The old basement was a world forgotten by time, its air thick with dust and decay. Crumbling stone walls, once sturdy, were now veined with dark streaks of moisture, and patches of green mold crept silently across the surface like a slow infestation. A single bare bulb hung from a frayed wire in the ceiling, flickering weakly, casting shadows that twitched and danced with every sway.
Cobwebs clung to the low beams like ghostly curtains, and the floor was nothing more than cracked concrete littered with dirt, old rags, and bits of broken furniture.
In the far corner, where the walls met at a sharp, unforgiving angle, a man lay sprawled on a thin mat set on the cold, grimy floor. He looked broken, his limbs awkwardly splayed as if he had collapsed mid-struggle.
His chest rose in shallow, ragged breaths, each one a wheezing effort. His clothes were torn and caked with filth, blending into the grimy floor beneath him, as if he were being slowly swallowed by the basement itself.
