THE CONSEQUENCES OF A NEW ERA

In the Koblers’ estate, a magnificent feast was held, celebrating the anniversary of the dynasty’s reign over the land of Milen. Lavish attire, gleaming jewelry, and curtains woven with gold and silk all highlighted the nobility of the hosts. The tapestries adorning the walls continued the theme of grandeur, recounting the feats of their ancestors from the very foundation of the family. Above, numerous grand chandeliers lit the hall with thousands of candles. On such a significant day, the estate always unveils a barrel of the exquisite wine, “Vein-Bleu,” so that all the guests may feel the rulers’ gratitude for the labor and loyalty shown for the good of the nation. The servants, tirelessly refilling glasses and maintaining order, ensured the celebration’s smooth flow. The entire hall was enveloped in an air of festivity and greatness.

Everyone who attended the event felt proud to receive an invitation, as not everyone could make it to the gathering. Even the servants who had worked for less than five years were not permitted at the feast and were ordered by the lord to leave the castle before sunrise. The estate itself was built in the highlands of Milen and was considered an aesthetic treasure of the country. With more than fifty guest rooms in the southern wing, three kitchens, and numerous servant quarters, it embodied luxury. The opulent corridors and halls served as a testament to all visitors that the estate was owned by people of noble blood.

As soon as the invited guests finished their greetings and congratulations to the lord, the hall was filled with the hum of conversations, accompanied by laughter and music. Performances on lutes, flutes, and, of course, the viola filled the castle with enchanting melodies. Meanwhile, Lord Volos Kobler, seated on his throne, couldn’t suppress a smile as he watched the proceedings, admiring his own grandeur. In his eyes, everyone else was insignificant, but to maintain his status, it was necessary to hold such events and demonstrate his favor to the aristocracy. His wife, Martha, on the other hand, loved the feasts, where she and the entire Kobler family were praised as deities. In turn, the nobility never missed the chance to get closer to the lord.

While the guests indulged in the feast, savoring roasted peacocks and praising all of Milen, children ran through the corridors, playing hide and seek. In such a large castle, there were plenty of places for that, and the lords did not mind such entertainment, especially since trusted servants were watching over them. The children were delighted by the circumstances, as the castle offered many hiding spots, though most rooms were off-limits. At first, they agreed to limit the game to one floor, moving higher with each round to shorten the search time. Everything went smoothly, though sometimes, in their mischief, they hid in fireplaces or other dirty places, ruining their dresses and lace shirts, forcing the servants to change their clothes.

Young Domira also happily enjoyed playing with her peers. As the daughter of a baron who held great influence in society, her status didn’t allow her to dirty her dress. She was easily found by the others, but the girl didn’t care about losing. When the children reached the floor where the feast was taking place, there were even more places to hide. Many rooms had been opened in advance so that guests tired from the feast could rest without having to descend to the lower floors. Now it was Domira’s turn to be the seeker, after only hiding in previous rounds. Closing her eyes at the edge of the corridor and giving the children time to find their spots, she began counting to thirty. She was excited about her new role and couldn’t wait to begin. Once she finished counting, Domira turned toward the corridor.

“Ready or not, here I come...” the girl said in a fading voice, her excitement quickly waning. The corridor was too dark, scaring her to the core. In the distance, only faint silhouettes of armor and paintings could be seen, which further unsettled her heart. Fear gripped her, preventing her from taking even a single step forward.

After standing still for a while, Domira finally resolved to move forward, though she deeply wanted to end the game or even call out for a servant to escort her to her parents. But the daughter of a baron wasn’t supposed to behave like that at her age, and she also feared the other children might mock her for being scared. After all, they had managed to hide, calmly making their way through the corridor without a single squeak.

After passing several closed rooms, the girl couldn’t hold back her fear any longer. Covering her eyes with her hand, she sprinted straight ahead, occasionally glancing at the terrifying silhouettes of the decorations. She had never been so frightened, but she managed to suppress a scream. The corridor was empty, so she decided to run all the way to the end until she hit a dead end, her nose colliding with a wooden door. The pain was overwhelming, but she had to hold herself together. Feeling blood trickle down, she bent over to avoid staining her dress. She always had a handkerchief in her pocket for such occasions, so she used it immediately. Lifting her head, Domira realized she had reached the end of the corridor. Just then, the moon emerged from behind the clouds, lighting up the window next to her. The darkness was left behind, and seeing herself in the dim light, her fear eased slightly, though it hadn’t completely disappeared.

Turning away from the corridor, Domira saw a wooden door, locked from the outside with several iron bolts and a padlock, clearly indicating that the owner didn’t want its contents revealed. It looked eerie: bloody fingerprints on the handle, the worn-out Kobler family crest, and dried stains on the threshold threw the already terrified girl into a state of despair. Domira couldn’t tear her eyes away and didn’t hear the approaching footsteps behind her.

“You’re not supposed to be here, milady,” the sudden appearance of a servant startled the girl so much that she jumped and ran toward the window. Turning around, she saw the lord’s housekeeper holding a tray of drinks. The woman stood out from the other servants, highlighting her importance at the event.

“Lady Domira,” the housekeeper continued, “let me take you to the main hall.”

“Thank you for your offer. I would gladly accept, as it’s time for me to show myself to my parents,” Domira glanced at the door. “Before we leave, I would like to inquire about this room. Its appearance has piqued my interest, and I couldn’t help but wonder about its purpose.” Regaining her composure, Domira managed to start the conversation like a true aristocrat. Of course, her state was pushed to the limit, but she knew she had to behave appropriately.

