Stem

It was like stepping into another world. The hallway Carius had been walking down earlier had felt normal, with the laws of physics unchanged.

But as soon as Carius walked through that wall, everything had shifted.

The air felt both light and heavy, as though suspended, not entirely free but more like water flowing gently in an ocean.

Carius's frown deepened as he absorbed his surroundings. He had entered a large hall, its walls, ceiling, and floor pitch black, yet the hall was brightly lit, and every detail within it was visible.

Carius's gaze grew colder as he walked to the middle of the hall, taking his place beside his father, Azrakan, who was seated respectfully on a plush cushion facing a slightly elevated platform not far from him.

Carius tilted his head down slightly in acknowledgment toward the figure seated on the platform, but just as he was about to sit, two words froze him in place:

"You failed."