Winter was nearly over, yet the air still bit deeply, as if unwilling to loosen its grip on the Isle of Darkness. Snow that had once buried rooftops was slowly receding, leaving hardened heaps along the roadside and thin sheets of ice clinging to the branches. The sun lingered longer in the sky, but its light was pale, only enough to make the snow glare.
Inside the black castle rising proudly amid the white expanse, Sylvia sat in her study. Maps stretched across the broad table, marked with black pins at key points along the coastline, forests, mountain borders, and even the underground tunnels uncovered by the zombie shadows. Black chains hovered around her, occasionally tapping against the table's surface as though they too pondered strategy with their mistress.
