Chapter 17 -
Jon and Victor were slowly moving through the deep, dark corridors of the fortress. The sound of their footsteps echoed, as if every corner of the place had become aware of their presence. Then, suddenly—
"THUD!"
A heavy object crashed to the ground at a short distance from them.
Their breaths grew heavier, fear evident on their faces. Victor's hands and feet trembled slightly, but he quickly gathered his courage, reached into his bag, and carefully pulled out a torch. As soon as he lit it, the flickering yellow light illuminated the area, and they cautiously moved toward the fallen object.
Lying on the ground in front of them was an old painting, resembling a map.
Victor's voice was uneasy as he asked, "How did this painting suddenly fall?"
Jon remained silent, studying the painting carefully. Somewhere deep within the fortress, a whispering sound echoed, as if unseen figures were lurking around them. After examining the painting for a while, Jon spoke in a serious tone—
"This isn't just a painting; it's a map of the fortress. And according to this map, the fortress is so vast that two or three major cities from our kingdom could fit inside it!"
Victor was slightly shocked. The map was difficult for him to understand, but Jon's expression reflected pure curiosity. As Jon searched through his bag, he said,
"This fortress has four main gates, each opening in a different direction. But every gate is guarded by mysterious dangers."
Victor, now even more surprised, asked, "So, this fortress is truly that dangerous?"
Jon nodded in agreement and pulled out a small object from his bag.
It was a glowing stone.
The faint light of the stone made Victor's eyes widen with excitement. He said eagerly,
"This is the same stone Dipendra gave us! It will warn us of any dangers, right?"
Jon smiled, "Yes, and if we follow this map correctly, we can make it out of this fortress by tomorrow evening."
Victor, still somewhat anxious, asked, "What if we leave in the morning instead?"
Jon replied seriously, "If we leave in the morning, we'll be trapped in the fortress until midnight tomorrow. And by then, it will become even more dangerous for us. But if we move now, we'll face fewer threats in the daylight."
Victor looked into the darkness of the fortress, where towering domes could be seen faintly against the sky. Their silhouettes formed an eerie presence against the dim glow of the clouds.
Jon continued explaining, "We don't know what kind of dangers lie ahead. But the fortress we see right now—it's actually four times bigger and far more mysterious than it appears."
Victor nodded slowly and examined the map again under the torchlight. Now, they had a decision to make—should they leave immediately or wait until morning?
Victor nods in agreement, and both he and Jon begin descending the stairway in the corridor. The darkness around them was dense. Victor held a burning torch in his hand, its flame flickering in the cold air, while Jon carried the mysterious stone in one hand and the map of the fortress in the other.
Moving forward cautiously, Jon carefully examined the map, trying to determine the correct path. The passage was narrow, and the cold air seeping through the old fortress walls made the atmosphere even more eerie.
After walking some distance, a tall stone wall appeared before them.
Jon looked at the map and said to Victor, "Beyond this wall, about 400 meters ahead, we should find a door."
Victor glanced at Jon and nodded. Both started moving along the wall, using it as their guide. The further they walked, the colder the air became.
After covering about 400-500 meters, they finally came across a massive stone door.
The door was covered in a thick layer of dust and dirt, clearly indicating that it had been sealed for many years. Victor raised the torchlight to inspect the door carefully.
"This door is ancient and massive... It won't be easy to open," Victor muttered.
Jon examined the surrounding area and said, "There must be a handle or lever nearby that can open this door."
Victor smirked slightly and said, "Wow, this fortress is so advanced that even the doors have hidden mechanisms?"
Jon pointed towards a spot and said, "Maybe over there..."
Both of them moved forward and discovered three iron hooks protruding from a stone pedestal.
The hooks were completely rusted.
Seeing this, they realized that the fortress had been abandoned for hundreds of years.
Victor handed his torch to Jon and carefully examined the hooks. Slowly, he reached out and touched one of them. The thick rust crumbled between his fingers.
He wondered—Could these hooks be pulled to open the door? Or was there a specific sequence to unlocking it?
The Mysterious Castle Gate
Victor pulled the hook with all his strength, but as soon as he applied force, the rusted hook broke off and fell into his hand.
Disappointed, Victor looked at Jon and said, "These hooks are too old; they won't work anymore. We need to find another way to open the door."
Jon took a deep breath and replied, "If these hooks don't work, we'll have to open the door with our strength."
Victor nodded in agreement and moved closer to the door, examining it carefully. Holding up the torchlight, he tried to figure out a way and said, "We need to rotate the door in this direction."
Victor handed the torch to Jon and then pressed against the door with both hands, but it didn't budge an inch.
Jon placed his belongings on the ground, leaned the torch against the wall, and stepped beside Victor.
This time, both of them pushed together with all their strength.
"Push harder!" Jon shouted.
Victor exerted all his power, and Jon did the same. After a few moments, the door slowly started to creak open with a deep, rumbling sound.
As soon as the door opened, bats that had been resting on the walls suddenly took flight. Their wings flapped furiously, and their sharp 'Chuuuuu' sounds echoed eerily, making the atmosphere even more terrifying.
Victor instinctively ducked to avoid the bats, while Jon remained standing, alert and watchful.
Suddenly, the stone in Jon's hand—the one given to him by Dipendra—began to glow faintly.
Victor's eyes widened, and his heart pounded faster.
This was a clear sign—danger was near!