The ruins of the castle

I found myself with my eyes closed. I could feel a cold breeze, and singing of animals in the distance. I slowly opened my eyes.

I was in the courtyard of the castle, but something seemed different, unusual, and worrying. I took a good look around me. The dummy was still there, standing having seen a better time.

Something was off around my surroundings. There was too much silence. No one was around, not even the people who had evacuated from the village and placed in the castle for security. Everything seemed more destroyed than I remember.

"What happened here?" I asked, as a gust of wind passed by me, cold, making me shudder. "D-damn it! How did it get this cold?!"

No use in standing around.

I started to explore a bit and I slowly noticed the current state of the castle. It was more destroyed than what I remembered. Some doors had cuts, others were destroyed. But most importantly, I saw no one around.

I ran directly towards my room, the whole place was the same. Nothing was left standing, everything was destroyed. What happened and when? I quickly entered my chambers only to find it a mess. Some rats ran out of there and I found a skeleton on my bed, which was full of cuts and trashed.

I did not enjoy the implication of the skeleton and its position. Over the bed, killed on such a situation... I don't want to imagine what happened there that day.

Then I looked through the balcony of my chambers. A view of the forest was visible in the distance. The trees were taking an orange tone, some were losing their leaves. The view was different and beautiful, but at the same time made me feel nauseous.

We were in the fall… but I was sure it was spring when I died. How long was it since I was killed and this point? I felt like my stomach dropped as I attempted to understand what happened, and I slowly figured out the events.

The castle was attacked while I was in the afterlife talking with Selene. Kalamith did mention time flows differently, so a few months had passed during that time. Who knows how long?

"Maple! Reynard!" I started to yell through the castle as I ran around the different hallways and rooms. "Dara?! Anyone?!" I was running around, seeking through every door I could find, every room I came across. Only the signs of a battle that happened a couple of months ago, discarded equipment, and skeletons that I started to find.

"N-no no no no!" I yelled at one point. I pressed myself against a wall with my hand covering my mouth. I felt like I was about to vomit, sick from the realization. They couldn't be dead. Not them! Not the children I had saved!

I was starting to cry. I could not believe and I would not accept what the reality was telling me. I needed to find any sign that they were alive. I continued searching and made my way towards the throne room.

I remember when I met Kali. What an odd thing to be reminded of in such a situation. I was tied and forced into submission for her to judge my intentions. She believed I was working for the kingdoms. Now that place was empty and her seat was destroyed and there were several cuts on the floors, burned carpets, broken windows, crushed stone floor… a big battle happened here, it was messier than the rest of the building.

"Balor…" I said to myself. We knew he was planning to attack. This must be his doing, he attacked the castle after I died.

And we failed.

I missed everything… and now they were all dead. I was the only one left and just because of the help I received from Selene. I fell to my knees.

I was trying to process everything I kept rejecting in my head that they were dead, something should point me where they were, tell me that they were still alive.

TAP… TAP… TAP…

I heard steps close to me. Coming from the main door of the chambers. I looked at the door and indeed, someone was coming.

I looked at my surroundings and my face went directly for a saber discarded close to the throne. I did not check its quality or anything, I ran to grab it and got myself behind the seat, there was enough standing for me to hide behind and still have a look at who was coming.

"Who's there?!" asked the person. Male. The voice seemed oddly familiar.

Through the main door entered a male vulpin, his fur was golden and was holding a short sword in his hand. For a moment my hopes went up, a vulpin! That was a good sign. But the closer he got, the worse I felt about my chances.

And then I remembered who he was.

Not long before I died, Dara and Nayleth took me to spy on an orc and a vulpin who were talking about a very specific topic: betray the Demon Queen, Kali. She decided to convince them not to do it through her actions. That was a mistake. He is somehow still here and alive.

I opened my status screen, making sure I was well hidden. The Stat Points for my base stats were there, waiting for me to use them. I added 2 points to my [HP], increasing it by [10] each, taking me from [100] to [120]. I left the other points for later, but now I could take a bit more damage.

"If you are a scavenger, take anything and leave!" he yelled "If you can find something of use!" he continued searching the room, and I waited until it turned away from me while close.

When he got close enough and looked to the other side, I jumped at him.

"Hey!" I yelled, causing him to look at me, allowing me to punch him in the face.

[25] points of damage appeared when my fist connected and he flinched from the hit. Then I placed my sword on his neck and forced him to back into a pillar, pressing the edge on his furred flesh.

"Let me go you-!" He yelled, but his words were cut short when he saw me like he saw a ghost, eyes wide and mouth open "You… how are you… you are supposed to be dead!"

"And you too yet here you are" I yelled, pressing the elbow of my left arm against his chest to press him against the pillar "So you better explain yourself why you are still here and no one else is!"