After an indeterminate amount of time, the car gradually came to a halt.
"We're here," Tarry Mercury announced.
Galon slowly opened his eyes to view the scenery outside the car window. On the simple yet beautiful hillside, the double-story buildings of Cornu Town were barely visible, scattered sparsely. A dust-covered bullock cart passed by the side of their black car, driven by a young boy who curiously stared at their vehicle.
"We've arrived?" Galon stretched languidly.
"Yes, it's been a few hours' drive. This is Cornu Town. We still have a long way to go on foot to reach Silver Veil Castle, as we can't drive there anymore." Tarry Mercury exited the car and looked up at the sky. "The weather doesn't seem too promising. It looks like we need to reach Silver Veil Castle quickly."
Galon followed suit, stepping out of the car and looking up at the sky.
The sky was filled with gloomy gray clouds, with a strong wind carrying a hint of moisture.
"It's noon, yet it's so dark. Looks like there's a big storm coming."
"Then let's make it to the destination before it starts pouring." White Eagle moved to the driver's seat. "I'll go park the car. You two find a horse-drawn carriage."
"No problem."
The trio efficiently divided the tasks and soon found a carriage driver willing to take them to Silver Veil Castle immediately, albeit for double the fare.
Back on the road in the carriage, after another two hours, they finally returned to the same hill they had visited before.
Standing on the dark green grassy slope, they gazed afar at Silver Veil Castle.
The castle, still shrouded in ashes, had its own and the surrounding soil colored in a mix of ash-gray and charred black, resembling coffee powder mixed with milk powder.
The castle, silent and imposing, added a peculiar atmosphere to the surrounding landscape, with only the sound of the wind blowing through the trees and over the sky.
Thunder rumbled in the gloomy sky, approaching from afar and then passing directly overhead to the distant back.
"Wow... is this Silver Veil Castle? The atmosphere is quite nice." White Eagle chuckled, seemingly unfazed and not taking the situation seriously, although his eyes were rapidly scanning the surrounding terrain.
"We'll be staying here for the next few days. There were two police officers guarding the place, but I had them withdraw yesterday. The scene inside has barely changed, exactly as it was when Sylvika was injured," Tarry Mercury said solemnly. "Let's go; a storm is coming."
He led the way down the slope, followed closely by White Eagle.
Galon took a careful look at a second-floor window on the left side of the castle, where he had been pushed from before, and then followed behind.
The three of them, moving on the dark green slope, resembled tiny ants crawling on a green carpet, insignificantly small.
The vast expanses of grassland and forests around them were devoid of any other human presence, with only the trio slowly approaching the center of Silver Veil Castle.
A flash of blue lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a booming thunder, making the trio quicken their pace towards the castle's fence and soon arriving at the main gate.
Tarry Mercury unlocked the door, while White Eagle surveyed the surroundings with a slight frown.
As for Galon, standing in front of the castle once more, he couldn't shake off a sense of foreboding.
The last time he was pushed from the second floor, he hadn't been able to catch a glimpse of his assailant or hear anything but a giggling laugh. Returning to this castle now, the entire place was shrouded in an even deeper mystery.
"If possible, I'd like to visit the room I was in last time," thought Galon, who had never feared confronting his fears. Despite the goosebumps on his skin and a tingling scalp, he was more excited than ever.
"The more I feel fear and trepidation, the more it exposes the weaknesses in my heart... Isn't this world much more interesting than my previous life?" he mused silently.
The door creaked open, and the trio entered, with Tarry Mercury closing the door slowly behind them.
The hallway was dim, and Tarry Mercury took a torch from the wall, lighting it to serve as their source of illumination.
"Shall we split up or stick together?"
"Together. If we run into Golden Ring people while separated, it could be troublesome," White Eagle suggested.
"Agreed," Galon concurred.
"Then let's first check the scene where Sylvika found the medal," Tarry Mercury proposed.
Galon and White Eagle had no objections, and together they ascended the spiral staircase to the second floor.
Their crisp footsteps echoed through the castle, eerie in the emptiness.
