The Descent into White

_{(Effect by DeepArtEffects)}

The stone steps stretch downward, but they never seem to end. Every time you reach what looks like the bottom, the landing elongates, and another dozen steps materialize out of the humid, gray mist. The air is thick with the scent of damp earth and rotting cedar, pressing against your chest until breathing becomes a chore. You try to turn back, but the staircase behind you has dissolved into a wall of impenetrable, shifting vines.

The lush greenery on either side isn't quite right. The leaves of the fan palms aren't waving in a breeze; they are pulsing, rhythmically contracting like the lungs of a giant, hidden beast. You realize the handrails are cold—not like metal, but like the skin of something long dead. Shadows begin to detach themselves from the trees, pooling at your feet and tugging at your ankles, dragging you further down toward the white, featureless gate at the bottom.

When you finally reach the gateway, there is no temple or garden on the other side. Beyond the threshold lies only an infinite, blinding void of white light. You try to stop, but the stone beneath you begins to tilt, slick with a sudden, oily moisture. As you slide toward the edge of the abyss, you hear a chorus of whispers from the bamboo thicket, calling your name in a voice that sounds exactly like your own.

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