The king sat before the bonfire, lost in his thoughts, when an old sentinel approached quietly and said,
"Your Majesty, please eat something. You've been like this since last night."
The king turned his gaze toward him and spoke in a low, weary tone,
"You are the oldest one here. You've been by my side since I was young, and you know every secret hidden within these walls. Tell me! where do you think she is?"
The old sentinel bowed his head. "Your Majesty, I wish I could bring the princess back to you, but as you know, I am an old man now. My strength has long left me. Please accept my apologies."
The king leaned back slightly, his eyes glinting in the firelight. "Do you remember Ediric? He was my most loyal, kind, and faithful servant just as old as you. If he were still here, Alara would have been found by now. He had a rare gift… the ability to sense things others could not."
The old sentinel nodded solemnly. "Yes, Your Majesty. I remember him well, how he could uncover truths and read situations before anyone else even noticed. Those were different days."
"But just because of one single mistake of him, cost his life! I wish he wouldn't have done that in the past, I wish he wouldn't have helped out our enemies!" The king said while resting his head on the chair.
"Your Majesty, do not worry," the old servant said respectfully. "The sentinels are on high alert every one of them is out searching for the princess and that boy."
He bowed slightly before turning to leave, his footsteps fading into the echoing silence of the hall, leaving the King once again lost in his own haunting reflection.
~~~~~
Alara had drifted into sleep, her head resting gently on Abrum's shoulder. The stars above shimmered faintly through the trees, and the night air carried a hush so deep, it felt sacred. For the first time in years, she felt safe.
But peace, for her, never lasted long.
A voice soft, distant, and almost melodic whispered her name.
"Alara…"
Her eyes opened slowly. The moonlight filtered through the window, painting silver shadows across the floor. She sat up, blinking, her heart beating a little faster. "Who's there?" she called softly, but only the night answered.
And then she saw her.
At the far end of the staircase stood a girl, dressed in a flowing white silk gown that shimmered faintly as if made of light itself. Her hair drifted around her shoulders, untouched by the wind, and her eyes, calm yet sorrowful met Alara's for a fleeting moment.
"Alara…" the girl whispered again, her voice echoing faintly through the halls. She didn't move her lips when she spoke. She only lifted her hand and gestured toward the stairs.
Drawn by something she couldn't explain, Alara followed. Her bare feet made no sound against the floor, and the air grew colder with every step she took.
When she looked back, the girl was gone.
But ahead through the dark hall, she saw her again, waiting by an old wooden door that Alara had never noticed before. The girl's form seemed to flicker, like light trembling through mist.
but just when she was about to touch that angelic figure, her eyes opened immediately and she realized that it was all a dream of her, but she was sweating all over her face like she had run a lot.
Abrum woke up at the slightest movement beside him, he had always been like that, alert even in his sleep. The moment he saw Alara sitting upright, her face pale and her hands trembling slightly, he leaned closer.
"What happened? You're sweating all over!" Abrum asked, worry clear in his eyes.
Alara quickly shook her head, brushing a few loose strands of hair from her face. "No, nothing happened. I just… saw a strange dream, that's all."
Abrum studied her for a moment, then smiled softly, trying to ease her unease. "You don't need to worry about that. It's probably just because this is your first night sleeping outside the castle. Your mind's still getting used to it."
His voice was calm, steady, the kind that made even nightmares fade a little.
"Yes, you're right," Alara said softly, still brushing off the uneasiness from her voice. "It's probably just that… It's already midnight, I think we should go downstairs."
Abrum nodded and stood up, offering his hand with a gentle smile. "Alright, princess. Let's go."
He helped Alara to her feet, his touch steady and warm against her trembling hand, and together they walked down the dimly lit stairs, the silence of the night wrapping around them like a whisper.
On their way back to Abrum's room, Alara's eyes caught sight of a wooden door, the same one she had seen in her dream, the very door the angelic figure had pointed toward.
Her steps slowed, her gaze fixed on it. The door stood there, locked and silent, yet it seemed to breathe with a strange pull. A whisper echoed through her mind, faint but unrelenting, something was calling her, hinting that whatever she saw in her dream wasn't just a dream at all.