Chapter 3: Whispers of the Demon Realm
1567 Words
As she set the journal aside, her eyes fell on the bell by the bed. The servant had said to ring it if she needed anything, but she wasn’t sure what to ask for. She hesitated, her fingers hovering over the delicate handle.
Before she could decide, a soft knock at the door startled her. She turned, her heart pounding as the door creaked open. Ethelred stood in the doorway, his golden eyes gleaming with amusement.
“I hope I’m not interrupting,” he said, his voice warm and inviting. “I thought you might like some company.”
Amethyst felt a flicker of relief at the sight of him. Despite everything, Ethelred’s presence was a comfort, a reminder that she wasn’t entirely alone in this strange, beautiful place.
“You’re not interrupting,” she said, managing a small smile. “I could use the company.”
Ethelred stepped inside, closing the door behind him. His gaze lingered on her face, and for a moment, he seemed captivated by her eyes. “Your eyes,” he said softly, almost to himself. “They’re extraordinary.”
Amethyst blinked, caught off guard by his comment. “Oh,” she said, self-consciously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I… I’ve always been told they’re strange.”
“Strange?” Ethelred chuckled, shaking his head. “No, not strange. Unique. Beautiful, even. They suit you.”
She felt her cheeks warm at his words, a strange mix of embarrassment and gratitude swirling in her chest. “Thank you,” she said quietly, unsure of how else to respond.
Ethelred’s expression softened. “You don’t have to thank me. I’m just stating the truth.” He paused, his gaze thoughtful. “You know, Pendragon noticed them too.”
Amethyst’s heart skipped a beat. “He did?”
Ethelred nodded, a faint smile playing on his lips. “He didn’t say anything, of course. But I could tell. He’s not easily impressed, but you… you caught his attention.”
Amethyst looked away, her mind racing. “What does that mean?” she wondered, her pulse quickening. “And why does it matter so much to me?”
Ethelred led Amethyst through the castle’s winding corridors, his voice warm and engaging as he pointed out the various landmarks. The castle was even more magnificent up close, its walls adorned with intricate carvings and tapestries that seemed to tell stories of a world she had only just begun to glimpse.
“This is the Hall of Echoes,” Ethelred said, gesturing to a long, narrow hallway lined with mirrors. “It’s said that if you whisper your deepest desire into one of these mirrors, the castle will grant it.”
Amethyst raised an eyebrow, skeptical but intrigued. “Has it ever worked?”
Ethelred chuckled. “Not that I know of. But it’s a nice thought, isn’t it?”
She smiled faintly, her gaze drifting to her reflection in one of the mirrors. Her bright blue eyes stared back at her, a reminder of her uniqueness. She wondered what her deepest desire would be—freedom? Safety? Understanding?
“Maybe all of the above”, she thought wryly.
As they walked, Amethyst couldn’t help but feel a sense of wonder. The castle was unlike anything she had ever seen, its beauty both enchanting and unsettling. But beneath the surface, she sensed a darkness, a tension that seemed to hum in the air.
“This place is alive”, she thought, her skin prickling. “And it’s watching me.”
She glanced at Ethelred, who was still chatting amiably about the castle’s history. There was something about him that put her at ease, a warmth and kindness that seemed out of place in the Demon Realm. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to him than met the eye.
“Why is he being so kind to me?” she wondered. “What does he want?”
The Library of Forgotten Lore
Ethelred led her to a grand library, its shelves stretching high into the vaulted ceiling. The air was thick with the scent of old parchment and dust, and the faint glow of enchanted orbs illuminated the room.
“This is the Library of Forgotten Lore,” Ethelred said, his voice filled with reverence. “It contains knowledge from across the realms, some of it so ancient that even the demons have forgotten its meaning.”
Amethyst ran her fingers along the spines of the books, her curiosity piqued. “Can anyone come here?”
Ethelred nodded. “In theory, yes. But few dare to. The knowledge here can be… dangerous.”
