*Zayan*
The forest begins to dissolve around me, the trees blurring into streaks of green and brown, the mist thinning into nothingness. Just ahead, another door materializes, as if conjured by my newfound understanding and resolve.
It stands stark against the vanishing world, a beacon calling me forward. Without hesitation, I step through it.
The contrast is immediate and disorienting. Gone are the comforting earthy smells of the forest, replaced by the acrid tang of smoke and damp concrete.
The air is cooler here, almost cold, and it bites at my skin through my clothing. I'm standing in the middle of a dark city, its towering buildings like silent monoliths under a starless sky. The moon, a mere sliver, offers little light, casting elongated shadows that twist and move as if alive.
