The castle loomed like a sentinel of the night, its darkened spires piercing the cloud-clad sky. Johan could see the intricate stonework, weathered over centuries, adorned with grotesque gargoyles that seemed to sneer at his audacity to enter their domain. The silver moonlight painted the castle's facade in a ghostly glow, casting sharp contrasts between light and shadow.
Taking a steadying breath, Johan pushed open the massive, ornate wooden doors. They groaned, their protest echoing in the vastness of the castle's entrance hall. The interior was a marriage of grandeur and decay. Velvet drapes, moth-eaten and faded, hung alongside portraits of stern-looking nobility, their eyes seeming to follow Johan.