Soon, they reached the room from which Galon had been pushed.
The door creaked open, and a layer of dust fell from the frame.
"I thought you stayed in this room last time, Galon," Tarry Mercury chuckled, "Why so much dust?"
He didn't enter but peered inside from the doorway.
The room was in disarray.
Thick dust covered the floor, with a bed, a chest, and a stool being the only furnishings.
A set of footprints in the dust appeared faint.
"These must be Sylvika's footprints. It seems he found the medal on the bed or the chest, then for some reason went to the window and jumped," Tarry Mercury said gravely, "I haven't let anyone touch this scene."
White Eagle nodded, surveying the room's layout.
Galon, however, felt his scalp tingle the moment the door opened. He vividly remembered entering this room before, and everything was exactly as he had seen it, only now covered in more dust and appearing more dilapidated.
"Did you stay in this room with me last time, Tarry?" Galon asked, voice dry.
"How could that be?" Tarry Mercury looked puzzled, "Only Sylvika entered this room, and it would take years for this much dust to accumulate."
Galon recalled his previous visit, a sense of unease overwhelming him.
"Then... which room did I enter last time?" His thoughts were in disarray, wondering if Tarry Mercury had intentionally spread the dust as a disguise.
He inspected the room closely, seeing everything as it had been on his last visit, only dustier and more worn.
"What now?" he asked softly, opting not to mention his previous experience.
"Let's clean up and stay in the neighboring rooms. I want to see what's so peculiar about Silver Veil Castle," Tarry Mercury stated confidently.
"How shall we allocate the rooms?" White Eagle glanced at Galon, "How about we three share a room? It's safer, and I can better protect Tarry. Don't forget, I'm not just an ordinary person without defensive capabilities." Galon offered a slight smile.
"That sounds good. I want to see the truth behind the curse of the cursed antiques!" Tarry Mercury agreed.
A flash of lightning illuminated their faces palely, followed by continuous thunder.
The rain began to pour heavily, hitting the castle windows and quickly turning into a relentless drumming.
"Who's there?!"
Tarry Mercury suddenly focused, drawing his gun and aiming it behind Galon. The two were facing each other, with Tarry's gun pointed towards the corridor behind Galon.
White Eagle frowned, "What's wrong? I didn't feel anyone behind me."
Galon also looked back, seeing no one.
"No... I saw a shadow flash by the end of the corridor, definitely spying on us!" Tarry Mercury insisted, "It was only because of the reflection from the metal wall lamp that I noticed the person's shadow."
"So you saw the movement from the lamp's reflection?" White Eagle pondered, looking at the indicated wall lamp.
It was a brass lamp, oddly enough still shiny without any verdigris.
"Yes. Maybe we should all stay in one room for safety," Tarry Mercury whispered.
"I have no objection," Galon agreed, eyeing the brass cross medal around Tarry Mercury's neck with a sense of gravity.
"Maybe it's Golden Ring people... It seems we need to be more cautious and see what tricks they play!" White Eagle stated coldly.
The trio moved two single beds into an adjacent room, cleaned up briefly, and managed to make do for sleeping.
Galon realized that Tarry Mercury and White Eagle didn't fully believe in the curse of the cursed antiques, thinking the so-called curses were fabricated by people. However, he himself was unsure, finding Silver Veil Castle truly peculiar.
"This time, the medal carrier isn't me but Tarry. From a different perspective, I want to see what happens to the medal's bearer!" Galon watched Tarry Mercury closely as they arranged the bedding.
A muffled thud suddenly came from outside the room, likely the wind knocking the window against the frame.
The three men sat on their beds and chairs in silence, listening to the outside noise.
The rain grew louder, pounding down like someone was deliberately pouring water from above. The howling wind sounded almost like ghostly wails.
After an unknown amount of time, the car gradually came to a stop.
"We're here," Tarry Mercury's voice announced.
