The Royal Scriptorium was located in a forgotten wing of the castle, a place where the air grew still and the light from the twin moons seemed to hesitate before entering. The corridors here were narrower, the stones older, covered in a thick layer of dust that muffled their footsteps. It felt like walking into the castle's memory.
They finally arrived before a pair of massive doors made from petrified wood, carved with faded, unreadable runes. There was no handle, no lock, no visible mechanism to open them. It was a seamless, imposing barrier.
"This is it," Luna said, her voice soft in the profound silence. "The knowledge of generations is sealed behind this door. The enchantment was placed by the first scholars, to protect the records from those who would misuse them, or from the Void's influence."
"So how do we open it?" Shin asked, running a hand over the smooth, cold wood.
Luna smiled. "We don't. The keeper does."
As if on cue, the air before the doors began to shimmer. The dust motes dancing in the moonlight coalesced, swirling and thickening into a translucent, ethereal form. A beautiful woman, shimmering like a heat haze on a summer road, slowly materialized.
But it was her hair that was truly breathtaking. It was like a river of spun moonlight, so impossibly long that it pooled on the floor behind her, a vast, silken sheet that swept across the entire length of the corridor, whispering against the ancient stones with every slight movement.
Shin's heart leaped into his throat. A yelp escaped his lips before he could stop it. He jumped back, stumbling and bumping into Solara, who let out an annoyed "Oof!"
It was a primal, undeniable fear. Gods and warriors were one thing, but a silent, beautiful ghost with floor-length hair was straight out of a horror movie.
Luna placed a calming hand on his arm. "It's alright, my love. She won't hurt you."
The ghostly figure flinched at Shin's sudden movement, her form flickering. She shrank back, her long hair rustling anxiously across the floor, and tried to hide partially behind the massive door.
"Shin, this is Elowen," Luna said, her voice a gentle balm. "She is the Scriptorium's heart, and its keeper. She is a spirit of knowledge, bound to this place to protect it."
Elowen peeked out from behind the door, her ethereal face a mask of shyness. She looked at Shin with wide, silver eyes, then quickly averted her gaze, focusing on a spot on the floor.
From behind him, Shin heard a snort, followed by a peal of bright, mocking laughter. He turned to see Solara clutching her stomach, tears of mirth welling in her eyes.
"You're afraid of a ghost?!" she howled, pointing at him. "The big, bad king who tamed the Sun is scared of a little shimmer! Oh, this is priceless!"
Shin felt his face flush, but he was too relieved to be truly embarrassed. If this was Elowen, then she was an ally, not a threat.
He took a hesitant step forward, ignoring Solara's continued giggles. "Hello, Elowen," he said, his voice as gentle as he could make it. "I'm Shin. It's... nice to meet you."
Elowen's form shimmered again. A voice, as soft as the rustling of dry leaves, seemed to whisper directly in his mind. You... you are not afraid of me?
"I was a little," Shin admitted honestly. "But I'm not now. We need your help. We need to get inside."
The ghostly maid seemed to consider this. She looked from Shin's open, honest face to Luna's reassuring smile. The promise of a new king, one who spoke of knowledge and not just power, seemed to stir something ancient within her.
Slowly, gracefully, she glided away from the door. She raised a translucent hand, and the massive, petrified doors began to groan, the runes on their surface flaring to life with a soft, blue light. With a deep, grinding rumble that shook the very foundations of the castle, the doors began to swing open, revealing the dark, waiting abyss of the Scriptorium within.
The massive doors groaned open, revealing a cavernous space that seemed to drink the light. Towering shelves, carved from the same dark wood as the doors, stretched up into a gloom so deep the ceiling was invisible. The air that billowed out carried the scent of ancient parchment, decaying magic, and something else... something cold and hollow, like a long-forgotten tomb.
Elowen hovered just inside the threshold, her form wavering. Her translucent lips moved, forming words of caution, but no sound emerged. She wrung her ethereal hands, her impossibly long hair rustling anxiously across the floor, a silent testament to her distress.
Luna stepped forward, placing a gentle hand on Shin's arm. "Elowen is trying to warn us," she explained, her voice losing its playful edge. "The Scriptorium has been sealed for centuries. In that time, the magical seal has weakened."
Her gaze swept over the dark, oppressive interior. "The Void, like a creeping rot, may have found its way inside. The knowledge within is sacred, but it is also vulnerable. To enter safely, the room itself must be cleansed. It must be claimed and protected by the king's aura."
Shin let out a long, weary sigh. He knew where this was going. He could feel it in his bones. "So... it needs the Rite."
Luna nodded, a familiar, mischievous glint returning to her cosmic eyes. "It does."
"Right," Shin said, rubbing his temples. "And who's it going to be this time?"
Luna's lips curved into that knowing smile. She didn't point to Solara, who was already looking indignant at the mere suggestion. She didn't point to herself. She raised a graceful, elegant finger and pointed directly at the shimmering, terrified ghost floating by the door.
Two reactions happened at once.
Elowen's form flickered violently, as if a static shock had passed through her. She shook her head, her long hair whipping across the floor in a frantic, silent storm. She tried to retreat, to phase back into the very door she had just opened, her shyness warring with her duty.
"Wait, what? Her?" Shin yelped, his voice cracking with a new kind of panic. "Luna, be reasonable! How... how am I supposed to... with a ghost? She's... incorporeal!" He gestured helplessly at Elowen's shimmering, translucent form. "There's nothing to... hold onto!"
Solara, who had been quiet until now, finally lost it. She burst into a fresh peal of laughter, clutching her sides. "This is the best day of my life! The king can't perform the Rite because the girl is a ghost! Oh, the irony!"
Luna shot her sister a withering glare before turning back to Shin, her expression patient. "The Rite is not purely physical, my husband. It is a transfer of energy, a bond of resonance. Elowen is a spirit of immense knowledge and power, bound to this place. Her energy is vast, but it is also chaotic and untamed, much like Solara's. She needs an anchor."
She looked at the terrified ghost, her voice softening. "And Elowen, my dear, you have been alone in this dusty place for too long. You fear connection, but it is the only way to heal this room and to heal yourself."
Elowen stopped trying to flee. She floated in the doorway, a battle of terror and hope playing out across her ethereal features. She looked at Shin, her silver eyes wide and pleading, then looked away, as if the very act of being seen was too much to bear.
Shin looked from the shy, terrified ghost to the expectant goddess, to the cackling sun, and felt a headache coming on. His reign, he decided, was not just complicated. It was completely and utterly absurd.