The Day Death Died - Chapter 27

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The corridors of the Prison of the Damned twisted before us like the coils of a snake, endless and unrelenting in their maze-like nature. The oppressive air of Tartarus thickened with each step, and though Edwin led the way, even his normally sure-footed pace seemed to falter. The path stretched on, the cries of the damned still echoing faintly from distant cells. I couldn't shake the feeling that we were no closer to finding Pandora's Box than when we started.

"Are we lost?" I asked, my voice breaking the unsettling silence that had fallen between us.

"Probably," Edwin admitted without hesitation, his eyes fixed on the map in his hand.

I sighed, casting a wary glance around the gloomy corridor. The weight of this place bore down on me like a boulder, pressing the air from my lungs. "So... now what?"

Edwin stopped at an intersection, eyeing the map again, frustration etched on his face. "According to this map, we need to head toward the Cimmerian Abyss."

I let out a low groan. "That sounds promising."

"Not exactly the welcoming name, no," he agreed, gesturing down a sloping passageway that disappeared into the darkness. "But it's where we need to go if we want to reach Pandora's Box."

My stomach churned with unease as I stared into the abyss ahead. The cold air grew heavier with each passing moment, carrying with it a sense of foreboding that made my skin crawl. "Let's just hope it's not as ominous as it sounds."

But as we descended into the gloom, I had the sinking feeling that it would be much worse.

The passage twisted and turned, leading us deeper into the heart of Tartarus, and with each step, the air grew colder. The oppressive silence of the prison had been replaced by something far more sinister—an unnatural stillness, as if the very shadows were holding their breath, watching us.

I kept my gaze forward, trying to shake the feeling that something was lurking just behind us, waiting for us to let our guard down. The walls of the corridor were jagged, their surfaces slick with a strange moss that glowed faintly in the darkness. The light it gave off was weak and eerie, casting flickering shadows that danced like malevolent spirits.

Edwin consulted the map again, his eyes narrowing as he squinted at the faded markings. "This is the way. The Shadowed Path should be up ahead."

"Shadowed Path?" I echoed, my unease deepening. "That sounds worse than the Cimmerian Abyss."

"Only slightly," he replied, his tone flat. "But it's the only way forward."

We pressed on, following the twisting corridors as the air grew even colder, so much so that I could see my breath misting in front of me. The phosphorescent moss on the walls began to thicken, its glow becoming brighter, but the shadows that clung to the corners of the path seemed to deepen, as if they were growing darker in response.

The passageway opened into a vast cavern, and the sight that greeted us took my breath away. The Cimmerian Abyss stretched out before us, a labyrinthine expanse of jagged rocks and dark, foreboding chasms. The walls of the cavern were covered in phosphorescent moss, casting an eerie, sickly glow that only added to the oppressive atmosphere. The ground beneath our feet felt uneven, as though reality itself had warped in this place.

Edwin and I exchanged glances, both of us aware that we had entered a realm unlike any other we had encountered in Tartarus. The air here was heavy, charged with a strange energy that made my skin prickle.

"This place is messing with my senses," I muttered, glancing around warily. "I can't tell what's real and what's... not."

Edwin nodded grimly. "The Cimmerian Abyss is known for that. Reality and illusion blend together here. It's part of the test."

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