Oh, I guess this PoV in chapter itself IS working...

Especially with my unexpected new idea

:)

(135 years earlier)

PoV: Etho

'Name?' The guard narrows her eyes at my masked face and snowy jacket as I reach the doorway. I hand over the poster with gloved hands.

'Hey, I'm Etho... I heard about the chance of work here?'

'Hometown?'

'Oh, I don't have one. I live alone on the mountains.' Though, I think further, they could probably tell that from my levels of snow-protection. 'Can I work though?'

'You... are aware of the risks? You know how dangerous the caves here are?'

'Yeah, yeah I know. I... kinda came because of it. Life on the mountains alone can get pretty dull...' My enthusiasm wavers as the guard's eyes stay narrowed. 'Well... I'll be on my way in? Can I come in? Is this the right entrance?'

'It is... if you're sure, you can come in.'

'Thank you... have a nice day!'

The guard doesn't reciprocate my cheerful tone, letting me past, into the antechamber of the castle.

Everyone knows the story of The Caves. For generations, the royal family buried their dead in crypts beneath the castle, easily mined out by the work of caves already around. But now what they filled the crypts they had, they needed miners to dig deeper.

Only one made it out alive.

Now this whole wing of the castle has been dedicated to the research and mining team I'm now part of, renovated for our purpose... the first room I enter, for instance, used to be a dining hall. But now I see what must've just been decorative arches have become separate areas... I don't have time to observe further, as the group gathered in the middle notice me.

'Hey, new guy!'

'Yes?' I run over. 'Hey everybody!' I take in the group I've joined, counting 7 of us. 'I'm Etho... I don't have much mining experience but... I thought this looked fun.'

'Are you good at running, Etho?' I turn my attention to one of the group with white hair like mine and dark blue eyes. I nod.

'Yeah?'

'That's all you need to be good at. I'm Jevin... this is Joe, xB, Hypno, Doc and Cubby.' The group wave at me as their names are said. I note they've missed out someone, the eldest of them with long grey hair and beard. But they're quickly accounted for too. 'Chef here leads us from the surface. He knows caves better than any of us.'

'Call me TFC.' I shake the old man's hand as he steps towards me. I feel the respect towards this leader through the whole room. 'I'm not really in charge. That's the DM.' 

'He didn't want to miss the biggest news in mining to date, so we all report back to him what we see.' Cubby adds, an arm around his shoulder.

'Have you... seen the new caves then?'

'Not much.' Hypno admits. 'We're still figuring out how to get past the beasts.'

'The beasts?'

'The creatures that killed the first lot.' Joe adds. 'They let them free into the crypts... whatever they are they've been stuck evolving down there for years... come on, we need to get you properly decked out before we head down there. Wouldn't want you to die on your first mission.'

I follow the group further into the castle, my excitement only rising at the challenges ahead.

(Back in the modern day)

PoV: Scar

One moment everything's fine.

Then Watcher Potentes starts being threatening.

Then the world turns to chaos. 

Potentes shoves me at the wall. I hit it. Hard. But I don't have time to worry, my attention fixed on Cub. My brother. Clawed hands. Pure white eyes. Skin that's almost blue. Sharp fangs. And an aura of dangerous magic around him.

Then someone grabs my hand, tells me to run. And I have to run.

It's halfway down a set of stairs I didn't know existed when the screams start.

'What's going on?!' I stumble as I keep running, threatening to fall at every step. A yell from Cub above. He's in danger. He IS the danger. What's going on? What's going on? What's going on?

'Shhh!' I finally get a moment to see my kidnapper/rescuer. Tango, refusing to let go of my hand. 'Come on! We need to hurry up!'

'Where? What's happening? Is Cub ok?!'

'I'll explain when we're safe!'

'Safe?!'

We reach an exit, a door Tango hastily unlocks, leading us into the sunset outside. I realise quickly we're by the stables, where my horse from the ceremony (Midnight, I think) is still saddled. Tango lets go of me at last, but doesn't stop running, grabbing a cloak and shoving it into my arms.

'Put it on, and get onto your horse. We need to get away from the castle immediately.'

'Why?!' I continue with asking questions as I buckle up the hooded cloak, struggling onto Midnight's back. Tango mounts his own horse, just as an answer comes screeching through the closed door. Strange allay-like creatures appear, furious, screaming, flying towards us through a blue magic fog.

'GO!'

I kick Midnight's side and he breaks into a trot, then a canter, then gallops straight for the gate, jumping over into the countryside around, just behind Tango. He still doesn't explain. I'm struggling to breathe after the run, mind uncomprehending of everything that's happened. We race through the darkening night, away from the castle, what used to be a joyous coronation, not speaking, not explaining, just fleeing.

 We finally slow as we enter the forest. Tango glances back beyond me. I follow his gaze, almost stopping Midnight as I take in the spiked wall of crystal surround the castle we were just in. 

'You can breathe now.' Decides Tango, his  horse slowed to a trot. I follow suit. 'We're out of immediate danger... are you alright?'

'Of course not! Cub's in danger still! Whatever those- those evil allays were- that fog... the weird crystal walls... he's still in there!'

'They won't go after him.' He remains calm, even as I don't.

'Why?!'

'Because he caused it... I'll explain everything properly when we reach our destination. I promise. All you need to know is your family is cursed with powerful magic and that's what made Cub...' A signal to the castle behind. 'Do that.'

'He wouldn't do that.'

'He didn't. The Curse did.'

'I don't understand.'

'I know. But for now, safety comes first. Come on.'

The sun's fully set the next time we spot civilisation. We've been rising slowly up through the forests towards the mountains in north-eastern Adamas. A quiet town appears ahead of us. A town I didn't think was here.

'What is this place?!'

'The old capital.' Tango explains briefly. I frown.

'There's an old capital?!'

'Welcome to the Black Village.'

My heart stops. After the chaos of the coronation, somehow this is the biggest surprise.

'I thought it- I thought it wasn't real.'

But it must be. And even at night I recognise the black castle ahead.

Spikes, towers, ice, the storybook pictures come to life.

Deepfrost Citadel.

I came up with this lore yesterday.

But I guess this is now a Decked Out AU too.

:)