Toki opened his eyes.
The red moon shimmered again above him—an ominous, bleeding orb that bathed the strange, twisted land in a wine-colored glow. The dark mist, ever-present like a coiled serpent, drifted low across the ground, whispering in a language of regrets. It was exactly like before. And yet, something had changed.
The castle.
This time, it stood directly in front of him. Towering spires pierced the crimson sky, the same way they had in his last visit. But now, the great iron gates were ajar, opening slowly with a metallic groan—as if recognizing his presence. As if inviting him back.
Toki swallowed. "It didn't disappear after all," he murmured. "So this place... it still remembers me."
He stepped forward, the crunch of gravel underfoot drowned by the howl of a distant, unknown wind. He crossed the threshold.
Inside, the atmosphere was frozen in time. The grand hall was exactly as he'd left it—or more accurately, as if he had only stepped away for a moment. The obsidian floor gleamed like water, reflecting the scarlet moonlight through windows that looked out to nowhere. Six pillars, carved with symbols that defied language, stretched up into an infinite ceiling. The walls—no, the very air—felt curved, warped by ancient will.
In the center of the hall, the long black table waited. Twelve high-backed chairs stood still, half in shadow, half in moonlight. At the end of the table, seated upon the throne carved from black stone and iron, was the woman with the shovel.
She smiled.
Toki approached, step by step, until he stood before her.
"So we meet again," she said with a mock sigh, twirling the handle of her silver-bladed shovel between her fingers. "Did you miss me that much? Honestly, you really do know how to steal a woman's heart."
Toki didn't smile. "Why am I here again?"
She tilted her head, her hair falling like liquid starlight over one shoulder. "Have you already forgotten? This place bends itself around your desire. The castle, this land... all of it exists above the Sea of Chaos, in the Abyss beyond time. You came because you wanted to. Even if you don't know it yet."
She rose and gave a theatrical bow. "Apologies for sitting in your chair, Your Majesty," she said with a grin, before sliding into the seat beside the throne.
Toki said nothing, and took the throne.
As he sat, the familiar objects materialized before him on the table: the black book that pulsed like a heartbeat, the bronze-tipped staff, the quill made from a raven's feather, and the deck of tarot-like cards arranged in a perfect semicircle.
He exhaled, eyes narrowing. "I have questions."
The woman rested her chin in her palm. "Of course you do."
"Why... why am I the master of this realm?"
The woman's smile softened, just slightly. "This realm is older than time, Toki. It exists outside space, untouched by the world of mortals. You, me, and the one known as the Red Priest—the last master of this castle—we are all connected to the one who created this place. You were chosen long ago to be his heir. How or why, I don't fully know. But that is the truth."
Toki frowned. "Chosen by who? And for what?"
"That," she said with a wink, "is for you to discover. What matters now is that this place obeys your will. Even I shouldn't be here. I have no dominion over this land. But because you wanted to speak with me, I appeared."
He leaned forward. "What are you? Are you even human?"
A pause. Then she said softly, "I was. Once. But it no longer matters what I am. Perhaps I've become something divine. Perhaps I'm a myth still pretending to be real. But here, you are the one who makes the rules. You are... different. Special."
She looked at him more intently now, a trace of something ancient in her gaze. "I can't tell you everything. Not yet. But you'll learn. Piece by piece, as you unlock the mysteries of this world."
Toki's eyes dropped to the table. "Does this castle have a name?"
She nodded. "It does. This... is the Castle of Mirrors."
He looked up slowly. "Why mirrors?"
"Because everything here reflects something hidden inside you," she said.
The woman's voice was calm, yet its gravity filled the entire chamber as she leaned forward, her silver hair catching the dim crimson light of the blood moon above.
"Toki, you must understand that what lies before you is not merely a place or a castle. It is a realm—ancient beyond comprehension, older than time itself. A realm born from the very fabric of the Abyss, woven from the chaos that swirls beneath the surface of all existence. It is a reflection, a mirror… but one that reveals not just the world around you, but the depths within your soul."
She paused for a moment, letting her words sink into the vast silence. Then she continued, her eyes piercing through the shadows like two shards of polished obsidian.
"This Castle of Mirrors was created not by a god as you or I would conceive, but something far beyond mortal understanding. A consciousness that exists both within and outside of reality—a being of endless power and mystery. It shaped this realm as a prison, a sanctuary, and a throne room all at once."
Her fingers brushed lightly over the black book resting on the table, and it pulsed faintly under her touch, as if alive.
