The hallways were cold and silent as they made their way through them.
Selis walked ahead, her steps heavy yet measured, moving with the certainty of someone who knew every inch of the castle.
For the first time since his arrival, Kazimir had the chance to properly study his saviour.
She was tall, almost two heads taller than him, a fact that only emphasized his own height, or lack thereof.
In the southern continent, he had always been considered below average, though malnutrition had played a part in that. When he moved north, he had grown accustomed to being a head shorter than most. But two heads? Even among the northerners, that was rare, especially for a woman.
And yet, despite her towering frame, she was far from lanky. Her build was powerful, sculpted with lean muscle that spoke of strength honed through battle. Scattered across her pale skin were silver scars, faint but unmistakable, peeking through thin strokes of white hair at the base of her neck.
A knight's body. A knight's past.
On the back of her armor, she wore a white cape with silver embroidery of the Umbrax crest.
Kazimir swallowed before finally speaking, his voice uncertain.
"Where are we going?"
Selis didn't look back. When she spoke, her voice was steady and deep.
"The kitchen."
Kazimir blinked in surprise.
"The kitchen?" he repeated, confused. Then, more hesitantly,
"I thought I didn't have to eat. Since my body evolved after being bound to the castle."
Still, she didn't turn to face him.
"That is true," she admitted, her tone as composed as ever.
"The castle will sustain us, but that does not mean it will keep us fed."
Kazimir frowned.
"I don't understand."
Selis finally glanced over her shoulder, raising an elegant white brow.
"Our bodies are different," she explained.
"We now absorb every bit of energy from food, leaving no waste. But in exchange, our senses, our muscles, our very existence requires far more energy than before."
She gestured for him to follow.
"Theoretically, we could survive without eating. But I wouldn't recommend it."
Kazimir hesitated, then quickened his pace to keep up.
"So, unless you enjoy the feeling of starvation," she added coolly,
"I suggest we go to the kitchen."
They moved through the endless corridors, the ever-watchful statues standing like silent sentinels.
Eventually, they reached a massive wooden door, dark brown and engraved with intricate symbols of fire and smoke.
Selis pushed it open with ease.
Kazimir stepped inside, and his breath caught.
The kitchen was colossal.
To the left, towering black stone ovens stood besides pristine white-wood cabinets, filled with the finest tableware he had ever seen. At the back of the room, enormous stoves lined the walls, their stone chimneys venting faint trails of black smoke. Next to them, marble countertops gleamed, their surfaces infused with shifting, inky swirls. Above them, rows of cabinets held countless glass jars, each filled with vibrantly coloured spices. Next to them were statues pouring an endless stream of water into a sink.
The walls were adorned with pans of every size and shape, hanging like polished relics. The center of the room was dominated by vast marble counters, their surfaces immaculate.
But what caught Kazimir's attention most was the enormous white door on the right side of the room. Intricate carvings of frost and ice adorned its surface, their designs so detailed they seemed almost alive.
Noticing his amazement, Selis allowed herself a faint smile.
"I have walked through countless worlds and gathered a collection of rare foods and drinks unlike any other," she said, her voice softer now, yet no less commanding.
She turned toward the white door, Kazimir close behind.
With a single touch the door came alive with white light, and she pulled it open.
A gust of freezing air rushed out, colder than anything Kazimir had ever felt, so sharp and biting it stole the breath from his lungs.