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Speaker 1: Hello, friends, and welcome to sleep tight stories. Esther and

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Speaker 1: Ariah have found the path to the castle with the

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Speaker 1: help of the Luminae. They are waiting until dark before

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Speaker 1: they leave. Will Esther's father be in the castle? Will

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Speaker 1: they be able to get into the castle to find him?

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Speaker 1: The Magical Book of Dreams, Part thirty. Esther and Ariah

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Speaker 1: quietly said goodbye to the Luminae, expressing their gratitude for

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Speaker 1: their guidance. They slowly made their exit from the cave,

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Speaker 1: and the dry air of the path greeted them as

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Speaker 1: they started. The exit was surrounded by the thorny bushes

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Speaker 1: they encountered before, slowing their progress and leaving them exposed

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Speaker 1: to whoever might be looking their way. Riah was nervous

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Speaker 1: and tense, prepared for some creature of the gray to

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Speaker 1: jump out and surprise them. Guided by the Lumina's route,

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Speaker 1: they tread softly toward the castle, their steps deliberate amidst

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Speaker 1: the desolate surroundings. The path, once obscured by neglect, revealed

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Speaker 1: itself to them as a narrow, winding trail through a

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Speaker 1: landscape scarred by darkness. To their left, the remains of

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Speaker 1: what once might have been lush fields lay barren, the

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Speaker 1: soil cracked and lifeless, evidence of the lands suffering. Sparse,

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Speaker 1: stone like grasses quietly shattered beneath their feet, signs of

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Speaker 1: previous life in this abandoned expanse. To their right, the

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Speaker 1: skeletal remains of the edge of the forest bordered the path.

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Speaker 1: The trees were stripped of their foliage, their branches reaching

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Speaker 1: toward the sky like miserable clawing hands. All of it

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Speaker 1: turned to stone. The air here was still. It was quiet,

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Speaker 1: far too quiet even for night. In the distance, they

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Speaker 1: could see the castle in its grim light, its towers

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Speaker 1: and spires silhouetted like spiky teeth against the dark, cloudy sky.

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Speaker 1: The closer they got, the more the castle seemed to

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Speaker 1: dominate the landscape, its presence oppressive, as if it were

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Speaker 1: watching them, aware of their every move. Despite all they saw,

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Speaker 1: Esther and Ariah pressed on their determination, powered by the

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Speaker 1: mission at hand. The dry riverbed mentioned by the Luminae

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Speaker 1: soon came into view, its bed long since turned dry,

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Speaker 1: Leading them on a winding path towards the castle's base.

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Speaker 1: The way forward became more challenging. The ground beneath their

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Speaker 1: feet was littered with stones and sharp rocks, crunched softly

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Speaker 1: with each step. At least the sunken path offered them

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Speaker 1: some protection from the watchful eyes of those guarding the castle.

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Speaker 1: Then the sounds began, the growls, the yips, the scalis

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Speaker 1: and the chicalores were out patrolling the luminae. Must have

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Speaker 1: been mistaken. Esther stopped, looked at Ariah and mouthed, what

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Speaker 1: do we do? The tension they felt was as real

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Speaker 1: as the mists covering the tops of the castles spires.

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Speaker 1: The feeling of defeat started to make itself known, a

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Speaker 1: stark contrast to the hope that had lifted their spirits

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Speaker 1: when they left the cave. The sides of the river

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Speaker 1: bed didn't offer them much protection, and there was nowhere

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Speaker 1: to run. Ariah, expressionless, whispered, we continue. The distance wasn't great,

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Speaker 1: and Oriah knew what she would do. If she had to.

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Speaker 1: Esther must find her father. If she had to chase

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Speaker 1: the creatures herself, then so be it. Esther and Ariah continue,

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Speaker 1: hinewed cautiously, the silence between them heavy with fear. With

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Speaker 1: each step closer, the castle's cruel presence seemed to swell

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Speaker 1: daring them to proceed. Then Ariah saw it. Right in

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Speaker 1: front of them, but twenty paces away, was a scaleix

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Speaker 1: sniffing the air. It looked old, with scars down its

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Speaker 1: snout and skin the color of the sky. Esther and

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Speaker 1: Ariah stopped. Their hearts beat so hard that the sound

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Speaker 1: in their ears was deafening. They stood there, frozen in place,

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Speaker 1: not daring to move, waiting. The scalex, sniffing in the air,

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Speaker 1: caught a scent and looked their way. Its legs coiled,

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Speaker 1: and it leapt over the side of the dry river

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Speaker 1: bank and bounded off into the distance, following whatever had

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Speaker 1: caught its attention. The growls and yips followed it. Esther

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Speaker 1: realized that she had been holding her breath for far

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Speaker 1: too long. Weak from the tension, she took a knee

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Speaker 1: to take a moment to breathe and recoup. She could

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Speaker 1: hear Riah's heavy breaths behind her. That was close. Riah whispered, thankfully.

