Somehow, she found that the longer she kept her eyes focused on one location, the more she could perceive. More and more details revealed themselves the longer she resisted the urge to look away. It went beyond disconcerting to downright disorienting. Focusing instead on the back wall of the cavern she noted a striking image, a carving of a coiling dragon, standing out in bas-relief. The dragon was mostly depicted in profile, except for the head that was slightly turned inward towards the room. It appeared as though it were peeling itself off the wall. As Tempest gazed at the image, she grew increasingly dizzy. She squeezed her eyes shut and stumbled forward.

“Stop.”


A voice suddenly broke the silence, shocking in its suddenness and filling the area immediately in front of her. Tempest stumbled backwards in surprise, landing on her back.