The air inside Drayton Keep was stifling, heavy with the scent of mildew and decay. The once-magnificent stronghold had been reduced to a crumbling ruin, its grandeur lost to centuries of neglect. Each step echoed through the cavernous halls, the sound swallowed quickly by the oppressive silence.
Elara's senses were on high alert, her hand gripping her dagger tightly. The wolf within her stirred uneasily, as if the ancient stones themselves were alive with malice.
"This place…" Kael began, his voice hushed. "It feels wrong."
"Because it is," Mirena said, her tone clipped. "The curse has turned this keep into its lair. Be ready for anything."
---
The Hall of Memories
As they ventured deeper, the group entered a vast hall lined with shattered mirrors. The fragments of glass reflected distorted images of the three travelers, twisting their features into grotesque caricatures.
Elara paused, her reflection catching her attention. In the fragmented glass, her face flickered between her human form and that of the wolf. The sight sent a chill down her spine.
"Keep moving," Mirena urged, but her voice wavered.
Kael glanced at his own reflection and quickly looked away, his jaw tightening. "This place is meant to mess with us. Don't let it get in your head."
But the mirrors weren't just reflecting images. As Elara stepped closer, the shards began to glow faintly, and voices filled the hall.
"Failure… traitor… monster…"
The words were soft at first, like whispers on the wind, but they grew louder, more insistent. Elara recognized the voices—they were her own thoughts, her deepest fears brought to life.
"Stop it!" she snapped, her voice echoing through the hall. She turned to Mirena and Kael, who were frozen in place, their gazes locked on the mirrors.
"Snap out of it!" Elara shouted, shaking Kael by the shoulder. He blinked, as if waking from a trance, and gripped her arm.
"Those mirrors… they're feeding on us," he said, his voice hoarse.
Mirena shook her head, her hand trembling on the hilt of her sword. "We need to destroy them."
Without hesitation, Kael swung his blade at the nearest mirror. The glass shattered with a deafening crash, and the voices faltered. Elara followed suit, using her dagger to break another mirror. One by one, the shards fell, their glow fading until the hall was silent once more.
---
The Keep's Defenders
As the last mirror shattered, the air in the hall grew colder. From the shadows, figures began to emerge—knights clad in rusted armor, their hollow eyes glowing faintly. Their movements were jerky, unnatural, as though they were marionettes controlled by an unseen hand.
"Cursed knights," Mirena muttered, drawing her sword. "They were once the keep's defenders. Now they're nothing but pawns of the curse."
Kael raised his blade. "They're still armed. Stay sharp."
The knights moved in unison, their swords gleaming faintly despite their decay. Elara felt the wolf within her stir, its instincts urging her to fight. She pushed the urge down, focusing on the enemy before her.
The first knight lunged, its rusted blade arcing toward Kael. He parried the attack and countered with a swift strike to the knight's neck. The armor crumpled as the knight collapsed into a heap of bones and metal.
Mirena engaged two knights at once, her movements precise and calculated. Her blade danced through the air, deflecting their attacks and finding the weak points in their armor.
Elara faced a knight on her own, her dagger flashing as she dodged its clumsy swings. She struck at its exposed joints, her blows quick and relentless. The wolf's instincts guided her movements, making her faster and more agile than the cursed knight could handle.
Within moments, the knights were defeated, their remains scattered across the hall.
---
A Growing Darkness
The victory was short-lived. As the last knight fell, the air around them grew colder still, and a deep, guttural growl echoed through the keep.
"That's not good," Kael said, his eyes scanning the shadows.
Elara could feel the curse's presence more strongly now. It wasn't just in the air—it was in the walls, the floor, even the very stone beneath their feet. The keep was alive with its dark energy, and it was watching them.
"We need to keep moving," Mirena said. "Whatever's coming, we can't face it here."
They pressed on, their footsteps echoing in the eerie silence. The corridors seemed to twist and change around them, as though the keep itself was trying to trap them.
---
The Heart of the Curse
After what felt like hours, they reached a massive iron door. It was adorned with carvings of wolves and moons, the symbols ancient and foreboding. The air around the door pulsed with dark energy, and Elara could feel the wolf within her stir more violently than ever before.
"This is it," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "The heart of the curse is behind this door."
Kael placed a hand on the door, his expression grim. "Are you ready for this?"
Elara nodded, though her heart raced with a mix of fear and determination. "I have to be."
Mirena studied the carvings, her fingers tracing the symbols. "This door is a barrier. It's meant to keep something in—and us out. But there's a way to open it."
"What do we need to do?" Kael asked.
Mirena hesitated. "Blood. The curse demands a sacrifice to pass."
Elara stepped forward without hesitation, drawing her dagger. "Then let it take mine."
"Wait," Kael said, grabbing her arm. "There has to be another way."
"There isn't," Elara said firmly. "This curse is tied to me. If my blood is what it takes, then so be it."
Before anyone could stop her, she pressed the blade to her palm and let her blood drip onto the carvings. The symbols began to glow, the light spreading until the entire door pulsed with energy.
With a deep, grinding noise, the door began to open.
---
The Threshold
Beyond the door lay a massive chamber, its walls lined with ancient runes that glowed faintly in the darkness. At the center of the room stood a stone altar, and above it hung a massive, glowing orb of black and silver light. The orb pulsed rhythmically, like a beating heart, and Elara could feel its power radiating through the room.
"This is it," Mirena said, her voice barely audible. "The source of the curse."
Kael gripped his sword tightly. "Then let's end this."
Elara stepped forward, her eyes fixed on the orb. The wolf within her growled, its presence overwhelming. She knew this was the moment she had been preparing for—but she also knew the curse wouldn't let her take it so easily.
The shadows in the room began to shift, coalescing into new forms. The final battle was about to begin.