Carrying an uneasy sense of the unknown alongside an unyielding determination to press forward, the group ventured deeper along the winding, time-weathered corridor. The surrounding silence was chilling, as if every sound in the world had been utterly swallowed by this dead quiet; even the air seemed frozen, devoid of the slightest sign of circulation. Only their heavy footsteps echoed through the empty passage, each falling like a heavy strike upon the drumskin of tight heartbeats, a dull thud clearly audible, one after another, all the more accentuating the eerie and gloomy atmosphere.
Just as everyone was fully focused and their nerves stretched to the limit, a melodious yet mysterious flute melody drifted softly over. The sound was as ethereal as a wisp of smoke in the wind—soft and illusory, as if it had crossed countless mountains, lakes, and seas to drift slowly from some unreachable distance, carrying a somewhat bewitching flavor while faintly harboring a hint of danger. Instantly, the group entered a state of high alert, their nerves tightening abruptly once more.
Their bodies instinctively assumed battle stances, muscles tensing like fully drawn crossbows, joints slightly bent and primed for action, hands gripping their weapons so tightly that their knuckles turned white. With gazes like torches, they vigilantly scanned their surroundings over and over, missing not a single corner where danger might lurk; every shadow, every crack was meticulously scrutinized as i…
Chapter 19