*Knock*knock*knock*
Soon after placing my diary into my storage ring. A knock came at my door. I opened it to see who was there, but there was no one there. I closed the door and went back to my bed. At the very least it wasn't another honey trap like the last time.
*Knock*knock*knock*
I went to open the door, but once again I was fooled by some prankster. I couldn't find anyone in the hallway either. Fool me once shame on me, fool me twice shame on you. I waited near the door for someone to knock. and as I suspected.
*Knock*
I flung open the door to catch the prankster, half expecting it to be a small jester out of habit. The person behind the door was a young servant boy. He was surprised at the intensity of which I opened the door with hence he stumbled and fell backward. Seeing his weak and pitiful demeanor was a breath of fresh air after these trying times, hence I will forgive his little tomfoolery, if he stops now.
"Begone child, lest you test my patience."
With that the young servant grew pale with fear. It was strange, normally this reaction would fill me with a sense of superiority. So why is it that I'm growing more agitated looking at his frightened expression? As I moved to close the door, the servant boy reached out to me.
"E-E-Excuse me sir. Th-The city lord is ready for you now."
"Huh? Oh, is that so."
So, he was her to inform me of the meeting with the city lord. How cute. He must have been too nervous to talk to such a grate figure such as I that he ran away before I opened the door.
I followed the young servant down the hall as he led me to a rather large and ornate double door. Expecting to find a grand welcome party in my honor, I was disappointed to find a large gathering of soldiers armed to the teeth, pointing their blades at me.
"What is the meaning of this!?" I said, though in truth, I already knew the answer to that question.
"Ah, how the mighty hath fallen. For you see my ignorant young Lord of darkness, tis I City Lord of Quartsel whom shall claim thine head!" The city lord said while making a number of overdramatic gestures and poses.
Much like many of my allies before him, the city lord had sold me out for the promises of fame and glory given by my enemies.
"Now cease him in the name of lord-"
"Yeah, nobody really cares."
"What the!? How dare you, a plebian such as thou, sit upon mine throne!"
Behind the city lord. The timid servant boy who was standing behind me mere minutes ago, was sitting on the seat of honor fashioned much like a throne. There he sat sipping tea while casually flipping off the city lord.
"CEASE HIM!"
The city lord gestured for the soldiers to capture the young boy, but the moment they tried the lights went out. There were no windows though even if there were It wouldn't do much good, seeing as it's nighttime. All I could gleam was a few sparks in the dark that briefly lit up the room, as the shouts of the soldiers turned to screams, and the screams to silence. Suddenly the lamps lit back up in a red hue and what I witnessed could only be described as a scene straight out of hell itself. The soldiers had been turned into little more than stains on the floor as their bones had been repurposed to decorate the lavish throne room. The crystal chandelier had been replaced with one made out of bones still dripping with blood. The throne had been replaced with a still bleeding pile of severed heads, all showing expressions of fear and pain. On top of this pile sat a short young lady with silver hair and mask, still wearing the clothes of a servant.
"And this is why you're not allowed to wonder off with strangers." She spoke.
"Wha-what have you done!?" The city lord yelled as his rage seemed to turn into fear.
"I redecorated your manor. What else would I be doing?"
"Pft."
Faced with her nonchalant attitude combined with the grotesque reality before me. I couldn't help letting out a chuckle.
"What's so funny?"
"Oh, nothing"
"GUARDS!"
While we were distracted the city lord screamed out for his guards.
"They're all dead."
"You may have gotten rid of the ones stationed in this room."
*knock*
"But there are thousands of soldiers stationed across this manor."
*knock*
"You two can't possibly hope to escape this place-"
*knock*
"AlIVEEAAH!?"
As the city lord was spouting threats at the two, a faint knocking sound could be heard. Growing louder with each knock. On the third knock ghost soldiers started coming through the walls, much to the city lord's terror.
"I told you. They are ALL dead,"
"Ah, AAAAAHHHHH". The city lord panicked as he pushed past me and ran down the hall in terror. His screams could be heard throughout the manor until dawn, only accompanied by the laughter of a certain dark lord.