Kimoko and Kigami looked at each other. The tension in the air was almost palpable. The Lord of Night… Sheyra’s father… this was no ordinary visit.
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“When do we leave?” Kigami asked, trying to sound confident.
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Sheyra stood up, adjusting the belt on her skirt.
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“Now.” Kimoko swallowed hard and glanced at Kigami, who only nodded. There was no turning back.
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Sheyra led them through a cool, dark forest. The trees were tall and black, casting delicate shadows in the moonlight. Kimoko felt a slight shiver run down her spine. There was something sinister about this place. How could anyone want to build their country in such a place? The girl looked at Sheyra who was walking forward with a confident step, then her gaze wandered to Kigami who kept up with Sheyra, but she could see uncertainty reflected in his gaze.
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“This place has a very heavy atmosphere.”
Sheyra only nodded.
‘This place is not pleasant, especially around midnight, that’s the hour of vampires. They hunt everything and everyone, but you’ll be safe in Nokta.’
Kigami raised an eyebrow.
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‘Wait, so they won’t enter Nokta?’
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‘They’re not afraid, my father told them that if he sees a vampire in Nokta, nothing and no one will stop him from cutting off its head.’
‘By cutting off its head? If he’s such a calm soul as people say, then where does this desire to cut off heads come from?’
Kigami had the exact same thought. He looked at Sheyra carefully, trying to find any sign of doubt in her face. But she remained unmoved as usual.
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“Is your father really as gentle as they say?” he finally asked, walking in step with her.
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Sheyra looked at him from the corner of her eye.
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“My father… is the Lord of the Night. “ Her tone was as calm as ever, but something in her gaze made even Kigami feel strangely uneasy. “And the night is never gentle.”
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Kimoko swallowed, glancing nervously at the darkness between the trees.
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“You mean he’s… That kind of god that won’t go easy on you?” she asked cautiously.
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Sheyra didn’t answer right away.
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“He’s the night. He’s the shadows and the stars. He’s the silence that falls when the last candle goes out.” She ran her fingers over the silver ring on her ear. “You can’t win against him.”
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Kimoko and Kigami exchanged glances. They already knew that meeting Sheyra’s father wouldn’t be ordinary, but the way she spoke of him… was something else.
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“Great,” Kigami muttered, adjusting the sleeve of his robe. “And of course we’re rushing right under his nose.”
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“That’s not a choice, it's destiny written by stars.” Sheyra said, stopping suddenly.
Kimoko realized that the path ahead had changed. The trees were becoming sparser, their black trunks gleaming faintly in the moonlight. In the distance, tall, sharp towers loomed, looking as if they were part of the sky itself.
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“We’re here,” Sheyra announced.
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Kimoko instinctively clutched the sleeve of her blouse.
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“Nokta…” she whispered.
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The air smelled of winter, although there was no snow. The air quivered with something invisible, as if the place itself had a consciousness of its own.
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“Can we still turn back?” Kimoko tried, though she didn’t believe it herself.
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Sheyra looked at her, her icy blue eyes flashing in the darkness.
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“No.”
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And then she moved forward, toward her father’s kingdom. Kimoko hesitated for a moment before following Sheyra. Kigami walked beside her, his expression unreadable. The air in Nokta was heavier than outside the forest charged with something neither warm nor cold, but undeniably powerful. A shiver ran through her.
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Ahead of her rose the tall buildings of the city, built of dark stone that seemed to absorb the moonlight rather than reflect it. The streets were eerily quiet. No distant chatter, no footsteps, just the sound of the wind winding through the narrow alleys like a whispering ghost.
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Kigami exhaled slowly.
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“This place feels… unnatural.”
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Sheyra didn’t stop, but glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.
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“This place is alive,” she corrected. “Listening. Watching. Waiting”
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Kimoko shuddered.
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“That’s not particularly comforting.”
