The ruins appeared first as a shadow against shadows, a dark cluster that existed within a scattering of trees in a depression just right ahead.

Nero stopped at the edge of the clearing and studied the structure carefully. At first glance it resembled an enormous tree cluster, its trunk thick as a small building and covered in vines that climbed hundreds of feet into the canopy.

He activated his Heretic Eyes for three seconds.

The structure blazed with residual Ein Sof, far more concentrated than anything else in the immediate area. Corruption threaded through it in thick veins that pulsed with a slow rhythm.

There, beneath the vegetation that covered it like a head curtain, he could see the truth of what he was looking at.

Massive blocks of cut stone fitted together with precision to create walls that had once stood fifty feet high, now collapsed in places and overgrown with centuries of plant life. A castle keep, ancient beyond measure, reclaimed by the dark wilderness.

Nero hummed.

The castle was larger than he had expected. Perhaps two hundred feet across at the base, with crumbling towers at three corners that still rose above the canopy. The fourth corner had collapsed entirely, leaving only rubble and a massive pile of stone blocks that had tumbled outward into the forest.

Vegetation covered everything. Vines as thick as his arm wound around the walls, their roots digging into mortar and prying stones loose. Trees grew from what had once been courtyards, their branches spreading across empty windows and doorways. Moss blanketed the lower sections in layers inches deep.

This was a ruin from the Age of Gods.

Nothing built in the past thousand years would have achieved this level of decay while still maintaining structural integrity. The Church kept detailed records of all settlements and fortifications within the empire hence the area's "Ruins" classifier.

Nero was curious to see how similar they would be to the Defiled Elkerlings he had come across so long ago.

Nero circled the structure slowly, staying within the tree line, looking for entry points. Most of the windows were too high to reach without climbing, and the main gate on the north side had collapsed inward, blocking access with tons of rubble.

He found what he was looking for on the eastern wall.

An enormous hole, roughly circular, approximately twelve feet in diameter. The edges were jagged with the stone blocks shattered outward as though something had punched through from the inside with tremendous force.

Nero approached the hole carefully and examined the damage. Whatever had created this opening was large and powerful.

He looked through the hole into the darkness beyond. A corridor or room, difficult to tell from this angle. There was no immediate movement, neither was there any other sounds except the faint whisper of wind moving through empty spaces.

Nero drew his knife and stepped through the hole.

The temperature seemed to drop immediately the moment. A chill that seemed to emanate from the walls themselves.

His eyes adjusted to the darkness. The space stretched ahead into a cobbled path that extended for perhaps thirty feet before ending in a junction where it split left and right.

Nero moved forward slowly,

The silence was absolute, with even the sounds of the forest outside seemed to die at the threshold, as though the castle existed in a pocket of stillness separate from the living world around it.

He reached the junction and paused, listening carefully. Nothing from the left corridor. Nothing from the right. Both disappeared into darkness after a dozen feet, the faint light from above insufficient to illuminate their full length.

Nero chose left arbitrarily and continued forward.

The corridor opened into what had once been a large hall. The ceiling here had partially collapsed, leaving massive stone slabs leaning against each other at precarious angles. Soft daylight filtered through gaps between them, creating irregular patches of illumination across the floor. The far end of the hall was lost in shadows too.

Nero crossed the hall carefully, his knife held ready. His awareness spread outward, searching for any hint of movement or presence. The Ein Sof concentration here was higher than in the corridor, but still diffuse.

A doorway on the opposite side led to a stairwell descending into deeper darkness. Nero peered down into the black and decided against it immediately. Going underground in an unknown ruin while hunting something powerful was asking to be trapped, possibly even eaten immediately.

He definitely didn't want to be eaten, so he would explore the upper levels first.

He returned to the junction and took the right corridor this time.

This passage was narrower, the walls closer together. The ceiling here was intact, which meant no natural light. Nero moved through near-total darkness, one hand trailing along the wall to maintain orientation, the other holding his knife forward.

Something crunched under his boot.

Nero froze and looked down. His enhanced vision barely made out the shape in the darkness.

Bones.

Small ones, scattered across the floor in a loose pile. Animal bones maybe, or perhaps something else. It was difficult to tell in the poor light.

He stepped over them carefully and continued forward.

The corridor ended at a circular room, perhaps twenty feet across. The ceiling here had a hole in the center, allowing a shaft of grey light to fall straight down into the middle of the floor. The light illuminated something that made Nero's grip tighten on his knife.

Silk. Thick strands of it, stretching from floor to ceiling in complex patterns. The threads were opalescent, catching the light strangely.

Bodies hung suspended within the silk. Three of them. The first was the skeletal frame of a dead Abomination, too decomposed for him to make out exactly what it was. The other two were human.

Nero walked up to have a better look, stopping just at the edge of the silken net.

'From the looks of it, these guys have been dead, maybe for a month or two.'

He frowned. Why would anyone enter into such a place despite knowing how dangerous it could be?

Nero backed away from the doorway slowly, not turning his back on the room. He returned to the main hall and looked around more carefully, searching for other routes or hiding places. Movement caught his eye near the ceiling.

Nero went completely still.

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