Realm Lord
Chapter 75: A Terrible Mistake

Chapter 75: A Terrible Mistake

They approached the castle slowly, their pace deliberate and cautious. Aziel leaned heavily against Arthur, his injured foot leaving occasional crimson droplets on the ancient stone path. Each step was a struggle, Aziel’s face contorting with pain despite his attempts to mask it with grim determination. The sky above them had begun to darken, streaks of amber and violet painting the horizon as day surrendered to the encroaching night.

They walked up many stone steps to reach the raised plateau where the castle stood in solitary grandeur. The steps were worn smooth by centuries of use, edges rounded by the passage of countless feet that had climbed this same path in ages past. Some steps were cracked, others had small plants growing from the crevices—nature’s slow reclamation of abandoned human construction.

With each step they took, Arthur’s fears grew more consuming, a cold knot of dread tightening in his stomach. The new power he had manifested earlier kept flashing through his mind—how did he do it? Can he do it again? And what awaited them within these stone walls that even corrupted termites feared to approach?

Despite the apprehension churning within him, Arthur could not help but be mesmerized by the castle as they drew closer. Great towers pierced the darkening sky like stone sentinels standing eternal watch. Intricate designs had been carved into the weathered stone—gargoyles with twisted faces, mythical beasts frozen in eternal combat, and delicate flowering vines that seemed almost too fragile to have been carved from unyielding rock.

Countless windows dotted the façade, some broken, others intact but darkened, like empty eye sockets watching their approach with silent judgment. It was, without question, the most magnificent piece of architecture that either of them had ever seen.

They couldn’t help but pause for a moment, standing in reverent silence as they absorbed the castle’s imposing presence.

"I got a bad feeling about this," Arthur said softly, his voice barely carrying on the evening breeze.

Beside him, Aziel giggled, the sound strained but genuine. "You have a bad feeling about everything..." He shifted his weight, wincing slightly before adding, "Let’s go."

Arthur rolled his eyes and sighed deeply before stepping forward once again, supporting Aziel’s weight as they approached the entrance.

The wooden door loomed before them, intricate black steel designs covered its surface—whorls and patterns that seemed to shift and move when viewed from the corner of one’s eye. The metalwork formed images of trees, beasts, and what might have been faces, though the designs were so complex it was difficult to be certain.

Arthur gulped audibly as he slowly reached for the large iron handle, its surface cold against his palm. He turned it carefully, feeling it resist with the stubbornness of age and disuse. The mechanism inside made a grinding sound as ancient gears and levers moved for perhaps the first time in decades.

The door creaked in protest as Arthur pushed harder, his muscles straining against its weight. Slowly, painfully, it yielded to his persistence, swinging inward to reveal a dark interior. The space beyond was dimly illuminated by chandeliers hung with flickering candles and lanterns mounted on the walls at regular intervals. The dancing flames cast long, shifting shadows across the floor and walls, creating an atmosphere of both welcoming warmth and unsettling mystery.

Arthur and Aziel stepped cautiously over the threshold, the sound of their footsteps echoing in the cavernous space as they revealed to themselves the grand first room of the castle. Twin marble staircases twisted upward to a second story, their elegant curves reminiscent of unfurling ferns. Silky red carpets draped down the steps, their once-vibrant crimson faded to a muted burgundy by the passage of time, yet still luxurious in the warm glow of candlelight.

The entrance hall itself was impressively large but surprisingly empty, with only a few pieces of heavy, dark furniture positioned along the walls. Ornate doors of varying sizes scattered the walls to their left and right, while open archways revealed glimpses of hallways stretching deeper into the structure. High above, a vaulted ceiling disappeared into shadow, the details of its design lost in darkness despite the light from below.

As they dragged their feet inside, Arthur found his attention fixed on one detail among all the splendor surrounding them—the candles. Dozens upon dozens of them, flickering steadily in their sconces and chandeliers.

’How the hell are those candles still lit?’ he wondered, his mind racing. ’It doesn’t make sense. Unless... someone keeps them lit.’

The thought alone caused cold sweat to drip down his face and clam up his hands. If someone—or something—maintained this place, where were they now? Were they watching, even at this moment?

Before he could voice his concerns to Aziel, a thunderous BOOM shattered the silence as the door they had just walked through abruptly slammed shut behind them. The sound reverberated through the hall like a cannon shot, startling both young men. They jumped reflexively before turning around swiftly to stare at the now-closed door.

"What the hell?" Aziel spouted questioningly, his eyes wide with renewed fear.

Arthur gulped, his throat suddenly dry as parchment. He slowly guided them back to the door, each step careful and measured as if the floor beneath them might suddenly give way. Reaching out with a trembling hand, he grasped the handle and attempted to open it.

’Something isn’t right here.’

To his surprise, the door did not fight being opened as it had from the outside. It swung outward smoothly with Arthur’s pull, almost eagerly, as if inviting them to step through. But when it opened fully, it did not reveal the twilight exterior they had just come from.

Instead, past the doorway was a... kitchen?

Arthur and Aziel stared in stunned silence at the scene before them. A large, well-appointed kitchen stretched out where the castle grounds should have been. Copper pots hung from ceiling racks, and stone countertops lined the walls. A massive hearth dominated one wall, cold and empty but ready for use.

"What the hell is going on here?" Aziel’s words tumbled out, fast and confused. "Why did that door not take us outside? I-I don’t get it?"

"I-I don’t know," Arthur stammered, just as shocked as he walked them into the dimly lit kitchen, drawn forward by disbelief and a morbid curiosity he couldn’t suppress.

Soon, once they were fully inside the kitchen, just like before, the door behind them slammed shut with such force that several pots rattled on their hooks. The sound made them jump once again, hearts pounding in their chests.

Arthur quickly turned them around and lunged for the door, grabbing the handle forcefully and swinging it open with desperate strength. But after they did, to their increasing horror, the entrance hall of the castle was not what they saw.

Instead, they were looking into a grand and large bathroom. Marble tiles gleamed in the soft light, and an enormous clawfoot tub dominated the center of the room. Ornate mirrors lined the walls, reflecting their shocked expressions back at them from multiple angles.

"Ok, what the fuck is going on!?" Aziel’s voice cracked with panic, his eyes darting wildly around as if searching for some explanation that made sense.

Arthur stood frozen, staring in disbelief at the impossible scene before them.

"...I think we made a terrible mistake," he whispered, his words hanging in the air like a death sentence.