Galon slowly opened his eyes to look out the window, seeing the rustic beauty of the hillside with Cornu Town's double-story buildings peeking through sporadically. A dust-covered bullock cart passed by their black car, driven by a young boy who curiously looked at their vehicle.
"We've arrived?" Galon stretched languidly.
"Yes, after several hours' drive. This is Cornu Town. We have a long trek ahead to Silver Veil Castle, and the car can't take us any further." Tarry Mercury exited the car, looking up at the sky, "The weather isn't looking good. We need to reach Silver Veil Castle quickly."
Galon followed, stepping out of the car to look up at the sky.
The sky was filled with dark gray clouds, and the wind carried a slight moisture.
"It's noon, but it's so dark. Looks like a big storm is coming."
"Then let's get there before it starts raining." White Eagle took the driver's seat, "I'll go park the car. You two find a carriage."
"Okay."
Efficiently dividing the tasks, they soon found a carriage driver willing to take them to Silver Veil Castle right away, albeit for double the fare.
Back on the road, after another two hours of travel, they finally arrived at the same hill they had visited before.
Standing on the dark green grassy slope, they gazed at Silver Veil Castle from afar.
The castle, still enveloped in ashes, with its surroundings and soil in a mix of ash-gray and charred black, looked like coffee powder mixed with milk powder.
The quiet, imposing castle added a peculiar atmosphere, with only the sound of wind passing through the trees.
Thunder rumbled from the gloomy sky, moving from afar to directly overhead, then away again.
"Wow, this is Silver Veil Castle? The atmosphere is quite nice." White Eagle chuckled, apparently not taking the situation too seriously, yet his eyes were scanning the terrain rapidly.
"We'll be staying here for the next few days. The police had left two officers here, but I had them pulled out yesterday. The scene inside hasn't changed much; it's exactly as it was when Sylvika was injured," Tarry Mercury stated solemnly, "Let's go; a storm is coming."
He led the way down the slope, with White Eagle closely following.
Galon took one last look at a second-floor window on the castle's left side—the place he had been pushed from before—then followed them.
The trio, moving across the dark green slope, seemed tiny against the vast expanse of grass and forests around them, with only them slowly approaching the heart of Silver Veil Castle.
A flash of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating their faces with a ghastly pallor, followed by continuous thunder.
Raindrops began to fall heavily on the castle windows, turning into a relentless barrage, the sound sharp and continuous.
"Who's there?!"
Tarry Mercury suddenly focused, pulling out his gun and aiming it behind Galon. They were facing each other, with Tarry's gun pointed toward the corridor behind Galon.
White Eagle frowned, "What's wrong? I didn't feel anyone behind me."
Galon also looked back, seeing no one.
"No... I saw a shadow flash past the end of the corridor, clearly spying on us!" Tarry insisted, "If it weren't for the reflection on the metal wall lamp, I wouldn't have noticed that person's shadow."
"So, you saw the movement from the lamp's reflection?" White Eagle mused, glancing at the indicated wall lamp.
It was a brass wall lamp, curiously shiny without any signs of verdigris.
"Yes. Maybe we should all stay in one room for safety," Tarry whispered.
"I have no objections," Galon agreed, observing the brass cross medal around Tarry Mercury's neck with a hint of seriousness.
"Maybe it's the Golden Ring people... We should be a bit more cautious and see what tricks they're playing!" White Eagle said coldly.
The trio moved two single beds into an adjacent room, cleaned up a bit, and made do for sleeping.
Galon realized that Tarry Mercury and White Eagle didn't fully believe in the curse of cursed antiques, assuming all such curses were man-made. However, he himself was unsure, finding Silver Veil Castle truly peculiar.
"This time, I'm not the one carrying the medal; it's Tarry. From a different perspective, I want to see what happens to the bearer of the medal!" Galon observed Tarry Mercury closely as they arranged the bedding.
A muffled thud suddenly came from outside the room, likely the wind knocking the window against the frame.
The three men sat on their beds and chairs in silence, listening to the noise outside.
The rain grew louder, pounding down like deliberate splashes of water. The howling wind sounded almost like ghostly wails.