The Ruined Fortification

As Freddie stepped off the boat with the other passengers, he studied his surroundings.

Unlike the capital, it was relatively quiet despite being about the same size in population. No one would have been able to imagine a small town like this one and the capital city to have about two thousand people each unless they witnessed it with their own eyes.

They were like night and day.

Freddie adjusted the strap of his backpack and followed the crowd further into the town.

Many people were already heading to the bus stop so they could continue their journey to Abingdon since the boat didn’t go further than Birton.

However, that wasn’t Freddie’s destination.

His destination was elsewhere. The question was whether or not he would be able to find transportation. Otherwise, he would have to travel the full twenty miles on his own.

He stopped in front of a small bar and stared at it for several moments before going in.

It couldn’t hurt to have a few drinks. He wasn’t in a rush to get to his destination.

There weren’t many people inside, leaving him plenty of seats to choose from. Freddie selected one of the barstools in front of the counter and sat down just as the bartender made his way over to him.

“What can I get you, sir?” the man said, setting down the washcloth.

“I’m heading out later, so can you give me your lightest drink?” Freddie asked as he leaned against the counter.

The bartender raised an eyebrow and said, “That’s a new one. If you want to avoid getting tipsy, I would suggest going to a cafe.”

“Are you really turning away business?” Freddie countered.

Instead of responding, the bartender shrugged and went through his stash of alcohol. Once the drink was made, he handed it to Freddie, who forked over the cash and took a sip. He savored the taste and tapped a finger against the counter.

It was only when he drank half his glass that the bartender spoke again. “So, where are you from, stranger? Abingdon?”

“Actually, I came from Witley,” Freddie said.

“The capital? What are you doing in a small town like us? Are you planning to take the bus to Abingdon? You’re going to miss it if you linger here,” the bartender said.

Freddie shook his head and said, “No, I’m not heading for Abingdon. My destination is elsewhere. I happen to be looking for anyone willing to take me there.”

“Is that so? Where you heading then? I might be able to suggest some people,” the bartender said as he cleaned a glass.

“I need a ride to the ruined fortification twenty miles southwest of here,” he said after he took another sip of his drink.

The glass in the bartender's hands slipped out of his hands and crashed to the ground, the sound deafening in the suddenly eerily silent room. As the bartender rushed to get a broom and dustpan, Freddie could feel everyone’s gazes burning holes into the back of his head.

Rather than be unnerved by the sudden turn of events, he finished his drink, setting the glass back down on the counter.

The bartender finished cleaning the mess and was about to leave when Freddie asked, “So who do you recommend?”

“No one. I suggest you go,” the bartender said, shooing him out.

He wanted to argue but ultimately decided against it given the looks he was receiving from the other patrons.

Once outside, he scanned his surroundings, searching for another place to ask before setting off.

Unfortunately, every place he went to refused to speak to him the moment he mentioned his destination.

One place even physically tossed him out.

It seemed that the locals were extremely hostile to the mention of it. Freddie assumed it was because of the rumors and stories surrounding the place.

Some proclaimed that a monster lurks in the castle, devouring anyone that dares to intrude on its territory.

Others said that it was a one-way portal to another world.

However, there was one undeniable fact that everyone could agree on: No one who had ever entered the place ever came out.

Freddie sighed and rubbed his sore butt as he decided to find a hotel to stay for the night.

If no one was willing to give him a ride, he had to head out on his own, but it was too late for that. The trip would be about ten hours, and if he left now, it would be dark when he arrived. It would be safer to leave in the morning.

He entered the first hotel he could find and walked to the front desk to book a room, only for the receptionist to declare that there were no rooms left.

Freddie stared at her incredulously, unable to believe what she was saying.

No rooms? How could there be no rooms?

It was one thing if it was a bustling town, but this was a small, quiet town. He refused to believe that there were absolutely no rooms, but the receptionist insisted and had security kick him out.

He stared at the hotel in disbelief before setting off to find another hotel.

Unexpectedly, all the other hotels were also booked and couldn’t let him stay.

With nowhere to stay, he sat down on the curb, cursing his bad luck.

How was it possible that on the one day he arrived in town that none of the hotels were free?

It made no sense.

As he glowered, he suddenly came to a startling realization.

The townspeople were discriminating against him. It was the only explanation he could think of for why none of the hotels were willing to let him stay, using they were booked as an excuse to make him leave.

But why?

