A Night Has Sides Part 2

I looked around, waving my flashlight. If it hadn't been for the wall gently lowering, I would have assumed I was lost. I nearly dropped the flashlight in a terrified mood. I slammed my back against the side wall and quickly shut it off. My heart pounding in my ears, I held my breath.

Two towering, black creatures emerged from behind the wall. The one on the right is larger than the one on the left. I saw the animals return to the home, bug-eyed and startled. They moved quickly, as if they were already familiar with the property.

When the larger creature froze and turned, roaring in my direction, I said aloud, "Werewolves."

I switched on my flashlight and pointed it at the wolves, terrified. I knew I'd finished. Then the wall closed behind me. I had two options: find out what was under this wall or battle these wolves, so I dashed beneath the closing wall and was plunged into terrible darkness.

Even when I turned on my flashlight, it couldn't penetrate the shroud. I took little steps, cautiously, until my combat boot toe collided with something hard. As I got closer, flames ignited, illuminating a chamber filled with Egyptian sculptures. Miniature sculptures of werewolf creatures kneeling in between the felines, small owls sat amid other lovely symbols, and golden cats stood tall among the great walls of the space. The amount of gold in this room astounded me.This was more than simply a castle; it was a hidden treasure trove. When I noticed a giant photo of my aunt Vivian in the room's centre, it hit me. She was stunning, and I discovered that I was the Magnus lineage's last survivor. Her death was terrible; she had been deceived by the one who had promised to love her. He was blinded by her wealth and power, and he killed her right here in this castle.

Turning off my flashlight, I circled the room. My arms tingled, and I looked down at my hands, seeing my abilities whirl through my veins. This only happened when another entity of the same origin was close by, which perplexed me. I backed up into the deeper area of the room, attempting to go as far into the shadows as possible, afraid that the wall or door that concealed the chamber might open. When a noise attracted my attention from a tomb in the centre of the room, my heart changed from a steady beat to thumping.

Inside the tomb, there was movement. I was really frightened out, and the hairs on the back of my neck were standing on end in fear. I couldn't get out of there, despite common sense telling me to. When a bunch of werewolves came and encircled the tomb, the wall slowly rose, and I gasped in the still silence, trying to make myself smaller.

I stood there watching as the tomb's top slid open and the corpse slowly rose to its feet. I remained silent while they conducted a ritual; I was familiar with the spell they recited but uncomfortable with the situation. The animals' chanting came to a halt, the chamber fell silent, and the air itself came to a halt. I couldn't see the body in the tomb because I was gripped by dread. My palms began to sweat, and my gaze raced about the room, trying to figure out where it had gone. The wolves looked to be statues, since they didn't move.

I felt a tickle in my feet and looked down to see that I was slipping off the ground. I let out a loud gasp and grabbed the nearest wall or object I could find. When I realised I was rushing towards the grave, I yelled. I battled, my magic uncontrollable, my hands immobilised by the curtain. I came to a halt above the tomb, gasping for breath in an attempt to break away. A lady emerged from the wolves' den.

"Aunt Vivian?" I said after I'd had enough. I couldn't stop myself from exclaiming. She grinned as she approached the tomb's foot, the skin on her face half-gone, her beauty aged by death. I couldn't believe it.

"Sasha, we've been waiting for you," says the group. I was shoved into the tomb before I could cry, my head striking the bottom with such force that I choked back tears of anguish and shouted.

Aunt Vivian inhaled deeply and rested her withered palm on her face, her vigour and youth returning almost instantaneously, something she had been missing for a long time.

"It's now completed," says the author. The dark castle was filled with howls, and no one, not even the dead, could hear my cries.