Ashes of the Elite-Chapter 48: Castle Anant

Awakened Kennet doesn't give me a single second to collect myself. The moment I straighten, she's already striding toward a massive gate carved directly into the front of the castle a towering set of stone doors veined with what looks like pale crystals easily three stories tall. They look more like something meant to keep titans in than people out.

I hurry after her, still half-dizzy, half-awestruck. She speaks without looking back. "Safeguards prevent me from teleporting directly into the castle. So we must go the long way"

I blink, trying to keep pace. "Safeguards such as...?"

She doesn't answer. Her silence stretches long enough that I think she won't respond at all then, finally, flat and cold: "Don't speak unless spoken to and don't ask stupid questions."

I grit my teeth, annoyance flaring in my chest. I'm not some child to be dragged around and scolded. We approach the front gates, and even from a distance, I can tell they're worth more than some peoples houses. Etched in deep grooves along their surface are rows of inlaid crystal, worked seamlessly into the design. Not a scratch or smudge in sight. Perfectly polished. The sheer craftsmanship is staggering, and for a brief moment, I understand. I understand why the King is the way he is. Who wouldn't become something else entirely if they lived surrounded by this?

Four guards lounge near the gate, laughing about something, until they see us. The moment their eyes land on our cloaks, they straighten like strings pulled taut. Heads bow. Eyes drop.

Updat𝓮d fr𝙤m ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com.

Before any of them can speak, Kennet flashes coin just like Cain's between two fingers and of course it's etched with the same thing. The Imperial Sigil.

"You saw me leave less than an hour ago," she says, voice flat with disdain. "Move out of my way."

One of the guards, his plumed purple helmet marking him as some type of sergeant, stammers out an apology and waves the others aside. The gate opens with a deep, grinding groan.

We pass through without another word, stepping into the heart of the empire. A wide marble stairway rises ahead of us, flanked by trimmed hedges and white stone planters overflowing with cascading flowers. Everything gleams.

The courtyard feels like it stretches forever.

White marble tiles polished so clean I can see my reflection stretch out beneath my boots. Geometric patterns in emerald green split the path, guiding us forward like some divine road.

Ornamental gardens bloom with vibrant flowers I've never seen before, each carefully trimmed and arranged with military precision. Servants move quietly between hedges, heads bowed. Some wear silk. Others don't wear shoes.

We pass beneath an archway so high a dragon could fly through it without brushing its wings. The vaulted ceilings above are supported by columns wide enough to hide entire rooms behind. Gold trim curls up the stone like vines, and stained-glass mosaics flicker in the sunlight pouring in from arched windows that line every corridor.

And everywhere guards. Eyes hard behind their helms, armor polished to perfection. They don't even blink as we pass. Most bow their heads. Others salute. The Inquisitors, step back and bow.

Awakened Kennet marches ahead like she owns the place.

I keep pace, but barely. Now that I'm inside, I realize how wrong I was. From the outside, the castle looked massive.

From the inside, it's a world.

Corridors twist and diverge in every direction, each more lavish than the last. I see fountains indoors. Hanging gardens that climb walls like ivy. Chandelier after chandelier, each a sculpture of light and crystal. There are rooms I glimpse in passing that could fit a cathedral inside them.

There has to be at least a hundred thousand people working and living inside these walls. Maybe more.

We pass a group of servants polishing the floor. They don't look up. A group of guards bow their heads as we storm past. "Stop gawking," Kennet says suddenly, not even looking back. "You look a fool with your mouth hanging open like that"

I bite my tongue and keep walking. Trying to regain my control over my face.

Eventually, we slow. Not because we're anywhere near where she's taking me. Just because, I think, she's noticed I'm struggling to keep my composure.

She turns to face me, her expression irritated.

"Listen," she says. "This is not some back water city like Lont. Whatever you think you know about the world newsflash you don't. Speak out of turn, and you might find yourself bleeding.

I blink at her. "Huh bleeding?"

She grabs her face and shakes her head. "This is the capital. Not just that but we are inside Castle Anant the Awakened here don't play nice just because you have a pretty face and powerful marks. Watch your tone especially with other Awakened. Or you may find yourself challenged."