Freddie was a completely new face with no connection to anyone there. They had no reason to steer clear of him. The only thing he did was ask around for a ride to the ruined fortification.

The moment the idea crossed his mind, the answer slapped him in the face.

That had to be the reason why everyone was acting this way to him. Apparently, his actions had already spread throughout town, and now no one wanted anything to do with him.

He groaned as he rubbed a hand through his face.

Just great.

What was he supposed to do now?

Freddie rubbed his forehead as he tried to think of a solution.

If he really couldn’t find a place to rest, he would either have to risk sleeping on the streets or go ahead and head to the location despite how late it was.

Neither option was great.

If he chose the former, he was risking getting mugged in his sleep. While Birton was a small town, that didn’t mean it was any safer than other places. Not to mention, he was already on the bad side of the locals. They might not help him if he really got into trouble.

If he chose the latter, he was risking danger traveling through the forest when it got dark. He might lose his way or be cornered by wild animals without knowing it. There would also be no one out there who could help him if he ran into trouble.

After taking the time to think it over, he ultimately decided to take a gamble and walk to the ruined fortification.

If both options were no good, he wanted to at least attempt his goal.

He had sworn to his professor that he was going to study the ruined fortification and unravel its secrets or die trying. There was no way he was going to go back empty-handed.

Freddie immediately got to his feet and marched in the direction of the place.

Fortunately, he had procured a map ahead of time, or else it would have been impossible for him to make his way there. Given the locals’ attitude, they would never hand over one to him if they had any.

Even so, the journey was just as arduous as he expected.

First, he had to cross over the Thaxning River, the one he had traveled on by boat to get to Birton.

Since most people didn’t bother going to the other side of the river, there was no boat or bridge he could use to cross over.

Maybe in the past they had, but it had no bearing on his current situation.

He had to resort to finding the closest, shallowest part of the river before even attempting to get to the other side. It took several tries and close calls for him to finally reach the other bank, and he had to take a break to catch his breath.

If he hadn’t removed his shirt and pants beforehand, they would have been thoroughly soaked.

Luckily, his bag was waterproof, or else its contents would be ruined, which would defeat the purpose of his trip. He needed everything in the bag to write a report about the ruined fortification.

Once he had recovered enough energy, he had to make his way through the thicket of trees blocking his way.

There were several moments where he had stopped to get his bearings and orient himself after somehow going in the wrong direction yet again. The process continued well into the night when he briefly considered stopping and finding a place to sleep.

However, he had resolutely chosen to power through.

Since he had already decided on this course of action despite knowing the risks, he had chosen to go all in and forced himself to keep going. He refused to stop until he finally saw the place with his own eyes.

In the end, he was rewarded with the sight of the ruined fortification on top of an imposing cliffside.

“You got to be kidding me,” he muttered under his breath as he placed his hands on his hips.

Staring at the structure that seemed to mock him from above, he took a moment to catch his breath.

His whole body was practically begging him to rest for the night. All that traveling had tired it out, but with his goal within reach, he couldn’t bring himself to stop.

Freddie studied the cliffside, searching for sections that would help him in his climb, and mentally mapped out the path he should take. After careful examination, he finalized the path he had in mind and sat down on a nearby rock to give his body a temporary break.

He drank some of the potion he spent a huge chunk of his savings on to recover some of his strength and nibbled on some of the rations he brought as he stared at the top of the cliffside.

Now that he was so close to it, he could no longer see the ruined fortification.

However, once he reached the top, he would have plenty of time to stare at the place as much as he wanted.

After some time, he was certain he had recovered enough and made preparations to scale the cliffside. When he was fully equipped with gear, he gripped the closest protrusion and made his slow climb up.

Despite having drunk the potion, his body soon screamed in protest. He frowned and belatedly wondered if maybe he was biting off more than he could chew.

Nonetheless, he had already reached the halfway point. It would be a waste to climb back down.

Gritting his teeth, he forged on ahead. Soon one of his hands touched the top of the cliff, signaling that it was almost over. He breathed a sigh of relief and was about to pull himself up when one of his feet slipped.

Freddie let out a shout as he almost plummeted to the ground below.

Fortunately, his hand gripping the top of the cliff remained firm, keeping that from happening.

He stared down with trepidation before grinding his teeth and pulling himself up. The moment his entire body was on firm ground, he rolled onto his back with a groan.

That had been a close one.

Even though he had told his professor that he would die trying to uncover the secrets of the ruined fortification, that didn’t mean he actually wanted to die.

