As they continued up the stairs, the Crooked Man sang a low, eerie tune, and the girls seemed to enjoy it, giggling and swaying to the rhythm. The others listened in silence, the only sound the creak of the stairs beneath their feet.Aldric was at the back, carrying Noah on his back. Noah's chin rested lightly on Aldric’s shoulder, his breath warm against his skin. A smirk tugged at Noah's lips, and he nuzzled closer, his nose brushing Aldric's neck."You’re warm." Noah whispered, his voice teasing.Aldric tensed, his heart racing a little faster. "What?"Noah chuckled softly, the sound just loud enough for Aldric to hear. "I like it." he said, his fingers brushing against Aldric's chest. "Makes me want to stay like this."Aldric swallowed hard, his usual cool demeanor slipping. "You're trouble, you know that?"Noah grinned, his breath warm against Aldric's skin. "I think you like it."Aldric didn't answer, his focus shifting as they climbed higher. Noah's words lingered in his mind,

The library felt quieter after Mara's revelation, as if the castle itself was listening.“We need her brother’s bones.” Mara repeated, softer now. “They were close. If we speak his name, it’ll unlock the spell’s core. That’s the only way the fire will work.”“But we don’t even know where the body is.” Aldric said, his voice low, protective. “This place is endless.”Noah, still resting against him, blinked slowly. “Then let it find us.”Everyone turned.“What?” Mara asked.Noah sat up fully now, his face pale but alert. “Everything in this castle reacts to us. When we’re desperate, it gives. When we ask, it hides. Maybe we stop looking and… let it come.”There was a pause.Then a soft thud echoed from somewhere above.Followed by another.Then… dragging.All of them stood. The sound grew louder—slow and heavy, as if someone—or something—was pulling something down the endless staircase.Luna’s hand slipped into Elion’s. The girls huddled behind the bookshelf.They waited, breaths shallo

Night had fallen.But for once, the castle didn’t breathe terror. Its silence felt like a sigh—long, weary, and peaceful.Noah sat with his back against the wall, one leg stretched out, the other bent slightly. Blood streaked down his side, soaking the torn fabric of his shirt. His head was low, hair damp and sticking to his forehead.Elion had lit a fire in the center of the room. Its warm glow flickered against the cracked walls, throwing dancing shadows all around. Luna knelt beside Noah, gently wiping the blood from his skin with a cloth. Mara stood nearby, her fingers glowing as she whispered healing charms over and over, though none seemed strong enough for the deeper wounds.Aldric crouched down beside them. His hands hovered just above Noah’s ribs."Claw marks along the ribs… one deep gash on the shoulder. Right leg scraped badly… and bruising almost everywhere else." he murmured.He frowned. “I’ll need tools to stitch him up.”“Use a spell and knock him out.” Elion said, glan

The lamps in Iryss’s house flickered low, casting a warm reddish hue over the stone walls. Outside, Infernia remained still—no cries, no roars, just a muffled wind gliding past.Inside, Mara had fallen asleep on the cushioned divan, one hand resting on her stomach, the cat curled protectively by her feet. Iryss had draped a velvet blanket over her and moved on, quietly pouring hot tea into black porcelain cups.Noah sat by the open window, his ribs still wrapped in clean bandages, the warm night air brushing over his skin. His dagger rested on the sill, cooling after its recent use. He didn't say much, just stared out at the faint glow in the sky where Infernia’s moon—or something like it—rose slowly.Across the room, Luna stood stiffly near the archway, her arms crossed. She wasn’t watching Elion. Not directly. But her eyes flicked to him every now and then. He was talking to Iryss again, low-voiced and casual, as if they'd always been close. Maybe they had.“Stop glaring.” Noah said