Everything happened so fast that I, myself become dumbfounded by what truly happened.
As we went through the hidden passage, we heard someone screaming in agony. I know that scream, it’s a scream that makes you want to die rather than to stay alive and suffer.
But what’s making my hair stand up is the laugh that came after every scream.
The three of us stopped looking when we heard the scream and laugh. I looked at the boys, fear etched across their faces.
“Are you sure this is a safe secret passage Nix?” Ashwin asked Nix while looking in the direction where the sound came from.
Nix also looked afraid as he answered, “I spent most of my time going through this passage before, nothing seemed” he looked around then gulped, “scary?”
“Where does this passage lead?” Ashnor asked as calmly as he can. I can see him trying to be calm even when afraid.
“A parlor but no one really uses it,” Nix looked ahead as the screaming continued to be more and more agonizing to hear.
“Maybe this passage is.. you know, haunted?” Ashwin moved closer to me as he covered his ears and closed his eyes.
No, this scream is not something like that, this scream is from a person who is truly suffering.
I looked ahead and continued walking towards the end of the passageway.
“Ria? Where are you going?” Ashnor called me.
With that, Ashwin opened his eyes, “Fifi?”
I looked at them then pointed towards the direction of the scream and continued walking.
“Let’s just go back, Ria? They might be looking for us.”
“Yes, let’s go back to the banquet,” Nix agreed with Ashnor as Ashwin nodded.
The laugh stopped but the scream kept on getting louder and louder, “HELP ME!!!!”
With that, I ran towards the source as the boys shouted my name and ran after me.
I know it’s silly, but what can a two-year-old do? Nothing. But I just can’t stand there and ignore the scream, besides I can sense someone familiar.
I arrived at the end and pushed the secret door.
I stopped running as I saw who were the people on the other side.
A blonde girl writhing in pain on the floor – Astrea, and a boy standing meters from her, watching her suffer while holding a dagger in his hands – Finnian.
“Fifi!”
“Ria!”
“Princess!”
With that Finnian looked at me with a shocked look on his face.
“Ria, what-“
Ashnor did not finish his question because Ashwin immediately screamed as he saw Astrea surrounded by small dark crawling things as she continued writhing and vomiting… insects?
As Ashwin screamed something exploded from a distance and then the knights came busting through the door.
Sir Ludwig looked at the scene in front of us then at us.
“Take the princes and princess to safety!” Sir Ludwig immediately instructed the knights to take us back to safety without batting an eye again to Finnian and Astrea then he nodded to one of the knights.
Immediately, the knights carried the three of us as the other knights went and apprehended Finnian and took care of Astrea.
The last view I had of Finnian is his face filled with shock, fear, and confusion.
What happened here?
*****
All of the guests panicked as they were guided by the knights to the exit as calmly as they can. Everyone had a scared look on their faces as they wondered what exploded.
“I told you it’s not yet safe, there was an explosion not too long ago,” whispers started to rise.
“Who could go against the imperial family?”
“Where do you think the explosion came from this time?”
“I heard that last time the explosion came from Princess Flizeria’s room.”
“I heard the knights earlier that the princess and princes are nowhere to be found.”
“What could have happened?”
Multiple whispers were heard, questions were raised, and children were crying but one person smiled with satisfaction himself.
*****
“The young duke was found at the scene where the Lady Astrea was vomiting insects,” Ludwig reported to the emperor.
“How is the Lady?”
“The Lady… she became very unstable, your majesty.”
“Very unstable?”
“She became mad after experiencing what happened to her.”
“Did Lord Magician Zyde check her up?”
“Yes, it was determined to be a poison that can destroy a person’s mentality, making it a curse since it’s incurable.”
“How about the Young Duke?”
“We found him holding a dagger on the scene, we also found a dagger from his belongings. Also, the Lady kept on screaming not to kill her with the dagger.”
“And she would scream every time she sees the young duke. We are still currently investigating the young duke.”
“Stop investigating him.”
“Your Majesty?”
“Stop investigating him. He’s not the culprit. What did he say when you asked him?”
“The Young Duke chose to remain silent.”
“Stop investigating him but inform his father, Duke Orientem that the Young Duke is banned from setting foot in the capital until he turns of age. Although he is not the culprit we must still take action for the Clifford household. They want action, let’s give them that, for now. Continue looking for the culprit.”
“How are the children?”
“They are perfectly safe your majesty.”
“Good, don’t let them go out of your men’s sight.”
“How about the guests?”
“All of them arrived safely to their respective mansions, the knights made sure to escort all of them.”
“Okay, thank you. It is also important to offer them safety and assurance.”
“Have you searched the perimeter?”
“Yes your majesty, we have searched the perimeter and the imperial knights and knights from the different households are stationed at different parts of the capital to ensure everyone’s safety.”
“Good. How about the magic tower?”
“The magic tower… is no longer recognizable.”
“How many did we lose?”
“Fortunately, there were a few people inside the tower. A total of 4 deaths and 11 injured, your majesty. Lord Magician Zyde is currently treating the injured.
“Yes, thank you for your report. You may now leave.”
The emperor sighed to himself and rubbed his forehead as Ludwig left the room. The emperor already received the report about the incidents. He has read them multiple times tonight but he just wants to clarify it again and again.
“This could not be happening. Everything is changing, but if I won’t change anything then-“
The emperor sighed to himself again, thinking of what he will do in the future and for the future.
“Alaric,” the emperor called to nothing in particular but immediately Alaric appeared in front of him.
“Have you checked?”
“Your majesty, the embedded… the embedded dragon stone is now in pieces.”
“What do you mean by in pieces?”
“The explosion came from the dragon stone, your majesty. It’s like someone wants to have the stone so that person destroyed the stone into pieces and took pieces to themselves.”
The emperor’s face became pale as he looked at Alaric with a worried but not surprised expression.
“They managed to create a synthetic dragon stone and now they already have a sample of the real one. We should prepare for the worst-case scenario.”
“Worst-case scenario?”
“The annihilation of the whole empire.”