CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Along the way, Woohyun has told me every details of what had happened during the encounter with Thamuz the devil. My mind can't still process that I have been gone in Verboden for two months yet I've only stayed in the mortal realm for five days and travelled here for four days—that was almost ten days in total. The faerie realm is indeed magical, just imagine, ten days is miraculously equivalent to two freaking months? How come dude? What kind of sorcery just happened? I guess I don't want to know. 

Woohyun said that Thamuz has been in here all along growing his own armies within the isolated island in the middle of Verboden. Through the stolen magical fragments from the six grand dukes and some sort of ancient form of magic, the devil was able to hide his growing armies from the eyes of his enemies and he had chosen to reveal himself when the final day of the said bargain has came and ended.

I was also told that Myungsoo did not gave in just easily to the devil which explained the blood stains inside the court. It was Myungsoo's and the two of them got engaged in bloody fight but since the grand duke's magic was reduced almost into nothing, Thamuz ended up as the winner. As a result, he took the grand duke along with all the members of the court to his castle to make them as his slaves.

I've decided to rode all day which I was glad Woohyun did not contradicted. I really wanted to get to the devil's lair as soon as posible, though I know that it's too late yet I still want to give it a try. Who knows, perhaps I could still save them from hell.

When the thickness of the night came, the two of us reached the Vernal Court and we decided to spend the rest of the night planning. We built a makeshift tent half hidden in the bush and from here, we could easily detect the movement of the sentries from the castle. 

"Going near the vicinity of the castle is a suicide and I don't want to further risk our necks, Naeun. I suggest that we make a plan on how we could sneak inside." Woohyun started as I fetch some bread and cheese from my ragsack. 

"I know, I know. We have the whole night for that but can we just eat first? At least if I'm going to die, it's not because of starvation." He only gave me a chuckle while shaking his head.

With that, I jokingly pass some food to him which he gladly take. Then I proceed in scanning the castle, it is entirely isolated. How did they able to went inside if there is no bridge connecting it from the other lands? This is ridiculous. 

"Naeun," I heard Woohyun called my name, "I want you to focus and observe the surroundings of the castle."

"Why?"

"You see no bridge, right? Maybe there is some sort of magic concealing it or like a time rotation when the bridge will appear."

I didn't consider refusing and I did what I have been told. I stayed awake almost the entire night waiting for the magical bridge to appear but despite of waiting for too long, the surroundings remained just the same. And as the night gets deeper and deeper, I can slowly feel the weariness dragging me down to sleep. Ten minutes—I need to doze off at least ten minutes so I could somehow regain some energy but ten became thirty, and thirty became an hour. I can no longer stand it so I completely doze off to my deep slumber. 

There were too much noise around; sounds of hooves scratching from the ground, voices of men shouting, and scraping of metals in every direction. I slowly opened my eyes and saw the rich periwinkle color of the skies with a tinge of golden strips of rays, it is almost sunrise. Still sleepy, I tried to feel my surroundings but I eventually come into senses as I heard Woohyun shouted my name in panic.

"Naeun! Get the hell away from here!" I look around and saw Woohyun fighting with three corpse looking creature and from my left, there are another two trying to advance towards me. ", Naeun run!" 

But I didn't. I found a discarded sword on the ground and grab it, then I went to Woohyun side while swinging blindly towards our attacker. "I won't leave you here alone! We went here together and we will escape this together."

"But you do not know how to fight!" 

"Well at least I can hold a sword. That matters."

"Damn you, Naeun. Stubborn mortal girl."

"This mortal girl might just save your , faerie bo—" I didn't get a chance to finish what I am saying because another corpse looking creature pounded and found its claws into my arm. I abruptly let go of the sword and scream. It hurts and I am bleeding!

", , ! Naeun!" Woohyun rushed towards me but a new group of the corpse creatures swarm at him making it impossible to reach my side.

There were to many of them and they are still multiplying. It was indeed a suicide in trying to get into the devil's castle and I am starting lose hope. A group of corpse creatures also finds its way towards me, claws are sratching my skin and every contact it made stings. Tears starts flowing my eyes, I tried calling for Woohyun but my voice became muffled by the sounds of these creatures are making. My sight were dimming and my breath is starting to hitch. I would not make it, I am going to die!

I put all my remaining energy on every kicks and punches that I gave to my attackers but it was never enough, they were too many and it's draining me. With one final blow to the creature in front of me, I pass out and everything eventually became blank. 

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I came back into my senses as I felt freezing waters touched my skin and saw a familiar leathery skin of the winged creature back in the Spring Feast. Both of my hands were bound. I look around and found Woohyun several feets away from me also bounded.

I assume that we are inside the castle because the room is surrounded by the blackest stone that I have seen, and when I in a deep breath, strong scent of magic and decaying flesh fills up my nose that I almost puke. 

The bat-like creature yank me into my feet, I scream as I felt the stinging of the fresh wounds and scratches that I got from the creatures. "Damn it, take it easy bat boy!" I angrily told the one handling me. 

"I'm not a bat, mortal! My kind is a wyvwalker."

"Bat or wyvwalker, I don't care! Let me go you ugly creature!" 

"Shut up. I shall bring you to my master. Anyone who tried sneaking up to him deserves punishment espacially a mortal like you!"

The wyvwalker kept its tight grip into my bound hands and drag me into the dark icy hallways. I throw a look at my side every now and then to check on Woohyun and I saw