Zain arrived at the center of a glowing platform.
The light around him dimmed slowly, leaving a faint red mist in the air.
The chamber was wide, built from black stone with glowing red veins running through the walls.
The air smelled like smoke and heat.
Zain looked around calmly.
But he was not alone.
Several guards stood nearby.
All of them wore deep crimson robes with fire symbols stitched across their chests.
Their faces were hidden behind flame-shaped masks, but their posture showed clear confusion.
One of the cultists stepped forward.
He looked at the platform, then at Zain.
"You're not Reval," he said.
Another guard tightened his grip on a weapon.
"Who are you? How did you access the main teleportation gate?"
Zain smiled slightly. He didn't move.
"Reval?" he asked. "You mean the branch leader?"
The cultist narrowed his eyes.
"What have you done to him?" he asked. "Speak."
Zain tilted his head. "I left him where he belongs."
