Deep cracks in the walls let in just enough light to illuminate the swirling puffs of dust and lost snow. She was surrounded by void on all sides with glitter hanging overhead. Her every movement was amplified and echoed, revealing the depth of the halls. Wide-eyed and shivering, she reached for a wall with her right hand. Cold, hard, smooth, and covered in a film of dust. Even so, it felt expensive, like marble.
What old castle have I found myself in?
The whispered words spread yards ahead and behind, bouncing and waning as it went.
Running her fingertips along the wall as she began exploring the hall. Fearful of holes and hazards, she crept at a snail's pace. The undecorated walls and Spartan stone floor belied no sign of daily life. For all her self-chatter and missteps, no foreign echos ever reached her. She felt alone in an abandoned castle.
The silence had convinced her so thoroughly of her isolation that she jumped at a little jingle. Her feet shuffled some small treasure into the stone. Curious at this first breach of human artifacts, she slid her hand here and there in the dust, hoping to find it. It had felt so delicate and light at her feet. Her hand met cold, elegant chain