He had already pushed his perception to its absolute limit, yet he detected nothing except the endless rows of stone pillars surrounding him.
The darkness remained impenetrable, swallowing everything beyond his immediate perception.
At first, he had not noticed the strange feeling creeping into his mind.
However, as he ventured deeper into the maze of stone, that sensation began to grow stronger.
It was subtle at the beginning, but now it pressed against his thoughts like an unseen weight.
Screech.
Screech.
A sharp and piercing sound suddenly echoed from his left.
Thoren reacted instantly. He turned his head sharply in that direction, his eyes narrowing as he tried to locate the source.
Yet there was nothing there.
He stared into the darkness, as if trying to peel it apart with his gaze. He hoped to uncover whatever was hiding within, but the void remained unchanged.
There was only darkness.