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They continued in silence, their footsteps barely making a sound on the smooth stone streets. Eventually, the path led them to a wide set of obsidian steps that wound toward an imposing palace. It was huge, built of sharp, elegant spires that disappeared into the night sky. At the very top of the stairs loomed two large doors intricately carved with patterns that seemed to change if one stared at them for too long.
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Kimoko suddenly realized that her palms were sweaty.
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“Sheyra,” Kigami muttered in a low voice. “What if he doesn’t like us?”
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Sheyra stopped in front of the door and turned to face it. Her cool, blue gaze met theirs, as unreadable as ever. Then she spoke, her voice unwavering.
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“Then you will not leave Nokta alive.”
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And with that, she pushed the door open.
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Their footsteps echoed through the empty halls of the castle. Kimoko looked around. a, she wasn’t sure why. Maybe to make sure they were alone, or to find another living soul besides them. She sighed, unable to focus, her thoughts still circling around Sitaka. Would they find her here too? Anxiety gripped her stomach. Nokta was cold, silent and… watchful. Just as Sheyra had said - this place was alive.
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The corridors were long and high, and their walls were decorated with dark tapestries depicting stars and cosmic landscapes. The air smelled of incense, something between smoke and lavender. Kimoko felt their every step echo, as if the stones of the palace themselves were transmitting their presence further, to someone who was already waiting for them.
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Kigami walked right next to her, tense as a string. He didn’t say a word, but his gaze moved over every alcove, every shadow. He was ready for what was to come, a meeting with the Lord of the Night.
Sheyra walked ahead of them, as if she didn’t care about their tension at all. Her steps were light, confident. At one point, she turned into a wider corridor leading to a large, intricately decorated door. She didn’t stop. She simply pushed it open and went inside.
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Kimoko and Kigami exchanged quick glances, then followed her.
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A dark hall appeared before their eyes. The only source of light were candles and the moonlight that fell through the stained glass windows. One of them depicted a figure Kimoko knew.
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“Anstellerette…”
Kimoko tore her gaze away from the stained glass windows. She looked ahead, to where the three thrones stood. The girl guessed that two of them belonged to Sitaka and Sheyra. However, what worried her was the fact that there was no one else in the hall.
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Kigami raised an eyebrow.
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“Where is your father?” he asked quietly.
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“Most likely with my mother. He often stays there to keep her company,” Sheyra replied, then gently pushed them out of the room. After a moment, they stopped in front of another door. The closer they got to her mother’s room, the heavier the air seemed. Kimoko swallowed hard as she heard a soft, monotone voice. The person it belonged to was singing. It sounded like a lullaby, but the lyrics were more like a song someone with a broken heart would sing.
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“The night falls silent, a scene of broken love. Whispers of broken dreams haunting my every dream. I lie here alone, lost in a world so cold. I long for a touch, a love that can’t be told.
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Broken dreams and eternal love. They mingle in the darkness above. A sad lullaby fills the air. Echoing the pain we now endure.
Memories of laughter, now tinged with tears. Echoes of your voice, fading in my ears. I reach out to you, but you’re gone. Lost in the shadows of this romance.
Broken dreams and eternal love. They mingle in the darkness above. A sad lullaby fills the air. Echoing the pain we now endure.
I close my eyes and drift away. I hope to find you in the light of day. But the cruel grip of reality pulls me back. To the truth of our love that has strayed from routes.
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Broken dreams and eternal love. They mingle in the darkness above. A sad lullaby fills the air. Echoing in the pain we now endure.
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No one can heal my broken heart. No one can erase the love we left behind. In the silence of the night I will mourn the Love that was lost and forever torn apart.
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Kimoko swallowed hard and took Kigami’s hand. She felt him squeeze hers lightly, as if to let her know he was there. Their gazes focused on Sheyra, who took a deep breath before she opened the door in one swift movement. Kimoko held her breath. The Lord of the Night was there, still unaware of their presence.
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and then Add to home screen.