The castle bells tolled again, ringing all across the castle. Hollow knights clattered through the halls, lining across the castle’s inner wall as they produced crossbows. The gates slammed shut. Maids rushed around, locking doors and making sure everyone was accounted for. Everything that could be tied down was, every window with a shutter was barred shut. The whole castle was going on lockdown.

Another long moan bellowed through the stone walls like a beached whale. Stephen pressed his hands against his ears. The giant was almost to the city wall.

The giant was probably a hundred feet tall, with long sinewy arms that reached its cobbled knees. Its hair was matted and tangled, draped over its bulky hunched shoulders like seaweed. The giant’s sunken eyes made its face skull-like and ghastly. Whenever the giant roared, its jaw stretched low like an insidious spirit. Its mouth was a black pit with no tongue or throat. The monster was like a walking black hole.

Sebastian hadn’t said a word since they left the study. He and Stephen stood in the main lobby, watching the mayhem.

“S-so,” Stephen stammered, “Are we just going to wait for it to come to us?”

Sebastian turned to Stephen, “Did you have a better idea?”

“Well, can’t you fight it?”

Amused, Sebastian put his forefinger on his chin, “Now, that’s an idea! But I have a better one,” Sebastian pointed to Stephen, “How about our local, world-hopping hero fights the big bad monster that’s about to stomp on countless townsfolk like they’re ants on a hill?”

Stephen laughed hysterically, “Haha! Too bad this hero has no powers!”

“Ah, but what better catalyst than near-impossible odds!” Sebastian shook his head, “No, I'm afraid this is out of my league. The best thing we can do right now is to wait and see what he wants.”

“See what the giant wants?”

“No, you dunce,” Sebastian sighed, “What he wants. What the one who summoned the giant wants. What the one traveling with the giant wants!”

An inkling of fear had settled into Sebastian’s voice. Steven examined the way the mad magician’s eyes widened, how the right side of his mouth was just slightly paralyzed with anxiety.

Sebastian muttered, “The question is what he’s doing moving now… Why now?”

A light tap on his shoulder made Stephen’s heart almost leap out his chest. When he turned, Stephen saw Kate, no longer dressed like a maid. She wore a long, trim, black woolen jacket and black pants. Her normal black boots were polished, and Kate’s curly blonde hair was held to the side of her head with a silver clip.

Kate met Stephen’s eyes for a moment, then her cheeks burned slightly as she looked away and addressed Sebastian, “I’m ready when you are. My sister should be in the lower holds.”

Stephen found it hard to not steal glances at Kate’s clandestine attire. It was almost modern, he thought. Maybe this was a kind of early-victorian fantasy? Whatever it was, he had to admit Kate would make a killer spy.

Then Stephen caught on, “Wait, she’s in the holds? Like, a dungeon?”

“What?” Kate turned to Stephen accusingly, “Of course not, she’s not a prisoner. She’s in the holds.”

“But isn’t that the same thing?”

Kate pondered it for a moment, “Almost. That aside,” She continued, brushing off Stephen’s comment, “We have to hurry if we want to beat the king to her.”

“Of course. Let’s move then,” Sebastian motioned for Kate to lead the way. Stephen almost followed Sebastian, but his head was spinning.

“Can someone please explain what’s going on? I feel like I’m being dragged from one thing to another!”

Kate paused and looked at Sebastian, who in turn stopped and turned towards Stephen. For a moment, Sebastian just examined Stephen’s bunched fists, angled stance, and his determined stare.

“Twenty years ago, just before the princess was born, there was a celebration held here in the castle. It was meant to celebrate an alliance between Wandir, this kingdom, and Serbir, the kingdom just beyond the mountains. However, something happened when the two kings met alone, and the alliance was shattered.”

Another roar shook the castle. Kate moved ahead to check the hallway while Sebastian continued, “Years ago, relations between the two nations worsened. Tension in the castle grew as the royal family became less and less trusting of one another. The Princess ran off and the king was worried she’d fled to the king of Serbir.”

Stephen nodded, “Okay, but what does that have to do with the giant? With the princess being locked up?”

Sebastian spread his arms, “Everything! The princess’s attack on the castle failed. She came here, with a creature of darkness, bent on killed the king and she failed.”

“So whoever helped her is trying to get her back?”

“Exactly,” Sebastian beamed with the pride of a teacher.

“So that giant is another creature of darkness? One created by magic?”

“I’m afraid so,” Sebastian shivered, “And it’s much, much more powerful.”

While they waited for Kate to return, Stephen couldn’t help but think of the queen’s words; the king’s truth, a deep scar runs through these walls, a slumbering giant will walk the lands. Those words were coming together today.

But what did the rest of her prophecy mean?

Walk around shadows, child. Death waits to strike around the corner.

The last part was what scared Stephen most, however:

A mistake in judgment will be the end of you.

Stephen’s blood ran cold. If the queen was correct in predicting he’d discover the ‘cracks’ in the royal family’s relationships, and that a giant would walk across the land, did that mean Stephen was going to die

Kate returned, “The path is clear of hollow knights. Let’s move now before that changes.”

Sebastian nodded and took off after Kate. Stephen followed behind, but his heart pounded in his chest. If he was going to die because of a mistake in judgment, did that mean he was wrong about Kate or Sebastian?