Atheria pressed herself against the bookrack, her heart pounding loudly in her chest. She waited for the shadow to draw nearer, her muscles tense, ready to react. Finally, as the shadow moved close enough, she made her move.With a swift and determined motion, Atheria lunged out from her cover, brandishing her short sword, and shouted, "Who's there?"But to her astonishment, as she swung her blade through the shadow, she felt nothing but air. There was no resistance, no figure to confront.Perplexed and a bit shaken, she glanced around the dimly lit library, her eyes darting in every direction. There was no one there. It was as if the shadow had simply dissipated into thin air.At that very moment, high above, the snake Bloodhound had been hunting slowly descended from a bookshelf. Its forked tongue flickered as it sensed the surroundings, adding an eerie presence to the already unsettling atmosphere.“Neela…” A whisper hung in the air, and Atheria remained unflinching. Atheria's eyes

Bloodhound, fueled by his relentless determination, chased after the elusive shadows in search of Roland's spirit."Where did that damn knight go?" he roared, his voice echoing through the desolate castle.His pursuit led him to an open battleground just outside the castle's imposing walls. Relentless rain poured from the sky, drenching the ground below. The battleground was strewn with a collection of dummies and rusted swords and armor, a haunting reminder of battles long past."A training ground for the knights, I assume," Bloodhound mused to himself as he surveyed the scene. To his astonishment, the rain-soaked training ground held more secrets than he could have imagined. Ghostly figures, composed of shimmering, ephemeral dust, moved with precision and grace as they practiced their combat skills on the dummies.As Bloodhound approached, he overheard the spectral soldiers engaged in a conversation about their former lord."Did I ever tell you about the time the Duke single-handedl

“Three months have passed since Rosaline and I agreed to work together to rid Mayana of the evil entity that clings to her. I can barely find time to write in my diary. These three months feel wasted as I sense we've made no progress in saving Mayana and Roland. I've had to keep a watchful eye on Roland, and I fear that Mayana and he suspect me of becoming a tyrant. If only I could reveal the truth to them,” Atheria read from the duke's journal.“Finally, there's a glimmer of hope on the horizon – a rogue mage well-versed in dealing with malevolent spirits. It took a significant favor to locate this mage, and when I told Rosaline about our discovery, she was just as elated as I am. Tomorrow, we shall meet this mage,” Atheria continued, flipping to the next page with great curiosity.“Fate appears to be playing a cruel game with us. The mage we were meant to meet met an unfortunate end – bitten by a snake. Rosaline made every effort to extract the venom from his body, but she failed. I

Atheria's voice trembled as she stuttered, "Ro-Rosaline? How... how is it possible?"But before any answers could be given, Rosaline, or whatever malevolent force now controlled her form, silenced Atheria with a resounding slap across the face. Atheria reeled from the blow, her cheek burning with pain.Bloodhound, not spared from Rosaline's wrath, received a powerful slap as well. The force of the blow sent him crashing into one of the massive pillars that lined the throne hall. Atheria and Bloodhound, now both dazed and disoriented, found themselves suspended by an invisible force that bound them tightly to the very pillars they collided with.Growling in frustration, they strained against the unseen restraints, their muscles bulging with effort as they struggled to break free. Their eyes, filled with determination and defiance, locked onto Rosaline's malevolent form as they sought a way to escape her clutches."It was me all along! There was never any evil spirit!" Rosaline's voice

With Bloodhound defeated and Duke Dregan locked in a fierce battle against Roland, there was nothing to prevent the malevolent spirit of Rosaline from seizing control of Atheria's body."Such young flesh... all mine..." Rosaline's voice oozed with chilling malevolence as her spectral form transformed into a wisp of smoky darkness, darting straight into Atheria's vulnerable form.Atheria growled, her senses assaulted by a vile taste and a nauseating stench. But her body was unresponsive; she felt as if she were caged within her own flesh, another, far more sinister presence now in control."HAHAHAHA," echoed Rosaline's eerie laughter, her possession of Atheria's body complete this time. The first instance had been only a partial takeover, but now Rosaline had full dominion."I am complete!" Rosaline's triumphant roar reverberated through the castle, chilling the very stones.Atheria's once vibrant blue eyes turned into ghostly, vacant orbs, their light extinguished."Get out of my body