Stone Cold

Chapter 4

"Lord Ares King"

"The local did tell me a bit about the lord who lived here. A young handsome man, Capable and Just. Some jealous enemies spread a rumor about him being a vampire. You know how superstitious they were in old times. The people of the town betrayed him. They had pledged their loyality to him yet they chained him at night and burnt him alive in this castle."

Everyone looked wide eyed at Duke.

"And you're telling us this just now?!" Claire screamed.

Duke looked sheepish, "But.. I thought it would be just a rumor to scare the people away."

"Rumor, My A$$." April and Alex held Claire back before another murder was comitted in the manor.

Faith stood still among the commotion. The image of the chained burning man flashing before her eyes.

The thunderstorm didn't look like it was stopping anytime soon. All of them decided to stay in the castle for the night. Some bedrooms upstairs were still intact and they agreed upon sharing rooms just like they did in the hotel. Faith again stayed with April and Alex. The bed was big enough to fit all three of them.

It was around midnight. She sat on the window ledge watching the raindrops fall and trickle down the glass. The others were sleeping soundly. But she couldn't fall asleep. This castle felt like her home, but something was missing.

A longing buried in the depth of this tranquillity.

She decided to explore the castle alone and get these answers herself. She turned her phone's torch on and walked out of the room.

She kept walking aimlessly and when she stopped, she found herself staring at the same portrait again. The rumoured vampire lord. She had no idea how long she stared at his face.

Hair as black as the night. Chiseled jawline. High cheekbones. Blood red lips. Green eyes glowing as emeralds. He was pale. No wonder his unremarkable beauty made everyone believe that stupid rumor. He did look unearthly.

She stopped admiring his beauty and looked closely at the portrait. She realised that there was a door behind him in there. Behind the throne. Where this portrait was currently hanging.

She tried moving the huge portrait a bit and after several attempt she did succeed. She felt like doing a happy dance.

There was indeed a door behind that portrait. She touched the door and it opened. After contemplating for a small moment, she entered inside.

Stairs.

There were so many stairs. She kept going down in the dark. Her heart was beating furiously inside her ribcage. The newfound courage gone. The only thing keeping her going was her curiosity. That chained burning man.

Where the stairs ended, an underground tunnel system awaited her. Corridor after corridor. She had no idea where she was going.

At the end of this riddle, she stood at the entrance of a gate made of silver.

" Noli aperire "

"What does this mean?" She thought out loud.

There were big chains locking the door. She removed them. The lock was way old, so one blow from a nearby stone and It was gone too.

Things seemed to be going in her favour. Or was it the opposite case?

She entered the dark room, moving her torch light around, trying to get a better look at the interior. Suddenly a mouse passed near her foot and ran out of the room. She suppressed a scream. It almost looked like the mouse was running away scared of something.

She went further inside. That's when she finally screamed.

The light from her phone illuminated the scene in front of her. On a raised platform, there was a statue of a man, held brutally by thick silver chains, his face twisted in agony as a tear rolled down his cheek.

She held a hand to her lips. Her wide eyes taking in the scene before her. The stone statue was made so skillfully, It highlighted every small detail. The skin where the chains touched seemed burnt and deformed, the fangs poking out of his mouth, the pain on his face and that tear...

She didn't realise she was crying herself.

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