The moment the bypass key turned in the lock of the sub-foundation door, the cathedral did not merely alert its guardians. It woke up.
The sensation began as a subtle, sharp vibration in the floorboards, a hum that quickly climbed into a piercing, discordant shriek of metal grinding against stone. Ren felt the air pressure in the room drop abruptly, his ears popping as the cathedral shifted its internal configuration. The lights that had been glowing with a steady, violet hue now snapped into a violent, strobing red, casting long, frantic shadows that seemed to dance with a life of their own.
"Get back!" Fang yelled, shoving Ren away from the descending stairs just as the heavy stone block at the top of the passage began to slide shut with the speed of a guillotine.
