Kade sat in the war chamber long after his commanders had left, staring at the glowing map as though it held the answers to all his problems. The room was eerily quiet now, save for the faint hum of the magical wards etched into the walls. He drummed his fingers on the table, his thoughts racing.
"Six commanders. All terrifying. All way too competent. And me? I'm sitting here like a guy trying to bluff his way through a job interview with zero qualifications."
The map flickered slightly as the enemy's movements updated. Red dots representing the invading heroes inched closer to the castle. Kade leaned forward, squinting at the glowing points.
"What do they even want? Are they here for the castle? Some ancient artifact? Or is this just one big game of 'Let's kill the Dark Lord'?"
Before he could spiral further into self-doubt, the door opened quietly, and Vask stepped inside. The pale servant moved with his usual grace, bowing deeply as he approached the table.
'My lord,'
Vask said, his voice calm.
'The commanders await your next instructions. Shall I summon them?'
Kade shook his head quickly.
'Not yet,'
he said, sitting up straighter.
'I need… time to strategize.'
Vask tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable.
'As you wish, my lord. Is there anything else you require?'
Kade hesitated, then gestured vaguely toward the map.
'Information. About… everything. The enemy, the castle, the commanders. I need to know where we stand.'
Vask's crimson eyes gleamed faintly.
'Of course, my lord. I shall prepare a full report immediately. In the meantime, would you like to inspect the archives? They contain detailed records of your reign, including your… triumphs.'
"Triumphs? More like a detailed guide to everything Kaedus did that I'll never live up to."
'That sounds… useful,'
Kade said finally.
'Lead the way.'
Vask bowed and turned toward the door, his movements as smooth as ever. Kade followed him out of the war chamber, his boots clicking against the cold stone floor. The castle felt impossibly large, its hallways twisting and turning like a labyrinth. Every so often, he caught glimpses of shadowy figures, guards, servants, or maybe something worse.
"Is it just me, or does this place have way too many dark corners? Do villains just enjoy living in perpetual gloom?"
They descended a narrow spiral staircase, the air growing cooler with every step. When they reached the bottom, Vask stopped in front of a heavy wooden door etched with glowing runes.
'The archives, my lord,'
he said, gesturing toward the door.
'Shall I accompany you?'
Kade hesitated, then shook his head.
'No. I'll… explore on my own.'
Vask bowed again.
'As you command.'
The door creaked open as Kade pushed it, revealing a vast chamber filled with towering shelves. Ancient books, scrolls, and strange artifacts filled every corner of the room, their faint magical auras casting an eerie glow. The air was thick with the scent of aged parchment and something metallic.
Kade stepped inside, the door closing behind him with a soft thud.
"Alright. Time to learn what kind of mess Kaedus left me. Hopefully, it's something manageable. Like a guide to pretending you're evil without actually doing anything terrible."
He wandered between the shelves, scanning the spines of the books. Most were written in a language he didn't recognize, the symbols twisting unnervingly when he tried to focus on them. A few scrolls glowed faintly, their seals pulsing as though alive.
He stopped in front of a massive black tome resting on a pedestal. The cover was embossed with the same jagged crown symbol he'd seen on the castle's banners. As he reached for it, the air around him seemed to hum, and a faint voice echoed in the back of his mind.
'Kaedus.'
Kade froze, his hand hovering over the book.
"Okay, that's creepy. Did the book just say my name? Or… his name? Whatever. Still creepy."
He pulled his hand back, staring at the tome warily.
'You cannot run from what you are,'
the voice whispered again.
'Your power is infinite, but your resolve wavers. Why?'
Kade shook his head, stepping back.
"Great. The evil library is trying to gaslight me. Just what I needed."
He turned away from the pedestal, his heart pounding, and moved to another shelf. This one held a collection of smaller books, each labeled with a single name. He picked one at random, flipping it open to find neatly written entries about someone called Vala Steelstride.
"Oh, this is interesting. A dossier on my commanders? Don't mind if I do."
The pages detailed her history—battles she had fought, strategies she had employed, and her unwavering loyalty to Kaedus. Kade frowned as he read, noting the precision and ruthlessness described in every line.
"So she's basically a walking war machine. Great. Good to know."
He grabbed another book, this one labeled Brug. The entries here were shorter, detailing his incredible strength and penchant for destruction. Kade couldn't help but laugh as he read one particular note.
"'Prone to smashing things prematurely.' Yeah, no kidding."
As he reached for a third book, a faint creak behind him made him whirl around. The room was empty, but the shadows seemed to shift unnaturally.
"Okay, definitely time to leave. I don't care how good this library is. It's haunted, and I don't want to die here."
He tucked the two books under his arm and made his way back to the door. The air felt heavier with every step, the faint whispers growing louder in the back of his mind. By the time he reached the staircase, he was practically running.
When he finally emerged into the hallway, Vask was waiting, his crimson eyes narrowing slightly as he noticed the books in Kade's hands.
'Did you find what you were looking for, my lord?'
he asked.
Kade forced a smile.
'More or less,'
he said.
'I'll… review these later. For now, return to the war chamber. I'll join you shortly.'
Vask bowed and disappeared into the shadows, leaving Kade to catch his breath.
"Great. I survived the haunted library. Now all I have to do is survive six commanders, an invading army, and my own crippling self-doubt. No problem."