They hadn't walked far, not really. Just a winding path through tall, snow-covered pines that led to the back side of the castle.
The black stone of the fortress, cloaked in fresh white snow, shimmered with an ethereal charm that made it feel less like a royal stronghold and more like something lifted from a fairytale.
Even after a full day inside its walls, Xion still hadn't gotten used to the scale of it all.
Gilded halls where priceless paintings hung as if they were ordinary decor. Candlesticks studded with real gems. Chandeliers were so massive and heavy with crystal that they looked as if they could've belonged in a cathedral, not a corridor.
With his eyes wide, utterly transfixed by how the refracted light danced across the ceiling, he didn't realize he'd drifted too close... Until he bumped directly into Darius' back.
"Ah — I'm sorry!" Flustered, Xion stepped back, but Darius had already turned and caught his hand.
