The cold castle stood as a forsaken monument, draped in cobwebs, with statues frozen in collapse, including the once-majestic ice dragon. Queen Liora's question hung in the air, echoing through the desolation.
"How did this place meet its demise?" she inquired, her eyes probing the shattered remnants of what was once a symbol of power.
"Now that you are ready, my queen, let me unravel the tapestry of secrets woven within these walls," the old man declared, his voice resonating with the weight of untold truths.
He began recounting the tale of Ravenstone Fortress, the castle of Sylvanoria Empire, and the epicenter of the fractured kingdoms in Australisterra. A once-united alliance of demons, Witchers, mages, dragon keepers, and witches had crumbled over time. The witches, feeling obsolete, had devised a cunning plan to manipulate the empires into chaos.
"We have five kingdoms, or as we call them, empires—Eldoria, Celestria, Valeria, Drakonia, and Sylvanoria. Sylvanoria, with its dragon keepers, stood above all. Emperor Ignatius unknowingly married the fifth wife, Saraphim, a witch on a mission in disguise," he revealed, his words threading a complex narrative of deceit and destiny.
"Why the disguise? What was her mission?" Liora demanded, her curiosity now laced with a sense of impending danger.
"Witches excel in disguise. Saraphim's mission was to manipulate Emperor Ignatius into waging war on other empires, causing chaos where demons would be rendered powerless. Saraphim, a hybrid of human and witch, made her elusive. Demons, closest to humans, struggled to recognize hybrid witches," he explained, unveiling the layers of deception.
"Saraphim, a daughter of a dragon keeper, attended a grand hall celebration, where she befriended the demon crown prince. Their friendship led to her forgetting her mission under the pressures of her fellow witches. But now, the time has come for her to carry out her plan," he continued, his words carrying the scent of impending war.
As the old man settled into a thoughtful silence, Queen Liora, absorbed in the revelation, began inspecting the castle. Her fingers grazed the frozen dragon statue, triggering a magical portal to materialize. In an impulsive moment, she approached, drawn into its mystical allure.
"Don't go in!" the old man's desperate warning echoed too late as she vanished into the unknown.
The air crackled with tension, the castle bearing witness to the unfolding mysteries that hinted at a web of betrayal, ancient alliances, and the impending storm of war. The scent of danger lingered, and the landscape of Australisterra trembled on the brink of tumultuous change.