Chapter 1 Welcome to the Dungeon The biting chill of cold stone was the first sensation to pierce the fog of his mind. One moment, he had been adrift in the comforting void of unconsciousness, and the next, a sharp jolt dragged him back to reality. The cold radiated through his body, a sensation so stark and immediate that it yanked him fully awake. His spine went rigid as his heart pounded wildly, the sound echoing in his ears. Each breath came in shallow, ragged bursts as though his lungs had forgotten how to function. His eyes snapped open to a scene that defied all reason. Above him loomed a ceiling of stone—worn, weathered, and ancient. Gothic arches stretched high into the darkness, disappearing into deep shadows that seemed to swallow the light. Long-forgotten vines crawled down from the crevices, draping like the fingers of time itself. Moss clung to the cracks in the stone, sprea...