Trida's voice lowers, calm but heavy. She explains how Bradley changed after their father vanished.
"He wasn't always like this," she says. "After our dad didn't come back… it was like he twisted."
She walks in slow circles, gaze drifting toward the wall—though there's no clear exit, no door, no window.
"He blamed people. Said they stole everything from us. But deep down… he still believes our dad is alive."
You shift, unsure how that makes sense. "No one saw him die?"
"Exactly." She nods.
"He started searching. Used black magic. Forbidden stuff." Her eyes flicker. "That's probably how you got here. I think he pulled you from your world—accidentally or not—trying to reach something. Or someone."
You freeze. Pieces slot together too well.
"But… Why are you telling me this?" you ask, voice cautious.
Trida lets out a long sigh. Her strength seems to fade with the breath. "Because I don't want to do this anymore. I'm tired. I've had enough."
Suddenly, she jolts.
Her shoulders seize, her spine stiffens like someone touched her with static. She drops to her knees, face buried in her paws, eyes clamped shut.
You stop breathing.
The silence in the stone chamber deepens, the kind that presses on your ears and makes you painfully aware of every heartbeat. This room—how did you get inside? You scan the walls. No doors. No windows. Nothing but shadow and cold.
You kneel beside Trida. "Are you okay? What happened?"
For a moment, she doesn't move. Then her eyes flick open again, wide and shaken. She slowly stands.
"Sorry," she whispers. "Bradley uses black magic to watch people sometimes. You know he's watching when you feel a tight spark in the middle of your chest."
The words punch through you. You didn't feel anything like that earlier… Did you?
But now—a chill creeps across your skin.
Like something invisible is pressing into you. Watching. Listening.
You glance up at her. "He can watch us?"
Trida nods. "Anywhere. If he wants to."
The walls seem smaller now. And darker.
And suddenly, speaking the truth feels like a risk.