They all paused to listen. The groan of shifting stone echoed faintly through the still air, followed by the sound of small cracks spreading along the castle's walls. It was slow, and felt almost as if the structure was exhaling its final breaths.

"Are we seriously going in there?" Kale asked.

Liliana looked at the fractured surface of the castle. "It might not even be worth it. For all we know, Malakar didn't even have anything valuable, and all we'll find is rubble."

"Not to mention the obvious," Sadek added, gesturing at the crumbling walls. "That thing is going to collapse sooner or later. Probably sooner."

Namara stepped forward, and turned to face them. "Oh, come on, you lot. You're acting like the castle is about to fall on your heads right this second."

Kale raised an eyebrow. "It's literally collapsing in front of us."

Namara waved dismissively. "Look, the place is abandoned, we killed everyone. No enemies, no traps, just a quick get in, grab some goodies, and get out. Easy."

"Easy?" Liliana said. "The whole thing is falling apart."

"And what if it doesn't?" Namara said. "What if you find something incredible, something that tips the scales against Xeroth or…? You're going to pass that up because a castle might fall down?"

Sadek exhaled sharply, shaking his head.

Namara turned to him. "Oh, Sadek. Don't tell me you're afraid of a little crumbling stone."

"I'm afraid of dying under a lot of crumbling stone," Sadek replied.

Kale looked between them. "She does have a point, though. If there's something in there that could help us, we need it."

Liliana folded her arms. "And if we don't make it out, then what?"

Namara shrugged. "Then we'll know we tried. Besides, this is practically no risk, all reward!"

"Practically no risk?" Sadek asked incredulously. "The collapsing castle is the risk!"

"Right!" Namara said brightly. "Practically no risk!"

Sadek shook his head. "Why are you people always so eager to die?"

Liliana sighed, she couldn't help but agree with Namara. "We don't have a choice. We need every advantage we can get."

Namara's smile turned victorious as she gestured toward the ominous, crumbling fortress. "That's the spirit! Now, let's go, team!"

***

The castle's interior was a stark contrast to the grand, decaying exterior. Bare walls, smooth obsidian floors, and unadorned corridors stretched into the dim distance. The air was still, heavy with the faint smell of sulfur.

Kale wrinkled his nose. "Huh. Was he boiling eggs or something? It stinks in here."

Namara laughed. "That's just Malakar's magic. Demonic fire always leaves a stink."

Liliana looked at her. "And you'd know that how?"

Namara shrugged innocently. "Let's just say I've been around enough demons to recognize the aroma."

"Great," Sadek muttered. "Gonna die in a stinky castle."

Kale's footsteps echoed as he glanced around. "I've got to say, this is underwhelming. It doesn't even look like Malakar has any treasure. I mean, look at this place. So plain, so boring."

Namara, walking a few paces ahead, turned to him. "Oh, sweet Kale, don't let appearances fool you. I'm sure that's what he wants you to think. You don't get to be a demon lord without hiding away some rare goodies. Powerful artifacts don't usually sit out in the open, you know."

"I don't know…" Kale said, frowning as he gestured to a nearby sconce mounted to the wall. "Even the candle holders look plain and boring!"

"Perhaps someone who values practicality over style," Sadek said.

"It's called a sconce," Liliana said.

Kale waved his hand. "Sconce, candle holder, who cares."

He reached out, grabbing the nearest sconce as if to prove his point.

Click.

The sound reverberated through the silent castle, impossibly loud.

Everyone froze.

Kale's eyes widened. "Uh…"

Liliana spun around, panic flashing across her face. "Kale! You always do this! Always touching stuff!"

Namara arched a brow. "Oh, dear…"

Kale's thoughts raced. This is it. This is finally the moment I die. After everything I've survived—the arena, the rock worm, Alistair, Carrion Voss, a demon lord, an army of lava monsters—it's a candle holder that gets me. A lame candle holder. What a stupid, boring way to die.

The ground beneath them rumbled, the walls groaned, and faint streams of light poured through cracks forming in the floor and ceiling.

