The next morning, the bright sun peeked above the castle walls, it's like painting the sky with gold. Sheenah sat on her bed, watching light spill onto the stone floor. Leah yawned and curled up on her side, still groggy from their restless night. The silver locket on Sheenah's neck glowed gently, feeling its comfort and warmth. Sheenah heard a gentle knock on the door, when it opened it was Maya who entered quietly, holding a tray with tea and bread. She smiled, but Sheenah could tell something was different. Maya's hands shook just a little.
Leah stretched and sat up. "Good morning, you woke up early Sheenah. Are you thinking about yesterday?" she asked softly.
Sheenah nodded. "I keep wondering what happens next."
Before Leah could answer, she looked at Maya who is shaking her head. "Uh, Maya? Did something happen?" Leah asked.
Maya bit her lip. "The Duke sent for you both. He's in the garden. He says it's urgent."
Sheenah and Leah did a fast breakfast then dressed quickly.
The air in the hallways felt lighter, as if the castle itself had changed overnight. Servants murmured greetings, their eyes filled with cautious hope it was a small but constant comfort after the strange magic from the heart of the castle.
Outside, the snow was melting in patches, revealing green grass below. The garden, once dark and cold, now glimmered in the sun. Sheenah hadn't realized how much beauty had been hidden under winter's grasp. Some of the ice on the wells melted in the night. Now you can see children are playing outside.
At the far end of the garden, the Duke stood alone by a frozen pond. He looked younger, less burdened than before. He turned as they approached, giving them a grateful smile.
Sheenah nodded and smiled, hope stirring in her chest.
"Thank you for coming," he said. "Last night, I never felt the chills and the sharp pain in my chest. Maybe the curse's grip weakens. I think what you did in the heart of the castle… it changed something."
Sheenah look at the Duke and shook her head. "Maybe, we believe that it was the adviser who is controlling your curse to protect you, but he made everything worse. After he vanished, now the castle feels different. Alive."
Leah nodded, remembering the warmth from the chamber. "Maybe, it's not just magic. It's everyone choosing hope instead of fear."
The Duke glanced back at the castle, his hand resting over his chest. "For so long, I thought my loneliness kept this place safe. But I realize now, I was keeping the curse alive." His gaze drifted to the children playing in the snow. "What happens now? Will you and Leah return home, or stay?"
He turned to Sheenah but he stops he glanced at the locket around Sheenah's neck.
"We still don't know, we don't know where is the way home." Sheenah answered the Duke. Leah notice that the Duke was staring at Sheenah's neck, "Uhm, Duke? Is there something wrong?"
He waves his hand at them. "I remember that locket. It belonged to my mother. She always told me to trust love, even when it was hard. I never understood what she meant until now."
Sheenah took the locket off her neck and handed to the Duke. "I'm really sorry for wearing it. I didn't know."
The Duke, took the locket and stared at it. "I'm happy and surprise that I am able to see this again. Where did you find this? I never see you wearing this before."
"I found it along with the journal we showed to you, it's just that I keep it in my bag. I'm sorry I didn't know that it was from your mother. I only thought that the locket might be a clue for us to break your curse and return home." Sheenah lowered her head as she answers the Duke.
The Duke chucked and handled to back to her. "Here, take it. You are the one who found it maybe, it was destined to yours. Just please take care of it."
"But- ". Sheenah words were cut of when the Duke put the locket on her palm. "If you think it is the hint of everything of this, take it. Maybe, you'll know its use."
Sheenah accept the necklace then she wears it back. They walked together among flowering bushes and the gentle rush of water from the garden's stream. Servants stopped and stared as the Duke smiling—his first real smile in years.
"I want to give you something," he said, guiding them to a stone bench. "A reward for your bravery. Anything you wish."
Sheenah and Leah looked at each other. For a moment, Sheenah wondered if she should ask to go home. She missed her old life. But then she remembered that the Duke don't even know how they got there and how to send them home.
Leah spoke first. "I miss my world sometimes," Leah admitted gently. "But here, I feel like I finally matter. My wish is that for the meantime, as we are finding clues to break your curse and our way home, can we not live as a prisoner? Can we live just like a normal citizen living in here?"
The Duke look at Leah and nodded. "I'll grant that. I will assign the two of you a comfortable room in the castle."
Just then, Aldric arrived with Maya. Both were smiling. "There is something you should see in the great hall," Aldric said, sounding more cheerful than ever.
Inside, the grand hall was full of people—servants, soldiers, even children. At the front, the Duke's stern advisors were gathered, their faces nervous but hopeful. The Duke walked to the center and turned to address them all.
"Please treat well these two ladies here. They are my guest from now on. Report anything happens to them and assists them when they are needed. From now on let's help each other because who knows that our place used to be winter all the time might feel the summer?"
The crowd around them clapped and cheered softly. Maya wiped her eyes, beaming. Aldric nodded, his stern face finally relaxed.
Later that day, in the grand hall, the Duke gathered servants and advisors. The atmosphere buzzed with nervous excitement—not of fear, but of possibility.
Sheenah found a quiet corner in their new room with Leah. They lay in their beds together.
"Do you miss home?" Leah asked suddenly.
Sheenah thought for a long time. "I miss some things—my old room, my favorite coffee shop, my work, my school, everything."
Leah smiled. "Me too."
Suddenly, Maya ran in, full of excitement burst in their room. "Come quick! There's a rainbow outside. The whole castle is talking about it."
Sheenah and Leah hurried to the main balcony. The sky was bright, and a perfect rainbow arched above the castle grounds. People gathered, laughing and pointing. For the first time in many years, hope was everywhere.
The Duke joined them. "A sign of good luck," he said softly. "Maybe even a promise."
They stood together—Sheenah, Leah, the Duke, Aldric, and Maya. Around them, the castle felt lighter, safer. The curse was not fully gone, but the change had started, and no one would have to face the darkness alone again.
As the sun set, Sheenah wrote in her midnight-blue book, recording every moment so she would never forget:
Today we learned that real magic is not in spells or light, but in the people brave enough to hope. Together, we turned a page. Tomorrow, we write what happens next.
That night, as Sheenah drifted to sleep, she wasn't afraid of shadows or secrets. Her heart was full and open to the new world unfolding all around her. And just outside her window, a wildflower bloomed, reaching toward the dawn.