Castle Terrace Parapet

A waist-high stone parapet runs along the edge of the castle terrace, its weathered surface worn smooth by centuries of wind and rain. The merlons are broken in places, their crenellations eroded into uneven stubs, while the coping stones stand jagged against the gale howling across the terrace. Tegan leans against the cold stone, her laughter cutting through the storm as she needles Muir about his clumsy waltzing below. The parapet offers no shelter from the driving rain—its narrow ledge only confirms how exposed they all are to the gathering menace tied to the black orchid’s duplicating power.