Shadows of betrayal

Elara hesitated before stepping closer to the door. The knock echoed again in her mind, even though it had stopped. She reached for the handle with trembling fingers, the silence in the corridor on the other side growing heavier by the second. Her heart raced as she cracked the door open, her silver eyes peeking out into the dimly lit hallway.

Nothing.

The corridor stretched out before her, cold and empty. The flickering torchlight cast long empty shadows on the stone walls, but there was no sign of anyone. Stepping further out, Elara glanced left and right, the air chilling her skin. A soft creak made her whirl around, but it was just the old wooden beams settling under the castle's weight.