Kael slowly climbed the spiral staircase, still feeling the impossible taste of the primordial root lingering on the back of his tongue like a vivid memory. The golden energy he had absorbed seemed to continue circulating within his mana channels, warming his chest and spreading small shivers through his body whenever he breathed more deeply. As he progressed through the second floor of Nidhogg's house, the surrounding environment gradually became different from the cozy hall below. The domestic warmth still existed, but there was something older mixed with the air—something raw, primordial, and absurdly concentrated.
The living wooden walls were traversed by thick roots that pulsed slowly beneath the surface like luminous veins. Tiny golden particles floated through the silent corridor, moving in gentle spirals around the hanging lanterns. The floor emitted a faint glow with each step Kael took, as if the house itself recognized his presence and reacted to it.
