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.