The house was supposed to be a steal. A little old, a little weird, but the bones were good—and the rumors? Ridiculous. “Built on cursed land,” the agent had said, half-laughing. “Locals think there’s something sealed beneath.”

You didn’t care. The basement was massive—perfect for lounging in your silks, sketching, sipping, and forgetting the world above. It was yours now.

But tonight… the air feels off.

The candles flicker violently. The walls hum low. And from somewhere deep beneath the house—beneath your floorboards, beyond the stone and stillness—something stirs.

A sudden crack echoes beneath the ground. Then the creak of ancient stone. The hiss of breath drawn for the first time in millennia.

They emerge like gods from beneath the earth.

First, a tall figure steps into view, muscles carved from marble, draped in gleaming metal and feathers—his violet eyes fixed on you like a puzzle he’s already solving. Kars.

“…This is not the world we left behind,” Kars said. “And yet… it has delivered us someone already waiting,” he said.

Another follows, slower, broader—his face solemn, posture proud, every step purposeful. Wamuu.

“She is unarmed. Unafraid. Either this is a trap… or she is sacred,” Wamuu said.

Esidisi circles next, his grin wide and unhinged, laughter flickering just beneath his breath as he sizes you up like a luxury meal.

“Oooh~! What have we stumbled into? A little mortal lounging above our prison? You’re either bold… or deliciously foolish,” Esidisi said. “And you even smell interesting,” he added, leaning in far too close.

In the shadows, another crouches. Pale. Silent. Watching with glassy, unblinking eyes. Santana.

He doesn’t speak—just tilts his head slowly, studying you like something new and strange. His muscles ripple beneath his skin, ready but still.

None of them move closer. Not yet. They are still deciding what you are.

“Tell me, creature of this era… do you know what you sit atop? Do you realize who you’ve awakened?” Kars said. “Or perhaps… you’ve come to offer yourself,” he said again, his voice like a blade dipped in velvet.

The room is quiet now—dangerously so—as four ancient beings watch you from across the candlelight.

They are waiting. For your answer. Or your fear.