"Uh, guys?" Kale said, not daring to let go of the sconce. "I think I broke something."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Namara clapped her hands. "Oh, no, don't beat yourself up, Kale! I'm sure you just found the secret passage to Malakar's treasures! Well done!"

The castle gave another ominous rumble, and a jagged crack snaked its way up the nearest wall. Dust rained down, and the faint light spilling through the fractures flickered like a dying ember.

Liliana's eyes narrowed. "Or you just triggered the castle's collapse. Again."

"Maybe we should speed things up a bit?" Namara suggested cheerfully, already stepping toward the revealed opening.

The group hurried into the passage, down the narrow corridor, the sound of distant rumbling followed them like a warning.

Kale led the way, squinting in the dim light. "This doesn't look too bad—plain walls, no lava, no traps—"

Click.

Everyone froze again.

Kale looked down at his foot, now firmly pressed on a stone switch. "Oh, come on."

The wall to their right shifted with a grinding noise, and a narrow slit opened. A gleaming arrow shot out, streaking straight toward Liliana.

Thwack.

The arrow buried itself in her stomach, its sharp tip emerging through the back of her dress.

Liliana staggered for a moment, clutching the arrow. Her crimson eyes slowly turned toward Kale, her expression a mix of fury and exasperation.

"You idiot!" she yelled, yanking the arrow out with a wet snap. Blood poured from the wound for a moment, then it halted. The blood shuddered, then reversed course, flowing back into Liliana's body. The gash sealed itself seamlessly, leaving no trace of injury.

"I—I didn't mean to!" Kale stammered, taking a step back, hands raised in surrender.

"Stop it!" Liliana yelled. "Stop touching things! Stop stepping on things! Just—stop existing near anything that looks like it might do something!"

Namara snorted, barely suppressing a laugh. "Oh, Liliana, don't be so harsh. Look at it this way: Kale's turning this place into an adventure."

"An adventure in stupidity," Liliana said.

"Alright, alright," Kale said. "No more touching things, no more stepping on things. I'll just float through the air from now on. Problem solved."

Liliana growled under her breath. "Just stay behind me, idiot."

"Alright, alright" Kale mumbled.

Namara smiled, falling back. "For what it's worth, Kale, I'm having a great time."

"Glad someone is," Kale said, casting a wary glance at the walls and floor ahead.

As they moved cautiously down the corridor, Kale stayed a solid step behind the others, his hands at his sides, worried he might accidentally trip another trap.

Liliana glanced over her shoulder. "Remember, Kale, don't touch anything. Or step on anything. Or breathe too hard."

"I get it!" Kale said, throwing his arms up. "I'm not going to—"

His hand brushed against the wall.

Click.

The sound echoed down the corridor.

Kale froze, his face draining of color. "Okay, that… wasn't my fault."

Namara, floating just above the ground with her usual casual grace, tilted her head and smiled. "Oh, darling, it's always your fault."

The corridor began to vibrate, fine cracks spidering along the walls. Sadek cursed under his breath.

Liliana grabbed Kale by the collar. "You triggered another one?!"

Before Kale could answer, another arrow shot out from the wall, striking Liliana in the side. She let out a sharp scream, her eyes blazing with frustration. "Kale! Why do you keep doing this to me?!"

Namara clapped her hands, laughing. "You know what they say, Liliana. Love hurts!"

Liliana growled, yanking the arrow out, and once again the blood flowed back inside and closed the wound. She shoved the arrow into Kale's hand. "Next time, you get to be the target!"

"I'm sorry, Liliana, I didn't mean—". Holes started opening along the walls and ceiling. Moments later, arrows began pouring down in a deadly rain.

This time, Kale reacted. Swiftform activated in an instant, the world slowing to a crawl. He drew Aeloria's Promise in one hand and Mistress of Enria in the other, and he began deflecting the arrows with deliberate, precise movements.

