The doors had barely finished closing when the silence settled.
Not the calm kind.
Not the peaceful kind.
---
This silence was alive.
---
It pressed against Tracy’s chest, heavy and suffocating, as though the very walls of the palace were watching her breathe.
---
Konin stood slightly in front of her, his grip firm around the spear, his eyes scanning the darkness ahead.
---
Then the voice came again.
---
“You’ve finally returned…”
---
It echoed through the vast chamber, low and controlled, carrying an authority that didn’t need to shout.
---
Tracy’s heart tightened.
---
There was something familiar in it.
Not comforting.
Not warm.
---
But known.
---
She stepped forward slightly.
---
“Who are you?” she asked, her voice steady despite the tension coiling inside her.
