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Deep beneath Castle Gorge lies a forgotten ruin—a hidden city lost to time. Only fragments of its crumbling structures remain visible on the surface, repurposed as part of the kingdom's sewer system.
…Thud… Splashhh…
A woman plummeted through a crack in the stone above. The gap sealed itself shut the moment she passed through, leaving no trace of her entry. She landed in murky, knee-deep water, the cold seeping through her boots.
…Sha… sha… flick…
A small flame ignited in her palm, casting flickering light across the tunnel walls. The corridor was wide enough for four people to walk side by side without obstruction.
…Squeak… squeak…
The sudden glow disturbed the unseen denizens of the dark. Rats and other creatures skittered into the shadows, fleeing from the intrusion.
"Pffft… Cowards," she scoffed. With a smirk, she raised her staff and conjured a second flame—this one a deep, unnatural purple. She hurled it down the corridor, illuminating the passage further.
"Squeak… Squeal…!"
Rats, mice, bats—and something else, something humanoid and no larger than a child—shrieked as the fire overtook them. The creatures burned away to nothing, leaving behind tiny, flickering blue embers.
"Disgusting. But they'll do." She waved her hand, drawing the blue flames toward her, absorbing them into her staff. "Now… where's the entrance to the mausoleum?"
For nearly an hour, she ran her fingers along the left wall, searching. At last, she found it—a small engraving, shaped like a curling horn. Pressing her palm against it, she channeled a pulse of purple energy into the stone.
…Creak… Creak…
The wall rumbled, then shifted inward, revealing a vast chamber beyond. Stepping inside, she beheld the remains of an ancient subterranean city.
"As expected of my Queen," she murmured, awe creeping into her voice. "Even the Great Empire never knew this place existed."
She strode forward, weaving through crumbling buildings. Bone fragments and cobwebs littered the ground. Massive boulders, long since dislodged from the cavern ceiling, lay scattered in her path.
…Swishhh…
A sudden gust of wind flickered her flame. She stiffened. Something had moved.
…Swish…
Again. Behind her this time.
Muttering a rapid incantation, she unleashed a pulse of golden light—magic taught to her by the Queen herself, meant for this exact situation. As the glow spread, three towering figures materialized before her.
Goat-headed, twisted, and monstrous. Pansys.
"Bleat!"
Their deafening cries echoed through the ruins. Without hesitation, they lunged.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
One crashed into the wall behind her, bringing part of the stonework down with it. It groaned, struggling to rise—only to falter, its strength sapped by the lingering magic. The other two fared no better, their limbs trembling under the golden glow.
"How dare you charge at me?" she sneered. "Lowly demons"
The Pansys thrashed, but the spell held them firm. If not for the light's power, they would have torn her apart by now.
She stepped closer, her eyes gleaming. "You guard the prophet's grave, don't you?" A dark grin spread across her lips. "Take me there. Or I'll burn the rest of you to ash."
One of the demons let out a furious bleat, but she was already raising her staff.
Fwoosh.
A bolt of purple flame struck the nearest Pansys.
"BLEEEAAAA—!"
Its agonized cries filled the cavern as it burned, reduced to a pile of smoldering embers.
"Oops," she whispered mockingly. "My hand slipped." She turned her gaze to the remaining two. "Well?"
The largest Pansys finally lowered its head in submission.
"Good choice." She dimmed the light just enough for them to move. "Lead the way."
The demons guided her southward through the ruined city. Ancient structures loomed on either side, their once-grand facades now draped in shadows. They stopped at a massive opening in the cavern wall, where an ornate marble door stood sealed shut.
Carved into the stone was an engraving—a winged girl, one feathered wing red, the other blue.
"Open it," she commanded.
The demons strained, clawing at the door, but it refused to budge.
She sighed. "Tsk. Useless." Raising her staff, she summoned a violent gust of wind. The spell slammed against the marble… but the door remained unmoved.
Her brow furrowed. "So it comes to this, after all."
Without hesitation, she turned on the Pansys.
Fwoosh.
The flames consumed them before they could react.
Their dying wails faded into silence, leaving nothing but ash.
Darkness reclaimed the cavern. Smirking, she lifted her staff high, drawing the embers of every soul she had collected. The gathered flames twisted into thick, curling smoke, coalescing into the form of a massive demon—its shape reminiscent of a gargoyle, yet far more grotesque.
"Smash that door," she ordered.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
The demon pounded against the marble with monstrous force.
…Bzzt. Bzzt…
A crackling hum filled the air. Then—
CRACK!
A burst of white lightning erupted from the door's edge, striking the demon with lethal precision.
It let out a guttural howl before disintegrating into a pile of smoldering ash.
Silence.
She stared at the door, her lips curling into an amused smile. "Interesting."
Gathering the lingering smoke into her staff, she murmured a new command.
Three smaller demons took shape, their twisted gargoyle-like bodies crouched and waiting.
"Bring me some children."
Without hesitation, they slithered off into the shadows, vanishing into the far reaches of the underground city.
She turned back to the marble door, anticipation flickering in her eyes.
"Let's see how strong this seal really is."
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