My footsteps echoed within the vast, dark chamber. The moment my feet touched the stone floor, the air changed. Cold, heavy, and laced with a pressure that made it cling to my skin. The light from outside faded as if swallowed by an unnatural darkness.
I hadn't even said a word yet when two red eyes flared in the dark, breaking the void with a gaze like twin infernos of hell. Then came a long roar deep, low, and filled with ancient hatred. The roar shook the entire room, making the floor tremble and dust fall from the stone ceiling.
One by one, ancient torches on the walls ignited, their flames blue and violet, revealing the figure rising slowly from the center of the room.
A dragon.
But not a living one. Its body was covered in decaying flesh, exposed bones, and broken scales that still glinted ominously in the light. It stretched over twenty meters long, with a pair of wings half torn, yet still able to stir the air as they lifted slowly.
