—Chapter 1—
Fog covered the forest like a thick blanket, hiding the path ahead. Every step the two women took sank into the wet ground, boots soaked with mud. The taller one held her bowgun tight, scanning the trees for any sign of movement while beside her, the other girl limped, clutching her bleeding arm close to her chest.
They had been running for hours, but the forest never seemed to end. Everywhere they looked: dark trees, wet soil, and the sound of wind moving through the branches. Mud splashed on their cloaks as they pushed forward, afraid to stop.
Then they heard it again.
Growls. Low and broken.
The zombie wolves were close.
Claws scraped against roots and stones as the creatures ran, their skin frozen and pale, white eyes shining faintly through the mist. Every sound they made carried through the cold air, getting closer each second.
"Keep moving," the guard said, her voice firm but shaking at the edges.
"I can't," the wounded girl gasped. "My leg..."
"Then lean on me."
The guard wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulder and helped her walk. The ground sloped upward, tree roots twisting under the mud, and behind them, the growls grew louder. More of the creatures were following, and the air itself seemed to tighten around them.
They moved as fast as they could until they reached a wall of stone: a cliff, tall and rough.
A dead end.
"No," the guard whispered, chest tightening as the sound of claws came again, closer this time. From the fog, five wolves appeared, spreading out slowly until the two women were surrounded.
The guard raised her bowgun and aimed at the nearest wolf, hands trembling, but she forced herself to stay still. When she pulled the trigger, the shot missed and hit the dirt.
The wolves moved closer, slow and careful, and the wounded girl grabbed the guard's arm, voice shaking.
"I'm sorry... I'm slowing you down."
"Quiet," the guard said, eyes locked on the beasts.
One wolf crouched, ready to jump.
But before it could move, a sharp whistle cut through the fog.
An arrow flew past them and hit the wolf straight in the head, dropping it instantly. Another arrow followed, then another, each one striking clean until only two wolves were left. They growled softly, backing away into the mist.
Footsteps echoed nearby.
Out of the fog came a tall man wearing black armor, the metal old but strong, marked with scratches from battles long past. A dark cloak hung from his shoulders, wet from the mist, and in his hands, a longbow still ready to fire.
"Are you two alright?" His voice was calm and deep, carrying strangely through his helmet.
The women didn't answer and just stared, frozen in place.
The man lowered his bow and stepped closer. "You're hurt," he said, looking at the younger woman's bleeding arm. "Follow me. We need to treat that wound."
Before they could speak, a deep growl rolled through the fog behind him, and two large shapes appeared: wolves, but much bigger. Gray and white fur glowed faintly like ice in the moonlight as they walked slowly around the women, teeth bared, but they didn't attack.
"Stop, Emara," the man said in a firm, steady voice. "Don't scare them."
At once, the wolves backed off and sat beside him like well-trained guards.
The two women stared at the creatures, hearts hammering. The guard whispered, "Princess... are those... direwolves? Like in the old stories?"
"Don't speak, Lumen," the princess said softly, still staring.
The man turned to them. "It's fine. You're right; they are direwolves."
The women exchanged a quick glance as behind them, the forest stirred again. Faint howls drifted through the mist, farther away but getting louder.
"Let's go," the man said as he turned and started walking.
The two women followed, unsure if they were walking toward safety or something worse. The direwolves followed too, one beside the man, the other behind them, watching every move.
They walked in silence, only the sound of their steps and the quiet breathing of the wolves breaking the still air. The fog grew thicker the deeper they went, wrapping around the trees until only shadows were left.
The princess glanced at the man walking ahead, his armor looking heavy, but he moved easily, like he'd worn it all his life. It wasn't rusty like old knight armor she'd seen before; the metal looked smooth and dark, built with skill she'd never seen.
She finally found her voice. "Forgive my guard's behavior, my lord. She didn't mean any disrespect."
"It's alright," the man replied without looking back. "She was only curious."
The forest began to change as they walked, trees growing farther apart, and the fog turned so thick that even the ground faded from view. Every few moments, faint sounds reached them: metal scraping, chains clinking, but they couldn't tell where it came from. Each sound vanished as quickly as it appeared.
Lumen, the guard, broke the silence. "Your armor... it's unlike anything I've seen. Are you from the capital?"
The man was quiet for a moment, then said, "No. You could say I came from somewhere far away."
Lumen was about to ask more, but the princess glanced at her—a quick, sharp look that said stop talking.
She closed her mouth and looked away, something in the man's voice, and in the princess's eyes, telling her not to ask again.
The princess kept her eyes forward, but she could feel something strange around him. The forest itself seemed to move differently when he walked: quieter, almost like it was watching, and even the fog seemed to pull back from him.
After a while, the sound of the wind changed, no longer whistling between the trees but ringing wide and open. The ground beneath their boots turned firm: stone instead of mud.
Then the mist began to clear.
They stepped out of the forest, and the world opened before them.
A castle stood in the distance, huge, dark, and whole. Its walls were made of black stone that shone faintly under the gray light, the front gate towering high, covered in strange metal patterns they didn't recognize.
No vines grew on its walls, and the stone looked as if it had been built yesterday.
The man stopped halfway across the clearing and looked back at them. "Stay close," he said, then gave a short whistle.
The direwolves ran ahead toward the gates, and as they approached, the iron doors opened on their own with a deep, heavy sound that rolled through the air.
The two women froze, legs shaking as they stared at the massive castle.
"The Black Fortress..." the princess whispered, voice trembling.
Lumen stared, eyes wide. "So it's real..."
The man walked toward the gate without another word, and the two women followed, pulse hammering, unsure if they were walking into safety or danger.
As they stepped inside, the direwolves waited by the entrance like silent guards. The man turned once to glance back at the forest, the fog already closing behind them, covering the path they came from.
Then he walked through the gate.
The women followed, and as soon as they crossed, the doors closed with a deep echo that filled the air.
The forest behind them went quiet, and even the wind had stopped.