"Don't look away, Sir Knight," a voice purred from the shadows.
The world blurred. The stone walls dissolved into a lush garden. The knight’s heavy plate armor felt like silk pajamas. For a moment, the mission, the Order, and the world outside the castle walls seemed like a distant, dusty memory. Castle of Temptation [Ongoing] - Version: 0.3.3a
"I didn't come for the throne or the girl," Kaelen said, his voice rasping. "Don't look away, Sir Knight," a voice purred
Kaelen gripped the hilt of his blade. He felt the familiar pull of the castle’s aura, a mechanical drain on his resolve. He checked his status. His Spirit was high, but his Fatigue was climbing. The 0.3.3a update had introduced a lingering exhaustion mechanic—even if he resisted the illusions, the sheer effort of staying sane was wearing him down. The knight’s heavy plate armor felt like silk pajamas
"Then why are you here?" Lyra asked, stopping inches from his face. "Is it for the power? To be the one who finally reaches the top of the spire and claims the Core?"
She reached out, her fingers brushing the cold steel of his chest plate. Kaelen felt a surge of heat where she touched him. A prompt appeared in his vision: .
Kaelen bit his tongue until he tasted copper. The sharp pain acted like a tether, pulling him back to the cold reality of the Hall. He activated his Aura of Purity , a skill he’d leveled through dozens of previous failures. A burst of blue light forced Lyra back, her hiss echoing against the glass.