I paced back and forth in front of the castle gates. Stressing the situation that runt got me in.


    When I wanted to meet whoever owns the piece of land on which that new raid dungeon formed, I was expecting to sweet talk a noble or appease the dark court.


    What I wasn''t expecting was an audience with the emperor, the dark lord, his majesty in the flesh. I still have no idea how that runt managed to arrange this, that is actually impressive.


    But he said they wanted to turn him down until he mentioned it is related to guild business so I''m probably double fucked.


    Not only will I be before his majesty but I will negotiate guild business with him. Me! A hall lady! I haven''t even become a master- I mean mistress!


    Just calm down. All I have to do is keep up formal speech and... pray, or would that offend him? Would he even know? He probably met, and devoured, a number of clerics while being the dark lord.


    What do I even say!? "Oh hey there dark lord, wanna give me this patch of land? I promise to send you an offering of human livers every month."?


    I stopped as I heard the lock of the gate click and for a moment I thought my heart stopped with with my steps. I felt no relief as I heard my heart beat again. Each beat of my heart felt like it made my skull flinch, my ears rang with a pressure as if they wanted to jump off and run away.


    I took one step towards the castle gates and I felt my stomach churn. A sensation of terror growing in my abdomen holding on to me with clawed hands, begging me not to go.


    I moved my hand to the gate but halted, after a bit of consideration I put my hands together and spoke a quiet prayer.


    "By the foul maiden, rot my flesh and spoil my blood. For when they kill me they will have nothing to feast on."Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    I put my hand on the right wing of the gate and pushed it open with a creek of a sound.


    It is way too light for its size.


    I stepped past the gate and was greeted with total darkness, I couldn''t see my own body when I looked down. I couldn''t hear my steps clack against the stone floor.


    "Welcome, you must be hall lady Peiki Zerak."


    I looked over to see a figure in servant attire holding a torch, A cheap brown suit with matching pants. However, I could not make out his(?) face as he is wearing a black mask only showing his mouth.


    "That I am, yes."


    He paused for a moment, as if waiting for deeper confirmation.


    "Right, follow me then. Oh, and make some sort of noise when the darkness overpowers the torchlight."


    He then walked down the stone hall as if he didn''t just give me the most ominous heads up.


    I of course followed after him, not wanting to touch the darkness.


    I took like three steps and then I could see that the torch illuminated less and less in front of us.


    The darkness was gradually coming closer.


    "It''s getting close! Do something!"


    I yelled out with way more desperation than I intended while violently shaking the man meant to guide me.


    "This soon? You truly chose an unfortunate day to visit, milady. Please calm down milady. Just take my hand and you''ll be fine."


    I looked down at his hand, outstretched into my direction, then I looked up at the masked man again. I shook him a bit more before I grasped his hand.


    I could not see my legs anymore, a pitch blackness climbs my height gradually. No, it is not targeting me. The torchlight is its prey, I am merely in the way.


    It didn''t take long for my vision to fade, more like the light was engulfed in darkness which left me in the dark.


    I silently... I didn''t do anything except let myself be guided by hand. What am I even supposed to do? I''m in the dark lords castle, one of the most dangerous places to be, blinded and at the mercy of a stranger, hoping that he actually knows where he is going.


    I will kill that dog of a man with my own hands.


    "What is that noise?"


    "... ignore it, you truly chose an unfortunate day."


    Can you answer the fucking question?


    Nothing, that is the only answer I get.


    I got nothing as an answer when the darkness surrounded us.


    I got nothing as an answer when weird noises echoed through the halls.


    A door opened in front of us, probably opened by my guide, and I still got nothing as an answer.


    He seated me on a cushioned seat, could ?e a couch or could be the corpse of a fat guy.


    And I still got nothing as an answer.


    I put my hands together for what might be my last prayer.


    "By my bloods name, let maggots and worms writhe within me. For when they leave me to rot, it shall poison their crops."