Freddie hadn’t even gotten one foot through the door.

He took several calming breaths until his heart was no longer going to jump out of his chest. Then he pushed himself up and stared at the place he had been seeking.

Now that Freddie was seeing it face to face, he could scarcely believe it was real.

Freddie had seen it through some of the photos taken by those who hadn’t dared to step inside and returned back to the town instead, but it wasn’t the same as seeing it in person.

The place gave off a creepy vibe, and he swore he could feel a strange energy emitting from the structure despite being unable to use magic himself. No wonder there were so many people who were put off by the place.

However, he wasn’t going to let that stop him. He came there with a mission.

He stood up on shaky legs and stretched his arms out before reaching into his bag to pull out the recording equipment. With them in hand, he walked around the ruined fortification while making sure to get every shot of the place.

As he encircled the place, he took note of the sections that looked dangerous and would have to be avoided.

While he wished to explore everywhere, he knew the line between curiosity and stupidity.

After looping around the structure a couple times to get enough footage, he headed for the entrance where there might have been a door at one point but was now an empty hole that anyone could enter and exit without difficulty.

As he stepped inside, he scanned his surroundings with the headlamp.

There was nothing seemingly out of the ordinary, unlike what one expected from the rumors. They all claimed that something happened the moment people stepped inside, but he was perfectly fine.

Freddie scoffed.

Of course the rumors couldn’t be trusted. Whatever happened to the people who vanished must have occurred further inside the structure where no one would see.

His guess was murder.

Before going any further, he had a look around at what should have been the foyer, gathering footage.

Even though there wasn’t really much to see, he found himself so fascinated by what he saw that he completely forgot his exhaustion from traveling there. It was almost as if the journey never happened, and he had just arrived there with a snap of his fingers.

Field work was really a whole other league compared to looking at photos and videos back home. It didn’t have the same excitement or wonder.

He couldn’t wait to show his professor his work.

This would probably be the first time anyone would have footage of the interior once he returned home with his equipment.

Everyone was going to be so jealous.

In his eagerness to inspect every inch of the area, he nearly tripped over his feet and dropped the equipment.

Luckily, he caught himself in time.

After he regained his footing, he moved slowly so as not to make the same mistake twice. He couldn’t afford to destroy his only equipment, as he hadn’t been able to buy any extras in the case of accidents.

Getting top-of-the-line equipment wasn’t cheap.

Once he was satisfied with what he had, he selected one of the paths and walked down it, making sure to record every single detail and leaving a trail as he passed.

So far he didn’t see anything that no one would expect from a ruined structure like this one. It was just stone and more stone with nothing decorating the walls. If there had been any, they were lost just like the front door.

Well, that wasn’t completely correct.

There was actually something that he had noticed that he found interesting: the strange markings on the wall.

At first, he assumed that they were natural marks caused by the passage of time. It would be stranger if the stones were pristine, completely untouched. Even with magic, it would be difficult to preserve anything after so long.

However, the more he saw, the more he began to suspect that there was more to the markings than he first realized.

Freddie stopped at one of the markings and leaned closer to get a better look at it.

It definitely looked like it was supposed to be a symbol, but a symbol of what?

He couldn’t recall seeing it anywhere in his studies and made a mental note to ask his professor about it when he returned. If anyone would know anything, it was the professor.

As he looked away, he didn’t notice a red glow emanating from the symbol.

Freddie checked several rooms that weren’t blocked off, noting that most of the furniture was completely destroyed, which gave him a rough idea of how old the place was.

Of course it depended on a lot of factors besides time, but it was important to note.

He continued down his path and soon found himself back at the foyer where he started. He blinked before looking back the way he came.

“Huh? This place is a lot smaller than I expected,” he said, thinking about how imposing the place had looked from the outside.

Freddie had expected to take longer to return back to the foyer and possibly encounter dead ends. Instead, he had somehow looped back without any difficulties. There hadn’t been a courtyard either. At least from what he could see.

It was kind of disappointing.

There had been so many rumors about the place and people had taken care to avoid it that he had expected more from it. The locals had even treated him like a plague because of it. In the end, it turned out to be nothing special.

That didn’t mean he wasn’t enjoying the exploration far from it, but it did put a dampener on things.

On the bright side, it meant exploring the whole place would be quicker.

