Vieira's heart pounded as he muttered, "He… Activated… A Soul Domain."
Aya's threads trembled, reacting to the shifting space. Kenji tightened his grip on his sword, eyes darting around. The hospital corridors stretched unnaturally, the flickering lights above distorting into elongated streaks. The walls shifted, folded, and rewrote themselves, creating an ever-changing maze.
Aya's voice was tense. "Shit… We're trapped."
A whisper echoed. Not from any one direction, but from everywhere at once. "Nowhere to run."
A cold chill crawled up Vieira's spine.
Kenji exhaled sharply, steadying himself. "Tch. An incomplete domain."
Aya frowned. "Incomplete?"
Kenji nodded, scanning their surroundings. "It's not stable. The space is shifting too much. If it were a fully realized Soul Domain, we wouldn't even be able to notice the distortions. We'd just be completely at its mercy."
Vieira swallowed. "Then… We can break out?"
A low chuckle. The shadows around them deepened, stretching unnaturally toward them.
"You can try."
Suddenly, a surge of pressure slammed into them like a crashing wave, forcing them to their knees. The air itself felt heavier.
Vieira gritted his teeth. What the hell is this…?!
Aya gasped. "It's not just the space..... it's our bodies! It's slowing us down!"
Kenji's expression darkened. "No… This is something else." He glanced at Vieira. "It's testing us."
Vieira's hands clenched into fists. He had no idea what that meant, but one thing was clear.....bthey weren't getting out of here without a fight.
From the darkness ahead, a pair of glowing, hollow eyes emerged. The Shadow stepped forward, its form now sharper, more humanoid, as if evolving within its own domain.
"Now… let's see how long you last."