Princess of the Underworld

Chapter 8 - Trouble

While browsing the shops, something caught Livana's eye down one of the dark alleyways between two open shops. Livana looked to see another little shop by itself with lights on. As curious as she was, she knew she should not be going off by herself, but as usual, her curiosity got the best of her. Before Livana knew it, she walked down the dark alleyway towards the tiny shop shaped like a house, as if someone was living there. As she got closer and closer, everything surrounding her got quieter and quieter until there was nothing to hear. There was no noise of cars or people chattering - nothing but dead silence.

Livana stayed alert in case something or someone made a move. She paused to scan her surroundings before going to the house shop. After reaching the stairs, Livana took a moment to take a deep breath before continuing toward the door. She saw a shop filled with antiques and other valuable items. Livana noticed the "open" sign on the door's glass window before opening it and stepping inside. "Hello? Is there anyone here?" she called out to announce her presence.

Livana continued walking, letting the door close, and looking at all the antiques and other valuable things. Suddenly, someone said, "Hello, hello, how may I help you?" Livana turned to see a unique-looking person who was extremely close to me, about arm's length away. Livana thought to herself, 'Probably the shop owner.'

Livana smiled slightly and said, "This place is unique," while looking at everything on the shelf before her. The shopkeeper responded, "Oh yes, everything in this shop is unique because it is all homemade; let me know if anything fancies your liking," before heading back to the backroom to continue working. Livana walked through the entire shop, examining everything on display, until she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. She stopped and turned to see a lovely vintage lace, short, knee-length ocean blue coloured dress on the mannequin in the front window of the shop.

Livana approached the dress and admired it with awe. The shop owner reappeared from the backroom and asked, "Would you like to try it on, miss?" Livana smiled and replied, "Oh, if that's okay." The shop owner walked over, took the dress off the mannequin, and handed it to her, saying, "Of course! Follow me to the changing rooms." Livana took the dress and followed the owner to the changing rooms. Once inside, she tried on the ocean-blue laced dress.

After trying it on, the dress surprisingly fit Livana perfectly. She walked out of the changing room to admire herself in the big mirror, looking at the dress from every angle. The shop owner exclaimed, "It suits you so well! I never thought a dress could be designed for a gorgeous person like yourself." Livana smiled and asked about the price, which the owner initially offered as a gift. Livana respectfully declined and insisted on paying. The owner then quoted a price of twenty dollars, which Livana happily paid for the pretty ocean-blue laced dress before leaving the shop.

After thanking the shop owner, Livana approached the shop door. "Thank you," she replied before opening the door and leaving the shop. Glancing at the time, Livana saw that it was 10 pm. She headed back down the darkened alleyway and onto the main sidewalks past the two open shops, returning to the apartment building where Ellerosé and her were staying.

Livana thought to herself, "Maybe she is still sleeping," before stopping for a bit. "Or maybe she is awake and is wondering where I am." Livana quickened her pace, heading up the stairs to the apartment building where her and Ellerosé were staying. As soon as she reached for the door, Livana opened it with the spare key and walked through. "Livana?! Is that you?" Livana heard Ellerosé say before coming into view. "Yes, it's me," she replied. With a blur of motion, Ellerosé wrapped her arms around Livana, giving her the biggest hug and not letting go. "Oh, thank God," she began to say.

Livana was confused. "Why? What is wrong?" Ellerosé pulled back. "When I woke up, I couldn't find you, and I was looking for you everywhere in this apartment, calling for you. I thought something had happened to you," Livana sighed. "I'm sorry for making you worry. I just wanted to go and do more exploring, and I found this cute little shop. I went inside to browse, and that is when I found this cute dress that I bought," Livana said while showing off the dress. Ellerosé sighed before hugging her. "It's pretty. I am just glad that you are safe," she began to say, until at the end, Livana could hear a sad tone in Ellerosé voice. "Sorry, I scared you" Livana replied.

"Ellerosé shook her head and said, "Don't worry about that, Livana. I have to tell you something." Livana looked at her in confusion and asked, "Um, okay, what is it?" Ellerosé went to sit down on the lounge, being quiet. Livana walked over and joined her, saying, "Okay, Ellerosé, you are never this quiet; what happened?" Ellerosé turned to look at her with an apologetic look in her eyes.

"Livana, when you were gone and I couldn't find you," she began to say before trailing off and looking away. "Ellerosé?" Livana began to say. Ellerosé lifted her head and gave out a big sigh before then turning to Livana. "I called your parents, Liv, and they have sent your brother to come pick us up to take you back home," Livana felt her body going colder and stiff as she went into shock not moving like how a deer freezes in headlights.

"No, no, why? This can not be happening, not yet. There are still so many places for me to explore and see. Why my brother? Why?" Livana thought to herself as she sat still on the lounge, staring at the floor with her eyes wide open in horror. It is not that she is afraid of her brother. It is just that she is afraid of what he could do. The last time something bad happened was when Livana went off alone from a family event when she was younger.

Diamon had gone to look for Livana, and once, he had found her crouching down into a ball with her hands above her head, trying to tell the other young vampires to stop tormenting her. That was when Diamon had lost it, and in one quick blur motion, he swung his hands at the other vampire's necks, decapitating their heads from their bodies and ripping every limb of their bodies off, causing a blood bath killing. Livana had lifted her head, eyes widening while watching in horror at the scene that had folded in front of her, watching a pool of blood form on the floor, and seeing her brother standing in the middle of it, dropping the lifeless body of the vampires to the floor before then turning his gaze to his sister with him covered in blood and his eyes dark as coal with red highlights formed around them.

Diamon then walked over to his sister Livana, picked her up, and headed back towards their family event. Livana never moved or even dared to think of moving. She stayed still inshock. The rest of the walk back was dead quiet, as the two stayed silent, not talking. That memory of that incident remains fresh in Livana's mind whenever someone mentions or speaks of her brother as if it had happened just recently.