Page 172 (1/1)

The purple haze was visible theto the tower entrance Still, he did not stop, too aware of tiht reached the door, breathing hard

The source of the curse, of evil, of the destruction of his realm lay behind the door The hallas colder than the ocean air, the fog dense enough it was difficult to breathe A thousand years culy, his teeth clenched hard enough for his jaw to hurt

He placed his hands on the door and pushed

It did not budge

Bending, he nestled his shoulder against it and tried again

Noin his body erupted The Shadow Knight smashed into the door over and over, first with his shoulders, fists, and feet, and then with his axe and sword

Neither weapon nor body left so much as the tiniest scrape and the door remained locked

"What is the secret?" he roared into the air, fear at his core again "I a with emotion and exertion, he stared at the door, his sense of dooht an enemy he was unable to confront

A thousand years and it ended here, a scrap ofhis realm