The city’s breath rumbled through the stone, a deep, resonant sound that reverberated in Adrian’s bones. He stood at the heart of the forgotten city, his legs trembling beneath the weight of unseen forces pulling at his mind. His fingers twitched, his body yearning to obey the unseen commands that whispered through the walls, through the streets. The city wasn’t alive—it was awake, sentient, and hungry.
Lena gripped his arm tighter, her voice a lifeline in the growing storm. “Adrian, stay with me,” she urged, her tone sharp but desperate. “Don’t let it take you.”
He felt himself slipping, as though the very essence of the city was siphoning away his will, his autonomy. His vision blurred, distorted, the ancient stones around him bending and twisting, mocking him with every blink.
“I... I can’t fight it anymore,” Adrian whispered, his voice thin as a thread about to snap. The city pulsed, and
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