Large chamber. Far bigger than the one below its walls were cracked and partially collapsed.

Sections of the ceiling had caved in long ago, allowing light to spill inside through jagged openings. Dust drifted slowly in the air, glowing faintly where the light touched it.

The sky above was visible through the broken stone.

Grey.

Heavy.

Dark clouds churned endlessly, layered thick like an incoming storm that never quite arrived.

The room itself was ancient.

The stone walls were discolored with age, cracks spreading like veins across their surface.

Thick spider webs clung to corners and broken pillars, some layered so heavily they looked like torn curtains.

Dust blanketed the floor, disturbed only in places where moss had crept through cracks in the stone.

Green patches of moss and small plants grew stubbornly across the cold surface, nourished by moisture dripping from above.

Drip.

Drip.

The sound echoed faintly.

Amon stepped fully into the room, eyes scanning every corner.

'This place…It felt abandoned.'

Not recently ruined, but left behind centuries ago.

He straightened slightly, shadows loosening around his feet but not disappearing entirely.

'Where the hell did that portal send me?'

His gaze lifted again toward the broken ceiling and the churning grey sky beyond.

No sun.

Just clouds… thick, oppressive, and wrong.

Amon tightened his grip unconsciously.

"This isn't Valmoria?"

The air itself felt different. Heavy, old, carrying a faint pressure that pressed against his senses.

He took another step forward, boots sinking slightly into dust.

CRRSH.

The sound was soft. But loud enough in the silence.

He froze instantly.

His dark eyes sharpened.

Silence returned.

No movement.

No response.

Only the whisper of wind slipping through the broken stone above.

Amon exhaled slowly.

'Still… I can't lower my guard.'

He moved deeper into the chamber, careful to avoid loose rubble, every sense stretched to its limit.

Wherever this place was.

It wasn't empty.

Not truly.

And something about it felt like it had been waiting… for someone to arrive.

There, at the end of the chamber, was a huge metal door.

Amon ran toward it instantly.

He stopped in front of it and extended both hands.

His palms rested on the cold surface of the dark metal door.

CRIICCHH

It made a loud sound of metal scraping against the stone floor.

On the other side was open space.

'Outside!'

Amon stepped out. What he saw were other ruined old buildings.

They were broken.

'Is it another ruined city?'

He stepped outside. Beneath him was not a cobblestone street, but soil.

He surveyed his surroundings.

'No… this is not a ruined city.'

He gulped down his saliva.

This place looks more like some base…

There were only a few buildings here and there. Other than that… he could only see trees.

Yes, these countable structures were here. Surrounding them was forest.

'But why… is it like this?'

But what shocked him the most was not the buildings… or structures.

It was those uneven trees.

They were huge and tall. Their bark was dark black in color. Branches twisted creepily. And those leaves… they were also charred black.

"Shit… where did I get myself into this time?"

His heartbeat started to increase. Faster and faster.

It was unknown… he didn't know where he was… and more than that, he was alone.

He shook his head and decided to observe his surroundings first.

He continued walking.

"Six… there are a total of six structures here… or say buildings…"

He muttered while rubbing his chin.

His eyes frowned.

There, in the middle, was the tallest building.

Let's climb it and check out my surroundings. If there's anything that I can find.

Amon moved toward the tallest structure.

Up close, it looked even older than the chamber he had exited. The stone walls were cracked, parts of them eaten away by time and creeping plants. One side had partially collapsed, leaving enough exposed edges to climb.

"It's only two floors…" he muttered.

He took a few steps back.

Then sprinted forward.

His foot slammed against the wall, shadow gathering beneath it as he pushed off. He jumped, fingers catching the jagged edge of a broken window frame.

GRIP.

Stone crumbled slightly under his weight.

"Tch."

He tightened his hold and pulled himself up, muscles straining as he shifted his weight carefully. Shadow wrapped around his arms, reinforcing his grip as he hauled himself higher.

One slow movement at a time.

Finally, he rolled onto the second floor and stood up.

Dust puffed into the air.

The interior was hollow. No furniture, no signs of recent use. Just broken stone, webs, and silence. He didn't waste time lingering.

Amon walked to the edge where the wall had collapsed completely.

Then he climbed again.

This time, he used the ruined corner as leverage, stepping onto protruding stones until he reached the roof.

He straightened.

Wind brushed against his face.

And for a moment, hope flickered in his eyes.

Then.

"…What?"

His expression stiffened.

"Damn, I can't see anything… fuck, why didn't I think before."

Yep, like an idiot… which he actually was… he climbed the building even though the surrounding trees were taller than it.

They were at least three to four floors tall.

He jumped down.

"This time, let's climb the tallest tree here."

He picked one random tree that looked the tallest.

No matter how many times I see them… they look creepy… terrible.

Touching the surface of the bark, he started to climb it.

From one branch to another, he jumped and lunged like some monkey.

Proving that humans are descendants of monkeys.

Finally, he reached the top.

But what came into view made him shocked.

"What the fuck?!"

A dense forest stretched in every direction.

The sky above hung low and heavy, wrapped in layers of dull grey clouds that smothered the light. No sun, no warmth. Only a cold, colorless gloom pressing down on the world.

Below him, the forest spread endlessly, a vast ocean of black. Tree trunks rose like charred pillars, their bark dark as burnt coal.

Branches twisted unnaturally, and the leaves clinging to them were the same lifeless black, as if the forest had been drained of all color long ago.

Smaller trees crowded together, while taller ones loomed above them, their silhouettes sharp and menacing.

There was no sign of a path. No clearing. No edge.

The forest had no end.

Far in the distance, massive mountains pierced the horizon, their shapes barely visible through thick veils of cloud.

Their peaks vanished into the grey sky, giving the impression that even the land itself was trying to escape whatever cursed this place.

From above, the forest looked like a single living mass silent, suffocating, and watching.

The man remained still, standing on the tree, the wind brushing past him like a warning.

This was not a forest meant to be entered.

"Oh my goddess…" Amon muttered.

His face paled, draining all color from it.

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