Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 125422 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 627(@200wpm)___ 502(@250wpm)___ 418(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125422 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 627(@200wpm)___ 502(@250wpm)___ 418(@300wpm)
The chamber falls still.
We stand amidst the wreckage, breathing hard, our weapons dripping with wax. The faint light of our lanterns flickers, casting uneasy shadows across the walls. The crypt is silent once more, but the damage is done. Several soldiers lie dead, their faces twisted in pain, their bodies coiled from snake bites.
Fuck. We couldn’t get more than a few feet in my damn home before losing more comrades. You’d think their deaths would be easier at this point, after all that I’ve lost, but it isn’t.
We press on, leaving the desecrated crypt behind. The air grows colder as we ascend the winding stairs. I can feel the castle’s lifeblood, the very essence of Tuonela, drained and twisted. Every step is a reminder of what Louhi has stolen from me.
At the top of the stairs, we enter the grand hall, its vaulted ceiling stretching high above. The air here is colder still, biting at my skin even through my armor. Louhi’s corruption is everywhere—the walls are lined with skeletal remains, and shadowy tendrils pulse through the stone like veins.
The sound of clattering bones draws our attention. Skeletons step out from the shadows, their hollow eyes glowing faintly. At their forefront are my former servants, the Deadmaidens—tall, veiled figures with gloved hands. Once, they were the silent guardians of my castle, loyal to me and my family alone. Now, their veils are torn, showing monstrous faces underneath, their movements jerky and unnatural, and their gloves are gone, showcasing various claws. They lurch forward with a hungry growl and the sound of snapping jaws.
“How could you?” I murmur, my chest tightening. “You were mine.”
Hanna steps to my side, her expression unreadable. “They’re hers now.”
There’s no time for hesitation. The skeletons and Deadmaidens charge, their movements unnervingly synchronized. The clash is immediate and ferocious. Blades spark against bone as our group meets the attack head-on.
Vellamo’s single-handed spear flashes as she carves through the skeletons with precision. Tellervo uses a sword to parry them off as Torben steps in and uses his staff as a baseball bat, knocking a few heads down the hallway.
I focus on the Deadmaidens. Their speed and unpredictability make them formidable, but they’re no match for me. Without letting go of my son, I drive my sword through one’s ribcage. The Deadmaiden lets out a piercing shriek before crumpling to the ground.
Another leaps at me, its movements impossibly fast. I pivot, catching its claws with my gauntlet, and slam my sword into its neck. The blow decapitates it cleanly, and its body collapses into a heap of bones and tattered fabric.
The battle ends as quickly as it began. The last Deadmaiden falls under General Suvari’s blade, its veil shredded, its face caved-in. The hall falls silent once more, but the echoes of the fight linger in the air.
I survey the scene. The floor is littered with broken bones and tattered cloth, the remnants of my former servants and the skeletal army. The soldiers regroup, their faces pale but determined. We didn’t lose anyone this time.
“This is only the beginning,” I say, my rage festering. “She’s turned my home into a graveyard.”
We push through the rest of Shadow’s End, the walls closing in around us as the castle twists and tightens like a predator’s maw. The cold air seems alive, carrying whispers of despair that curl around my ears. Hanna leads the way, her golden glow illuminating the dark stairwell as we climb, the others following close behind. My thoughts are singular—find Sarvi, find Lovia, and end this nightmare.
Then I see her.
The nightmare herself.
Louhi.
Her shadowy form darts up a staircase toward the private wing. Her dark dress billows like smoke, her wings raised behind her as she moves with inhuman speed. My grip on my sword hilt instinctively tightens with rage.
“There!” I snap, halting the group. “She’s heading to Sarvi’s room.”
Hanna turns, her golden eyes narrowing. “Let’s go! We’ll—”
“No,” I interrupt, shaking my head. “This is my fight.”
Her jaw tightens, a flicker of hesitation crossing her face. “No, please.”
“I have to,” I say firmly, already stepping toward the staircase. “Once she was mine to wed, now she’s mine to kill. You find Sarvi and Lovia. Save them. I’ll deal with my ex-wife.”
She doesn’t argue further. Instead, she nods, a spark of trust in her gaze. “Don’t die.”
I don’t respond. Words are wasted here but I give her a look that tells her not to die either.
I bolt up the stairs, my heart hammering like a war drum.
Sarvi’s chambers are at the highest point of the castle, a place of seclusion and solace. But now, as I storm in, they are steeped in darkness and malice. Chains hang from the walls, remnants of Louhi’s cruelty, and the air reeks of something old and rotting.
Louhi stands in the center of the room, her back to me as she gazes out the window, giving me a clear view of her terrible wings. She turns slowly when she senses my presence, a cruel smile curling her lips. Her dark gown flows like ink, her green-grey skin pale in the dim light. The rams horns that curl back from her head shine with oil. Or maybe it’s blood.