Ember's breath caught in her throat as she crouched by the wall, the flickering candlelight casting shadows that danced and twisted before her. The stone corridor was damp, its coldness seeping into her bones. She had discovered the hidden entrance by accident, behind a tapestry in one of the lower halls. The door had been locked, but it yielded easily to her touch old wood, the scent of dust and abandonment surrounding it.
Now, as she crept further into the darkened passage, the silence was oppressive. Her heart raced in her chest, the quiet of the place unsettling. Every step she took seemed to echo, as though the walls themselves were watching her, waiting for her to make a mistake.
The air was thick with the smell of mildew, a faint trace of something metallic hanging in the air blood, maybe, though she dared not speculate. The further she went, the darker it became, the shadows seeming to swallow her whole. But her resolve kept her moving forward. There was something here, something hidden from Roman and his twisted eyes, and she intended to find it.
Her footsteps slowed as she neared a set of heavy wooden doors at the end of the corridor. There was an ancient, almost forgotten quality about them, a weight to them that made her hesitate. The symbol she had found on the dagger was engraved above the door. A crescent moon surrounded by interwoven runes exactly like the one on the weapon she now kept hidden beneath her mattress.
She reached out to touch the symbol, her fingers trembling slightly. The cold metal seemed to pulse under her touch, a strange energy rippling through her body. For a moment, she stood there, her heart beating faster, as though the walls themselves were alive, responding to her presence.
With a steadying breath, Ember pushed the door open. It creaked loudly in protest, and she winced at the sound, but there was no turning back now. Inside, the room was vast and dimly lit by the glow of a few scattered candles. Her eyes scanned the room, noting the strange artifacts scattered across the stone floor books, scrolls, and ancient relics she could not identify. The scent of old parchment and dust filled her nostrils.
But her attention was drawn to the far corner, where a large chest stood, its surface worn and scarred with age. It was adorned with the same symbol she had seen on the dagger, and a sense of dread washed over her as she approached it. She reached out, hesitated, and then opened the chest.
The contents inside were what she had expected: journals, scrolls, and various objects wrapped in aged cloth. But what caught her eye was a book that lay on top. Its cover was dark leather, almost black, with a faint gold design. She could feel the weight of it in her hands, a deep sense of foreboding creeping up her spine.
As she opened the book, her eyes were immediately drawn to the first page. The handwriting was familiar it was Lady Jade's, the matron who had cared for Ember before she'd been sold to Roman. The words were a jumble at first, but as she read them, the message became clear. Lady Jade had known more than she had let on, and she had tried to warn someone perhaps Ember herself of the darkness that permeated this castle.
Her heart raced as she flipped through the pages, reading bits and pieces of cryptic notes that hinted at the history of the castle and Roman's family. There was mention of bloodlines, of sacrifices made in the dark of night, and of a power that could not be contained.
But just as Ember thought she understood what she was reading, a noise broke through the silence. Her heart lurched as the door behind her slammed shut, the sound deafening in the enclosed space.
Her body froze.
Footsteps. Heavy, deliberate footsteps.
Panic surged through her veins as she looked around, searching for an escape, but there was nowhere to go. The only option was to face whoever was coming.
The door to the forbidden corridor creaked open, and Ember's blood ran cold as she turned to face the figure entering. It was the head guard the one who had always been watching her. His presence seemed to fill the room, his tall frame blocking out the faint candlelight as he stepped inside.
His eyes flicked over her with a chilling detachment, and Ember instinctively took a step back, clutching the book in her hands. She didn't know whether he had seen the chest or the dagger whether he knew she had been snooping but the way he looked at her made her feel exposed, as if all her secrets were laid bare.
"You shouldn't be here," he said in a low voice, his tone like the scrape of metal on stone. "Roman will punish you for this. You know that, don't you?"
Ember's throat tightened as she met his gaze. The guard had always been silent, stoic until now. There was something different in his eyes, something… knowing. Her pulse quickened as she tried to gather her thoughts.
"I wasn't snooping," she said, her voice barely a whisper, but it came out stronger than she had intended. "I was… looking for something."
The guard raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "And what is it you were looking for, exactly?"
Ember held up the journal she had been reading, her fingers trembling around its edges. "I was trying to understand. I found this. It has answers."
His expression flickered, something like recognition or perhaps caution passing across his face. He didn't move to take the book from her, but his posture shifted. "You don't understand what you're dealing with, Ember."
The use of her name made her shiver, but she held her ground, staring up at him. "I want to understand. I have to. I can't just keep being a prisoner here."
The guard's gaze softened ever so slightly, and for the first time, Ember saw something else behind the coldness. It was fear. Fear, not for himself, but for her.
"You don't know what you're involved in," he said quietly. "Roman's family his bloodline this castle, this power it's all tied together. You think you're escaping, but there's no way out."
Ember's breath caught in her throat. "What do you mean? What are you talking about?"
The guard hesitated, then took a step closer. His voice dropped to a whisper. "There's a resistance. A group of us who are trying to take Roman down. We've been planning for years. But… it's in jeopardy now."
Her heart raced. "How? What happened?"
He looked over his shoulder, then back at her, his voice barely audible. "Roman knows. He's watching everyone. He has eyes everywhere. And you " He hesitated, looking her up and down as if weighing his next words carefully. "You play a critical role in what comes next."
Ember's mind whirled with the implications of his words. "What do you mean? What role?"
The guard stepped back, his face hardening once more. "I can't explain everything now. You're not safe here. Roman will come for you if he finds out you've been asking questions." He motioned toward the door, his voice low and urgent. "You have to leave. Quickly."
Before Ember could respond, the guard shoved her toward the door, his hands firm but not unkind. "Go. Before it's too late."
She stumbled as he pushed her, her head spinning with the shock of everything he had revealed. "Wait "
But the guard was already gone, disappearing into the shadows as swiftly as he had appeared. Ember stood there, stunned, the journal still clutched in her hands. Her mind raced with what she had just learned about Roman, about the resistance, about her own role in this twisted game.
She didn't know what to do. But she knew one thing for certain.
She had to act fast before it was too late.