Jude stood motionless in the dimly lit chamber, the weight of the third key pressing into his palm. The echoes of the vision still lingered in his mind, the ghostly remnants of his past refusing to fade completely. His grip tightened around the key as he forced himself to focus on the present. He had what he came for. The next step awaited him, and hesitation had no place here.
With a slow exhale, he turned toward the chamber's entrance, the faint glow of the key casting shifting shadows on the polished stone floor. Each step he took sent a dull echo through the vast space, the silence around him unnerving in its unnatural stillness. It felt as if the very air was waiting, watching, anticipating his next move.
