I should stay with you

As I left Lydia's castle, the weight of our recent conversation still lingered in my mind. The pathway to the portal was familiar, and I moved with the grace of someone who had traversed it countless times. But just as the portal came into view, a sudden and overwhelming feeling of dread washed over me. Something was wrong. I could sense it deep in my bones.

Without hesitation, I turned on my heel and sprinted back towards the castle. My heart pounded in my chest, and every instinct screamed that Lydia was in danger. The castle loomed ahead, and I pushed myself harder, faster, the landscape blurring around me as I ran.

When I burst through the castle gates, chaos greeted me. Guards and servants scrambled in all directions, their faces etched with fear. And there, in the centre of the courtyard, stood the most grotesque creature I had ever seen.