The corridors of this palace felt colder than any night John had ever walked through. The torches along the walls flickered weakly, as if bowing under the weight of the grief in the air. Every servant moved silently. Every guard's eyes stayed lowered. Even the marble pillars seemed to stand in mourning.
Every step weighed heavier than the last as John followed King Merlin further inside.
It wasn't just fear for Elsa.
It was something darker - this sense that nothing here was under control.
That something, well beyond human reach, moved around in the darkness.
Merlin halted near the Moonstone Chamber doors, clasping the handle as if holding on to a heart that was breaking. His shoulders quaked before he drew a sharp breath and whirled towards John.
"Before you see her," Merlin whispered, "you must know what you're about to face."
John nodded, clenching his fists at his sides. "Tell me."
