Shadows at the Gate
1174 Words
The world smelled of ash and blood.
Leo’s eyelids fluttered open, and for a moment, he thought he was back by the river — the creature’s claws sinking into his flesh. But instead of the cold mud, he lay on a rough straw mattress, his body burning with pain.
A dim glow of lantern light flickered against the wooden walls. The scent of herbs mixed with the metallic sting of blood, and he could barely feel his arm.
“Leo?”
The voice was soft, trembling.
His vision swam as he turned his head. Talia sat beside him, her eyes puffy and red, a damp cloth clutched in her shaking hands. She dabbed at his forehead, careful not to press too hard.
“You’re awake,” she whispered, her voice cracked from crying. “I... I thought you weren’t going to wake up.”
Leo tried to speak, but his throat was dry. Every part of him ached — his ribs, his arms, the deep claw marks across his skin.
“I’m... okay,” he rasped, though he clearly wasn’t.
From the corner of the room, Seraphina sat with her back against the wall, arms wrapped tightly around her knees. She didn’t look at him, her silver eyes fixed on the floor. Her face was pale, streaked with dried blood.
Leo’s chest tightened at the sight of her.
His fingers twitched, remembering the way she’d kissed him. It had been brief, desperate, but it lingered in his mind like a spark that refused to die.
But she avoided his gaze — like she regretted it.
Leo pushed the thought away and tried to sit up. Pain flared instantly, stabbing through his muscles like fire. He collapsed back onto the mattress with a sharp hiss.
“Don’t move,” Talia begged, pressing her hands to his chest to keep him down.
Leo barely heard her. Something was wrong. His skin prickled, and the air felt heavy — suffocating, like the weight of something unseen.
“Where are we?” he croaked.
“The servant quarters,” Talia whispered. “We snuck back through the kitchen entrance. No one saw us.”
Leo swallowed hard. That was good. If the king found out he’d left the castle — or worse, that he had magic — they’d all be executed.
But the unease in his chest only grew worse.
And then he heard the first scream.
A distant, guttural wail that echoed through the stone halls.
Leo’s heart dropped.
“... No,” Seraphina breathed, finally lifting her head.
More screams followed — high-pitched and panicked, the unmistakable sound of guards being slaughtered.
Seraphina shot to her feet, her entire body rigid. “They’re inside the castle,” she whispered, her voice hollow.
Leo struggled to rise, panic clawing at him. “We killed them,” he rasped, his body shaking from exhaustion. “We burned them.”
Seraphina shook her head. “Not all of them.”
The door to the room rattled, the wood vibrating with distant impacts. Talia whimpered and pressed closer to Leo.
“We have to move,” Seraphina said, grabbing Leo’s arm. “We have to get to the king.”
Leo shook his head, forcing himself upright despite the pain. “The king can’t see me,” he rasped. “If he knows I have magic, he’ll kill us all.”
A low, scratching sound echoed from the hallway.
The creatures were here.
“Then we don’t get caught,” Seraphina muttered, her eyes gleaming with determination. She grabbed Talia’s hand, pulling her toward the door. “Come on.”
Leo gritted his teeth, staggering to his feet. He bit back the pain and followed, his body weak but his heart pounding.
They slipped into the dim corridor, the flickering torchlight barely illuminating the path. The shadows twisted unnaturally, moving when they shouldn’t have.
Leo’s breath hitched.
The creatures were everywhere.
Bodies littered the floor — servants, guards, their flesh torn apart, blood smearing the stone. The monsters slithered through the c*****e, their bodies half-solid, half-shadow, their teeth clicking as they hunted for survivors.
One turned its head, sniffing the air.
Leo froze.
Seraphina grabbed his hand and yanked him into a side passage, her chest heaving.
“We need to get to the upper floors,” she whispered. “If we don’t find the source of this, they’ll overrun the entire castle.”
Leo’s fingers tightened around hers. “What’s causing it?” he asked, barely able to speak.
Seraphina hesitated, biting her lip. “It’s... a corruption,” she finally said. “Something ancient. The creatures are just manifestations of it.”
Leo’s heart pounded. “Can we destroy it?”
Seraphina met his gaze, her face pale. “Maybe,” she whispered. “But if we try, it could kill us.”
Leo clenched his jaw. “If we don’t try, everyone dies anyway.”
A scream pierced the air — closer this time.
They ran.
The Throne Room
By the time they reached the throne room, the battle had already begun.
The creatures swarmed like locusts, their bodies shifting between shadow and flesh, their claws raking across stone as they climbed the walls.
King Viktor stood in the center of the c*****e, his sword a blur of steel. He carved through the monsters like a force of nature, blood streaking his armor, his muscles bulging with every swing.
Leo stared in shock. He’d never seen the king fight before.
He was terrifying.
But even Viktor couldn’t hold them back forever. The creatures kept coming, their screeches echoing through the vast chamber.
“Leo!” Seraphina hissed, yanking him behind a pillar. “He can’t see you.”
Leo’s chest burned. He clenched his fists, watching as the king began to falter, his movements slowing.
The creatures overwhelmed him, dragging him to his knees.
Leo couldn’t breathe.
“We have to do something,” he whispered.
Seraphina grabbed his arm, her fingers digging into his skin. “If you use magic in front of him, he’ll know,” she snapped. “You’ll be executed. We all will.”
The creatures lunged at the king, their claws raised —
Leo didn’t care.
He stepped out from behind the pillar, his heart pounding, his magic flaring to life.
Fire exploded from his hands, roaring across the throne room.
The creatures shrieked as they burned, their bodies disintegrating into ash.
King Viktor shielded his face, staring in shock as the flames died down.
Leo gasped for air, his body collapsing.
The throne room fell silent.
The king turned, his eyes locking onto Leo.
Leo’s heart stopped.
But the king didn’t speak.
He just... stared.
And then he turned away.
“Get him out of here,” Viktor growled to the remaining guards, his voice low and dangerous.
Leo barely registered Seraphina dragging him back into the shadows, his entire body trembling.
The king didn’t say a word.
But he had seen everything.
And Leo knew this was only the beginning.
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