Chapter 6 COFFIN

I stumbled through a dense patch of thorny bushes and suddenly broke through the tree line into a massive, moonlit clearing.A ruined gothic castle loomed out of the darkness in front of me. The ancient stone walls were crumbling and covered in thick, creeping ivy, while the tall spires reached up toward the night sky like jagged teeth.

I didn't care who owned the ruins or what might be living inside them, because it was the only shelter I had seen for miles.

I crossed the clearing as fast as my injured leg would allow, keeping my eyes fixed on the massive wooden front doors.

The baying of the hounds erupted from the trees right behind me.

I let out a panicked sob and threw my entire body weight against the rotting wood of the castle doors. The heavy metal hinges shrieked in protest, but the wood gave way just enough for me to slip inside the grand hall.

I pushed the doors shut behind me and leaned my back against the wood, sliding down to the dusty floor as I tried to muffle my ragged breathing.

The grand hall was massive and suffocatingly dark. Moonlight filtered through the shattered stained-glass windows high above, casting long, eerie shadows across the cracked marble floor. The air smelled like dust, decay, and centuries of forgotten history.

The dogs barked wildly right outside the front doors, their sharp claws scratching frantically against the rotting wood.

I had to hide. The doors would not hold them back for long, and there was nowhere to run in this open room.

I pushed myself off the floor and limped deeper into the shadows of the grand hall. I scanned the darkness, desperately searching for a closet, a hidden staircase, or anything that could conceal me.

My eyes landed on a heavy stone sarcophagus tucked away in the darkest corner of the room.

It was a massive, ornate tomb covered in ancient carvings, and a thick iron chain wrapped around the center to keep the lid sealed shut. A heavy, rusted padlock secured the chain in place.

I rushed over to the tomb and grabbed the padlock, pulling on the metal with all my remaining strength. It did not budge, and the rusted iron cut into my already bleeding palms.

"Come on," I whispered, tears of sheer frustration blurring my vision as the dogs threw their heavy bodies against the front doors of the castle.

The wood cracked loudly under the assault.

I let go of the lock and dropped to my knees, frantically searching the rubble on the floor until my fingers brushed against a heavy, loose piece of stone. I grabbed the rock with both hands and stood back up.

I swung the stone as hard as I could and smashed it directly against the rusted padlock.

The loud clang echoed through the silent hall, sounding like a death knell in the darkness. I didn't care about the noise, because the dogs already knew exactly where I was. I brought the rock back and slammed it against the lock a second time.

The rusted metal groaned, but it still held fast.

The castle doors splintered loudly, and I knew I only had a few seconds left before the pack burst into the room. I raised the heavy stone above my head and brought it down on the padlock with a desperate, furious scream.

The iron lock finally shattered.

The heavy chains slipped off the sides of the sarcophagus and crashed onto the marble floor. I dropped the rock and wedged my bleeding fingers into the narrow gap between the stone base and the heavy lid.

I pushed with everything I had left. The stone ground harshly against stone, resisting my efforts, but I managed to shove the lid just far enough to create a small opening.

The inside of the tomb was pitch black. I leaned over the gap, intending to slip my legs inside and hide in the darkness before the hounds breached the hall.

A freezing cold hand shot out of the pitch-black opening.

Long, pale fingers violently wrapped around my throat and squeezed.

I choked, dropping my hands to pry at the iron grip, but the hand held me locked in place with a terrifying, unnatural strength. The sheer force of the grip dragged me downward until my face was hovering mere inches above the dark gap.

A pair of glowing, crimson eyes slowly opened in the darkness of the coffin.

I stared into those lethal eyes, my heart freezing in my chest as the monster below me finally spoke.

"I do not care what kind of creature you are, little thief," a deep, velvet voice murmured from the shadows, "but you have just broken into my tomb... and I am absolutely starving."