The corridor opened into a vast, circular chamber, its ceiling lost in darkness. The air was cold and still, carrying the faint scent of damp stone and something that had been waiting for a long time.
At the far end of the chamber, a massive stone door stood. Its surface was covered in intricate carvings of twisting serpents, their bodies coiling around one another in an endless loop. The carvings seemed to shift in the dim light, as if they were alive.
Andrey stepped forward, placing his palm against the cold stone. The carvings pulsed faintly, and a low rumble echoed through the chamber as the door began to slide open, revealing the darkness beyond.
The team readied their weapons, stepping forward as the door fully opened.
The chamber beyond was vast, its walls lined with jagged stalactites that dripped with moisture. The floor was uneven, covered in a thick layer of pale dust. And in the center of the chamber, coiled around a massive stone pillar, was the floor boss.
A hydra.
