The echoes of the Dancer’s death still lingered as Ravenna Noir pressed forward. The chamber where she had vanquished the ethereal assassin was now silent, save for the faint hum of residual magic crackling in the air. The way forward lay through the heart of Lothric Castle, a place steeped in regal decay and guarded by knights sworn to an eternal, futile duty.
The Great Bridge
Crossing the wide stone bridge above the castle’s main courtyard was no simple task. Here, Lothric’s defenders stood vigilant—hollowed knights clad in faded armor, their blades still sharp, their loyalty undying. They moved in unison, their patrols choreographed by habit rather than intent, like pieces on a chessboard.
Ravenna lingered in the shadows, observing their patterns before weaving her own deadly strategy. Her spell, Mind Corruption, slithered into the minds of two knights, forcing them to turn their swords upon one another. The clash of steel rang out across the bridge, and as their broken forms crumpled to the ground, Ravenna stepped forward, her staff aglow with violet fire. A third knight rushed at her, shield raised, but she dispatched him with a quick slash of her witch’s sword, its glowing blade cutting through his armor like parchment.
The bridge itself offered little solace—dragons once perched here, and their blackened remains loomed overhead like grim warnings. Ravenna felt a chill that was not from the wind; the Abyss had touched this place, and its corruption whispered faintly in the back of her mind.
Ascending the spiral staircases of the inner ramparts, she encountered the first true challenge of Lothric’s inner defenses. Knights armed with greatbows patrolled the narrow walkways, their arrows striking with the force of a hammer. Ducking behind a crumbling parapet, Ravenna muttered an incantation under her breath, her dark staff emitting a pulse of shadowy energy.
Her spell, Piercing Shades, conjured spectral bolts of pure darkness that darted through the air, weaving around obstacles to find their targets. The archers toppled one by one, their bodies tumbling into the abyss below.
Further along the ramparts, a pair of twin knights awaited her. Their golden armor glimmered faintly even in the dim light, and their spears crackled with lightning. These were no ordinary foes; their movements were precise, their strikes deadly. Ravenna was forced to rely on every ounce of her cunning to prevail, using the narrow pathways to funnel their attacks and countering with her devastating Dark Flame Cascade, a torrent of black fire that consumed the first knight entirely. The second fell shortly after, impaled by her sword as she darted forward in a rare, calculated melee strike.
The castle’s upper levels were eerily quiet, save for the faint creak of stone and the whisper of wind through shattered windows. Here, Ravenna found herself in a labyrinth of halls and chambers, each one more decrepit than the last. Broken chandeliers lay strewn across the floor, and the remains of Lothric’s nobility lay scattered, their once-fine clothing reduced to rags.
It was here that the Beheaded Knight awaited her. His headless form was draped in ornate armor, a relic of a forgotten era. His weapon—a colossal greatsword—dripped with a black, viscous substance that hissed as it struck the stone floor. He moved with unnerving precision for one lacking sight, as though guided by some unseen force.
The battle was brutal. Ravenna’s spells faltered under the relentless weight of the knight’s attacks. Her shields splintered, and her sword arm grew heavy as she parried blow after blow. But with each strike, she learned his patterns, exploiting the slight delay in his swings to unleash her magic.
Her final move was decisive: she summoned Witch’s Eclipse, a devastating orb of violet energy that erupted in a blinding flash, engulfing the knight in a storm of raw power. When the light faded, only his smoldering armor remained.
Now, as she stood before the towering gates of the Grand Archives, Ravenna allowed herself a moment to breathe. Her path through Lothric Castle had been harrowing, its defenders relentless in their duty to bar her passage. But she had proven herself stronger, smarter, and more determined than the hollowed remnants of this once-great kingdom.
She reached out and placed a pale hand on the cold, iron gate, feeling the faint hum of magic coursing through it. The whispers of the archives beckoned her, promising knowledge, power, and danger in equal measure. With a final glance at the path she had taken, Ravenna pushed the doors open and stepped into the unknown.
Come to the dark side: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQRPy70pDgKWZPzdPFo3NP6Zbh7EI__pb
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