Authors note - Please be advised that this content contains very light non-compliance // reluctant.
The darkness of night glooms over an enchanting forest, lit up from lightning bugs and radiant white flowers that glow in the moonlight. A young, pink haired demon by the name of Kora, often found herself wandering alone in these woods to find the hidden entrance to the large black castle that stood alone in the background. No one has ever been seen within the walls, and no one has ever gone and come back.
Kora was enthralled with the idea of doing something reckless, going somewhere dangerous, and getting herself into trouble. The thought of someone living in that castle, catching her, thrilled her. She ventured all over the forest, checking in hedges and glancing at dirt holes to see if they were big enough to travel through. With no such luck, Kora has considered this another failed excursion and began walking the pathway to her home. Although, it seems she had traveled off the path, something she dared not do unless she had something to point her in the direction home. Of course she had forgotten that night.
"If I wait until morning, I will be able to see more clearly." she mumbled to herself, then decided she would spend the remaining hours of moonlight, continuing her search. She couldn't get anymore lost than she already is, right?
*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*
The sun began to rise, and the cold blue hues of the night suddenly turned to a subtle and warm orange. Kora huffed, and peered through the tops of the trees. Although the sun was beginning to rise, she still had some moonlight left, and with this confirmation, she decided she'd use what little she had left to keep searching.
As the sun raised more, and no trace of the moon could be seen, she stopped and turned around to head back. That was until she heard rustling in a nearby bush and whipped her head around to see leaves ruffling.
"Hello?"
Nothing followed her call and leaves had settled. She walked over to the bush and looked around it. It was tall but not taller than her, so after seeing nothing past it or around it, she pulled some branches back to look inside it. A torn velvety fabric of dark black was caught on a small branch just outside a very large hole with a ladder resting against the hole's wall.
This must be the entrance! Kora couldn't contain her excited thoughts as she grabbed the fabric and descended down the ladder.
Darkness engulfed her and the only light was the dim beams that came from the entrance she descended from. Squinting her eyes, she noticed a soft white glow a handful of feet in front of her, it seemed. She could stand tall in this underground hallway, and pressed her arm to a dirt wall, feeling the coldness against her skin and softness of the dirt. She used the wall to guide her to the light she saw.
After what felt like a handful of minutes, she finally saw the light. She let go of the wall and picked up her pace. This light came from the sun's beam entering through a hole in the ground, just like where she came from. But... Where was the ladder? There were no roots, rocks or even divots in the dirt to act as hand and foot rests. Did someone leave and take the ladder with them?
Kora let out an angry sigh. "Well, fine," she began. "I will just make my own way up!"
She dug out some hand holes and pulled herself up, climbing the side of the wall like a deranged squirrel. Her feet were having a hard time pressing against the dirt and was just collapsing part of the wall down. She dropped to the floor and sighed. Keeping at this, Kora would surely collapse the whole entrance.
"H-Hello?" a very soft voice called out from above her.
Kora's pointed ears perked and she looked up into the bright clear sky. "Hey! I am stuck, can you help me?"
Silence.
"Please, is there a ladder nearby?"
More silence.
"Fuck.." Kora mumbled.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps got closer and a rope dropped down the wall, making a way out possible for the little demon.
"Oh, thank you so much," Kora grunted as she climbed. "I was worried that -"
No one was around. Instead, she stepped out of the hole to complete emptiness. Looking around, the grass beneath her feet looked recently mowed, very little trees surrounded her. Glancing behind her, there was a black metal fence that stood 10 feet tall, in front of a hedge that stood even taller. This must be...
Kora turned around to face the center of the opening, and there stood the tall dark castle. Her golden eyes lit up happily and she began to make her way to a stone path. Taking the moment to see if the stone path led anywhere, she noticed it just headed straight to a fence with no gate. Whoever lives here must not want any visitors. Or possibly no one lived here at all and the voice she heard was her imagining things. It could be blocked off for safety reasons.
Korra dusted dirt off her pale skin and shook dirt and debris from her dress, as well l. Her eyes rested on a large dark wooden door and her feet began taking her to it. She felt a connection, drawn to it, like something was waiting for her beyond those doors. Although she began to fill with fear, her feet would not stop taking her there, no matter how hard she tried. Her curiosity would not allow her to leave until she was able to explore the castle. She finally found it. She had to explore it, see what secrets this old building had to offer.
