As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting hues of orange and pink across the sky, the haunted castle became increasingly visible in the distance. Its dark, looming towers seemed to melt into the clouds, casting long, ominous shadows that stretched across the landscape. The path ahead grew narrower as they moved through a winding valley, the air thickening with each step they took.A low, eerie howl echoed through the valley, sending a chill down their spines. A distant, wailing wind carried strange whispers, like voices calling from the abyss. Luna instinctively stepped closer to Elion, her hand brushing against his arm for comfort. Elion, despite his usual stoic nature, glanced over at her, offering a reassuring smile, though the tension in his jaw betrayed his unease.Aldric kept his pace steady, his eyes scanning the shadows. His hand instinctively hovered near the hilt of his sword, though he made no move to draw it. The sounds were unnerving, but he had faced far worse in his

As they walked deeper into the castle, the air turned heavier, colder. Whispers echoed faintly off the walls—soft, distant, like someone murmuring secrets just out of reach.No one said anything. They all heard it, but none wanted to acknowledge it.“Probably just the wind.” Noah muttered, more to himself than anyone else.Suddenly, Mara stopped in her tracks. She clutched her stomach, a hand bracing the wall.“Mara?” Elion stepped toward her, voice tense. “What’s wrong?”She didn’t respond.Instead, she turned, hurried to a dark corner, and bent over—throwing up.“Mara!” Luna was already beside her, holding her hair back.Aldric stood nearby, concerned. “Was it the air? The castle? A spell?”Mara straightened, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. “No.” she croaked. “It’s not the castle.”“Then what—?”“It’s the baby.” she said with a weak smile. “Morning sickness decided to arrive fashionably late.”Everyone visibly relaxed.“Oh thank heavens.” Elion breathed.Noah sat down on

Luna sat on the cold stone floor, her knees drawn up, Elion’s limp body cradled in her arms. Her tears fell onto his face as she clutched him tighter, rocking back and forth.“Please, God…” she whispered, voice breaking. “Don’t take him away from me. I never complained. Not once. Not when they insulted me. Not when they hated me for how I looked, for what I was…” Her chest heaved. “Please, I beg You. Give him back to me. I can’t lose him. I love him. I love him so much.”“You love him too much, don’t you?” a voice said gently.She didn’t look up. She didn’t even register who it was.“Yes… too much.” she murmured. “I’ve loved him for so long. So quietly.”The voice came again, still calm. Still soothing. “God is not ruthless. He loves His servants. And He knows the weight in their hearts.”Silence settled for a heartbeat.Then the voice spoke again, more tenderly now. “God does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear. Your faith has always been strong, little one. He sees you. He see

Noah and Aldric stumbled down a narrow corridor, breath ragged, feet scraping the dusty floor as they tried to get away from the maze of rooms behind them. The castle seemed to shift around them, walls bleeding into one another like a bad dream refusing to let go. “Do you think we lost her?” Noah asked, glancing back. Aldric shook his head. “No.” A sickening crack echoed through the hallway—bones bending, clicking unnaturally. A high-pitched giggle followed. Then came the skittering. Fast. Too fast. Like nails scraping stone. “Oh no.” Noah breathed. “She’s here again.” The Spider Woman emerged from the ceiling’s edge, upside down, her limbs longer than before—skeletal arms twisted like branches, dragging her grotesque body behind. Her face, if it could be called that, twitched with fascination. Her cracked, spider-like eyes locked onto Noah. “My beautiful boys.” she hissed. “Run.” Aldric growled, grabbing Noah’s hand without hesitation. They ran. The walls twisted, doors va

With the Crooked Man lingering like a shadow that had learned to stay just out of reach, they somehow felt a bit safer. The staircase above still stretched like an endless spine, but for now, they had claimed the landing as their small moment of peace.Elion had woken, the lines of exhaustion still under his eyes but warmth returning to them as he sat beside Luna. Her hand rested lightly over his heart, just to feel it beating.Aldric, after pacing in restless silence, crouched and began scratching chalk lines on the floor.“Don’t tell me…” Elion squinted. “Is that—?”“Hopscotch.” Aldric muttered, blowing away some dust. “You’re serious?” Noah blinked. “In a haunted castle?”“You want to keep listening to him hum that funeral lullaby?” Aldric jerked his thumb at the Crooked Man, who was leaning against a pillar, lantern flickering, singing softly about “bones in a sack and hearts in a jar.”“Fair.” Elion said, standing with a groan. “Let’s play.”Noah bounced on his heels. “Wait, wha