Far from over…
“Do you have any idea how dangerous this is?” Simon asked, his voice low but intense. “This isn’t some storybook or fairy tale. The knowledge in these pages could be powerful and dangerous in the wrong hands. You could have exposed yourself to serious threats.”
“I know,” I replied, my voice trembling. “But I need to understand. There’s something happening to me, something I can’t control. The Seer called it an ‘energy disturbance,’ and I don’t know what it means. I just want to know the truth.”
Simon sighed, rubbing his temples as if warding off a headache. He looked tired, the weight of responsibility clear in his eyes. For a moment, the stern facade slipped, revealing a glimpse of the person underneath-the one who had always tried to protect me, even if it didn’t always look like he cared, more like he really didn’t want to care in fact.
“This book,” he began, holding it up, “is written in an ancient language, one that’s not easily translated. Even if you could read it, the knowledge contained within could be dangerous. Some things are hidden for a reason.”
“But I can’t just ignore it!” I protested, feeling a surge of frustration. “I can’t just sit back and wait for something terrible to happen. I need to be proactive, to protect myself. Please, Simon, you have to understand.”
He looked at me for a long moment, his expression hardening even further. “I don’t care what you think or feel,” he said quietly. “But you have to listen to me whether you like it or not. There are things at play here that you don’t fully grasp. This isn’t just about you; it’s about everyone around you as well.”
I nodded, feeling a mix of frustration and disappointment. I had hoped the book would provide some immediate answers, but it seemed my journey for truth was far from over. Simon placed the book carefully on the table, as if it were a fragile artifact, and turned back to me.
“I’ll help you,” he said finally. “I know Lucas has been the one on this case for a while, but we need you to stay out of it. We’ll find a way to uncover the truth, but safely and carefully. No more sneaking around. Understood?”
“Agreed,” I replied, feeling a heavy reluctance. Despite the uncertainty and fear, I knew I wasn’t alone in this. However, it didn’t help that I would have to face the challenges lying ahead, treading a path that was uncertain to me. Simon expected me to just trust them blindly, doing whatever they said without asking any questions.
“Good, now I don’t want you sneaking around the place taking things you are not aware of. This is not an ordinary mansion, and there are dangerous things your ignorant self should not be around. I’m going to take this with me,” he said, picking up the book from the table. I sighed, watching his every move as he proceeded to leave.
As Simon left the room, I sank down onto the bed, the events of the day swirling in my mind. The setting sun cast long shadows through the windows, painting the room in hues of gold and amber. Outside, the garden was quiet, the flowers bowing gently in the evening breeze. The peaceful scene was a stark contrast to the turmoil inside me, but it also brought a sense of calm.
I knew the road ahead would be difficult, fraught with challenges and dangers I couldn’t yet foresee. But I was determined to uncover the truth, to understand the mysterious powers stirring within me. With both Simon and Lucas’s help, and perhaps even the guidance of the Seer, I would cautiously navigate this uncertain path. The mansion, with all its secrets and mysteries, no longer felt quite as confining. It was a place of discovery, a labyrinth of knowledge waiting to be explored.
As night fell and the stars began to twinkle in the darkening sky, I resolved to be brave and resilient. The future was uncertain, but I was ready to face it head-on. The mansion’s mysteries, my own hidden abilities, and the uncertain intentions of those around me were all pieces of a larger puzzle. And I was determined to solve it.
With a deep breath, I closed my eyes and let the day’s events wash over me, feeling both exhausted and strangely invigorated. Whatever the coming days held, I knew one thing for certain: my journey was just beginning.
“Ashley! ASHLEY!!” I stirred on the bed, waking up to the loud call of my name. The closer the voice got, the harder it became for me to sleep. Sleep slowly started eluding me, and I frowned deeply at the obnoxious interruption to my beauty sleep.
I was already awake at this point, but I just wasn’t ready to get up yet. I heard the door open, and of course, it was none other than Madame Mortica. The sound of her voice registered so clearly in my mind that I could even hear her when she wasn’t talking. Just by looking at her face, I could imagine her saying anything so loudly. She came closer, and I expected her to yank off my blanket or smack me out of bed, or probably do the crazy things she usually did to wake me up. But this time, there was silence. One so deafening that I genuinely got worried as to what was actually happening. I remained still, waiting to see if she was going to do something, but nothing came. Now I was extremely curious, and maybe even scared for my life, but I instantly got up to see what had happened, expecting the worst.
“Good morning, I see you don’t wake up early anymore.”
“Oh no, that’s not it, Lucas. I was just… oh, where are my manners? Good morning, Lucas. Good morning, Madame Mortica,” I responded, my mind racing as I wondered whether to stand up or remain in bed.
“You will be going out with us today for a visit to the grand opening of the kingdom’s 7th mall,” he said, turning to face Madame Mortica, who stood with both hands behind her back, listening attentively. “Make sure to get her well-dressed and presentable; the media will be there, as usual.”
“Of course, your highness, I will do just that right away,” she responded, and Lucas didn’t say anything further. He just kept a straight face, leaving the room to just myself and Madame Mortica.
As soon as Lucas left the room, the smile on her face instantly dropped, and I rolled my eyes, lying back down on the bed.
“Hey, get up right now!” she yelled, and I frowned at the tiring sound of her voice.
“Oh my goodness, Madame Mortica, don’t you ever get tired of yelling? Come on, it’s not helping anyone, and most especially not even you.”
“Get up and go take a shower; you heard what his highness said.”
“Yes, I heard, and I’ll get to it later,” I responded, lifting the sheets up to cover my face. I heard the sound of her footsteps coming closer, and it didn’t take long before she yanked the blanket away from my body. For a moment, I just smiled, as this was exactly what I had expected her to do earlier. But since Lucas was there, her attitude had instantly changed towards me.
“Get up, Ashley, or I won’t stop disturbing you,” she said, nudging me to get up. I was obviously very reluctant to get up, but I knew she wouldn’t let me rest until I did exactly what she wanted. I got up from the bed, a yawn escaping my lips as I stretched out my upper body. My eyes weren’t baggy, but they felt heavy this particular morning. It almost felt like I was just going to sleep the entire day, but my brain, on the other hand, was already so active.
“Come on, we don’t have much time to waste. Get up and go get ready,” she urged, walking towards my closet to get me something to wear. As soon as she opened it up, I was struck by what I saw inside.
“Wow, when did all this get here?”
“What’s that?”
“The dresses, I mean the dresses. I don’t remember having any of these in my closet,” I responded, pointing towards the neatly arranged section of my closet.
“Oh, so you didn’t know when his highness got you new clothes, and also specifically ordered us to keep them in here?”
“His Highness? When did Lucas get me new clothes?”
“Oh, no, I am not talking about King Lucas. I am referring to King Simon, of course.”
“Simon??”
“Yes, King Simon,” Madame Mortica replied, her tone matter-of-fact. She searched through the dresses, sifting from dress to dress before finally pulling out a long, royal-blue gown with intricate silver embroidery. “He thought it would be suitable for you to get new clothes since you apparently wear a bunch of rags. His words, not mine, now hurry up and get dressed.”
I took the dress from her, my feelings hurt obviously, but my mind completely flooded with questions. Why would Simon get me new clothes? And why hadn’t he told me?