"Just my luck. A quick stroll around the castle, and now I'm lost. I can't even tell where I am, all the doors look the same." Seraphina sighed, her voice tinged with frustration as she continued moving forward.
The castle was enormous, with endless hallways that twisted and turned in ways that would confuse anyone not familiar with its layout. Each corridor looked identical, adorned with the same intricate tapestries and tall, arched doors that seemed to lead nowhere. After what felt like an eternity of wandering, Seraphina realized she had completely lost her sense of direction.
As she murmured to herself, her thoughts were interrupted by a soft glow from the ring on her finger. A message.
-Morrigan- "Where the hell are you?"
Enjoy new adventures from m-v l'e|-novelhall.net
-Seraphina- "I don't know, all these doors look the same to me. I've been walking for like a few minutes now."
-Morrigan- "Alright, what direction did you take when you left your room?"
-Seraphina- "Umm, left?"
-Morrigan- "Don't go anywhere, I'll come look for you."
The brief exchange left Seraphina standing still, hoping Morrigan would find her soon. She leaned against the cold stone wall, silently cursing the maze-like castle.
As she waited, a delicious aroma wafted through the air, catching her attention. It was rich, savory, and warm, teasing her senses until her stomach growled in response. The longer she stood there, the harder it became to ignore.
"Maybe just a quick peek..." she muttered, curiosity winning over.
Drawn by the scent, Seraphina followed the aroma down a side hall and soon found herself at the entrance to the castle kitchen. Inside, a chef stood behind a stove, still hard at work late into the night, stirring and frying what appeared to be a feast.
The air was thick with the mouth-watering scent of roasted meats, sizzling herbs, and fresh bread, making Seraphina's mouth water.
"You're cooking this late at night?" she asked, stepping inside, her hunger now impossible to ignore.
"Yes, actually. Most of the people who work here: guards and maids alike, take their dinner around this time. Another group covers for us while we eat, and we rotate through three shifts daily," the chef explained, his hands never stopping as he stirred the simmering pot.
"That's a lot," Seraphina remarked, her eyes fixed on the pot's contents, the aroma continuing to tease her senses.
The chef, noticing her eager gaze, smiled warmly. Once he was done, he grabbed a plate and ladled a generous portion of the dish onto it before handing it to Seraphina.
"Here, give it a try," he said, watching her reaction.
Seraphina gratefully accepted the plate, her eyes lighting up as she took her first bite. The food was exquisite: perfectly seasoned, rich in flavor, and warm enough to melt the tension in her body. Each bite seemed to get better as she continued, a happy hum escaping her between mouthfuls.
"So good..." she mumbled, barely pausing to catch her breath before taking another bite.
Enjoying the moment, she decided to strike up a conversation. "So, the princess... what was she like?" Seraphina asked, still munching on the delicious food in front of her.
The chef chuckled softly at the question. "She was a really nice girl. Kind, cheerful... always had a smile on her face. You could hardly catch her without one," he said, his expression growing more thoughtful. "At least, up until recently.
She started complaining about something."
"Huh? What could make her complain? She's nice, and she's a princess," Seraphina said, now invested in the conversation as she set her fork down, intrigued.
"Well," the chef began, wiping his hands on a nearby towel, "she kept saying she didn't want to be alone in her room. Said she felt like something was watching her, especially at night. We searched the room from top to bottom, but nothing ever turned up. The king eventually had someone stay with her, just to calm her nerves."
Morrigan sighed, rubbing her temple. "Why not check under the bed? There was something mentioned about that in the poem..." she trailed off, trying to remember.
"What poem?" Seraphina asked, her expression puzzled. She hadn't been present for any talk of a poem.
"The one we went over while you were busy playing Dora the Explorer," Morrigan quipped, rolling her eyes. She knelt down and peered beneath the bed, searching for anything out of place.
"You really think something might be down there?" Seraphina asked, watching as Morrigan squirmed to get a better look under the bed.
Morrigan huffed in frustration. "We've got nothing to lose, do we? We're already here, so we might as well check."
As she struggled to shift into a better position, Morrigan's hand brushed against something cold and smooth. Narrowing her eyes, she caught a glimpse of a dimly lit object nestled in the shadows. Curiosity piqued, she reached out and carefully pulled it from under the bed.
"What's that?" Seraphina asked, her eyes fixating on what Morrigan held. It looked like a fragment of a larger object, shaped irregularly. The fragment was made of gold, adorned with small gemstones that glittered even in the room's dim light. However, its true form remained unclear.
As Morrigan examined the object, a translucent screen flickered into view before her.
[Holy Key Fragment 1/5]
[Description: ???]
"Holy Key fragment?" Morrigan murmured, reading the notification aloud.
"What key? What are you talking about?" Seraphina asked, leaning closer, clearly intrigued.
Morrigan frowned and waved her hand in front of the screen. "You can't see this?" she asked, gesturing at the transparent screen floating in front of her.
Seraphina blinked and looked around, confusion creasing her brow. "See what? Stop messing with me."
Annoyed, Seraphina swiped the fragment from Morrigan's hand before she could react. "Hey...!" Morrigan exclaimed, but it was too late. Seraphina was now holding the fragment.
Suddenly, another notification appeared, but this time it was visible to Seraphina.
[Holy Key Fragment 1/5]
[Description: ???]
"Oh... so that's what you meant," Seraphina said, offering a nervous smile as the translucent screen flickered before her eyes.
Morrigan crossed her arms, glaring. "Yeah, *that's* what I was talking about."
As they both tried to make sense of what the fragment was, a chilling presence swept through the room. Without warning, a misty, spectral hand emerged from under the bed, curling around Morrigan's leg. Before she could react, it yanked her with a sudden, violent force.
"Morrigan!" Seraphina yelled, trying to grab her, but the misty hand pulled Morrigan into the dark void beneath the bed with a terrifying speed.
Seraphina barely had time to process what had happened when the hand reached for her too. She fought back, slashing at the floor with her claws, leaving deep marks in a desperate attempt to anchor herself. Her heart raced as she struggled against the pull, but the force was too strong. With one last effort, her grip failed, and she was dragged into the shadowy depths beneath the bed.
*
*
*
I guess they we're both just unlucky.