All Chapters of TRAPPED IN THE DARK CASTLE: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

AMY’S POVThe moment Sean left me alone again, I waited just long enough to make sure his footsteps faded down the corridor before forcing myself toward the door, because staying still in this room felt like suffocating under a weight that grew heavier every second, and I knew that if I didn’t move now, I would lose whatever small courage pulsed inside my chest. My hands trembled as I reached for the handle, but something in my blood—something newly awakened—kept pushing me forward instead of letting fear swallow me whole.When the door opened without resistance, I stepped into the hallway and pushed it shut behind me, inhaling the cold air that carried faint traces of stone, old magic, and a lingering hint of Sean’s presence. The corridor stretched in two directions, both dimly lit by floating red lanterns that drifted lazily above the path, casting distorted shadows against the walls. Every flicker of light felt alive here, as if the castle itself knew I didn’t belong and resented t

OLIVER’S POVI left the castle before the dust from Bernatta’s spell had even settled on the floor, because standing still felt like suffocating under the weight of her words, and everything inside me pulled relentlessly toward the northern cliffs where Amy’s presence still flickered faintly across my senses. The forest blurred past me in streaks of dark green and silver as I ran, pushing myself faster than the night wind that clawed at my coat, and every breath tasted like frustration, rage, and the worsening fear that Sean had already taken her deeper into his stronghold.The moment I reached the ridge overlooking the northern ravine, I felt it—her heartbeat, pounding faintly through the air like a distant drum, weak but unmistakably hers. Relief crashed through me so sharply that my knees nearly buckled from the force of it, but the feeling vanished the moment another pulse followed: Sean’s aura, thick and violent, circling around her like a predator protecting stolen prey.I launc

OLIVER’S POVThe castle felt wrong the moment the sun dipped behind the mountains, and every stone along the corridor beneath my feet vibrated with the faint tremor of magic that didn’t belong to my clan, because the air had begun to thicken with an energy I recognized far too well and hoped I would never feel again. I moved through the halls with steady steps, trying to control the violent pulse in my chest, since the last thing I wanted was for Amy to sense the shift in my aura after all she had endured, but keeping myself calm felt almost impossible when her scent lingered on my coat and Bernatta’s presence crawled across the castle walls like a spreading shadow.Gina appeared from the corner with urgency written across her face, her hands shaking so badly she almost dropped the cloth she carried. “Oliver,” she whispered, voice strained. “She’s here.”I already knew, but hearing the words spoken aloud tightened my jaw until I felt the bone strain against the pressure. “Where?”“In

OLIVER'S POVThe castle felt colder after Bernatta vanished, as if the shadows themselves clung tighter to the walls and refused to breathe properly, and every torch flame in the corridor flickered with a nervous pull that reminded me of the way she looked at Amy—like a toy destined to break beneath her heel. I walked away from the main hall with my hands clenched so tightly that small cracks had begun forming across my knuckles, because the sight of Bernatta standing so close to Amy had triggered an old rage inside me that I couldn’t afford to let loose again.I wanted to go to Amy immediately.I wanted to pull her into my arms and promise that nothing would touch her again.But the more I replayed Bernatta’s smirk inside my head, the more I heard her words echoing with poisonous truth.You’ve already lost yourself to the girl.She was right.And if I let myself go to Amy now, if I let myself show her the intensity clawing at my chest, then Bernatta would see it—she would feel it—and

OLIVER’S POVThe morning arrived with a heaviness that pressed against my skull like a metal band tightening around bone, and for several long minutes I sat alone at the edge of my bed wondering why the room felt unfamiliar even though every stone, every tapestry, and every shadow belonged to me. The sunlight leaking through the curtains made my eyes sting more than usual, and I wiped the sensation away with a sharp breath, telling myself I was simply fatigued from the fight with Sean or the hours spent strengthening the castle wards.But the truth settled somewhere deeper, silent and unsettling.Something was wrong.My senses, usually sharp enough to detect a whisper across a mile, felt muted across the edges. My head throbbed faintly. My memory felt out of order, as if several minutes had gone missing between one breath and the next. I stood slowly, pushing my instincts aside, but when I reached the hallway, the torches flickered strangely—almost bending toward me.No.Not toward me