It was after dinner.
The castle had already settled into that quiet lull that usually came once everyone finished eating and retreated to their rooms. The clatter of dishes had long faded away, and even the distant footsteps of the servants had thinned out. I had stepped outside my room without really thinking about it and ended up just standing there in the corridor, leaning slightly against the railing as I looked out toward the horizon.
From here, the view stretched far beyond the castle grounds. The horizon was filled with countless buildings, their shapes stacking together like uneven blocks under the darkening sky.
The buildings here were a little different from the ones back on Earth, sure. If you looked closely, you'd notice the details, the architecture, the materials, and the occasional tower that looked a bit too decorative to exist in a normal city back home.
But right now, strangely enough, it still looked a little alike.
