《One mind, Two Shadows》


 Prologue

    As she woke up, the cold stone walls of the hall closed in around her. Lying on the freezing ground, ice against her skin, she took in her surroundings. Where was she? The place appeared to be some sort of tower, with stone walls and floors, and a grand spiralling staircase, going upwards for what seemed to be eternity.


    No windows. No doors. Panic set in as she realised that the only way out seemed to be the staircase. The girl looked around frantically, aware of her surroundings as she regained full consciousness. What is this place? Where are the doors? How did I end up here? Most importantly, how do I get out? Her thoughts raced.


    Standing up, she glanced around and began circling the hall, going round and round the staircase, desperately searching for any exit. To her dismay, there was none. No doors, no windows¡ªno way out.


    Determined it was sensible to try the staircase, she hesitated before beginning her ascent. The steps were enormous, stretching several hundred metres, making her feel dwarfed by their sheer size. She took the first step with a deep breath, the echo resounding in the silence, adding to her unease. She reached the first floor, just as dim as the one below, illuminated only by a few lanterns on the walls. The absence of windows made it impossible to tell whether it was day or night.


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    She continued up the stairs, each floor painting the same grim, dark picture as the one before.


    There has to be a way out.


    She started pressing the walls, hoping to open up a hidden door. What seemed like hours had been spent, going around the halls¡ª pressing every stone on the walls, floors, steps¡ª hoping something would lead her out.


    Exhaustion caught up with her, and she lay down, shivering in the cold, which seemed to have no source. This is a dream, I must wake up any second now. She tried falling asleep, hoping to wake up and be out of this eerie dream. The cold, unyielding floor made it impossible for her to sleep. Sitting up in frustration, she cried out for the first time, ¡°Help! Let me out!¡± Clawing at the walls, her fingers scraped against the rough surface, leaving shallow marks in her frantic pursuit of escape. Each failed attempt only further fueled her anxiety, feeling as though she was an ant in this gigantic tower. She pressed her ear against the wall, straining for any sound, any sign of life beyond this massive grave, only to be met with a cold oppressive silence, looming in on her.


    She had lost track of the days¡ªnot that there was any way of tracking the time¡ªand had even lost count of the floors, just going forward and forward mindlessly.