Vera said, trying to stay calm. “This labyrinth could be full of traps.”
They began to move cautiously forward, trying not to lose sight of each other. The labyrinth was cold and damp, its walls covered in moss and lichens, and it seemed to have existed here for centuries, waiting for new visitors.
The turns were sudden and confusing. Sometimes they encountered dead ends, sometimes rooms that looked identical, causing them anxiety and doubts about the right path. From time to time, they thought they heard whispers coming from the walls, but when they stopped to listen, everything went silent again.
Finally, they entered a large chamber with a pedestal in the center. On it lay the third artifact – a glowing sphere emitting a soft blue light. But this time, they didn’t rush to grab it.
“This could be a trap,” Kostya noted, cautiously approaching the pedestal. “We need to be careful.”
“Something feels off,” Lena added, looking around. “It’s too quiet.”
Vera stepped closer and noticed that a strange symbol was carved on the floor before the pedestal – a serpent biting its own tail.
“That’s the symbol of infinity,” she whispered, trying to understand its meaning. “But what does it signify in this place?”
Andrei, feeling that time was pressing, cautiously reached out for the artifact. As soon as his fingers touched the sphere, the ground beneath them began to shake, and shadows started emerging from the walls, filling the room.
“It’s a trap!” Lena shouted, stepping back. “We need to get out of here!”
But the labyrinth had already begun to close in on them. The corridors that led them here were disappearing, and the walls were moving, forcing them to find a new way out.
“We need to find a new path!” Kostya exclaimed, holding the sphere. “This artifact might be the key.”
Vera, looking at the symbol of the serpent, realized they needed to move in a circle, returning to where they had come from. She pointed out the symbol to her friends and suggested they retrace their steps.
Following her advice, they began to move back, sticking together. Although the labyrinth tried to confuse them, it gradually began to release its hold. The shadows retreated, and soon they saw the very door through which they had entered.
“We did it!” Lena exclaimed with relief as they exited the labyrinth, finding themselves back in the dungeon.
Now, with the third artifact in hand, the children felt they were one step closer to the solution. The labyrinth had shown them that sometimes the right choice is to return to the beginning.
They emerged from the dungeon and returned to the castle, realizing that each new artifact brought them closer to the final challenge. But with this realization came the understanding that even more dangers and mysteries awaited them ahead, ones they would need to unravel.
Chapter 10: Ghosts of the Past
After escaping the underground labyrinth, the children felt a sense of relief, but it was short-lived. They now had three artifacts in their possession, but with each step, they felt the weight of this world pressing down on their shoulders more heavily. The castle seemed to know they were getting closer to the truth and was preparing for the final trial.
Vera, Lena, Andrei, and Kostya sat in the castle’s grand hall, discussing their next steps. The artifacts lying on the table before them glowed softly, creating a mysterious atmosphere in the room.
“We’ve already found three artifacts,” Andrei began, looking at the glowing objects. “But I feel that it’s not enough. The map shows there’s still one more important place ahead.”
“What is this place?” Lena asked, opening the map. One point stood out, located in the very center of the castle. “It must be here, in the castle.”
“Maybe it’s connected to its past,” Vera suggested. “The castle holds many secrets. But what exactly happened here? Why does it look so abandoned and gloomy?”
“I think we’ll find out soon,” Kostya said quietly, pointing to the map. “It seems that this place is the castle’s central hall. Maybe it’s the heart of the castle, its source of power.”
Deciding to head there, the children left the hall and made their way to the central part of the castle, where they believed the key to the mystery lay. They passed through several long corridors until they reached massive double doors leading to the main hall.
The huge doors opened with a loud creak, revealing a grand hall before them. In the center stood a tall stone pedestal, and around it, ancient portraits hung on the walls, depicting the castle’s previous owners. Everything here seemed infused with ancient magic and power that they did not yet understand.
“This must be the place,” Lena whispered, looking around. “But where do we find the artifact?”
They approached the pedestal, where an old book lay, covered in dust. Its cover was adorned with symbols they had seen in other parts of the castle.
“Maybe this book can help us,” Kostya suggested, carefully lifting it. But as soon as his fingers touched the cover, something strange began to happen.
Suddenly, a cold wind swept through the hall, making the children shiver. The candle flames flickered, and the shadows around them began to move as if the castle had come to life and was now watching them.
“What is this?” Andrei exclaimed, looking around. “Why is it so cold?”
And then they saw them – the ghosts. Translucent figures began to emerge from the walls, moving slowly and gracefully, as if reenacting long-forgotten scenes from the past. These were the castle’s former inhabitants, who once walked these corridors, laughed, and talked. Now they were only shadows of the past, trapped in this place forever.
“Ghosts!” Lena whispered, stepping back. “But why are they here?”
“They are tied to this place,” Vera guessed, looking at the book. “The castle holds their souls. Maybe they can help us understand what happened here.”
One of the ghosts, a tall man in ancient attire, approached them and began to speak, his voice soft and echoing through the hall:
“You have come seeking the truth, children. But know that the price of this truth is high.”
“What happened here?” Andrei asked resolutely. “Why is the castle abandoned? Why is there so much pain here?”
“The castle was cursed,” the ghost replied, his eyes seemingly piercing them. “Once, this place was full of life and joy. But one day, darkness came and destroyed everything. And now we, its inhabitants, are trapped here, finding no peace.”
“What is this darkness?” Vera asked, feeling a rising sense of dread inside her.
“The darkness came from outside, like a curse,” the ghost continued. “It engulfed this world and destroyed everything we loved. But you – you are our hope. You can break this curse if you gather all the artifacts and find the key to its destruction.”
“How can we do that?” Lena asked, her voice trembling. “What do we need to do?”
“The artifacts are keys to the power that sleeps within the castle,” the ghost said, his figure beginning to fade. “Gather them all and bring them to the center, where the source of this power sleeps. But be ready for the trials that await you.”
With these words, the ghost vanished, leaving the children in silence. The hall was once again engulfed in darkness, but now they knew that the greatest trial awaited them ahead.
“We need to find the remaining artifacts,” Vera said firmly, clutching the book. “And then we can break this curse and restore the castle to its former life.”
“But