Chapter 256 Confrontation At The Portal

• Lottie's POV
• The tunnel walls seemed to close in around me as we walked, the damp air heavy with an unnameable tension. Astaroth led the way with an assured stride, his silhouette cutting a sharp figure against the dim glow emanating from ahead. Nera—no longer Fluffy—kept pace at my side, her presence a comforting anchor in this labyrinth of uncertainty.
• We emerged into a vast chamber that felt eerily familiar, though I couldn't recall ever being here before. The ceiling stretched high above, disappearing into shadows, while ancient symbols etched into the stone walls pulsed with a faint, otherworldly light. At the center of the room stood an ornate archway shimmering with a swirling, iridescent energy—a portal.