The Game Before the Fall

Chapter 38: Inheritance (Part 1)

"Maybe it's a spell."

"Maybe... but I get the feeling it can't just be that." Magic could only do so much. The way the mannequins were dressed, the slight details of the street, that was a person's touch.

It was as we reached the halfway point that we spotted her. A young woman dressed in a black and white maid's gown. She knelt by one of the flower beds, her hands covered in dirt as she maintained the earth around it. Her head slowly turned our way as we noticed her. Then she screamed.

"Ahhhhh!" in a flurry of surprise she fell back landing on her arse.

"Are you-," Aria went to help her but I pulled her back.

The women stood up, quickly trying to straighten her dress and wipe her hands of the dirt but only served to stain her dress further.

"Ah- ah," she mouthed as she looked at us. "Ahhhhhhh."

"Aha?" Aria replied back, the both of us equally confused.

The women cleared her throat, "Aha. Oh there we go." She curtsied politely, "W-welcome to the Castle Greer. I apologise for my lack of curtesy. It has been some years since we've had guests. May I request your names?"

I shared a look with Aria before nodding, "Ardent, and this is my sister Aria. The woman on my back is Zen. Who are you? We're a bit lost and could use some help."

"I am Chloe, the maid of this city," she smiled sweetly. "I am not surprised you are lost. Like I said, it has been some years since guests have arrived."

"How many years?" Aria asked.

"758 years," the maid replied neatly.

"That's more than just some," Aria raised her brow. "Umm also what city is this?"

"The City of Elastire."

The moment she mentioned the name my mouth widened in surprise. I knew where we were. The descriptions I had read in the past few weeks all clicked into place. The lost City of Elastire. The Northern Beauty and home of the Witch of Blood. The sight of the greatest destruction in history. A place that should no longer exist.

"Uh-Um," I had to shake off my surprise. "Just to make sure, you said Elastire right?"

"That's it," she nodded cheerfully. "This isn't quite the place for a conversation. Please follow me. As a guest, we must make sure you are comfortable. We can speak more in the parlour. My brother and the head maid will be so happy to see someone finally arrive."

"Sure...," I replied hesitantly.

As we began to walk, I spoke into Aria's mind, Aria, you were scanning for people. Why didn't you detect her?"

She looked at me from the side, I was. As far as I can tell. That maid isn't alive.

If she wasn't alive, it would explain how she had existed for so long. The problem was, what type of existence was she then? Curious, I released a thread of mana and touched it against her. The moment I did, Chloe flinched, looking to the sky curiously as to where the sudden sensation came from. At the very least she was mana sensitive.

Chloe led us with quite the skip in her step as we climbed the stairs to the main entrance of the castle. I couldn't help but be awed by the majesty of it. While I had seen and visited castles in Areithia Online, not only was the real thing more amazing, but the castle itself was superior in design compared to what remained in Areithia. The stone stairs were polished to perfection and inlaid with decorative red tiling to show off the centre. As we reached the top, a well-kept red carpet continued to the entrance. The door was immense in size and detailed with flowing engravings mimicking the winds that would sail across the city.

"This way," Chloe, going against my expectations of a grand entrance, moved to the centre of the door, opening a smaller door that almost seamlessly hid itself. "Apologies but the main door can't be opened at the moment."

"It's fine," Aria replied, awed as I was by what we had seen so far. She stepped past Chloe who remained holding the door open and into the foyer. I followed.

It was like walking into the set piece of a fantasy novel catered around nobility. A marble staircase that could be climbed from two sides leading to an upper floor. An immense chandelier that lit up the entire space. Carpeted walkways that felt soft and pleasant even beneath my shoes. And then there was the decorations. Unique statues, paintings of landscapes and at the top of the stairs, a portrait of a smiling girl who couldn't be older than fifteen. My heart thudded at the sight of her. She was beautiful, appearing delicate but with a clear strength to her eyes. She wore a soft pale coloured dress and sat beside an open window that looked out to the city of Elastire. Her hair shone with lustre, curling gently down past her shoulders in blond strands. Then finally were her eyes. Red like the colour of fresh oxygenated blood. There was only one person that could be.