AUTHOR'S POV

In the dim, eerie silence of the castle, a mysterious figure emerged, stepping out from the shadows with an air of quiet authority. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with mid-length blonde hair flowing around his unreadable face. His sharp gaze drifted to the floor where droplets of fresh blood were, a trail Keilah had left behind. He knelt, his movements deliberate and graceful, studying the drops with a keen interest.

Lowering himself to a crouch, he examined the jagged stone still smeared with Keilah’s blood. He lifted it, bringing it to his nose for a deep, appreciative sniff before lightly licking the blood-stained edge. A flicker of satisfaction...