While the traveler was unconsciousness, he was carried by one of the figures into deeper into the darkness of the hallway. It was a surreal experience, like a nightmare shrouded in mystery.

After an unknown amount of time, he started to regain his consciousness slowly. His head throbbed with a dull ache as he tried to piece together the fragmented memories leading up to his loss of consciousness. As he blinked and opened his eyes, he found himself in a room reminiscent of the throne room he had entered from the underground tunnel earlier. However, this chamber was starkly different. It was pristine, meticulously clean, and obviously well-maintained.

He realized he was kneeling on the ground, his hands bound tightly behind his back. The cloaked figures that had been present earlier stood on his left and right in an organized formation, their faces still hidden in shadow. Directly in front of him, there sat the leader, perched on a grand throne. The leader’s eyes bore into him with an air of arrogance, and as the traveler met that gaze, he felt as though he were peering into the abyss itself.

“I’ve heard of you, traveler,” the leader spoke with an indifferent expression. “Your deeds and titles precede you. Some see you as their hero, while others label you ‘The Hero of The Abyss’ or ‘The Bringer of Desolation.’ I can understand why,” he continued with a smirk. “You persist in helping and saving people, even when they resist change, even when you believe it’s for their own good. It’s no different here in this city. Some prefer the status quo, relishing the choice of eternal life, but, of course, nothing comes without a price.”

“But you are deceiving them!” retorted the traveler. “You steal their bodies, and we still don’t know what you do with those who don’t return! The sanctuary is a falsehood!”

“Deceiving them? HAHAHA,” he laughed loudly as if it were a joke. “They are deceiving themselves. You heard the rumors the day you arrived, everyone can put two and two together. You are not exceptional, yet none of them dare to go against the flow. They have everything they desire.”

“What about the poison? Aren’t you poisoning them?” retorted the traveler, his voice growing louder in frustration.

“Yes, we are! But do not be mistaken,” the leader replied, his anger rising. “The poison is present in the drugs they consume. You have seen them yourself, those people giving in to their desires, wasting their precious time. They have all the time in the world, yet they choose to squander it,” he continued, slamming his hand against the armrest of the throne. “THOSE PEOPLE DO NOT DESERVE TO LIVE!”

The traveler was taken back, the leader even when cold and eerie he seemed always calm, yet he lost control and started revealing the anger within.

“You come to our city, passing judgment without understanding anything,” the leader responded defiantly. “Everyone here is free to leave whenever they want. We are not holding them hostage. They choose to stay.”

“I understand I may have been too hasty, but nothing you’ve said justifies your actions,” proclaimed the traveler firmly. “This city was created through the power of dreams; it was supposed to be a sanctuary for weary souls. Yet, who are you to take control of it and proclaim yourself a leader?”

“YOU ARE GOING OVERBOARD TRAVELER, WE CAN’T TOLERATE ANYMORE DISRESPECT TO THE LEADER”screamed one of the figures standing on the left of the traveler, stepping forward, ready to take action.

“It’s fine,” uttered the leader, gesturing for the figure to back away. The figure bowed and returned to their position.

“Do you even know how this city come to existence? Do you even know why we call it the City of Eternal Twilight? we could have just called the Eternal City” added the leader as he stood up of his throne “I will tell you, no, I will also show you” he said he activated a hidden mechanism with throne. It suddenly started moving backward making a sizzling sound and revealing a stair leading to the abyss.

“Do you even know how this city came into existence? Do you even know why we call it the City of Eternal Twilight? We could have just called it the Eternal City,” added the leader as he stood up from his throne. His voice held a mysterious and captivating tone, drawing the traveler’s attention even closer.

“I will tell you, no, I will also show you,” he said with an air of grandeur as he activated a hidden mechanism within the throne. The traveler watched in awe and anticipation as the massive chair began to move backward, accompanied by an eerie, sizzling sound. It revealed a hidden stairwell leading into the abyss below.

The stairwell descended into an inky darkness that seemed to stretch on forever. The only source of illumination came from a series of softly glowing runes etched into the stone steps. The leader gestured for the traveler to follow, and one of the figures aggressively helped him, pulling him toward the ominous stairs.

“Many believe the source of immortality’s power is the city itself, born from countless dreams that have converged over time, primarily fueled by the fear of death,” the leader began, his voice echoing through the chamber as they descended the stairs. “But even if they have grasped the gist of it, they are still far from the truth.”