Nathaniel’s world was nothing but blackness, thick and suffocating. As he fell through the dark void, he felt as if he were plummeting into something endless, something alive. The air was damp and cold, and the faint echo of whispered voices swirled around him, pulling him deeper into the shadows.
Then, with a sudden jolt, he landed. The impact rattled his bones, sending a sharp pain through his shoulder as he hit the damp earth below. He gasped, struggling to catch his breath, and looked around. The darkness here was different—an oppressive, pulsing kind of dark that seemed to breathe along with him.
He reached out, his hand brushing against something cold and smooth. Stone. His fingers traced its surface, feeling unfamiliar symbols carved deep into the rock. The etchings were rough, an
