Everyone in the castle was lost in the rhythm of laughter and music. The king, too, was busy chatting and feasting with his friends, unaware that his daughter had quietly disappeared. The grand halls echoed with joy but not a soul noticed the silent terror unfolding behind those locked doors.
No one heard Alara's desperate screams from the restroom. As Rylan stepped closer, she pushed him away with every ounce of strength she had left, but he grabbed her hand, forcing her back. In a flash of defiance, she bit his hand hard, enough to make him stumble and that was her only chance. She turned and ran for her life.
She was running for her life, her heartbeat louder than the music echoing through the halls. Tears streamed down her pale face, but she didn't dare look back. On the other side of the castle, Abrum was frantically searching for her room after room, hall after hall but she was nowhere to be found.
Just when he turned toward the grand corridor, he saw her. Alara running, terrified, her gown flowing behind her like a torn dream. Their eyes met across the vast hall she on one side, he on the other, a single glance filled with fear, relief, and desperation.
Alara didn't see him, she was just running and running, her breath uneven, her eyes blurred with tears. Abrum sprinted toward the other side of the hall, his heart pounding like thunder. Just as Alara turned the corner, he caught her hand and pulled her gently into a nearby storeroom.
Startled, she almost screamed, but before she could, Abrum placed his hand softly over her lips. "It's me," he whispered, his voice trembling. Her wide, frightened eyes met his and in that moment, without a single word, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as if to protect her from the whole world.
In that moment, Alara felt as if warmth itself had embraced her every fear, every worry melted away from her body. She broke down into tears without even knowing whether they were born of happiness or sorrow. Her face buried in his chest, the same chest that the world would call hard, cold, and dangerous yet for her, it was the only warmth she could ever want.
"It's alright, princess. I'm here now... you're safe," Abrum said softly, brushing the strands of hair away from her tear-streaked face.
"I was so scared... I thought we might never meet again, Abrum," Alara whispered, her eyes cast down, her voice trembling.
Abrum gently lifted her chin with his fingers, holding her face tenderly in both hands. His voice was calm yet filled with emotion as he said, "I promised you I'd come back and here I am, princess. You don't have to worry anymore."
"We don't have much time! Let's go — follow me, and don't leave my sight!" Abrum said with a faint but reassuring smile.
"Alright," Alara replied softly, returning his smile even in her weakness.
As Abrum reached out to help her up, his expression suddenly changed, her skin was burning with fever. He looked into her weary eyes, and all he saw was emptiness and exhaustion. His voice trembled slightly as he said,
"Alara… you haven't eaten anything, have you? Why would you do this to yourself?"
Alara lowered her gaze, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I couldn't… I didn't have the strength to. I thought… I thought if I closed my eyes and never woke up, it would all just end. The pain, the fear… everything."
Abrum's heart ached hearing her words. He gently placed his hand on her cheek, forcing her to look at him.
"Don't say that, princess. You're stronger than this, stronger than me. And I swear, I'll get you out of here. Just hold on a little longer, okay?"
She nodded faintly, her eyes glimmering with tears. Abrum then took off his coat and wrapped it around her shoulders.
"Lean on me," he said softly, holding her hand tightly.
As they stepped out of the storeroom, the muffled sound of laughter and music echoed through the grand halls, a cruel contrast to their desperate escape. Every step they took felt heavier than the last, but they didn't stop. Not this time.
The guards were stationed at the back of the castle, the very place they planned to escape from. Alara turned to Abrum and whispered, "Wait here! I'll distract the guards at the door and then come back to you."
"Alright… but be careful," Abrum replied, his voice low yet filled with concern. "I'll be right here, just come back to me quickly."
When the guards saw the princess approaching, they immediately straightened and bowed deeply.
"My Lady! Is there anything we can do for you?" one of them asked respectfully.
"Yes," Alara replied calmly, masking her nervousness. "There's an urgent need for sentinels inside the great hall. You all must go there at once."
The guards exchanged uncertain glances this wasn't part of their assigned duty but since it was the princess's command, they obeyed without question and hurried toward the hall.
The moment they disappeared, Alara ran toward Abrum, who was waiting anxiously behind the wall. "Let's go! They've gone inside," she said, breathing heavily.
Abrum took her hand firmly, and together they ran out of the castle, out of the prison that had held them captive for so long. As they crossed the threshold, Alara turned back one last time. The towering castle stood silent behind her, its cold walls glimmering under the moonlight. A single tear slipped down her left cheek, marking the end of one chapter of her life… and the beginning of another.
As they walked through the silent, cold, and dark forest, the only sounds were the crunch of dried leaves beneath their feet and the distant whispers of the wind. Abrum glanced at Alara and noticed her trembling, her steps growing weaker with every passing second.
