Marissa Carter neared a looming castle in the fading light. It had taken her many weeks of travel to reach this place. An eerie purple glow emanated from the inner courtyard—a sign that dark magic was present.

The drawbridge was down, and when she stepped foot on its worn wood, the heavy portcullis started to slowly lift, granting her entry. Grinding chains echoed in the silence.

She found the courtyard lit by sconces with flickering purple flames. The eerie light urged the shadows to dance across the empty stone.

Marissa crossed the courtyard, heading straight for the keep. Its door swung open silently.

“Come in,” a voice whispered through the halls.

“Hello?” Marissa asked. There was no response to her question, and with growing trepidation, she crossed the threshold into the keep.

She was greeted by a tall, gaunt man with sunken eyes and pale skin. “The master has been expecting you,” he said in a thin voice. “Please, follow me, and do not wander. There are many dangers in this castle.”

“He is?” Marissa was taken aback by this. “How did he know I was coming?”

“We have had eyes on you for the past week.” The thin man turned and gave her a wan smile. “Not many make the trek to this place, much less make it in one piece.”

Marissa felt a chill down her spine. She began to question the wisdom of coming here. Swallowing her fear, she followed the man in silence. He soon led her up a flight of winding stairs to a lone door. He knocked thrice in quick succession.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

“Come in,” a strong voice said from the other side.

Opening the door, the thin man spoke, “My lord, I have brought you Marissa, as requested.”

“Thank you, Matthew,” the voice said.

Marissa peered through the doorway. A man sat behind a desk made of bones. Matthew bowed and backed away.

“Please, join me.”

Marissa entered and asked quietly, “Are you Ezekiel?”

“Yes, yes I am.” Ezekiel rose to greet her. He was tall, with pale skin and dark hair, and eyes that veritably glowed with purple magic. “You’ve come a long way to see me, Marissa. I know why you’re here, but I am not sure how much help I can be. That being said, you’re welcome to stay, and I’ll provide protection until you are safe again.”

Marissa swallowed. “Thank you.” A burden lifted off her shoulders as the constant fear she’d been living with faded. She was officially under the protection of one of the most infamous players around. “Why are you willing to help me, though?”

“A couple of reasons.” Ezekiel pulled a chair out for her and gestured for her to sit. “The first is, unlike many others currently, this happened to you unintentionally, like me. Secondly, I like to monitor people like us, and I knew of your case almost immediately. I did some looking into you and realized you are a cut above the rest, so I want to help.”

“I see,” Marissa took her seat as Ezekiel returned to his.

“Now, how would you like to begin?” Ezekiel smiled at her.

“I would like to hear your story,” Marissa responded. “My hope is that I can gain some insight on what I need to do.”

“I am not sure how much help that can be.” Ezekiel steepled his fingers. “Each journey like this is unique to the individual. But we shall try. Just be warned, it is a long story.”

“It’s a good thing I brought this then.” Marissa pulled out a magical quill and notepad; an item set she had from before which would help easily convey her thoughts to the pages.

Marissa waited expectantly.

Ezekiel chuckled, his deep gravelly voice rumbling. “Well, I guess we can start now.”