Mikhailis felt the cold grip of the mist creeping through his senses, coiling around him like a serpent that had finally found its prey. The dim chamber flickered in and out of focus. One moment, he saw broken pillars and scorched walls; the next, he glimpsed a haunting landscape of swirling darkness, where twisted shapes stretched out of nothingness, whispering words that didn't belong to any language he'd ever heard. His limbs felt leaden, too stiff and heavy to move. Each breath dragged, forcing stale air through his lungs. It felt as if something ancient and hungry reached inside him, testing to see how much of his mind it could devour.
I won't let this happen. The thought buzzed faintly in his skull, though the fog in his mind grew thicker, threatening to drown his will. No… not like this…