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Speaker 1: The scalex's eyes were weak and the scent of something

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Speaker 1: else was strong. Esther slowly rose I didn't realize just

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Speaker 1: how bad they smell. Esther whispered, trying to laugh, but

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Speaker 1: only able to force a smile. Smiling Riah whispered, the

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Speaker 1: entrance is not far. Let's keep going before they lose

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Speaker 1: interest in whatever they are chasing. Esther and Ariyah started

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Speaker 1: moving again towards the secret door to the castle's dungeons.

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Speaker 1: They continue to follow the dry riverbed, watching their footing

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Speaker 1: as one misstep might create noise that could be heard above.

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Speaker 1: The river bed led them to a spot where fruit

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Speaker 1: bushes used to grow. Now these bushes were just a

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Speaker 1: bunch of dry, tangled branches. Hidden among these old bushes,

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Speaker 1: just as they were told, was a forgotten entrance long ago.

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Speaker 1: It was a way out for those needing to escape

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Speaker 1: the castle, unseen today, it was going to be how

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Speaker 1: Esther and Ariyah got inside. The door was old and

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Speaker 1: made of heavy, weathered wood. Its surface was rough marked

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Speaker 1: by time, and the elements with metal bands across it

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Speaker 1: there were rusted and threatened to creak at the slightest touch.

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Speaker 1: Esther tried to pull on the door, but it creaked

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Speaker 1: in protest. It was heavy, too heavy to move without

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Speaker 1: making a great deal of noise. She was so close

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Speaker 1: to finally seeing her father, she couldn't let a door

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Speaker 1: get in her way. Let me help Ariah whispered, together,

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Speaker 1: we might be able to open it without much effort.

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Speaker 1: Esther and Ariah placed their hands on an old iron

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Speaker 1: door handle, took a deep breath, and pulled with all

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Speaker 1: their might. The door made a low, groaning creak that

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Speaker 1: echoed in the quiet of the surrounding thicket. Despite their

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Speaker 1: efforts to be gentle, the door's age and disrepair made

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Speaker 1: it impossibul to move silently. They both stood there, holding

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Speaker 1: their breath, listening for any sign that the noise had

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Speaker 1: been heard. As the heavy door swung open, Esther and

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Speaker 1: Ariah stepped into complete darkness. The air inside was cool

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Speaker 1: and damp. For a moment, they stood still, letting their

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Speaker 1: eyes adjust to the lack of light. It's so dark.

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Speaker 1: Esther whispered, her voice barely echoing in the narrow space.

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Speaker 1: Maybe I can use good magic to light our way. Ariah,

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Speaker 1: reaching out to find Esther's hand, replied softly, no, wait,

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Speaker 1: light can travel a great distance, and it is best

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Speaker 1: if our presence is not yet known. Stay close. We'll

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Speaker 1: need to rely on touch until our eyes adjust. The

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Speaker 1: hall they found themselves in was long and narrow, the

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Speaker 1: walls cold and slightly slick to the touch. As they

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Speaker 1: tentatively moved forward, their footsteps echoed softly, muffled by the

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Speaker 1: dampness that seemed to fill everything. The smell of mold

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Speaker 1: and earth filled their nostrils, a musty scent that spoke

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Speaker 1: of many cycles without sunlight or fresh air. Do you

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Speaker 1: hear that, Esther asked, after a few moments pausing, A faint,

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Speaker 1: dripping sound could be heard in the distance, the slow,

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Speaker 1: steady rhythm of water leaking from the ceilings or walls. Yes,

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Speaker 1: it sounds like this place isn't completely sealed off. There

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Speaker 1: must be water getting in somewhere, Ariyah answered. As their

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Speaker 1: eyes began to adapt to the darkness, they could make

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Speaker 1: out faint outline, a door here, a turn in the

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Speaker 1: corridor there. The visibility was minimal, but it was enough

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Speaker 1: to keep them from walking into the walls. Every so

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Speaker 1: often they would pass what felt like openings or doorways

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Speaker 1: leading to rooms unknown and unseen. I never imagined it

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Speaker 1: would be like this, Esther said, neither did I. Ariyah agreed,

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Speaker 1: but we are here for a reason. Keep moving and

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Speaker 1: stay alert. Together, they continued down the hallway. The sound

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Speaker 1: of their careful footsteps echoed softly against the stone floor.

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Speaker 1: The dampness of the corridor seemed to swallow the sound,

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Speaker 1: making their footsteps sound distant, as if someone else was

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Speaker 1: walking far ahead of them, almost causing Estra to trip

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Speaker 1: and fall. They came to a long, winding staircase carved

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Speaker 1: from stone, ascending into the shadows. The steps worn in

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Speaker 1: the middle went upward into the dark of the castle.

