We ran fast.

  Too fast for a group made up half of children.

  But Silver Norris didn’t allow us to relax for even a second.

  — Stay close. The hatch is here. — He kicked a broken floor panel aside.

  A dark hole yawned beneath us.

  The smell hit immediately: rot, stagnant water, mold, blood…

  No one complained — we simply jumped down in silence.

  The ladder was slippery.

  The stone walls were damp.

  Underfoot — layers of filth, waste, and something better left unidentified.

  But we kept moving.

  Silver went first.

  I followed second, lighting the way with a faint sphere of light.

  Elinia stayed close, holding her cloak tight so it wouldn’t brush the walls.

  A few minutes later, we heard it:

  BOOM… BOOM… BOOM…

  Ballistae.

  Somewhere above, catapult strikes were tearing into the castle walls.

  The demons answered — the echo of their magic vibrated through the stone.

  — Faster. — Norris said shortly.

  We accelerated.

  The hatch opened into a massive hall — the castle basement, as large as an arena.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  Cracked walls.

  Tilting pillars.

  Dust and trembling underfoot.

  Somewhere in the distance came the roar of ogres and the rumble of collapsing masonry.

  — Where’s the door?! — Norris barked.

  Elinia shook her head.

  — I don’t know the exact place! Father only said the hall was hidden in one of the side chambers!

  — Then we search! — he ordered.

  We rushed down the corridor.

  One door — storage.

  Second — armory.

  Third — collapsed.

  And only the fourth…

  When I opened it, the air changed.

  Colder.

  Quieter.

  Inside stood a stone knight.

  As tall as a giant.

  Without a sword.

  And beside it…

  On a pedestal…

  Lay that very sword.

  Norris didn’t hesitate.

  He grabbed the sword with both hands.

  Pulled.

  And—

  placed the blade into the statue’s hands.

  For a moment — silence.

  Then…

  A crack.

  Lines spread across the knight’s stone body, as if it were breathing.

  The statue slowly lowered to one knee.

  The hall trembled.

  Then — the entire castle.

  I felt the magic of ancient rituals surge through the foundation, the walls, the rooftops.

  They were awakening.

  — FOOTSTEPS! — Astra hissed.

  Demons were rushing down the corridor.

  Norris roared:

  — MOVE! EVERYONE TO THE EXIT!

  We burst into the corridor.

  Three demons appeared from the corner — but the stone knight behind us moved.

  One step.

  The echo thundered through the hall.

  A demon swung—

  and a massive stone hand crushed it instantly, like a wet rag.

  The Guardian surged deeper into the castle.

  And then we heard it.

  ROARS. RUMBLING. STONE BREAKING.

  Every statue in the castle had awakened.

  Dozens.

  Hundreds.

  They climbed stairways, smashed through walls, annihilating every demon inside the fortress.

  When we burst outside, the world had changed.

  Against the evening firelight of the castle, the shadows of colossal stone knights moved across its levels, grinding demons into the walls.

  Elinia raised her hand — a signal.

  Finn saw it from a neighboring tower.

  Focused a massive sphere of fire.

  Launched it skyward.

  And a single cry rolled across the city:

  — FORWARD, LEGION!!!

  The human ranks surged.

  The thunder of footsteps.

  Voices.

  Magic.

  Fire.

  Steel.

  We awakened the ancients.

  We gave the army a chance.

  That moment changed the battle.

  And changed each of us.