Gabriel walked forward, drawn into the procession of shape-changers and light creatures. They glided effortlessly through the castle, their forms blurring and shifting as they moved. The light creatures floated ahead, their glowing bodies illuminating the path.
As they approached a large stone window, Gabriel saw that it was sculptured with intricate carvings of robed figures with cat ears and pig snouts. The window was a masterpiece of Gothic architecture, its stone framework adorned with delicate patterns and symbols.
Above the window, an arch made of blackwood and stone loomed, its surface etched with a single word: "Eldrida". The letters seemed to dance across the stone, their curves and lines weaving a mysterious spell.
The shape-changers and light creatures flowed through the window, disappearing into the darkness beyond. Gabriel hesitated for a moment, his heart pounding with anticipation. What lay beyond the window? And what secrets did the mysterious word "Eldrida" hold?
As Gabriel gazed out the window, he noticed a commotion below. People with pig snouts and cat ears, dressed in long robes, scurried about with anxious expressions. The same features that had been etched into the window frame now seemed to come alive before his eyes.
Their fearful murmurs carried across the land, echoing off the waterfalls and fields of flowers. The words sent a shiver down Gabriel's spine: "King Arian is dead. Queen Libertà is dead. The prince is gone."
The people's panic was palpable, their voices rising in desperation as they repeated the phrase. It was as if they were trying to convince themselves that the unthinkable had indeed happened – their rulers were gone, and their prince had vanished.
Gabriel's mind reeled with questions. Who was King Arian, and what had happened to him? Who was the prince, and where had he gone? And what did any of this have to do with him?
As the news of the royal family's demise spread, the shape-changers and light creatures scurried about, as if seeking refuge from the impending darkness. They seemed to be draining the land of its light and beauty, leaving behind a desolate landscape.
Gabriel watched in horror as flowers wilted and died, their petals crumbling to the ground. The shape-changers, he realized, had the power to manipulate the very elements themselves.
Waterfalls froze in mid-air, their waters suspended like glittering crystals. The soil rose up in great clouds of coppery dust, swirling around like a maddening storm. The wind howled with a ferocity that seemed almost malevolent, and the people below screamed in terror.
Gabriel couldn't bear to witness the destruction any longer. He shut his olive green eyes, as if to block out the chaos, and stepped back from the window. Turning, he ran down the steps, his footsteps echoing through the deserted corridors as he fled from the devastation unfolding before him.
The corridor stretched out before Gabriel, ending in a closed metal door that seemed to absorb the faint light around it. The air was heavy with the scent of rust and decay.
As Gabriel approached, the door creaked open, its hinges groaning in protest. He stepped through the doorway, his eyes adjusting to the dim light within.
The room was small, with stone walls that seemed to press in on him. Two men sat at a wooden table, their faces hardened into masks of stone. They held chalices filled with wine, drinking deeply as if savoring the taste.
But it was their demeanor that caught Gabriel off guard. They seemed to be celebrating, their eyes gleaming with a sinister light as they clinked their chalices together. The atmosphere was oppressive, heavy with an unspoken menace that made Gabriel's skin crawl.
"What's going on?" Gabriel asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
The men turned to him, as if they could hear him,their faces unyielding. One of them raised his chalice in a mock toast. "The king is dead," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "And a new era has begun."