"The Red Priest—the last mortal master of this castle—was a man unlike any other. He held the rare ability to wield the Creator's will itself, to command the threads of this realm as if they were extensions of his own will. He was feared not only by mortals but even by the gods, who recognized the power he held."
She let out a soft, almost wistful sigh. . He saw in you a spark, a connection that ran deeper than time or blood. On the day you were born, he declared you his heir—the one chosen to carry forward the legacy of the castle and the Abyss."
Toki's eyes narrowed, searching her face for truth. "If that's so… why can't I understand the book? Why do the cards make no sense to me? Why does this place feel like a puzzle I cannot solve?"
The woman smiled, a sad smile that seemed to carry the weight of centuries. "Because, Toki, you are still awakening. The book and the cards are written in a language that can only be read by one who has fully embraced the truth of this realm—and the truth of himself. The Red Priest left behind the knowledge, but it is locked away behind your own fears and doubts. Until you grow beyond them, the secrets will remain hidden."
She tapped a delicate finger against the edge of the table, where tarot-like cards lay spread in an arc.
"These cards are more than mere tools of fortune—they are keys, maps, and weapons. Half of the deck is in your possession. The other half lies lost in the hidden corners of this realm, in places that defy time and space. To unlock their power, you must find them—and learn to see beyond the illusions."
Toki's brow furrowed. "And the seals—the seven seals I carried. One disappeared after my first visit here. Why?"
Her gaze darkened. "Those seals are symbols of your connection to this realm, bindings that both protect and limit you. Each seal holds a fragment of your soul linked to the Abyss. When all seven are broken, you will gain dominion over this place—and perhaps, over the mysteries hidden beneath the Sea of Chaos itself."
She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "But beware, for breaking those seals is not without cost. Each one released draws you deeper into the Abyss, closer to a fate from which few return."
The chamber seemed to grow colder as her words settled. "You stand at a crossroads, Toki. This realm bends to your will, but it also tests you. The path forward is treacherous—and filled with shadows of the past, present, and future."
Her eyes locked onto his, unwavering. "You are special, Toki. Chosen not just by the Red Priest, but by forces older than the stars. You carry a destiny woven into the very fabric of this realm. What you do next will echo beyond the boundaries of time itself."
Toki said nothing.
He sat on the throne, his mind a storm of thoughts and feelings, silently processing all he had just heard.
Slowly, deliberately, he shuffled the deck of ancient cards before him. Each card bore a symbol, a story, a possible future. He let his fingers hover, then pulled the first card from the deck and laid it on the table, sliding it forward toward the woman standing before him.
The woman's eyes, sharp and unwavering, locked on the card. "The Empress," she said, her voice firm yet calm.
Toki nodded slowly. "No matter what my destiny is, what I am, or who I am… first and foremost, I will place Utsuki — the one who pulled me from the darkness, the one whose smile no palace of mystery could ever fake."
He met the woman's gaze. "Let the wish of the Red Priest be granted, but I will place humanity and their suffering above all else."
She studied him for a long moment, then said, "You are exactly like him. All the suffering and loneliness he endured... His struggle continues through your will and madness. He gave everything for his people."
With that, she drew another card and placed it next to the Empress's. "The Red Emperor. He fought for his people, for the love of his life, and perhaps for something more. He bore the darkness of this world and tried to light it."
Toki's voice was steady, resolute. "No matter the madness and decay the world bears, for it I am willing to cast myself into the deepest shadows. I have nothing to offer but my body and my love—but with that, I am ready to break and remake reality until I create a world where no sacrifice is necessary."
The woman nodded solemnly. "The Red Priest almost became a god — one who tried to balance the abyss and the world, a god who did not lose his humanity even in his last breath. Your path will be filled with suffering, loneliness, and madness. You will lose yourself."
Toki did not flinch. "Someone must take responsibility. Someone must bring light to this world."
He drew another card, this one shimmering like a radiant star. "I am the star that will bring light to the world. A star only shines when surrounded by darkness."
For the first time, the woman allowed a faint smile to cross her lips before she slowly vanished into the mist.
Toki's fingers trembled as he held the final card in his hand. He laid it down carefully on the table. It was a sword.
"Before I am a god," he whispered, "I am a knight."
He closed his eyes for a long moment. When he opened them again, dawn was breaking, casting soft golden light through the window.
Beside the bed rested his staff—apparently, he had brought it with him.
A faint smile touched his lips as he looked out the window.
"Today is the great day," he murmured softly.
"The day of the first royal selection meeting."