William glared at Meg, who was riding his horse while Will followed on foot. "Comfortable?"
Meg smiled. "Very much."
Will huffed. "We could've shared the horse instead of dragging me along like a servant."
Grinning, Meg retorted, "Then I wouldn't be comfortable anymore."
Will muttered under his breath, "Makes sense. How much farther?"
"Not much," Meg replied.
Will looked ahead, down the barren road that stretched into the darkness. Without the moonlight, they would have had no chance of continuing.
"You said the same thing hours ago," Will groaned.
Meg replied, "You complain too much."
"And you would too if these rocks tore up your feet," Will snapped.
He wasn't wrong. The path was littered with sharp stones that dug into his feet with every step.
"Maybe you could talk a bit to take your mind off it," Meg suggested.
"About what?" Will asked.
Meg thought for a moment. "What's life like in Ozhem?"
"Ozhem is beautiful... The sun shines brighter there than anywhere else. Spring lasts longer, and the summers are cool. Swimming in the Shining River is the best way to refresh yourself. But I love Ozhem's winters the best." Will said after a short pause.
Meg laughed.
"Are you crazy? Why would you prefer winter?"
"When the first snow falls, you can hear the sound of a harp coming from the Indigo Cliffs." Smiled William.
"The Indigo Cliffs? Isn't that where Morse Castle is?" Meg asked.
"Yes, that's the place. The home of Ozhem's Wizard."
"Have you ever been there?"
Will nodded.
"When I was a kid, Adrien and I tried to enter the castle a few times. Adrien is my best friend. But he's also a coward. We made it as far as the Bloody Garden but didn't go any further."
"So you were scared too!" Meg teased.
William shook his head slowly. "That's right. Just as the first snow started falling, I heard the harp playing... I realized I was the only one who could hear it. That's when I got scared."
Meg stared at him in surprise. "You knew, even back then?"
Will nodded again. "It happened yearly, but I never thought I would be his next victim."
Meg fell silent, sensing Will's distress. Knowing his time was running out, the thought of being marked by fate weighed heavily on him.
They walked in silence for nearly another hour before they arrived at Sunless. Meg dismounted and pulled the reins of her horse. "That's the Immortal Castle," she said, pointing to the most prominent building, faintly lit in the distance.
The path ahead wasn't long, but with the locals staring at them curiously, they knew they couldn't afford to stop. It had been a long time since anyone from Ozhem had set foot in this territory, and it was likely the first time many of these people had seen someone so tall, with such different features. Will's striking green-blue eyes, shining like gemstones, caught their attention the most.
As they stepped inside the castle, Will knew he had to face the consequences of his decision. He had a bad feeling. Neither Meg nor Griffin could be trusted, and they probably thought him a fool for agreeing to this meeting. But when every path before him led to death, it no longer mattered to him who would bring it about.