Now that he explored as much of the first floor he could, it was time to head upstairs to the second floor. Once that was done, he would rest for the night before leaving in the morning to return back to the capital with his results.

He took one look at the ruined stairs and grimaced.

With one glance at the state of the stairs, Freddie knew climbing up the steps while holding the equipment steady would be tricky.

Large sections of the stairs had been destroyed, leaving very little room for him to maneuver.

If he wasn’t careful, either he, his equipment, or both could fall, and depending on how bad the fall was, it would end this trip early.

However, he wasn’t going to let that stop him.

Putting all his lessons to good use, he traversed the precarious terrain. His heart pounded loudly in his chest with each step he took, and he strained his ears to listen for any signs of danger like the cracking of the steps beneath his feet.

It was only when he reached the top that he let out a sigh of relief.

Freddie took a moment to calm his racing heart, taking several deep breaths. Then he briefly glanced back at the ground floor before going on his way.

There were more of the same markings he had seen downstairs, and he pondered on their meaning.

What was the meaning behind them? What purpose did they serve?

He really wished he could contact his professor right then and there for answers instead of waiting until he returned to the capital, but this place had no signal. Apparently, no one could get any service in this area, which he had confirmed by checking his phone on the way there.

As he turned the corner, something that sounded like footsteps came from behind him.

Freddie immediately looked behind him, his eyes searching the area, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. He observed his surroundings for a little while longer before deciding it must have been his imagination.

It had to be because he was on edge from going up those dangerous steps and the nibbling exhaustion at the back of his head.

He rubbed his eyes before continuing to film more of the castle.

It was more or less the same as the ground floor, with any rooms he could access looking like the ones he had seen downstairs. They were almost like complete copies, like someone had copied and pasted them, which was somewhat of a letdown.

Freddie had hoped to see something different and for something more substantial to show for his trip despite his earlier disappointment.

Unfortunately, besides the markings on the walls, this place was basically like any other ruined structure.

In fact, he was certain that if he showed the footage without the markings, no one would immediately know which place it was. That was just how overwhelmingly generic the place was.

Other than the rumors and strange disappearances of other explorers, it had nothing else going for it. Even then, plenty of other places had similar things happen to them. They weren’t mutually exclusive to this place.

It certainly didn’t deserve the reputation it got.

He combed a hand through his hair and sighed as he said to himself, “I guess I should wrap up soon. There aren’t many more places I can get to.”

The one thing he could say was different about the two floors was that there were a lot more sections blocked off.

At one point, he had stumbled upon a section that was completely blocked off by a collapsed wall and had been forced to go back around to explore more of the place.

In other sections he had taken the risk of trying to climb over the obstacles so he didn’t miss a thing.

Soon he found himself standing in front of the last unexplored section of the place.

The door leading to the last room was surprisingly mostly intact compared to the few he had seen on the way there. It had to be made of something different if its condition was so much better than the rest.

Freddie stared at it for several moments before hesitantly reaching out to touch it.

The moment his fingers brushed the surface, he flinched and yanked his hand back. The sudden force of his actions caused him to stumble back a few steps as he stared at his hands in disbelief before turning his attention back on the door.

That did not feel like wood or metal.

He wasn’t sure what it was, but it certainly gave him a bad feeling, and he found himself debating whether or not he should go through the door.

It would be an incomplete exploration, but he did have plenty of footage. Most of the place had been recorded so it wouldn’t be as if he had nothing to show for his trip. It was certainly better than how most of the explorations went.

Just the thought forced him to acknowledge something that he had been trying to ignore this whole time.

Given how many explorers had disappeared in this place, why hadn’t he found a single body?

With how many people had disappeared over the years in this place, he should have at least stumbled upon one skeleton or their equipment.

However, ever since he entered, he had found no evidence of anyone having stepped foot there.

It was as if he were the first person to ever explore this place, but he knew very well that couldn't be the case. Many famous people had gone missing after saying they would explore the place. Unless they completely changed their identity afterwards, they really vanished without a trace.

Freddie shuddered, feeling a cold chill run down his spine.

After shooting the door one more look, he ultimately turned his back on it and headed back to the stairs so he could find a place to sleep on the ground floor.

He stifled a yawn as he thought about what he would do in the morning.

Once he left this place, he would grab the first available boat and return to the capital. Then he would rush to the academy and show off the footage to his professor, who would undoubtedly be impressed with his work.

Just thinking about all the praise and awards he would receive brought a smile to his face. He couldn’t wait for morning.

