As I stepped outside with my friends, the scene before us was one I couldn’t explain. Blood stained the ground in the open field, and two maids lay there, lifeless, soaked in their own blood. Fear gripped the air, and nobody dared to approach. Everyone I asked seemed unable to explain what had happened. Panic ruled the moment, and confusion spread like wildfire among the maids who had gathered.
Then, out of nowhere, I saw some elders, Ma’am Elena, and the chief maidservant walking swiftly toward us. Their faces were filled with fear and worry. They hurried over to the girls lying on the ground, inspecting their bodies closely, though they didn’t seem sure about what they were seeing. I found myself unconsciously walking toward them, my mind clouded with thoughts and dread.
Moments later, the physician who had treated me earlier arrived, escorted by Jefferson and a group of guards. The physician knelt beside the dead maids, examining their bodies closely. After a tense minute, he jumped to his feet, his face pale with shock.
“This can’t be happening… Not again! History cannot repeat itself here!” His voice trembled with fear, sending chills down my spine.
As soon as the physician uttered those words, I noticed a wave of terror wash over the faces of the elders, Ma’am Elena, and the chief maidservant. They all took a step back, as if what the physician had just revealed was too much to bear.
“This… this is the mark of the Silent Beast,” the physician stammered. “What have we done to bring this curse upon ourselves?” His voice was filled with agony and fear.
The elders, Ma’am Elena, and the physician huddled together, whispering among themselves, trying to come to some conclusion about the terrible sight before us. The chief maidservant stepped back toward me, and we stood quietly, watching from a short distance.
After several minutes of murmured conversation, the elders turned back to face the crowd. Ma’am Elena’s voice shook as she spoke, trying to sound strong but clearly shaken by the events.
“We are dealing with something far beyond our power. This is not a beast you can fight or defeat in any ordinary way. It requires ancient rituals-sorcery, even. We must seek out answers through such means if we are to survive. For now, everyone must return to their rooms and stay there until dinner. We need time to discuss a solution.”
Fear spread through the crowd like a contagious disease. The other maids hurried off, rushing back to their rooms without question. I was about to do the same when I heard my name being called.
“Kimberly,” Ma’am Elena said, her voice firm but cold. “You and the chief maidservant, come with us now.”
I exchanged a nervous glance with the chief maidservant, and without hesitation, we followed closely behind them. They led us to a large hall, an ancient-looking building that appeared to have stood there for centuries. As we approached, I couldn’t help but feel curious about the inside, especially given how old and worn the exterior seemed.
Once inside, I was taken aback. The interior was modern and luxurious, a stark contrast to its outside appearance. But this was no time for admiration-the air was thick with tension, and I couldn’t help but feel uneasy about why we had been brought along.
The elders, physician, and Ma’am Elena took their seats around a long table. The chief maidservant and I stood off to the side until one of the elders motioned for us to sit as well. Once seated, Ma’am Elena explained why we had been summoned.
“You two will be our messengers. From now on, you will attend these meetings with us and relay our decisions and instructions to the other maids. Things will get busy now, and we cannot be everywhere at once,” she said, looking directly at me and the chief maidservant. Her tone was stern, and I nodded in understanding.
An elder with a deep, raspy voice spoke next. “We are facing a crisis,” he began, his eyes narrowing as if recalling a distant memory. “The maids who lie dead were killed by a creature-a Silent Beast. It only appears when the balance of the universe has been disturbed by something a pack has done.”
The elder paused, letting his words sink in before continuing. “The Silent Beast cannot be fought. It moves as smoke, as wind, striking down anything in its path. And this is not the first time it has come for us.”
The physician nodded gravely. “The last time the beast appeared was forty years ago. We were forced to sacrifice ten virgin maids to appease it. Sorcery was our only hope then, and I fear we must turn to it again.”
“What do we do now?” one of the elders asked, his voice thick with worry. “We don’t have a sorcerer among us. And without the Alpha here, we can’t make any final decisions.”
The room fell into a heavy silence. The weight of the situation pressed down on us all, and I could feel the fear growing among the elders as they debated their next steps.
Suddenly, Ma’am Elena spoke up, her voice clear and firm. “We must remain calm. I will try to contact my brother-the Alpha-before the day is over. But until then, we must maintain order. We can’t afford to panic.”
As she spoke, I found myself deep in thought. Something didn’t feel right. If the Silent Beast only appeared when the balance of the universe had been disturbed, then what had caused it this time?
Before I could process these thoughts fully, Ma’am Elena called my name again, snapping me out of my daze.
“Kimberly,” she said, her gaze piercing through me. “What do you think of all this? Do you have any thoughts on how we might approach this situation?”
I was taken aback. I hadn’t expected to be asked for my opinion, but all eyes were on me now. Taking a deep breath, I stood and spoke carefully.
“I believe there’s a reason this is happening. The Silent Beast only appears when the balance of the universe is disturbed. So the question we need to ask ourselves is: what have we done to cause this disturbance?”
The room fell silent. I could tell from the looks on their faces that the elders hadn’t considered this. The eldest elder finally spoke, nodding in agreement.
“That’s a valid point. We cannot solve this without understanding the root cause. We need to investigate what has disturbed the balance.”
The physician frowned. “But what do we do in the meantime?”
“We wait for the Alpha,” Ma’am Elena declared. “We’ll reconvene tomorrow, and by then, we should have some answers.”
With that, the meeting was adjourned, and we made our way out of the hall. My mind raced with questions.
What had we done to bring the Silent Beast upon us? And how was Ma’am Elena a sister to the Alpha?
As we walked back to our rooms, I couldn’t shake the feeling that tomorrow’s meeting would bring even more troubling revelations.