“I understand your curiosity, but you are still too young to enter this room,” the housekeeper pointed to the door. “This chamber is meant for the lord’s entertainment, where he goes to relieve accumulated stress. I hope I have provided you with a satisfactory answer. I also want to inform you that the other children have already left the game and are in the hall.”

“Yes, thank you. Now, please take me to the hall and provide me with a new handkerchief, as mine is already stained,” said Domira. She wanted to quickly end this conversation to go to her parents and forget about this moment. She felt a bit apprehensive around the housekeeper, as her smile instilled dread, especially in such circumstances. As they walked a bit further, the girl turned back one last time to glance at the door, but all she saw was darkness—an abyss she didn’t want to return to.

Opening his eyes, the weakened young man had no idea what was happening. A sharp pain pierced through his entire body, preventing him from making even the slightest movement, while the complete darkness around him made him ponder his situation.

“Where am I...?” he thought, trying to look around, confused about what was happening and about his own identity.

“Why can’t I remember who I am? My body is burning with pain...” He had lost his memory and found himself in a place he couldn’t even see. It was too dark in the room to discern anything.

Lying still for a while, he managed to grow accustomed to the pain and slowly lifted his head. His eyes adjusted to the darkness, making it easier to make out what was nearby. Running his hand along the floor, he realized he was lying in a pool of blood, in which he was also smeared.

“Is this my blood? I don’t see any wounds on my body. It’s still fresh...”

The young man didn’t lose consciousness from the sight, as the pain in his head prevented him from fully grasping the situation. With great effort, he managed to stand on his feet, but soon lost his balance and fell. The sound of his fall was accompanied by a sharp clank of metal behind him, which made him turn around. He was shocked to see that his leg was shackled to the stone wall by a massive chain. Confusion momentarily overshadowed his pain. Reaching for the end of the chain, he noticed the state of his hands. Numerous blisters and dead skin induced a violent wave of nausea, which he barely managed to suppress.

Panic slowly began to manifest in his behavior, but the prisoner still managed to keep himself together. Nausea returned to him with renewed strength, forcing him to lie still for a while. After relaxing a bit, the young man noticed a strong smell of roasted meat in the room, as if someone had recently dined on freshly cooked pork. Soon, he realized that things were more complicated, considering the state of his hands. Smirking slightly, the prisoner pondered this.

“Maybe I’ve been kidnapped by a cannibal who was planning to feast on my flesh but changed his mind? Although if he wanted to eat me, he would have removed my clothes. What a horrible situation I’ve found myself in. I need to inspect the room...”

Carefully sitting up and pressing against the wall, the young man began to examine the room closely. His view was limited, but he could make out the surroundings from the shapes. Aside from the dirt, dust, and cobwebs surrounding him, he noticed a bookshelf filled with books of various thicknesses and colors, a large mirror reflecting the darkest corner of the room, where he could only make out the silhouette of a bucket and some tool sticking out of it. Strange thoughts about what could be inside the bucket and what the tool was for troubled his mind.

“It’s too difficult to see its contents. Perhaps my anxiety is excessive, but the smell leads me to terrifying thoughts...” As time passed, panic engulfed the young man, but he tried to suppress his emotions and think more rationally.

“Maybe the window will give me a clue about where I am...” Pulling closer to the opening, the young man saw only rusted bars, through which he could not escape.

“It seems someone doesn’t want me to leave this room or to end my life, although I have no idea how high I am. This is all so frightening...”

The young man realized that he was locked in a small room, which apparently had no handle on the inside, indicating it was locked from the outside.

“Why am I here? I can’t remember anything. I need to get out of here before they come for me...” He was afraid that his captor wouldn’t answer his questions and would simply begin the torment.

“Perhaps there’s a way in the room to get rid of these shackles. I need a key or a tool to cut the chain from my leg without injuring myself...”

Time dragged on slowly, and even lost in thought, he noticed the clouds starting to let through a soft light, illuminated by the glow of the moon. Pulling himself closer to the window and looking out, the prisoner saw the full moon in the sky. In just a few moments, the room would be revealed to him in all its details.

“I need to thoroughly examine everything around to find an appropriate object that can help me free myself. The main thing is to do it before the next clouds come...” Returning to his place, the young man began to wait for the room to be fully lit; however, what he saw did not help solve his problem but only exacerbated his state. He fell into despair as he discerned the very bucket that had been tormenting him.

It turned out that there was a knife in the bucket, and it was filled with blood. The sight shocked him, but it was not the main source of his fear, as there were other terrifying things in the room. The entire wall was lined with torture devices: knives of unusual shapes and sizes, a finger crusher, pliers, a braided whip, and large, rusty scissors with drops of dried blood. Turning to another corner, he saw a metal chair with spikes on the seat, backrest, and armrests, which had clearly been used before him. The sight plunged the young man into despair, and tears streamed down his cheeks as his body ceased to obey him, causing him to fall back into the same puddle of blood that had dried over time. Fear filled the prisoner’s mind with thoughts of the horrifying implements, making him imagine their application on himself.

“Is all of this prepared for me? It has definitely been used already. I don’t want this...” Visions of various tortures began to drive him insane, plunging him into a hysterical state that he was already struggling to suppress.

“What could his motives be? A normal person is not capable of such things. He is simply a monster, a beast who revels in the suffering of others. Perhaps he even derives pleasure from it. There is nothing good here. I need to get out of here as soon as possible...” Tears streamed down his burned face. He began to sink into his thoughts but could neither rise nor think rationally anymore. In a moment, the young man lost consciousness, ending his reflections with the last phrase:

“I can’t survive this…”