I frown. "Challenged?"

Kennet's nostrils flare. "Did Spellbreaker Nekran not teach you anything?"

I shrug. "He said a lot of things. Maybe I missed that part."

She clicks her tongue in clear disappointment. "Every Awakened has the right to challenge another if they feel insulted or disrespected. A duel sanctioned, of course. Fight until death."

My lips twitch. I nod once, slowly, pretending to take it seriously. But inside, I can't help but sneer.

A duel? Over insults?

That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Imagine getting gutted because you called someone's boots ugly. What kind of broken world is this?

Honor. Pride. All that posturing and bloodshed over meaningless words.

Fools. Every last one of them.

But I don't say that.

I nod again. "Understood."

Kennet doesn't look convinced, but she turns and continues walking. I follow, my steps slower now, my thoughts quicker.

They really built an empire on ego and power. A castle that could swallow cities. A throne atop a mountain, surrounded by people who measure worth in strength and titles.

And I'm supposed to impress the man at the top of it all.

We keep moving. Corridor after corridor, the scale of the castle becomes less surreal and more oppressive. The sheer amount of detail poured into every inch of it. Even the air feels different here. Cooler. Heavier. Like it carries history on its back and dares you to stand beneath the weight of it.

We pass more people, servants, soldiers, the occasional robed Inquisitor. Most do what everyone else has done: bow their heads or step out of our way without a word. But then we start seeing the others.

The Elites.

I recognize them immediately, not because of their uniforms, but because they don't bow. They stand straight and proud, nodding to Awakened Kennet with a crisp salute, palms pressed flat against their chests.

Their eyes are like mine strange, luminous, colors that shouldn't exist. One man's are molten gold. A woman's shimmer like liquid jade. But the resemblance ends there.

Because when I meet their eyes, they meet mine right back.

Not like the others. There's no fear. No curiosity. Just cold calculation. A quiet, constant evaluation like they're trying to measure how much of a threat I am. Or how quickly they could kill me if they had to.

I say nothing. Keep my face smooth. My expression distant. Cain's lessons echo in my head: "Never show weakness. Wear the mask until it becomes your skin."

So I do.

We continue upward, turning into a new corridor that curves gently along the castle's inner wall. Ahead, a staircase rises a spiraling ascent carved entirely from marble. But what catches my attention isn't the craftsmanship. It's the symbol.

The imperial serpent.

It coils up the railing and into the steps themselves, every scale sculpted with such care that it seems almost alive. As we reach the top, the serpent's head emerges from the final step, mouth open, fangs gleaming like polished daggers. It feels like walking into its jaws.

Awakened Kennet doesn't pause. She climbs like she's done this a thousand times, robes whispering behind her. I follow, steps echoing softly.

By the time we reach the top, I'm starting to lose track of time. Of how far we've walked. My legs ache, and I'm tired of looking up at ceilings high enough to hang clouds from. This place is endless.

Finally, we stop.

She leads me to a wooden door one with a dozen overlapping serpents carved into it. It opens with a hiss when she presses her hand against the middle and pushes, I step inside a room so huge I feel like I've entered a palace inside the palace.

It could hold every servant and soldier from Count Ashland's estate and still have room.

Awakened Kennet stops a few steps in, then turns on her heel to face me. Her sneer returns, sharp and familiar.

"Stay here," she says, voice thick with sarcasm. "I'll inform His Majesty that you've finally arrived. I'm sure he'll be thrilled to know he had to wait two weeks for you to wake up."

I roll my eyes, just a hint enough for her to catch it. I keep my tone clipped and cold.

"Well, go on then, miss courier," I say, lacing my words with venom. "Run and inform him. Like a good dog! Yea my good lady?."

Her eyes flash with something very close to murder. But she doesn't lash out. Not physically. Instead, her voice turns to ice.

"Remember what I said about watching your tone, my good man," she says, biting down each word like she wants them to draw blood.

I don't flinch. Just smile thin and mocking and say nothing.

She stares at me for a moment longer, hate flaring behind her cold blue eyes, then she turns on her heel with a flourish of her robe and stalks out, leaving me alone in the grand, echoing room.