The battle with the Night Beast was over, but the hall still Filled with Sound with its echoes. Oban's chest burned as he leaned against Amrin, the faint glow of his system fading from his vision. His muscles ached like fire, every breath cutting into him. Yet his eyes refused to leave the ashes of the fallen beast scattered across the marble floor.
It was the first time he truly realized how fragile his existence had become. A single mistake, a fraction of a second late, and he would have been nothing but blood on the ground.
Amrin knelt beside him, her hand pressed against his shoulder. "You pushed too far," she said softly, though her tone carried more frustration than comfort. "Overdrive isn't something you should use carelessly. It eats you alive from the inside."
Oban forced a weak smile. "Seemed like the only way to keep us both breathing."
She exhaled, shaking her head. "Reckless. Just like him."
Oban blinked. "Like who?"
Her lips parted as if to answer, but before she could speak, the sound of footsteps filled the hall. The group of vampires emerged from the shadows—silent, dangerous, their eyes glowing like scattered embers in the dark.
At their front was Kael, the silver-haired vampire with a scar tracing his cheek. His presence was sharp, heavy, like a blade that had been forged only for killing. His gaze swept across the room before landing on Oban.
"So this is the newborn," Kael said, his voice calm, almost cold. "The one who dares to awaken Overdrive on his first days."
Oban pushed himself straighter, though his body screamed in protest. "You talk like you know me already."
Kael's lips curved faintly. "I don't need to know you. Your power speaks louder than you do. Newborns don't awaken Overdrive without a price. Which means…" His eyes narrowed, the red gleam inside them sharp. "You're not ordinary."
Oban clenched his jaw but didn't answer. His system flickered again, reading Kael and his group.
[Scanning Entities...] Target 1: Kael – Tier 6 Vampire. Ability: Shadow Dominion (full details locked).
Target 2: Unknown Male – Tier 5 Vampire. Ability: Flame Control.
Target 3: Unknown Female – Tier 5 Vampire. Ability: Illusion Weaving.
Target 4: Unknown Male – Tier 6 Vampire. Ability: Blood Conversion. Warning: Combat not advised. Success rate 12%.
Oban's fists clenched. Tier six… more than one? He glanced at Amrin, whose jaw tightened. She knew the odds just as well as he did.
"Kael," Amrin said firmly. "This boy is under my protection. He's not your concern."
Kael's smirk widened. "You still think your words carry weight, Amrin? You may be Tier 7, but protection is only as strong as your resolve. You've failed before."
Amrin's eyes flashed, but she didn't rise to the insult. Her fingers curled at her side, faint waves of sound vibrating the air around her.
Oban glanced between them, his chest heavy. "What does he mean by failed?"
Amrin's silence was answer enough.
Kael tilted his head slightly, his eyes never leaving Oban. "Tell me, newborn, do you even know what this castle truly is? Or do you just follow her like a lost child?"
Oban straightened, his voice firm despite the ache in his ribs. "She saved my life. That's enough for me to follow."
For a moment, Kael studied him quietly. Then, to everyone's surprise, he chuckled. "Interesting. At least you're not spineless."
The vampires behind him shifted, their eyes glinting, their auras pressing into the room. The air thickened until it was hard to breathe. Oban's body trembled under the weight of it, but he refused to kneel.
Kael lifted his hand, and the pressure eased. "Relax. If I wanted you dead, you would already be ash on the floor."
"Then why are you here?" Amrin asked sharply.
Kael's expression hardened. "Because the Night Beasts aren't moving by chance. Something has stirred them. And when beasts crawl from the dark, it means this castle is no longer asleep."
Oban frowned. "Asleep?"
Kael's gaze slid to him. "This castle isn't just stone and walls. It's alive, in its own way. It breathes. It remembers. And when it stirs, it tests those within it."
The words sank into Oban like stones in water. A castle alive? A test? His system chimed as if confirming Kael's words.
[Castle of Foreverness Status Update] Condition: Stirring Phase Detected. New Protocols Active: Random Trials Initiated. Survival Rate for Newborn Vampires: 7%.
Oban's heart thumped hard in his chest. Seven percent?
Kael turned to leave, his cloak brushing the ground behind him. "If he survives the trials, then perhaps he is worth watching. If not…" His eyes flicked back to Oban. "Then he'll just be another pile of ash under these walls."
With that, Kael and his group melted into the shadows, vanishing as quickly as they had appeared.
Silence settled heavy over the hall.
Oban let out a long breath, his body finally relaxing as if he'd been holding it for hours. "That guy… what the hell is his problem?"
Amrin placed her hands on her hips, her eyes still fixed on the shadows where Kael had stood. "Kael is dangerous. More dangerous than any beast you'll fight here. Don't underestimate him."
Oban gave a small laugh, though it was strained. "Trust me, I don't underestimate anyone who makes my system flash red like an alarm."
Amrin's lips twitched, almost into a smile, before her expression darkened again. She turned to Oban. "Come on. You need rest. And if the castle truly is stirring, we need to prepare."
The corridors of the castle stretched endlessly, hall after hall lined with black stone and faint torches that burned with blue fire. As Amrin led him through, Oban couldn't help but glance around. He felt eyes on him from the shadows, though whenever he turned, there was nothing there.
"Amrin," he said finally, his voice low. "You said before this castle is endless. How is that even possible?"
She didn't look at him. "Because it isn't bound by the laws you're used to. Foreverness bends space itself. You can walk for years and never see the same hall twice."
Oban whistled under his breath. "Sounds like a nightmare for anyone with bad directions."
Amrin gave a short laugh. "You'll get used to it. Or you'll go mad. It depends on your will."
They stopped before a tall door carved with ancient runes. Amrin pressed her palm against it, and the runes glowed faintly before the door swung open. Inside was a chamber lit by soft crimson lanterns, with a wide bed, a table, and a single window overlooking a mist-covered abyss.
"This will be your room," Amrin said. "At least for now."
Oban stepped inside, glancing at the unfamiliar furniture. It was strange, too elegant for someone like him. Still, he dropped onto the bed, groaning as his muscles finally gave in.
Amrin stood at the door, watching him. "Oban," she said after a pause.
"Yeah?"
Her voice softened. "Don't die. Not here. Not in this castle."
Oban blinked, surprised by the weight in her tone. He forced a smile despite his exhaustion. "I'll do my best. No promises, though."
She gave a small shake of her head, then closed the door, leaving him alone.
Oban lay staring at the ceiling, the faint hum of the system still in his head. His body was broken, his mind exhausted, but sleep refused to come.
Finally, he sighed. "System. Show me my status."
A screen appeared in front of him, glowing faintly in the dark.
[Status Update] Name: Oban Tier: 5 (Newborn Vampire) Abilities: Dark Restraint II, Overdrive (Restricted) Condition: Fatigued (Severe). Recovery required. Special Note: Castle Trials Active.
Oban rubbed his eyes. "Trials, huh? Seven percent survival rate. Great odds."
His chest tightened, but at the same time, a strange fire sparked inside him. He wasn't going to be just another pile of ash. He had fought to live this far, and he wasn't stopping now.
As his eyes finally closed, the castle hummed faintly, like a heart beating deep beneath its endless walls.
And somewhere in the shadows, eyes watched him sleep.