Kael, stands at the precipice of the pyramid, his hollow sockets surveying the sharp, uneven edges below. The crimson-hued structure, formed from a peculiar mixture of hardened blood-sand, looms treacherously beneath him. A dense fog blankets the air, shrouding the steep slopes in an eerie, impenetrable gray.  

'I hate hights' Kael’s thoughts echo in the silence, tinged with both resignation and focus. 'why is there no other way'

He grips his scythe tightly, the weapon's blade glinting faintly in the dim light that manages to penetrate the fog. Its long, polished handle becomes his lifeline as he plants it firmly against the pyramid's jagged surface. The edges of his bony fingers curl around the staff with a mechanical precision, ensuring no slip as he tests his weight.

'Foolish, isn’t it? Using a weapon meant for reaping to climb a pyramid?' The irony doesn’t escape him, though he has no audience to share it with.  

With deliberate care, Kael steps forward, his skeletal foot pressing into a narrow ledge. The sensation or lack thereof of the unstable footing sends a jolt of awareness through his mind. Small grains of blood-sand crumble beneath him, cascading into the void below. He pauses, glancing down, though the swirling fog offers no clarity. A faint rustling noise drifts upward, its source hidden and distant, amplifying the unsettling silence.  

'That sound again.' His thoughts sharpen, his instincts flaring with caution. 'Something waits below. Or hunts.' The rustling could be the wind stirring through the fog, but Kael knows better. The patterns are too deliberate, too... alive.  

Kael’s movements are slow and methodical. He raises his scythe, pressing it into the next jagged outcropping. His bony frame creaks softly as he shifts his weight, the sound of his joints barely audible over the oppressive quiet. The fog clings to him like a second skin, its damp chill seeping into the marrow of his being.

'If I still had flesh, would I feel this cold?'

His descent is perilous, each step requiring precision and patience. The surface of the pyramid is an unpredictable tapestry of hardened ridges and crumbling patches. At times, his scythe slips against the glassy texture of a particularly smooth edge, forcing him to tense and recalculate his next move. He tightens his grip each time, his mind calculating the probability of survival with mechanical detachment.

'Unstable, unreliable, uncertain.' The words repeat like a mantra. 'Just like everything else in this forsaken place.'

Kael pauses mid-descent, his empty gaze scanning the foggy expanse around him. He shifts his head slightly, the motion sharp and deliberate, as though listening for something beyond the soft rustling below. His free hand instinctively tightens against the edge of a protrusion, steadying himself. A gust of wind stirs the fog momentarily, revealing flashes of the pyramid's desolate surface before concealing it again.  

'Why do I even bother looking?' He exhales a silent sigh, the motion purely reflexive. 'There’s nothing to see but more of the same mist, sand, and death. Still, it’s better than waiting at the top for nothing to happen.'

The rustling grows faintly louder, carrying an odd cadence that Kael can't quite place. He tilts his head, the smooth motion an eerie contrast to the chaotic scene. The sound isn't constant it ebbs and flows, like whispers brushing against his awareness.

'Mocking me, perhaps? Or luring me? Whatever it is, I’ll find out soon enough.'

The pyramid's surface continues to shift unpredictably beneath him, the fog's tendrils wrapping around every jagged edge. Kael moves again, his movements calculated and unyielding. His scythe scrapes against the hardened sand, sending faint vibrations up the weapon's length and into his bony hands. The descent stretches on, the oppressive fog and faint rustling merging into a haunting symphony of uncertainty.  

'I will reach the bottom, even if the ground crumbles beneath me. If this world wishes to devour me, it will choke on my bones before I submit, I must get back.'

Kael descended from the pyramid, his skeletal fingers trailing along the ancient, weathered stone. The faint scent of damp earth mingled with the metallic tang of decay, and the air grew heavier with each step. Somewhere below, the faint rustling noise grew louder, echoing ominously in the enclosed space. His empty eye sockets scanned the narrowing pathway ahead as unease settled in his hollow chest.

Suddenly, a deafening hiss pierced the silence, sharp and venomous. The sound reverberated off the ancient walls, sending small clouds of dust spiraling from cracks in the stone. Kael froze in his tracks, his bony frame stiffening. 

“Curses,” he muttered, his jawbone clicking as he spoke.

The dense fog shrouding the pyramid’s base began to churn violently, like a storm brewing just out of sight. From the swirling mist, a massive figure began to take form. Two glowing golden eyes, cold and predatory, broke through the haze. Kael instinctively tightened his grip on his scythe, its dark blade glinting faintly in the dim light.

The fog parted further, revealing the coiled form of a two-headed serpent. Its scales glimmered like polished obsidian, reflecting flashes of pale light. Each head swayed in eerie synchrony, their forked tongues flicking out to taste the air. The creature's massive body unfurled, and as it shifted, the sheer weight of its movements caused a low rumble. Dust and loose stones tumbled from the pyramid’s walls, clattering loudly.

Kael took an involuntary step back, the sound of his skeletal foot scraping against the stone betraying his caution. The serpent's twin heads snapped toward him in unison, locking its glowing eyes on his unmoving frame. The creature let out another ear-splitting hiss, this time louder, more menacing, as it began its advance.

With terrifying speed, the serpent surged upward, its immense body crushing the ancient stone steps beneath it. Kael felt the vibrations of its approach through his bones. He glanced back at the way he had come, calculating the distance to the next level of the pyramid. His fingers flexed over the shaft of his scythe, the cold metal a small comfort against the overwhelming presence of the beast.

He pivoted to the side as a chunk of stone shattered near him, dislodged by the serpent’s relentless ascent. Kael's skull turned slightly, as if listening to the rhythm of the creature's movements. He could feel the air grow hotter as the twin heads loomed closer, their scales scraping audibly against the pyramid’s surface.

If he fought, it would have to be precise. One wrong move against a creature of this size could end his existence. But evasion seemed equally perilous; the serpent’s speed was uncanny, and its bulk dominated the narrow confines of the pyramid.

Kael adjusted his stance, shifting his bony shoulders and setting his feet firmly against the stone. A soft, unnatural green glow pulsed from the edges of his scythe as he prepared to act. Dust swirled around him in the dim light, caught in the wake of the serpent’s movements. 

The choice loomed before him, to stand and fight, or to slip away and hope the creature's wrath could be avoided.