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Speaker 1: As they began their ascent, the air around them felt cooler,

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Speaker 1: giving way to a chill that seemed to seep into

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Speaker 1: their bones. The staircase was narrow, forcing them to move

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Speaker 1: in single file, with Ester still leading. The stone underfoot

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Speaker 1: was uneven, with some steps higher than others. As they climbed,

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Speaker 1: the walls seemed to close in around them, the space

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Speaker 1: growing more narrow with each turn of the staircase. Here

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Speaker 1: and there niches were carved into the stone, some empty,

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Speaker 1: others holding the remains of statues long since crumbled to dust.

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Speaker 1: The air was stale, filled with the scent of old stone,

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Speaker 1: the musty odor of decay, and the faint smell of scalics.

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Speaker 1: The higher they climbed, the more the staircase spiraled endlessly upward,

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Speaker 1: drawing them towards the unknown Finally, they stumbled upon a

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Speaker 1: door that seemed different from the rest they had seen.

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Speaker 1: It was slightly ajar, allowing a sliver of light to

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Speaker 1: spill into the hallway. Muffled noises, unmistakably human, spilled from within,

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Speaker 1: suggesting they were no longer alone in the depths of

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Speaker 1: the castle. This must be it, Ariah whispered, her voice, hopeful.

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Speaker 1: It's brighter in there, and there are sounds your father

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Speaker 1: might be beyond this door. Ester's heart raced at the thought.

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Speaker 1: The possibility of being so close to her father after

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Speaker 1: all this time filled her with a surge of emotions, hope, fear,

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Speaker 1: and an overwhelming sense of urgency. In her excitement and anticipation,

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Speaker 1: something extraordinary happened. A soft glow began to pour from

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Speaker 1: her skin, showing the good magic flowing through her. It

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Speaker 1: was subtle at first, but it grew brighter, illuminating the

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Speaker 1: space around them with a warm, comforting light. Ariah noticed

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Speaker 1: the change and whispered to Esther, her eyes wide esther,

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Speaker 1: look at you, you're glowing. Esther glanced down at her hands,

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Speaker 1: watching in amazement as the light danced across her skin.

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Speaker 1: Her connection to good magic was revealing itself in such

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Speaker 1: a visible way. We need to get in there, Esther said,

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Speaker 1: her voice steadier than she felt. The lights surrounding her

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Speaker 1: seemed to give her courage. But we have to be careful,

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Speaker 1: Ariah whispered. Together, they pushed the door open just enough

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Speaker 1: to slip inside, the glow from Esther providing them with

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Speaker 1: the light they needed to see. They stepped into a vast,

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Speaker 1: echoing chamber that stretched out before them, its far reaches

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Speaker 1: covered in shadows despite the glow coming from Esther. The

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Speaker 1: room was lined with cells, their barred fronts giving glimpses

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Speaker 1: of the prisoners contained within. The air was heavy with sadness,

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Speaker 1: but as they entered, a murmur rippled through the chamber,

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Speaker 1: a wave of voices whispering, the princess has come. As

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Speaker 1: Stir and Riah moved cautiously forward, their eyes scanning the

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Speaker 1: dimly lit room. This time, Ariyah took the lead, ready

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Speaker 1: to protect Esther. The prisoners, shadows within shadows, pressed against

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Speaker 1: the bars of their cells to get a closer look

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Speaker 1: at the source of the warm light. Hope long sense

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Speaker 1: faded flickered in their eyes as they saw Esther at

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Speaker 1: the far end of the great room. In a cell

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Speaker 1: more isolated than the rest, sat a lone figure. The

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Speaker 1: man was hunched over, his features difficult to make out

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Speaker 1: in the weak light, but even from a distance, there

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Speaker 1: was something familiar about his posture, the set of his shoulders.

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Speaker 1: His hair was long and dirty, and his clothes were tattered.

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Speaker 1: Yet even in this state, there was an undeniable presence

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Speaker 1: about him, a strength that not even the harshness of

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Speaker 1: imprisonment could diminish. Esther took a step forward, then another.

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Speaker 1: The murmurs of the prisoners grew louder as she moved

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Speaker 1: closer to the cell that held the man father. Esther whispered,

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Speaker 1: full of emotion. The man lifted his head slowly. His

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Speaker 1: face looked tired and worn, but his eyes, which looked

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Speaker 1: just like Esther's, lit up when he saw her. At

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Speaker 1: that moment, everything around them seemed to freeze. Esther could

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Speaker 1: feel both the happiness of finally finding him and the

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Speaker 1: sadness for all the lost time. And yes, right there

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Speaker 1: in front of her was her father. She had finally

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Speaker 1: found him, and that is the end of this part.

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Speaker 1: Good night, sleep tight you