Before he could say anything, her knees gave way. "Alara!" Abrum called out in alarm, rushing forward just in time to catch her before she hit the ground. He held her tightly in his arms, feeling the chill radiating from her body.
Her face was pale, her breaths shallow, and her eyelids fluttered as if she was struggling to stay awake. The worry in Abrum's chest deepened as he whispered, "Hey… stay with me, Princess." He gently brushed the loose strands of hair from her face, his grip firm but tender, refusing to let her slip away.
He called her name multiple times, his voice trembling with fear, but she didn't respond. Panic started to rise within him. "Alara! Hold on a little longer, Princess… we're almost there," Abrum said, his voice breaking as he tried to keep her awake.
Her head rested limply against his chest, her breaths faint and uneven. Without wasting another second, Abrum scooped her up in his arms and began to run through the forest, his heart pounding faster than his feet hitting the ground.
Branches scratched his arms, the cold wind bit at his skin, but he didn't stop, not for a moment. All that mattered was reaching his home… and saving her.
When Abrum entered through the main door of his house, the old master was sitting in the front room. The moment he saw Abrum, he immediately stood up from his chair and said in a worried tone, "Where have you been all this time? And who is this girl? Do you have any idea how worried I was?"
"Please, stop asking so many questions and look at her, she's burning up! Do something, please. I'll explain everything later," Abrum said in a tone sharper than usual; he had never spoken to the old master like that before.
Abrum's room was upstairs, so they hurried there and gently laid Alara down on the bed. The old master placed his hand on her forehead, his expression turning grave. "She's burning with fever," he said quietly, feeling her trembling hand.
"Get some cold water and a small towel," the old master said calmly but firmly. Abrum quickly ran to fetch them while the old master quietly observed Alara, his eyes scanning her delicate features as if trying to recognize who she was.
When Abrum returned, slightly out of breath, he handed the bowl and towel to the old master. Without wasting a second, the old master dipped the towel into the cold water, wrung it out, and gently placed it on Alara's burning forehead.
"She'll wake up soon, don't worry," the old master said in a reassuring tone, glancing at Alara's pale face. "It seems she hasn't eaten in days."
He carefully crushed some healing herbs and placed a few on Alara's lips, helping her swallow so the medicine could restore her strength and ease her fatigue.
Then, turning his sharp, knowing eyes toward Abrum, the old master spoke again, his voice calm yet demanding, "I've never seen you this worried about a human before… now tell me everything."
"It's hard for me to understand too," Abrum said quietly, his voice heavy with confusion and emotion. "But there's something… something strangely different when I'm with her. I can't explain it."
He took a deep breath and continued, "I met her in the royal castle. She's the princess Alara. Everything happened so fast… the king found out, and I was imprisoned. But I couldn't just stay there knowing she was in danger."
Abrum's voice softened as he looked toward the bed where Alara lay. "I had to bring her here… I couldn't leave her behind."
"So! she's the girl you were talking about the other day?" the old master said, raising an eyebrow as he glanced between Abrum and the unconscious Alara. "Do you even realize what's going to happen when the king finds out about this?"
He sighed heavily, shaking his head, then noticed the deep scratches and bruises on Abrum's arm. "You reckless boy," he muttered under his breath. "Come here, let me take care of that before it gets worse."
Abrum didn't argue, he just sat quietly beside him, lost in thought, as the old master started tending to his wounds.
~~~~~
Rylan hesitated for a moment, his hands trembling slightly as he adjusted his mask and said,
"Y-Yes, Your Majesty! She was with me, but then she said she needed to use the restroom and told me to wait outside. After some time, I went to check, but she wasn't there. I thought she might've gone somewhere else."
The king's face turned pale, his voice lowering into a serious tone.
"What do you mean she wasn't there? Are you saying my daughter disappeared right under your nose?" he said, his voice echoing through the empty hall.
Rylan quickly replied, "I swear, Your Majesty! I have no idea where she went. The moment I realized she wasn't inside, I searched around but couldn't find her anywhere."
The king clenched his fists in anger, his eyes blazing."Sentinels!" he roared. "Search every corner of the castle, every hallway, every gate find the princess! And if anyone dares to hide her, they will pay with their life!"
Rylan and his father stood frozen, staring at one another, neither daring to speak while the king's command hung in the air like a guillotine.
Slowly, fear spread through the castle that had been celebrated only hours before. What had been a night of music and laughter became a house of whispering dread every guest, guard, and servant suddenly aware that their lives might hang on the search for the princess. The sentinels who had last seen Alara exchanged terrified glances; guilt and fear sealed their lips, and none of them dared tell the king the whole truth...