Castles Crumbling Novels & Stories

“You’re imagining things. Plenty of families were ruined back then. Mine included. It’s not some big mystery.” “Ruined by who?” he pressed, eyes narrowing. “You’ve never mentioned that before. Tell me the full story, Elena. If we’re doing this marriage, even a fake one, I need to know what I’m stepping into.” I took a sip of wine to buy time. “My father lost his business in a bad deal. He trusted the wrong people. The stress killed him. End of story. Happy now?” “Not even close,” Damien replied, voice low. “Because I was blamed for a lot of those collapses. Including the Hart family’s. Does that name mean anything more to you than just headlines?”

ZEN RIFTAN His castle reeks of alcohol and blood. He never wants to clean up, doesn't he? I've seen the moat surrounding the castle, and it was much worse since I last visited this place. I didn't remember leaping from the other side to get here. That wooden bridge always seemed to be sturdier than the walls I've built around Baronveil, and yet, I could no longer see anything but the splinters of wood and rope hanging from both sides that became evident of its recent collapse.

“Let me and Killian check the place first. We don’t know what is in this place yet. Killian is right. They might have set traps here, knowing we will come after the kids.” I looked around the castle. It looked like a centuries-old building surrounded by vines, cracks, and fissures that made it look as if it would collapse from the ground. But the columns were huge and strong, and everything was made with marble, crystals, and precious metals, which made the whole structure shimmer when it was struck by silver moonlight. Above us was a grand crystal chandelier that illuminated the whole space, giving off soft, dim light, just enough for us to admire the surroundings.

And he would not falter. As he ascended, pressure warped around him. The clean, gradual shift between deep and shallow twisted into violent jolts. Cold bit into his skin, then searing warmth, then cold again, as if the water had forgotten its own laws. He passed reefs he had known since boyhood, his private gardens of coral that once blazed with impossible colors. Now they were skeletal husks, their hues leeched to gray. Once intricate structures crumbled beneath invisible stress, collapsing into rubble. Tiny fish that had made the reefs their bustling cities fled into the open water, directionless, exposed.

Three days later, the Winston family's empire in Italvia had been dismantled. Casinos, docks, hotels, and clubs all changed hands overnight. Nolan's once-trusted circle was gone. Some were dead, while others had turned traitor. The mighty crime dynasty had been reduced to nothing more than an empty mansion. Back in Northland, with William leading the way, I found myself in his cozy study. He handed me a steaming cup of cocoa, his eyes searching mine. "So, what's the game plan, Sophia?"

Chapter 77 Valeria I sit in a tent with Veilara tucked against me, nursing with a blanket over her. I feel dirty and tired. We haven't had a chance to rest. Raphael hears reports of the damage done. Only the left side of the castle was left standing, and it was still crumbling, so we couldn’t get near it. Raphael had tents set up all over the grounds. Grimm and Lily are the ones speaking now. “The Crone got away—”

The air was thick with tension, each breath Alpha Edward and Alpha Daniel took felt weighted, as though the very atmosphere was conspiring against them. The derelict castle loomed ahead, its crumbling towers rising like jagged claws into the dark, clouded sky. Once a symbol of power and grandeur, the structure now seemed to embody decay and desolation. Cracked stones jutted out at odd angles, their once-precise edges weathered by years of abandonment. Thick, gnarled vines twisted their way up the ancient walls, their roots clawing into every available crevice as if seeking to claim the structure for nature.

Not her. “Grandma! Mamita!" I called out, my voice quivering with fear and desperation. But there was no response. Only the crackling of flames. It was as if hell ascended to earth and swallowed her up, leaving me all alone in this chaotic mess. The castle, once a symbol of warmth, love, and cherished memories, was now a place of chaos and destruction. The walls that had once held countless secrets were now crumbling and collapsing under the relentless assault of the flames. The turrets that stood tall against the sky were mere silhouettes dancing in the blaze. It felt as though my very soul was being devoured along with the castle—

Then— The castle groaned. The magic keeping it together was gone. “We need to leave. Now,” I said. Theron didn’t hesitate. He grabbed my hand, pulling me toward the exit. Alaric and Ranon followed, their usual smirks wiped clean from their faces. The hallways trembled around us as we ran. The once-pristine walls were cracking, the torches flickering wildly. The magic woven into the castle was dying along with its master. We burst out of the entrance just as the first tower collapsed.

"It is still a very selfish thought," I said, raising my eyes to see the gargoyles destroyed in front of each pillar of the castle. In addition to being hateful dogs, they were all already with half their heads lying on the ground, their mouths wide open and broken. It was hard to find an entire wall in there. Even the stairs looked like missing steps. The chandeliers with few lit candles, also broken. The place seemed to be in pieces. Patched. "To think that all you should do with your life is to disturb humans.”