The Ghoul and the Priest

The spiral staircase seemed endless.

Ian, transformed into a Raven, followed silently, always keeping to the shadows thirty steps behind. His Raven's Eye did more than let him see; he was also secretly casting an obscure spell known as "Path Trace"—every seven steps, he left behind an almost invisible silver rune in the air, as though marking some pattern.

That was simply the wisdom of erring on the side of caution.

Ian had to be prepared for accidents at any moment. He noticed that the moss growing on the walls was not distributed at random—every seven steps, there was an unusually dense patch.

This moss had not grown naturally. Every seven steps, there was an especially thick clump, slightly oval in shape, with faintly glowing edges.

Together, they resembled some form of counting, but also suggested something being born, tied to the number seven—a number associated with magical artifacts in the world of Harry Potter.

At the end of the spiral staircase, cold, damp air rushed toward them, carrying a strange stench of decay and cloying sweetness. The Ghost Bride dragged the Scepter Priest by his ankle, leaving a winding trail of blood across the moss-covered stone steps. The priest's white robe had long since been torn to shreds. His withered fingers clawed desperately at the cracks between the stones, his nails splitting and tearing without him even noticing.

"No, please... I can do many things for you. I'm useful." The priest's voice was so hoarse it barely sounded human, and his single eye was bloodshot.

The Ghost Bride showed no reaction. Her red bridal veil and gown gave off a blood-colored gleam in the gloom. Her steps were mechanical yet precise, each one landing exactly on the densest node of moss. Ian's Raven form glided soundlessly overhead, his sharp