Eclipsed

Chapter 19

The moment the castle doors slammed shut behind them, Kael and Valen froze. The loud clang reverberated through the massive halls, and the air grew eerily still. The dim light of flickering torches cast long, distorted shadows on the stone walls.

Kael broke the silence. “I think we’ve been tricked.”

Valen’s gaze shifted around the hall, his sharp eyes taking in every detail. “Let’s hope not,” he muttered grimly.

Inside the Fortress of Rhulgar

The interior of the castle was oppressive yet grand, a testament to its dark ruler’s might. The walls were lined with ancient banners depicting sigils of fallen kingdoms, now claimed by Rhulgar’s conquests. Jagged black stone formed the fortress’s foundation, while the ceiling arched high above, disappearing into the shadows. Columns carved with grotesque faces seemed to watch them as they moved. A faint hum of ominous energy pulsated through the air.

The floor beneath their feet was a mosaic of polished obsidian and crimson marble, its reflective surface fractured like a shattered mirror. Strange glyphs glowed faintly, etched into the walls, as if they served as wards—or traps.

Kael’s voice was barely above a whisper. “This place feels...alive.”

Valen nodded. “Keep your guard up. It’s not going to make this easy for us.”

Suddenly, a blade shot out of nowhere, skimming Kael’s arm. He yelped, jerking to the side. “Oh shit, that was close!”

“Duck!” Valen shouted, his reflexes honed from years of experience.

They both dropped to the ground just as more blades shot past, whistling through the air like deadly arrows. The sound of metal clanging against stone echoed through the hall. The assault didn’t stop; blades continued to rain down in chaotic bursts from hidden mechanisms in the walls.

Kael rolled behind a column for cover, breathing heavily. “What the hell is this? It’s like the castle’s trying to kill us!”

“It probably is,” Valen replied coolly, his mind racing. His hand darted to his belt, pulling out a small, compact gadget—a gravitic tether device. “This should help us.”

The gadget was a compact cylinder covered in glowing glyphs. Valen pressed a button, and thin, nearly invisible threads of energy shot out, latching onto the nearest stone wall. With a swift motion, he attached one end to his belt and extended another tether to Kael. “Hold on!”

Kael grabbed onto Valen as the device yanked them both upward, narrowly avoiding the ground as it began shifting beneath them. A massive pit opened, its depth shrouded in darkness. The faint sound of wind rising from the chasm made Kael shiver.

Valen swung them toward the edge of the pit, releasing the tether at the perfect moment. They landed with a hard thud, just inches from falling into the abyss. Kael scrambled to his feet, his face pale. “I hate this place.”

“Keep moving!” Valen ordered.

The Labyrinth of the Castle

As they pressed forward, the castle seemed to shift and twist around them. Hallways stretched endlessly, only to suddenly split into different paths. Staircases spiraled in impossible directions, some leading to nowhere.

Kael groaned. “This is like a nightmare. What the hell is this, man?”

“It’s a maze,” Valen replied calmly, his eyes scanning the surroundings. “But it’s predictable. Look at the patterns on the floor—the glyphs are guiding us.”

Kael raised an eyebrow. “How can you even tell? They all look the same to me.”

Valen smirked, pointing to a faint sequence of glowing symbols. “They’re directional runes. Rhulgar must have set them up to confuse intruders, but if you know how to read them, they’re a map.”