Bolin Kingdom, Burns Dukedom,
Night, thick as ink, slowly blanketed the black castle atop the cliff. The castle seemed to have risen straight from the abyss, every black brick and stone appearing to tell an ancient secret.
Moonlight danced across the castle's spires, yet it could not pierce the heavy shadows. It could only cast mottled patches of light, lending this silent night an added touch of eeriness.
Around the castle lay a barren expanse of rocky ground. A few twisted trees occasionally grew there with stubborn tenacity, their branches swaying in the wind with a rustling sound, as though whispering of the castle's past. In the distance, a winding path stretched like a thin silver ribbon, linking the castle to the town beyond.
In the darkness, the castle's outline flickered in and out of view. Its towering walls, sharp spires, and tightly shut iron gates all radiated an inviolable majesty. The windows were pitch-black, as if countless eyes were peering out at the world from the shadows, sending chills down one's spine. A breeze swept past, bringing a trace of cold and the scattered lights of the distant town, forming a stark contrast with the lonely castle.
There were scarcely any lights in the entire castle, as though no one lived there at all.
Yet the residents of the town below were not particularly curious about it. Burns Castle had been like this for many years, and they had long grown accustomed to Duke Burns's eccentric ways.
Even so, no one dared offend Duke Burns's authority.
A century of rule had given Duke Burns an extremely firm grasp over this territory.
Still, perhaps that lord did not care about such things.
Within a quiet secret chamber somewhere in the castle, there were no special decorations. Only an exceptionally ornate