The setting sun's afterglow spilled onto the ancient castle's stone walls, covering them with a layer of golden radiance.
The two ten-year-old children together pushed open the heavy gate and entered the castle, where they were greeted by a long corridor, its walls adorned with oil paintings and tapestries. However, the colors of the paintings had faded, and the tapestry patterns were blurred, as if everything was veiled with a layer of dust. At the end of the hallway stood a huge glass window through which the scenery outside was rendered dreamy by the glow of the sunset, but the window glass was full of cracks, as if it would shatter at any moment.
The girl nervously clutched the boy's clothing. Holding a lamp, she whispered, "Brother, maybe we should go back. Father forbids us from running around recklessly."
The boy pressed his index finger to his lips, his light golden eyes filled with seriousness and tension. "Be quiet, Lilia. Don't you want to see Mother?"