Chapter 4
1201 Words
I ran, and ran and ran and ran until I could feel my heart beat out of my chest.
I didn't know which feeling was superior, the sorrow of losing the women who raised me as her own, the terror of nearly meeting the same fate as her or the relief of making it out alive.
All I could do was cower in the corner of the big hallway.
I was scared.
The walls around me felt colder, the dim candlelight flickering as if mocking my fear. My breath came in ragged gasps, each inhale sharp and unsteady.
I pulled my knees to my chest, fingers gripping my arms so tightly my nails dug into my skin.
I could still hear it.
The wet, grotesque sounds of tearing flesh. The last remnants of my nanny being devoured.
I should have closed my ears. Should have blocked it out.
But I didn't.
I sat there, listening, as the creature feasted—waiting, hoping that it wouldn't come searching for me next.
Then, the sounds stopped.
The silence was far worse.
I stiffened, my body trembling, straining to hear past the violent pounding of my heartbeat.
And then—
A deep, guttural sniff echoed through the hallway.
It was searching.
For me.
That's when I first saw her.
Zareth Nocturne, the second wife of the King, stood at the end of the dimly lit hallway. Her piercing silver eyes settled on me, taking in my small, trembling form. The soft rustle of her gown was the only sound breaking the suffocating silence.
She took a careful step forward, her expression unreadable yet strangely comforting.
"Why are you scared, child?" Her voice was calm, almost melodic, as if she were speaking to a frightened animal. "Why are you shaking?"
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. My throat felt tight, clogged with fear and unshed tears. I lowered my gaze to the cold floor, gripping the fabric of my clothes with tiny, trembling fingers.
She waited. She didn't demand an answer, didn't move any closer—just watched me with patient eyes.
A lump formed in my throat as I swallowed hard, the weight of the past moments crushing me. The monster. The blood. My nanny.
I wasn’t sure which scared me more—that nightmare or the unfamiliar warmth in her voice.
My lips quivered as I forced out a whisper.
"There's… a monster."
Zareth Nocturne’s expression didn’t waver. She didn’t doubt me, didn’t dismiss my words as a child’s nightmare. Instead, she simply tilted her head, her silver hair cascading over her shoulder like liquid moonlight.
"A monster? In the castle?" Her voice was steady, unshaken. "Where is it?"
I clenched my tiny fists, hesitating.
I couldn’t tell her.
I had already lost my nanny—I couldn’t bear to lose another person. What if the monster got to her too? What if it ripped her apart, just like…
My breath hitched.
But then, Zareth knelt slightly, placing a gentle hand on my head. It was warm. Steady. A quiet reassurance that melted through the ice in my chest.
"It’s alright," she murmured, her gaze unwavering. "I won’t let it hurt you."
For some reason, I believed her.
My small, trembling hand lifted, pointing toward the room at the end of the hallway.
Zareth gave a small nod, then gracefully rose to her feet. Without another word, she turned and strode toward the room.
There was no hesitation in her steps.
No fear.
Only quiet, unyielding confidence.
The air around her shifted.
My breath hitched as I watched her, my tiny fingers curling against my chest.
She was glowing.
A warm, gentle light radiated from her, wrapping around her form like a second skin. It wasn’t blinding, nor was it harsh—it felt safe. Like standing in the presence of something far beyond human.
Then, I felt it.
A pulse of power, heavy and unwavering, pressing against my skin like an invisible force. The air around her shimmered, bending in a way that defied reason.
She wasn’t just a noblewoman.
She was something more.
Nanny had told me about them once, in hushed whispers before bedtime. The chosen ones. The messengers of the gods, gifted with extraordinary abilities that set them apart from ordinary people.
Mages.
And Zareth Nocturne was one of them.
The light burst from the cracks of the door, spilling into the dark hallway like liquid gold. It was warm, yet overwhelming—powerful enough to make my chest tighten.
Then came the screech.
A horrific, ear-splitting wail that sent a violent shudder down my spine.
But it wasn’t Zareth’s.
It was the monster’s.
I clutched my arms, my tiny frame trembling as I stared at the door. The creature that had once filled me with paralyzing terror… was screaming.
For the first time, it was afraid.
A gust of wind exploded from the room, slamming the door wide open. My breath caught as I caught a glimpse inside—Zareth stood there, her silver hair flowing behind her, untouched by the chaos around her.
Her hands were raised, the golden light now blazing around her, wrapping her in an aura of divine power. The monster, that horrible, terrifying thing that had torn my nanny apart, was writhing in agony beneath her presence.
It was burning.
Its blackened skin cracked, sizzling under the light as it let out another ear-piercing shriek. It cowered, shrinking back like a cornered animal, clawing at the ground in desperation.
And yet, Zareth’s expression remained unchanged.
Unshaken. Unmoved.
She took a slow step forward.
The monster let out a final, choked sound—before its body crumbled into ash.
"Thankfully It was a low level monster or else it could've gotten worse..." Her eyes were filled with sorrow.
"I'm sorry...I couldn't do anything to save her, by the time I entered. Half of her body had already been eaten" She said.
Then I realised she was talking about my nanny.
Her words seeped into my mind like venom, slow and suffocating.
Half of her body…
I swallowed the lump in my throat, but the weight in my chest only grew heavier.
She was gone.
I had already seen it—the way the monster ripped into her, the way her body went limp in my arms. But hearing it now, in Zareth’s calm, knowing voice, made it all feel final.
I curled my fingers into fists, my nails biting into my palms. Yet no tears came. Not this time.
Zareth knelt before me, her piercing gaze steady.
"You survived," she said, her voice unreadable. "That alone is proof of your strength."
Strength? Was that what this was?
I wasn’t strong.
I had run.
I had pushed her body toward the creature, used her as a shield just to buy myself a chance to escape.
The monster had devoured her in my place.
"I... ran away," I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't help her..."
No tears came. Not this time.
But the weight in my chest was unbearable, a hollow ache that refused to fade. It wasn't fear that lingered—it was something far worse.
Guilt.
- Writer
