His hand lifts, then forgets why it moved, fingers hovering over the ring like a visitor unsure whether to knock.
His eyes travel the carved lions for instruction and find only his own reflection staring back with a polite, unfamiliar face
He straightens his back and his hand moves without much thought, a motion more reflex than will. "########$#$##$###" — a stream of pain-packed curses — comes out of his mouth. He hears himself and notices the shadows around the room laughing at him; a tight smile clamps his face, his thumb brushing the hidden passport in his throne as a useless talisman, while a flood of insults rises and then runs dry. No — he isn't imagining it. This isn't his room, not his bed. Where is he? He died; his life ran out, leaving only a vast, echoing house whose emptiness suffocates until, finally, it takes him.
Suddenly the shadows flowed from the cold stone like black liquid, pooling on the floor and slowly forming a dark, laughing face. Words crawled out beneath it—a scene ripped from one of his most depraved nightmares. The letters read, as if spoken in slow, polite claws: "Finally — awake, Your Excellency."
He reeled; the uninvited monologue monopolized his attention, pushing everything else into the background. He only had the power to stare; his hand slipped as if of its own accord, and new sentences bled across the stone before him.
"Staring without speaking — that's rather rude," the carving said, each syllable elegant and deliberate. "With that attitude, I do worry for your future, you know—especially with those who will gladly give you all the advice you need." The phrasing took its time, delighting in the wait.
"I wanted to have fewer questions.,but you seem to know that ,so out with it already," the next line teased, carved with a teasing curl. "I said 'need,' but fine — this time — they align."
He heard a partial laugh threading through the hall; there was no malice in it, only a bright enjoyment at his confusion and at the spectacle as a whole.
""Sadly, it seems it is about time. i shared my wisdom with a lost soul."
"Thanks," he sighed, a short, shaky breath of relief escaping, then he stared at the writing that suddenly stoped. For a moment the fear faded, overtaken by raw weariness.
"You enjoy this, don't you?" Anger slipped through the cracks of his voice.
"No interpretations. Please — be polite."
The words dragged themselves weakly across the stone, the strokes almost frowning.
A low hum followed. Their was no voice, Stone can't sing, but that didn't stop it from trying as face of dark liquid on floor mimicked motion
"I am the system,I am the eyes you never see, Wich every crown in world dreams off, I am your authority made manifest,I am your domain simplified. Honestly, I thought I'd be more poetic, but fine — I'll get to the point before you burst a vein. You, my friend, have won the lottery: a second life, as a duke in another world. A world filled with wonders beyond your imagination. Fantastical, of course… with some caveats. You'll be ruling a duchy you have no experience with. But don't worry, because—"
The monologue cut itself short, letting silence fall heavy and theatrical. The shadows gathered around the face and the words written on the ground, forming human shapes as if the hall awaited the arrival of the main actor on a stage.
He stared , equally annoyed and perplexed.
"You will have special power of your own,granted by my help" the voice resumed, "power that will grow with your domain. It may prove… an unfair advantage in your future endeavors."
"And the nature of power I currently have is…?" He tried, almost hopefully, to push the performance along.
"inhuman detailed Knowledge of your domain. Advice when you need it. Priceless, really, especially for someone who cannot even name the castle he lords over.of course you well get other ability, but that's a later surprise" the letters were written in bold ,leaking confident ,as face was showing a wide confident smile
"Lire where is The price ,the draw back where is rest of story of course other than taking over a life that isn't mine"
"You well when the time is right ,but don't worry you well rarely be one paying price, "
"Liar. Where's the price? The drawback? There's always more to the story — other than stealing a life that isn't mine."
"You will know, when the time is right. But don't worry…" The letters curled with a final, mocking smile.
"You will rarely be the one paying the price. Anyway" ending on amniouse note ,as he partically heard the non existing laugh from lips of stone and shadow