The Door That Answers

You enter a circular chamber of dark green stone veined with silver. Dust lies untouched across the floor except for a clean path leading to a sealed archway. Every sound seems to linger a heartbeat too long: boots echo twice, breath returns as a whisper, and the scrape of armor fades in diminishing repetitions. The door is carved with an elven singer calling toward distant mountains, while a ring of blue-white letters flickers whenever anyone speaks. Three shallow bowls beneath the arch hold still water, loose sand, and black glass.