Far from the human world.
"I wonder how much he will relish it," he chuckled slyly. "Where are they headed to?" he inquired of his companions.
"The Royal maid has also been located," mentioned the mysterious man in black. "Seems like everyone is converging at the same place.
What a foolish scheme my brother has concocted," he snickered mischievously.
"Ensure they all arrive here, no matter the cost," he ordered, determination clear in his tone.
"King Derek's brother, Prince Lucian, is a man shrouded in darkness. His eyes seemed to suck the light out of the room, leaving only an unsettling void. His smile is a thin-lipped, cruel affair, hinting at the malevolence that lurked beneath. His voice Is a low and smooth, like honey laced with poison, and his words dripped with malice. He had a way of carrying himself that commanded attention, but it was an attention born of fear, not respect.
"Prince Lucian presence is like a cold wind on a winter's night, leaving those around him feeling chilled and uneasy. His eyes with those caculative always searching for ways to manipulate and control. He is a master of the dark arts, and nobody knew he had such a side of him except his acquittance.
"Despite his sinister nature, Prince Lucian is a charismatic figure, able to charm and deceive with ease. He had a way of making you believe what he want you to believe, and twisting the truth to suit his own purposes. But beneath the charm and charisma, a monster lurks beneath , waiting to strike."
"Tonight will be a long night he smirked" staring at nowhere.
(Back to the human realm).
"Do you hear that sound" one of the man said.
"Don't focus on that we have to be fast his highness will be very angry"
Tears welled up in her eyes, she just couldn't understand what was happening at that moment.
She heard the door knob open and the men went out. Acia came out trembling she looked left and right to confirm she was safe,
she saw that the pedant in her hand was still shining.
"What's going on"? She muttered
"Why is the pedant shining?" This made her a little bit worried.
She had a strange feeling about the pedant before when her parents gave her she thought.
Acia looked confused. she heard a crack sound and saw the doorknob move she quickly hid under the bed, holding onto the pendant, which she depended on as her saviour.
It is the pedant that saved her before she was quite sure that it would save her again she thought.
She hid herself well under the bed until she heard a familiar voice.
"Princess, princess, it's me," she recognized the head maid's voice.
Acia quickly rushed to hug Lily, the head maid. After her parents, Lily is the closest to her, she plays with Lily and sometimes Lily tells her bedtime stories.
Acia went to meet her, hugging her . She didn't know what was wrong, but she knew Lily would explain it to her
"Princess, we must go now", lily said sternly.
"But Lily, what about mama and papa", asked acia.
" They are fine, but princess, we have to go now, this is not the time to talk", she said hurriedly.
"I know, but I'm not going anywhere until I see my mama and papa" she welled.
"Maybe you should call them on the phone, they said they were coming",Acia breathed heavily.
"Now, calm down, princess, everything will be fine, this is not the time to put yourself in unnecessary danger, the kingdom is in turmoil, and we are going to meet them" we can't stay here any longer, lily explained calmly.
So, princess, we must be quick, said Lily to Acia.
However, Acia remained adamant and refused to follow lily remembering her parents' instructions to wait for them.
She had a sense of unease about the situation.
Meanwhile, Lily, who was behind the door, heard a voice and started to feel anxious. The young princess was determined not to go, as she believed their life would be at risk if she persisted.
She gazed at Acia with a pleading expression. Reluctantly, Acia agreed, saying, "Let's go."
Lily thanked her, embracing her tightly and carrying her close. Lily then instructed the princess to close her eyes, as she didn't want her to witness the sight of lifeless bodies outside. Lily believed that the princess was too young to be exposed to such a gruesome scene.
Curiously, young Acia questioned, "Why should I close my eyes?"
"Acia, it is unsafe for a young girl such as yourself".
"But I am not young anymore, my mama and papa told me I am mature" acia insisted.
"Please, princess, do not be stubborn again , our time is limited"
"Princess"Lily pleaded.
"Alright", Acia agreed and obediently shut her eyes. Lily picked her up and held her tightly, cautiously opening the door and passing through several doors until they were finally outside of the palace.
Lily let out a sigh of relief as she stepped out of the palace. "You can open your eyes now, acia," she said to Acia.
As a young child, Acia looked around with curiosity, wondering where they were going. "Lily, where are we going?"
she asked, looking ahead. "Your mama and papa are waiting for us," Lily replied with a reassuring smile, trying to calm the princess down. "But mama and papa told me to wait for them, they will be back soon," acia explained. "Baby," Lily took a deep breath, "you trust Aunt Lily, right?"
"Yes," Acia answered. "Let's go," Lily patted her back.
Suddenly, Lily spotted a van and she ran towards it. "I think that's his majesty's van," she checked the license plate and confirmed that it was the same one so she entered with Acia .
....
Lily felt overjoyed when she realized they were outside the palace. "Acia, we're going to meet your parents," Lily said, giving her a reassuring pat on the back.
"Where are we headed?" Lily inquired of the royal driver, who was dressed in formal attire. The man didn't reply, which made Lily feel uneasy.
"Excuse me, sir, where did the king instruct you to take us?" Lily asked.
"Hey, mister!" Lily shouted. "Is he deaf, or does he just not want to answer?" She took a closer look and noticed it was the royal van.
"What on earth is going on?" she thought, holding Acia tightly, sensing that something was off.
"Who the hell is driving them"Lily panicked