The last door

The heavy doors of the castle groaned as they pushed them open, their echoes rolling down the empty corridors like thunder in a cave. The air inside was colder than outside, heavy with the smell of stone and dust, as though the castle itself had been abandoned for centuries. Yet, the faint flicker of torches along the walls told a different story—someone was still here, keeping watch.

Lian, Mira, and Kael stepped carefully, their footsteps muffled by the thick layer of dust carpeting the floors. Every corridor they passed was eerily silent, every room they peeked into completely deserted. Broken furniture, long-forgotten banners, and scattered bones were all that greeted them. The deeper they went, the heavier the silence grew, pressing on their ears like invisible hands.

Kael muttered under her breath, clutching Boomer tightly. “This is too easy. A place like this shouldn’t be empty. Not if the Demon King really lives here.”

Mira nodded, her eyes darting to every shadow that shifted along the walls. “I agree. Stay sharp. This silence means only one thing: they’re leading us exactly where they want us to go.”

Lian kept quiet, though his expression betrayed the same unease. His gift of mind-reading was useless here—no stray thoughts echoed in the corridors, no minds lurked nearby. It was as if the castle itself had swallowed every presence whole, except theirs.

The long walk finally ended at a wide hall. At the far end stood a massive door of blackened steel, carved with twisting runes that pulsed faintly with dark energy. It was obvious this was the throne room. Beyond that door, the Demon King was waiting.

But they were not alone.

Standing before the door was a figure draped in a long, dark robe. A staff topped with a gleaming crimson crystal rested in his hand, and his hood had been lowered to reveal a stern, imposing face with sharp features and eyes that glowed faintly like burning coals. He radiated power, the air around him buzzing with an invisible pressure that made Kael instinctively step back.

“So,” the man said, his deep voice echoing through the chamber. “You made it this far. I should commend your persistence.” He raised his staff slightly, the crystal humming with restrained magic. “But this is where your journey ends.”

Lian clenched his fists. “And who are you supposed to be?”

The man smirked. “I am the last guardian before the king. No one passes through these doors without defeating me. And believe me, none ever have.” His eyes narrowed, his voice dropping into something more venomous. “You do not wear the mark of the king’s army. You reek of outsiders. Traitors. And for that, you will die here.”

Then, almost casually, his gaze swept over the three companions. He stopped on Mira. A cold smile curved his lips.

“Yes… you’ll do.” He pointed his staff at her, his finger rising like the judgment of an executioner. “The blond girl. The pretty one. You will be the first to fall.”

Kael got angry at that declaration. Mira stiffened, but before she could move, the mage muttered words in a language none of them recognized. His staff flared with an intense light. In an instant, the world shattered around them.

The stone walls vanished. The torches blinked out. The ground beneath their feet dissolved into nothing.

And then, with a violent lurch, they reappeared somewhere else.

The three of them stumbled into a vast, open landscape buried in snow. The sky above was a dull gray, clouds heavy with the promise of more storms. The wind howled across the frozen wasteland, biting at their faces and clawing through their clothes. Snow crunched beneath their boots, and frost seemed to creep up their legs the longer they stood still.

Lian blinked against the sudden brightness of the snow. “What the…? Where are we?”

Kael gritted her teeth, adjusting Boomer against her shoulder. “This isn’t real. He’s warped us into some kind of illusion or pocket dimension.”

Mira became suddenly worried.

A voice boomed around them, though no figure was in sight. It was the same mage, though now his tone carried a mocking amusement.

“You stand in my world now. Here, the snow will slow your steps, the cold will weaken your bodies, and the storm will blind your eyes. You have no chance against me. And when you collapse in the frost, I will leave your frozen corpses as trophies outside the king’s door.”

And finally, he said: "Let the show begin."