Chapter One: The Call of the Ancient Castle
The night hangs low, the moonlight is like silver, sprinkled on the ancient and mysterious Castell Castle.The ancient fortress towering, stone walls mottled, as if every inch is engraved with the traces of the years and unsolved mysteries.The wind, with a hint of coolness, shuttles between the gaps in the old castle, emitting a low whimper, like an ancient ghost whispering.
Anna, a young and curious web novelist, was standing in front of the gate of the ancient castle, holding a yellowed diary tightly in her hand.This diary, which she had purchased in an antique store by chance, contained all kinds of legends and unanswered questions about Castel Castle.Those weird and fascinating stories, like an irresistible magic, attracted her here.
"Here, is this the source of inspiration for my novel?"Anna whispered softly to herself, her eyes glittering with excitement and anticipation.She took a deep breath and pushed open the heavy door of the ancient castle, stepping into this world full of unknowns.
The interior of the ancient castle was dim and gloomy, with only a few strands of moonlight spilling onto the ground through the broken stained-glass windows, forming mottled light and shadows.Anna turned on her cell phone's flashlight and cautiously moved forward.She climbed up the winding stone steps, each step seeming to touch the dust of history.
"Click-" There was a soft sound as Anna accidentally stepped on a loose stone slab, and with a shock, she stopped and looked around.The ancient castle was so quiet that only her own breathing and heartbeat could be heard, and that soft sound seemed to be infinitely amplified, echoing in the empty hall.
"Nothing, just scaring myself."Anna reassured herself and continued on her way.She came to a room that looked like a study, the shelves filled with thick books and dusty scrolls.Anna's heart leapt with joy, this was exactly the kind of writing material she had been dreaming of!
She gently brushed the dust off a book and turned the pages, only to see the history and legends about the old castle written in ancient script.Just as she was immersed in her reading, a gust of wind blew by and the pages flipped automatically, eventually coming to a stop at an illustration.It was a painting depicting the basement of the ancient castle, and the painting seemed to hide some sort of mysterious symbols.
"Basement?"Anna's heart fluttered and she decided to head out to explore.She followed the clues in the diary and found the hidden passage leading to the basement.The passage was narrow and winding, and the air smelled damp and musty.Lin Shao moved forward carefully, the flashlight in her hand tracing a path of light in the darkness.
Finally, she came to the end of the basement, and an iron door came into view.The iron door was covered with rust, as if it hadn't been opened for a long time.Lin Shao pushed the iron door open with force, and an ear-splitting sound of metal rubbing echoed through the basement.
The iron door slowly opened, revealing a spacious basement space.It was piled high with all sorts of ancient items, from aged armor, rotting wooden crates, and antiques that seemed to be worth their weight in gold.However, what attracted Anna the most was an ancient stone monument in the center of the basement.
The monument was engraved with complex runes, exuding a mysterious aura.Anna approached the stone tablet and scrutinized the runes on it.Suddenly, she felt an inexplicable force gush out from the stone monument, instantly surrounding her.
"What ...... is going on here?"Anna was horrified and wanted to break free from this force, but found herself unable to move.Just then, the runes on the stone tablet began to flicker, emitting a dazzling light.
In the light, Anna seemed to see a blur of figures, traveling and fighting in the ancient castle.She heard low growls, shrill cries, and the clanging sounds of weapons clashing.These images flashed rapidly before her eyes like a movie, causing her to feel a wave of vertigo.
When the light dissipated, Anna realized she was able to move.She staggered back a few steps and leaned against the wall, panting heavily.The experience she had just had left her heart palpitating, but at the same time, it had sparked her intense curiosity and desire to explore.
"This old castle, what kind of secret is it hiding?"Anna whispered to herself and decided to continue exploring deeper.She moved forward along the other passages in the basement, searching for more clues about the ancient castle