By the fifth day, Baines had finally overcome the first trial of the haunted house, though he was unaware of the time that had passed.
Five of his allotted twenty days had slipped away, consumed by the relentless cycle of spirits, ghosts, and mummies.
Outside, the spectators grew restless. The house's unyielding vibrations had frayed their nerves, and the group of frustrated guards, desperate to force entry, began striking the structure with bursts of aura.
Their blades, imbued with raw energy, met the walls with a defiant clang, but the house stood impervious.
Instead, their swords chipped and charred, the metal scorched as if the building itself were retaliating. The air crackled with the guards' frustration, their efforts futile against the house's enigmatic defenses.
Meanwhile, across the Darkan lands, a starkly different scene unfolded.
