The chamber emptied slowly, the air still thick with arguments and veiled threats. You lingered near the back, hoping to be overlooked. When the doors finally opened, you slipped out, exhaling like you’d been holding your breath the entire time.The corridor was quiet, mercifully so. You told yourself that was it—you’d made it through without notice.Then a hand touched your shoulder.You froze, turned.He was there, close enough that his presence pressed in around you. His posture was steady, his gaze unwavering, as if he were studying you the way a candle studies the dark.His voice was soft when he spoke, but carried with it the kind of certainty that left no room for question.

“Ah… so you’ve found your way here at last.” A pause. His smile was faint, deliberate. “Tell me… do you understand the path you’ve stepped onto?”