However, as Freddie continued down the path, he felt something wasn’t right.

Had the path always been this long?

Freddie could have sworn he would have reached the stairs by now.

Despite feeling a bit uneasy by the situation, he forced himself to keep going as he told himself that his mind was just playing tricks on him.

A good night’s sleep would fix all that. He had been constantly on the move, and the breaks he had taken in between didn’t stop the fatigue that had settled into his bones. Maybe drinking more of the potion would help.

With that thought, he stopped and set the equipment down on the ground to look through his bag for the potion. Once he found it, his shaking hands pulled it out and fiddled with the lid to open it.

Suddenly, it slipped through his fingers.

Fortunately, it didn’t shatter when hitting the ground. The magic on the glass did its job, making sure it wouldn’t break even if dropped.

The potion rolled across the ground, disappearing around the corner despite the uneven surface of the floor.

He cursed himself for being so clumsy and walked over to retrieve it. When he turned the corner, he spotted the potion not far away, but that wasn’t what drew most of his attention.

What caught his eye was the towering figure standing next to the potion.

Despite having the headlamp on, all he could see was a shadowy figure with red eyes staring back at him as if it were ready to devour him.

His eyes widened in shock as he took an unconscious step back.

It suddenly lunged at him, and with a scream, he turned tail and ran. He ran past his equipment, not daring to stop for even a moment as he could hear the thing chasing after him. His eyes darted around for a way to escape it, but there was no place to hide.

As Freddie was beginning to lose hope, he saw the same door from earlier in the distance.

Even though it still gave him bad vibes, he would rather risk facing whatever was on the other side than face the monster chasing after him.

Freddie slammed into the door, throwing himself into the room. He crashed into the floor, but he quickly scrambled to his feet and closed the door. Then he urgently scanned the room for anything to block the door, only to freeze up at the sight of the interior.

Unlike the rest of the place, it was completely pristine like it was completely untouched by time. It certainly didn’t look like a room in a ruined fortification.

If he didn’t know any better, he would have thought he had stepped into a whole new world.

He was instantly reminded of one of the rumors he had heard about. The one where this place was a one-way portal to another world.

Before he could think about it for long, the sound of something pushing against the door reminded him of his predicament, and he rushed over to block it. He threw his whole weight into keeping it shut, praying that the creature would take a hint and leave.

Unfortunately, it seemed determined to get in.

Freddie exerted what little strength he had left to push back, but it was no use. The other side pushed with such tremendous force that he was knocked to the ground, his head hitting the stone floor hard.

His head spun as he struggled to push himself up, but instead of the monster he had seen earlier, a group of people stood at the doorway.

He didn’t get a chance to feel relieved and bewildered by the new development before the group of people rushed forward to restrain him. With his head still rattled by his fall earlier, he could barely focus on what was happening much less fight back.

Freddie was promptly dragged out of the room and carried down a path that was both familiar and unfamiliar.

What used to be a dark and desolate path was now bright and lively with many people on the move. Some shot a glance his way while others pretended he didn’t exist. Tapestries hung on the previously empty walls, and every room they passed had a door.

It wasn’t long before he was dragged in front of who was assumed to be the ruler of this place given the clothes he wore.

He was forced to his knees as the people around him spoke in a language he couldn’t understand.

If he had somehow still believed he was still back in the Dalian Empire despite everything he had seen so far, this fully cemented that this was no longer the place he knew.

The leader was speaking, and it took Freddie a moment to realize that the leader was addressing him.

The problem was that he had no clue what the man was saying or what he wanted from Freddie. He could probably guess that the man was demanding how Freddie had ended up in the castle without anyone noticing, but it wasn’t like he could answer, as he had no idea either.

Even if he tried, it wouldn’t matter. They didn’t even speak the same language. Anything he said would probably sound like gibberish.

However, with the weapons pointed at his back, he had to try or else he was dead.

“W-wait. I mean no harm. Please don’t hurt me,” he begged, but as he feared, none of them understood what he said.

In fact, their expressions turned hostile as the leader jabbed a finger in his direction.

It didn’t take a genius to know he was screwed, and he struggled vehemently as what he assumed were the guards dragged him away. Freddie screamed and begged for them to let him go, but they ignored everything he said, dragging him to a room.

At the sight of the bloodstains and corpses stacked inside, he paled as he realized this was the fate of all the previous explorers.

The last thought he had was that he should have never come before he was stabbed to death.