DAMIEN

The oppressive silence of the Red Castle bore down on me, each heartbeat echoing in my ears like the toll of a bell. My breaths were shallow as I tried to piece together what had just happened. One moment, I had been in the forest, confronting Aaron—or what I thought was him—and now, I stood here, trapped in my domain.

I reached out with my senses, probing for any signs of life, magic, or danger. The air crackled faintly, a telltale sign of a powerful spell. It wasn’t my magic—it was something foreign, invasive, and far stronger than I’d anticipated. My jaw clenched as I realised just how badly...