The metallic clangs of steel meeting steel filled the corridor as he swatted arrow after arrow away, shielding the group. Despite his enhanced speed, the torrent intensified, overwhelming him. The sheer number of projectiles became too much to handle with just two swords.

I can do this. I can do this.

Kale extended his hand. A shimmer of light flickered in the air as he summoned a wall of swords. Dozens of blades appeared, floating in formation, creating an impenetrable barrier. The arrows struck the wall, splintering harmlessly as the barrage continued.

Behind him, Liliana looked up. "It's about time you did something useful."

"That didn't sound like a compliment!" Kale shot back. "'Thanks for saving my life, Kale' would also be fine."

Namara punched the air in a small, triumphant gesture, a wide grin lighting up her face. "Kale, you're finally living up to your potential. I'm so proud!"

"Thanks for saving my life, Kale." Sadek said. "Would have been better if you weren't the reason it had to be saved in the first place, though."

"Hey, that wall came out of nowhere!" Kale said, straining to keep the blades up.

The relentless storm of arrows finally began to wane, and Kale, drenched in sweat, allowed the summoned blades to dissolve into nothingness.

Liliana stepped forward, inspecting the scattered remains of hundreds if not thousands of arrows. "Not bad."

"Glad I could help," Kale said, breathing heavily. "Can we please stop triggering traps now?"

Liliana scowled at him. "You are the one that keeps triggering traps!"

Kale threw up his hands, still panting. "It's not like I'm doing it on purpose! I think I might be cursed."

Namara laughed. "Curse or not, that was quite the performance. You're really getting the hang of this hero thing, Kale."

Sadek let out a quiet breath. "If being a 'hero' means almost killing us every five seconds, then yes. He's succeeding."

Liliana gestured toward the corridor ahead. "Can we focus? There are probably more traps waiting for us."

Kale sighed, shaking his head. "This is why I didn't want to come in here. Creepy castle full of traps, no treasures in sight—why are we even still doing this?"

"Because," Namara said, "the real treasures aren't left out in the open for just anyone to find. Malakar was a demon lord, remember? I guarantee you he's hidden away something very interesting. We just have to look a little harder."

"And dodge a few thousand more arrows," Sadek said.

Namara winked at him. "Exactly."

Liliana sighed. "Let's just move. And Kale, please, control yourself."

The group halted outside a heavy, partially open door, a faint glow spilling into the corridor. The light pulsed steadily, almost hypnotically.

Namara raised an eyebrow, leaning slightly closer to the opening. "Now, this looks promising."

Liliana frowned. "Or deadly."

Kale peeked over their shoulders. "So… we going in?"

Namara turned to him. "Isn't that always the plan?"

Liliana took a cautious step forward. "We need to be smart about this. No sudden moves, no touching anything—"

Namara interrupted with a playful wave of her hand. "Relax. Whatever's in there clearly wants to meet us."

The faint hum in the air seemed to intensify as they neared the door, growing into a steady vibration that tingled against their skin. The group exchanged uneasy glances.

"Let me guess," Kale said, gesturing at the glowing crack between the door. "Treasure?"

"Or monsters," Liliana said.

The group hesitated at the threshold, the glow spilling onto their faces. The hum in the air almost seemed to whisper, beckoning them forward.

Sadek looked back at the others. "Well? Who's opening it?"

Nobody moved. The silence stretched, the light still pulsing like a heartbeat.

Namara laughed. "Oh, don't all volunteer at once."

Liliana nudged Kale forward. "Go on, Kale. Let's see what's waiting for us."

"Why do I have to go first?" Kale protested.

"Because you deserve to die the most," Liliana said.

"I thought you liked me!"

"That was before you got me shot by an arrow. Twice."

"A ha! So you do like me."

"Kale, if you don't open that door right now, I will kill you myself."

Kale swallowed hard, his hands trembling as they pressed against the cold surface of the door. For a moment, he hesitated. Turning back to the group, dread written across his face. "If this kills me, I'm haunting all of you." Then, with a reluctant nod, he faced forward, and entered the room.

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