As the massive gates of the castle slowly creaked open before us, I felt the familiar pull of home, mingled with the apprehension of what awaited inside.
The dark stone walls, the towering spires reaching into the stormy sky, the air thick with the essence of magic and power it was all as it had always been, yet somehow, everything felt different now.
I was different. And Riley was by my side, making this return more significant than any other.
We stepped through the gates, the heavy iron shutting behind us with a resonating clang that echoed through the courtyard.
My senses were alive, attuned to every detail the scent of sulfur in the air, the distant hum of ancient wards, the slight tremor of energy that rippled beneath the ground, as if the very stones of the castle recognized their queen's return.
"Home sweet home," I murmured under my breath, my voice tinged with both affection and wariness.
