[COMPLETE] For centuries, the sorcerer Milo tried to run away from his old coven and the creatures that were waiting for him there. The memories of pain kept him focused on his disguises, and when he finally thought he was safe, the possibility of w...
The constant sound of the rails finally started to die down, at the same time the landscape through the windows was moving slower. To many people, the arrival to their destination is a relief - finally, after three days of traveling, they reached the small town in the heart of Czechia. To Milo, on the other hand, it was the beginning of his worst nightmare coming true.
Their trip there was actually very nice, even though it was exhausting, and Milo would prefer to continue traveling for days then finally "arrive". From that point on, everything was possible and they didn't have a clue about what to expect. Milo felt his heart beat race. Matt began looking suspiciously at everyone on the platform, as the other one observed every single face and expression from the people who got near.
Nobody seemed to be waiting or looking for them. Good sign. So they finally grabbed their luggage and left the small, old train station.
It was about 3:30 p.m., meaning they'd not have long to get to the castle and get settled in their rooms before the other ones began waking up.
A part of Milo was curious. What should he expect? He barely remembered most of the people he so vehemently fled from. He wanted to understand what was so important that brought him there. What was so urgent that could justify that amount of discomfort to everyone involved - was it just an excuse for Duke to control them one last time?
While he was lost in his thoughts, Matthew's muffled voice mentioned something about walking the distance to the castle, but Milo didn't really pay attention. The fact the city was so small it could be called a village almost ruled out the necessity of having a car. The younger one didn't consider calling a cab, anyway. It would be way too risky for the unfortunate driver that came to them.
He was still in his head when the older man questioned about using a spell on the luggage so they'd move by themselves, but he didn't need Milo's help to realize that would catch too much of people's attention. They only had a bag each, so it should be easy enough.
The tanned shell of Milo's body walked at a quick pace, looking at everything around him. He had very few memories of that place, since he was locked up in the castle after his turning, and then fled the country on the first chance he had. That's why the sidewalks made out of stone, the short buildings that belonged to old villages like that one, the friendly faces, and even the language - everything felt like a dream, or the scenario of a movie. He didn't connect to any of that, no matter how charming the place was.
By that point, he was very willing to trade that charm for anything. He could have blown the whole village without a shred of remorse. All of that just gave him a strong headache and each step weighted him down, as if shackles were stuck to his feet. It was harder and harder to breathe, the cold sweat went down his neck, the brown curls stuck to his skin.
Everything in him wanted to run in the opposite direction, no matter how curious he was. However, it was too late now - a few meters from them, the final and inevitable destination - the castle.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Despite the name everyone used to refer to it, the place was not a castle. It only looked like one if compared to the simple and cozy houses of the town. It was really a mansion: a big, three-stories house, with beautiful pillars on the outside. The walls were in a pinkish tone and appeared to be well maintained, with not even a stain on them. The same went for the windows - big, clean windows that were covered by heavy curtains. Someone on the outside would not be able to see anything inside.
As they got closer, Milo had the feeling they wouldn't see many changes inside the place. Even before they got inside, he knew he'd see the high ceilings with fancy decorations, velvety furniture, expensive and dark wallpapers, and the well-polished floor.
The fact he knew exactly what he'd see and where it would be as if he had been in that place just a few days ago, creeped him out profoundly. What if, even after all his efforts, they were still able to get into his mind?
Finally, they reached the outer gates, carrying their luggage with them. The gates were open, waiting for them for days. They looked at each other one last time - the angst each of them felt reflected in each other's eyes. He gave a tiny and fake smile and patted Matt's shoulders, stood tall, and walked through the stone pathway to the front door.
They didn't knock, didn't ring the bell. Just touched the knob and, as expected, the door opened by itself. For both of their reliefs, the hall was empty and the whole floor was completely silent. Everything looked exactly like it did 400 years ago - not even the curtains were new, even though they looked like it.
