The sharp clang of clashing blades reverberated through the vast training hall. The sound bounced off the high stone walls, filling the chamber with a rhythm like the beating of their hearts.
Kazimir and Selis moved in a relentless, fluid exchange of attacks and parries, their figures illuminated by flickering candlelight. The knight statues that lined the walls stood as silent spectators, their hollow eyes unblinking, watching the duel unfold.
Kazimir was like a dancing shadow, weaving between strikes, shifting through darkness, striking from unexpected angles. Selis, in contrast, was unshakable as fire, her silver armor gleaming, her every movement precise and unrelenting.
It had been months since they had first fought here. Months since she had first tested his limits. Back then, a single strike from her blade had sent him sprawling. Now, Kazimir could stand his ground. More than that, he could push back.
Selis no longer corrected his mistakes as often; now, she praised his skill with brief nods or flickers of approval in her pale silver eyes.
Now, he could fight multiple knight statues at once and still win.
The duel continued. Kazimir moved with instinctive precision, loosing arrows in rapid succession while simultaneously parrying Selis's strikes with his daggers. The shadows around him twisted and pulsed, mirroring his every movement, an extension of his will.
Yet Selis was relentless. She deflected every strike, burned away every arrow with a mere flick of her fingers.
Kazimir tried weaving shadow tendrils to restrain her, but she burned it away before they could get a hold of her.
"Not bad," she said in her regal voice, her tone as calm as ever.
Then, without warning, she snapped her fingers.
A burst of white fire erupted behind him. The brilliant flame devoured every shadow, erasing the darkness in an instant. Kazimir staggered, suddenly exposed, suddenly visible.
Before he could react, Selis stepped out from the fire, her large figure casting a long shadow over him.
Cold steel touched his shoulder.
Kazimir looked up, his breath heavy, his heart pounding.
Selis met his gaze, then smiled, just slightly.
"You are ready," she said.
"The hunt will be tomorrow," she continued, lowering her sword. "Rest for the remainder of the day."
With that, she turned and walked away, her heavy footsteps echoing through the vast, empty hall.
Kazimir watched her go before exhaling slowly. His body ached, but it was a satisfying ache, the kind that came after pushing himself beyond his limits.
Instead of heading to his room, he focused on the shadows around the observatory tower and slipped into them. In the blink of an eye, the world shifted.
The cold stone of the training hall melted away, replaced by the vast open space of the Observatory Tower, the highest and furthest point of the Castle.
Before him stretched an endless jungle of greenery and life. And above it was shone the moon, surrounded by countless stars.
The castle was only able to appear in worlds where the moon shone.
It took a while for Kazimir to grow used to the fact that It was always night outside, however with his affinity towards shadows increased because of his cloak, he could comfortably see in the dark.
Massive trees, colossal mushrooms, and twisting vines filled the landscape, their canopies illuminated by silver moonlight. The sky above was a canvas of stars, each one reflected in the vast pools of water scattered throughout the forest. Tiny orbs of coloured light drifted lazily through the branches, fireflies.
Kazimir let out a quiet breath.
This was the world they would be hunting in.
According to Selis, a world this full of life meant they were at the top of the food chain, nothing stronger had yet come to hunt them.
Reaching into his cloak, Kazimir pulled out the silver pocket watch Selis had given him. It showed the position of the moon.
A 10-degree angle. They had already spent a couple weeks here. That meant they had a few months left before the castle shifted again.
When the moon went down, and moonlight left the world, the castle would change dimensions again. Moving to a world where there was moonlight.
He had spent so long adjusting to the unnatural rhythm of the castle, training every day, growing stronger under Selis's tutelage.
At first, he hadn't understood her stoic expressions. But over time, he had learned to read the small shifts in her gaze, the subtle flickers of approval, the unspoken weight behind her words.
And to his surprise, she was pleased with him more and more.
Kazimir sat down on the edge of the observatory, watching the world below. He memorized the layout, the patterns of movement, the shifting lights of fireflies, preparing himself for what lay ahead.
For his first hunt.
Eventually, he shook himself from his thoughts.
Dinner.
Selis never asked him to help, nor did she expect him to. But she had saved his life. Trained him. Protected him. The least he could do was help cook for her.
He stood up, stretching, just as a glimmer of light caught his eye.
Something reflected the moonlight from behind a stack of heavy curtains in the corner of the observatory.
Frowning, Kazimir stepped closer.
The light gleamed off lacquered wood. A frame.
A painting.
Curious, he reached out and pulled back the curtain.
A colossal painting stood before him, reaching all the way to the ceiling.
He had to take a step back just to take it all in.
And when he finally did, his breath caught in his throat.