CHAPTER 7: THE GIRL IN THE FOUNTAIN
840 Words
Chapter 7: The Girl in the Fountain
The garden remained silent after the water settled.
Adrian stood beside Isabella, searching her frightened face.
"You really saw someone?"
She nodded, unable to tear her eyes away from the fountain.
"A little girl."
"What did she look like?"
"She couldn't have been older than six."
"She had long black hair... and she was wearing the crescent pendant."
Adrian's heartbeat quickened.
"The pendant..."
"And she spoke to me."
His expression hardened.
"What did she say?"
Isabella swallowed.
"'Find me before the moon turns red.'"
A long silence followed.
Adrian slowly looked toward the fountain.
His grandfather had once mentioned those exact words.
He never believed he would hear them again.
The next morning, Isabella woke to the sound of birds singing outside her bedroom window.
For the first time in days, she had managed to sleep peacefully.
But the peace didn't last.
Someone knocked on her door.
"Miss Isabella," the butler called.
"Mr. Dawson is waiting for you in the dining room."
She quickly got dressed and walked downstairs.
Breakfast had already been prepared.
Adrian sat quietly, reading the morning newspaper.
Without looking up, he said,
"Good morning."
"Morning."
She noticed he looked tired.
His eyes carried the weight of another sleepless night.
He folded the newspaper and pushed a small velvet box toward her.
"What's this?"
"Open it."
Inside was a beautiful silver bracelet.
At its center hung a tiny crescent moon charm.
"It's beautiful."
"It's also a security tracker."
She blinked.
"A tracker?"
"It allows my security team to locate you if you're in danger."
She looked at him suspiciously.
"So I'll be wearing a GPS?"
"I prefer the word protection."
She smiled despite herself.
"You always have another meaning for everything."
He almost smiled back.
Almost.
Across the city...
Victoria Lang slammed another folder onto her desk.
"So the attacks failed."
Her assistant nodded.
"Yes."
Victoria sighed.
"Then it's time to stop using strangers."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm going to get close to Isabella myself."
"How?"
Victoria smiled.
"People trust kind faces."
Later that afternoon, Isabella insisted on visiting her father.
Although Adrian objected at first, he finally agreed under one condition.
"Ethan goes with you."
"I don't need a bodyguard."
"You do."
She sighed.
"Fine."
As Ethan drove toward Hart Industries, Isabella stared through the car window.
The city looked normal.
People laughed.
Children played.
No one would believe an ancient secret society was hiding among them.
When they arrived, her father welcomed her with a warm hug.
"You look happier."
"I'm trying."
They spent hours talking about the future.
For the first time since signing the contract, Isabella laughed.
But someone across the street was watching.
Victoria lowered her sunglasses.
"So that's her weakness..."
"Family."
That evening, Adrian received an unexpected visitor.
Inspector Raymond.
The detective placed an old leather notebook on the desk.
"We found this hidden inside one of the intruders' jackets."
Adrian opened it carefully.
Every page contained strange symbols.
Until the final page.
A single sentence had been written in English.
'When the Red Moon rises, the Queen shall return.'
Adrian's face turned pale.
"The Red Moon..."
Inspector Raymond frowned.
"You've heard of it?"
Adrian slowly closed the notebook.
"I hoped it was only a myth."
Night fell over Ashford City.
Clouds covered the stars.
Back at the mansion, Isabella couldn't sleep.
She wandered into the library once again.
The ancient books seemed to call to her.
Almost without thinking, she picked up the same history book from the previous night.
As soon as she opened it...
The pages began turning by themselves.
One...
Two...
Three...
They stopped on a painting.
It showed the burning palace from her vision.
Her heart raced.
"This is impossible..."
She touched the illustration.
A hidden compartment suddenly opened inside the bookshelf.
She gasped.
Behind it lay a narrow stone staircase leading underground.
Cold air drifted upward.
Footsteps echoed below.
Someone...
Was already down there.
Before Isabella could decide whether to investigate, Adrian's voice came from behind her.
"Don't."
She turned quickly.
"You knew about this?"
His expression was serious.
"I've spent years trying to keep that passage sealed."
"What is it?"
He looked toward the darkness beneath the stairs.
"My family's greatest secret."
Before either of them could move—
A woman's scream echoed from deep underground.
Isabella froze.
"Did you hear that?"
Adrian had already reached into a hidden cabinet.
He pulled out an old silver sword.
"This wasn't supposed to happen."
"What are you doing?"
He looked directly into her eyes.
"No matter what happens..."
"Stay behind me."
Together, they stepped onto the ancient staircase.
The heavy stone door slowly closed behind them.
Above, the library returned to complete silence.
Neither of them realized that someone hidden in the shadows had watched everything.
Victoria smiled.
"So..."
"That's where you've been hiding your secrets."
She quietly took out her phone.
"The entrance has been found."
Somewhere far away, the scarred leader received the message.
His cold smile spread across his face.
"The final chapter has begun."
- Writer
