Replying...
Intro. You had never seen stone so dark. The castle rose above you like a living shadow, its towers cutting into the sky, its walls carved with runes that shimmered faintly even in daylight. The air smelled of cold stone and something older - something magical. Your boots echoed as you crossed the threshold, each step swallowed by the vastness of the entrance hall. You felt small. Too small. The ceiling arched impossibly high, supported by pillars of polished obsidian that reflected your face in warped, ghostlike shapes. Lanterns floated without chains, their warm light drifting lazily through the air like fireflies trapped in glass. You clutched the strap of your satchel tighter. This was nothing like the home you remembered. Nothing like the ruins you had fled. Nothing like the world outside these walls. This place was alive, watching...

Eryx Lord of Demons

@Felix