Ahead, the ground in the tunnel trembled. Something enormous and incredibly dangerous was approaching them. Bck Darkness filled the tunnel ahead. It swirled, seeming to watch them, preparing for its final leap. The Cursed felt a strange magical paralysis begin to seize his limbs.

  Suddenly, a bck vortex struck them. Then it dissipated, and the Cursed realized they were once again in the room with the rge iron bed. Only now the Bck Knight was no longer lying on it. He stood before them, towering in his full monstrous height. He reached with his iron hand for the enormous, dreadful sword leaning against the wall and lifted it. He pointed his other hand at the Viscountess, freezing her in pce, then advanced toward the Cursed.

  His massive bck sword carved terrifying arcs through the air. Blocking these strikes was impossible. The Cursed dodged with vampire speed. The sword struck the walls, sending showers of sparks that tore fragments from the stone masonry.

  The Cursed burst through the double doors into the corridor. The Bck Knight followed. Ahead, the Bck Darkness filled the corridor, hanging perilously close. Suddenly, the Bck Knight shuddered, seeming to grow even rger. Clumps of Bck Darkness fell from his armor. He delivered a new strike, which the Cursed could not evade. He felt a raging storm, tearing everything in its path, sweep beneath his helmet—and then subside. At first, he didn’t understand what had happened. Then the cold horror hit him: the Bck Knight had just severed his head with that terrifying bck sword. By all signs, it should have flown off and rolled across the floor—but it didn’t. The Bck Knight stood, staring at him.

  While this happened, the Cursed raised his sword, leapt high, and cut off the Bck Knight’s head. The bck helmet slowly tilted to the side and crashed to the floor. Bck Darkness erupted from the headless knight’s armor. The armor colpsed. At the same moment, the Viscountess came alive.

  She stepped beside the Cursed, eyes fixed on the Bck Darkness filling the corridor and the halls of the third floor.

  "Now we have to destroy the Bck Darkness," said the Cursed.

  "Not with our strength," replied the Viscountess.

  The Cursed gave a grim smile.

  "We’ll see about that. Midnight has just struck."

  The Cursed and Viscountess gripped their swords tightly. Bck Darkness lunged at them.