Seth’s footsteps echoed steadily as he ascended the spiraling staircase, leaving the calm silence of the first floor behind.
The faint pulse of the runes in the walls accompanied his climb, like the heartbeat of some slumbering giant that had merely stirred awake. He flexed his fingers, still tingling faintly from the residue of Hellfire he had unleashed moments ago.
“Not bad for a warm-up,” he muttered under his breath, smirking. “Let’s see if the second floor has sharper teeth.”
The air grew cooler as he climbed, a chill that clung to his skin like morning frost. When he crossed the threshold into the second floor, the atmosphere shifted abruptly. The room was darker than the last, lit only by streaks of pale blue light embedded into the walls. A low mist curled across the marble flo
