She stood almost face to face with him and looked at him.
"Why were you running away?"
"At first, I thought you were an enemy. But then I realized that you are a guest in this dreadful place just like me."
"How did you know that?"
"I felt it. I have a gift."
"You say this is a dreadful place?"
"Yes. Come with me. I will show you."
She led him to the upper floor. Among the statues of terrifying monsters, the girl guided him onward. If he had not sensed that she was as much a prisoner of the castle as he was, one might have thought she was leading him into a trap.
They arrived at a wide balcony overlooking a valley surrounded by a dense forest. Beyond the treetops, the sharp spires of an unfamiliar city could be seen. A crowd of people was running from the forest toward the castle.
"Look," the girl said. "They are guests just like us. Or, to be more precise, victims of the castle just like us."
"Why are they running?"
"They are being chased by riders wearing skull masks and carrying long spears. Or rather, that is what we thought at first—that they were masks. I was one of those who fled from the city. The riders turned out to be horrifying creatures of the Demoness, who drives everyone into this castle through various cunning and inhuman schemes."
As if confirming her words, large armored riders covered in spikes emerged from the forest. Their heads were elongated skulls, and they carried long spears in their hands. Riding black, sinister creatures, they pursued the fleeing crowd.
At the head of the fugitives was a tall, strongly built man with long blond hair and a black leather outfit.
"That is the Ruler of the city," the girl said. "And I am the Witch of the city. There is a conflict between us. He believes that I brought the dark forces upon the city. Since the beginning of the year, I had been telling the townspeople about the Demoness and warning them that she would come for us. Now it has led to him telling everyone that I am connected to the Demoness in some way."
"You said at the beginning of this year?" the Cursed raised an eyebrow. "What happened before that?"
"We don't remember. Our memory lasts only one year. After that, the Demoness and her servants come for us. In the city, only a few families remain, able to continue its existence. I suspect it works in one-year cycles. There must have been a Ruler and a Witch before us as well. And inhabitants. Taken by the Demoness."
Then she said something chilling:
"She will come for us soon. Remember this: when the statues of monsters in the castle begin to come to life, it means the Demoness is approaching and has returned to the castle after a full year of absence."
"But where has she been all this time?"
"Legends say she is the lover of the Demon-King, who took the throne and usurped the rights to the Kingdom. At the end of each year, she comes for numerous human sacrifices in the Ancient Lands, where ancient magic dwells and is especially strong. The Demoness returns to replenish her power and then goes back to the Demon-King, ruling beside him until this kingdom becomes eternal darkness."
The warrior standing beside her stared into the darkness with eyes burning with rage.