She glanced at him, her eyes narrowing. “Dangerous how?”
He hesitated, his golden eyes flickering with something she couldn’t quite place. “Let’s just say that some truths are better left buried.”
Amethyst’s gaze lingered on a particularly ancient-looking tome, its cover embossed with strange symbols. “What’s in that one?” she asked, pointing to it.
Ethelred’s expression darkened. “That’s the Codex of Shadows. It’s said to contain the secrets of the Demon Realm’s creation—and its destruction.”
She shivered, pulling her hand back. “Why keep something like that here?”
“Because knowledge, even dangerous knowledge, is power,” Ethelred replied. “And power must be guarded carefully.”
Amethyst nodded, though she couldn’t shake the feeling that the library held more secrets than Ethelred was willing to share. She made a mental note to return here later, when she was alone.
The Garden of Shadows
After the library, Ethelred led Amethyst to a secluded garden at the heart of the castle. It was a place of haunting beauty, with black roses that glowed faintly in the moonlight and a fountain that shimmered with silver water. The air was filled with the scent of night-blooming flowers, and the sound of distant music seemed to drift on the breeze.
“This is my favorite place in the castle,” Ethelred said, his voice soft. “It’s peaceful here, away from the chaos of the realm.”
Amethyst nodded, her gaze sweeping over the garden. “It’s beautiful,” she said quietly. “But there’s something… sad about it.”
Ethelred looked at her, his expression thoughtful. “You feel it too, don’t you? The sadness that lingers in this place.”
She met his gaze, her eyes filled with understanding. “Yes. It’s like… like the garden is mourning something.”
Ethelred’s smile was bittersweet. “Perhaps it is. This realm has seen its share of sorrow.”
They sat on a stone bench by the fountain, the silence between them comfortable but charged with unspoken questions. Amethyst hesitated, then asked, “Why are you being so kind to me?”
Ethelred looked at her, his golden eyes soft. “Because you deserve kindness,” he said simply. “And because I believe you have a role to play here, Amethyst. A role that goes beyond being a sacrifice.”
She frowned, her heart racing. “What do you mean?”
Before he could answer, a shadow fell over them, and they turned to see Pendragon standing at the edge of the garden. His silver eyes gleamed in the moonlight, his expression unreadable.
“Ethelred,” he said, his voice cool and commanding. “A word.”
Ethelred rose, his expression carefully neutral. “Of course, my lord.”
Amethyst watched as the two men walked away, her mind racing. “What was Ethelred about to say? And why did Pendragon look at me like that?”
Left alone in the garden, Amethyst’s thoughts swirled with questions and uncertainty. She gazed at the glowing roses, their beauty a stark contrast to the darkness she sensed in this realm.
“What is my role here?” she wondered, her fingers brushing against the petals of a black rose. “And why do I feel like I’m being pulled into something much bigger than myself?”
She thought of Pendragon, his silver eyes and commanding presence. There was something about him that both terrified and intrigued her, a mystery she was determined to unravel.
As Amethyst wandered through the garden, she stumbled upon a hidden courtyard. It was smaller and more intimate than the rest of the garden, with a single tree at its center. The tree’s branches were twisted and gnarled, its leaves a deep, blood-red.
Beneath the tree stood a statue of a woman, her face serene but her eyes filled with sorrow. Amethyst approached the statue, her heart pounding. There was something familiar about it, something that tugged at her memory.
"Who are you?" she wondered, her fingers tracing the inscription at the base of the statue. The words were written in a language she didn’t recognize, but they seemed to hum with power.
“That’s Lilith,” a voice said behind her.
Amethyst turned to see Ethelred standing there, his golden eyes filled with a strange sadness.
“Lilith?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Ethelred nodded. “Pendragon’s mother. She was human, like you.”
Amethyst’s breath caught in her throat. “What happened to her?”
Ethelred hesitated, his gaze flickering to the statue. “She died giving birth to Pendragon. Her death… changed him. It changed everything.”
- Writer
