Inside the Castle, the environment was actually better than Sunny had been expecting.
The moment they passed through the gates, the oppressive squalor of the Outer Settlement seemed to peel away, replaced by something closer to rough order. The stone beneath their feet was worn smooth by countless steps, but it was intact, free of the deep cracks and creeping rot that plagued the structures outside. Thick pillars rose to support the high ceiling, their surfaces etched with old tool marks and faded carvings that hinted at a forgotten purpose. Dim witchlights were set into iron sconces along the walls, casting a steady glow that banished most of the shadows and made ambushes far less convenient.
Sunny noticed that immediately.
Too few blind spots, he thought. Whoever designed this place knew exactly what they were doing.
The entry hall was broad, deliberately so, funneling newcomers through a space that offered no easy cover. Guards were stationed at regular intervals, not clustered together but spaced just far enough apart to support one another if trouble broke out. Sunny counted them out of habit, noting their sightlines, the angles of their spears, and the fact that most carried secondary weapons at their belts.
Professional, he grudgingly admitted.
Nephis walked at the front, her posture relaxed but alert, silver hair catching the light in a way that made her impossible to ignore. Sunny suspected that was half the point. Anyone watching would focus on her first. Cassie stayed close, one hand resting lightly against Nephis's arm, her steps measured and careful. Sunny lingered just behind them, eyes constantly shifting, cataloging exits, stairwells, and choke points.
The Castle was not a single structure so much as a compact city enclosed within stone walls. Corridors branched off from the main hall, each marked with carved symbols that denoted their purpose. One led to residential quarters, where long, narrow rooms were stacked atop one another, each fitted with simple bunks and storage niches carved directly into the stone. Sunny noted the narrow doorways and low ceilings.
Defensible, he thought. Easy to barricade. Hard to rush in numbers.
Another corridor opened into the Cafeteria, a cavernous chamber dominated by long stone tables polished smooth by use. The smell of cooked meat and boiled grain hung in the air, not pleasant exactly, but far better than the rancid scraps Sunny had grown accustomed to outside. People sat in loose groups, eating, talking, watching newcomers with open curiosity or thinly veiled suspicion.
Sunny scanned the room, immediately noting the raised dais at the far end. A natural command position. From there, someone could oversee the entire hall, issue orders, or turn the space into a killing ground if necessary. The exits were limited, deliberately narrow compared to the size of the room.
Nephis noticed it too. He saw her eyes flick briefly toward the dais, then to the exits, her expression unreadable.
They moved on.
The Memory Market occupied a wide circular chamber with stalls arranged in concentric rings. Crystals, weapons, fragments of armor, and strange, half-understood artifacts were displayed behind reinforced counters. Artisans worked openly here, their tools laid out with care, guarded not just by armed sentries but by the very geometry of the room. Sunny traced the pattern in his mind.
Circular spaces are dangerous, he thought. Too many angles. Too much exposure.
Still, it was efficient. Buyers could be watched, sellers protected, and any sudden violence would be immediately visible from multiple vantage points.
Cassie slowed here, her brow furrowing slightly. "There are… many people watching us," she murmured softly.
"That's normal," Sunny replied under his breath. "We're new."
Nephis said nothing, but her stride never faltered.
They passed training yards next, open courtyards where Guards and Hunters sparred under the watchful eyes of instructors. The clang of steel rang out sharply, echoing against the stone walls. Sunny took in the weapons, the styles, the way fighters rotated in and out. It was not elegant, but it was practical.
"They're trained to fight in groups," Sunny whispered. "Not duelists." It made snse, since everthing they hunted in this City would be stronger than them individually anyways, and they would rely on teamwork for the most part. Focusing on improving group strength and cohesion was more beneficial than one person leading the pack.
"Good," Nephis answered quietly. "That means their individual weaknesses are easier to exploit."
Further in, they found administrative chambers, storage vaults, and guarded stairwells that descended into deeper levels of the Castle. Those, Sunny noted, were far more heavily defended. Fewer entrances, thicker doors, more Guards. Whatever lay below was important.
Or dangerous.
By the time they returned to the central thoroughfare, Sunny had built a rough mental map of the Castle's upper levels. It was a fortress designed not just to keep monsters out, but to keep people in line. Order through structure. Control through architecture.
As they paused beneath one of the great pillars, Sunny glanced at Nephis and Cassie.
"Well," he said quietly, "if a fight breaks out, this place will be hell."
Nephis nodded once. "Which means," she replied, "we will need to choose very carefully where and when we make our stand."
Cassie tightened her grip on Nephis's sleeve, her face pale but resolute. The trio had already understood that some form of conflict was inevitable, if only because Gunlaug had no interest in returning to the Waking World, but neither Sunny nor Nephis were content to sit here and rot away. They couldn't take the Crimson Spire by themselves, so they would need an army-and would likely have to take it by force.
And Sunny, looking up at the towering stone walls and carefully placed lights, felt a familiar prickle of unease crawl up his spine.
He had felt like someone had been watching him ever since he had stepped inside.
"Lady Changing Star?" a hesitant voice rang out, making several people slow their steps and glance around in curiosity at the strange title.
When their eyes landed on Nephis—her silver hair catching the Castle's witchlight, her calm, luminous presence impossible to miss—whispers rippled outward almost instantly. Heads turned. Conversations faltered. A few Sleepers straightened unconsciously, as though sensing something sharp and dangerous had entered their midst.
The trio turned as well, and Sunny couldn't help the scowl that tugged at his face.
Caster Han Li was approaching them.