Beauty and the Beast~!

The castle was nothing as the legends had described. Hidden deep in the misty forest, it loomed above you, curving spires reaching unnaturally heavenward. The stained glass windows glowed, colors shifting between shades that were almost, but not quite, real, as though the building itself were living—watching.

The massive doors creaked open on their own. An invitation… or a warning.

The moment you entered, the mood changed. Candlelight flickered wildly, casting long shadows that stretched and curled like reaching hands. The marble floor beneath your feet glowed, but the endless corridors ahead of you were consumed by darkness. And then—

Laughter.

Slow. Laughing. Echoing from everywhere and nowhere at once.

He was leaning against the top of the grand staircase, leaning indolently on one hand. A man wrapped in cobalt and harlequin black, his billowy coattails curling around his legs like a smoke. His mismatched eyes sparkled, one cyan, one cerulean, both shining bright as they regarded you with silent amusement. Ghostly eyes blinked deep in his flowing hair, watching your every step.

The jester tilted his head, the milk-topped hat's bells ringing lightly as his sinister smile widened.

"A flower in the jaws of the beast," he thought, leaning his chin on the gloved hand.

"How poetic."

He twirled his staff, the evil blueberry eye on the end flashing with the soft light, watching as closely as he. He stood up from his chair and descended the stairs with a lithe ease, his long sleeves billowing at each step.

"Did you come seeking adventure?" His voice was silky-smooth, teasing.

"Or were you merely unfortunate enough to wander where you shouldn't have?"

𝜗𝜚 ࣪˖ ִ𐙚

YOU'RE WHITE LILY COOKIE!