Chapter 4

I stood there for a long time and watched, but no one came out.

The entire place was still silent. Except for the dull light coming from somewhere by the right, there was no sound.

“Hello?” I called out once more.

And when I didn’t get a reply, I decided to enter.

It’s not a crime to enter into a house where there are no occupants to stop me from doing that.

Who knows? They may have all gone to sleep.

I entered the house and closed the door behind me.

The door made a protesting sound as it closed.

“Now, it’s time to check out the rooms.” I walked out of the foyer, only to discover the light was coming from the stairs.

“Could it be coming from the room I saw the light in?” I wondered as I hastened toward the light.

I didn’t waste any time checking my environment because of how dark the house was.

All I wanted was to go up there and see what the source of the light was.

Who knows, the king or owner of this strange palace in the forest might be up there reading a book.

The stairs made a certain noise as I climbed, but I didn’t allow my mind to dwell on that.

I hastened up as I tried to reach the top of the stairs as fast as I could.

The stairs here were unlike the ones back in the kingdom. Climbing through this one made it seem as if I was climbing a high mountain.

I clutched the bow to my body as I continued up the stairs, momentarily glancing around for signs of humans.

I didn’t see anyone until I reached the first floor, where the light was coming from.

Up here, I was able to see the room I saw the light in from a distance.

“Who knows who lives here?” I wondered aloud as I walked toward the room.

The silence and the dimly lit place sent shivers down my spine, but I didn’t allow my fear to take over.

I’m Princess Starlight, the fearless princess.

Nothing scares me.

I’m as bold as a lion.

I hastened toward the opened door and entered inside without glancing neither right nor left.

Truthfully, I didn’t see any need in doing that since I wouldn’t see anything with how dim the light was.

“Hello?” I called out.

The room was like any other room. There was a bed in the middle of the room. The larger-than-life bed took up almost the entire room.

On the dressing table was the light that drew me to this place. It wasn’t like any light I’d ever seen. It was like a lantern, but the light swirling in it was blue. The mesmerizing way it danced caused me to hasten toward it, in my bid to see what it was the light was made of.

Three steps toward the strange swirling light, and I stopped dead in my tracks.

Next to the closet was something I didn’t notice when I came into the room.

It was like a form of a box, but the box had an odd shape.

With the new object, I forgot the lantern I was going to check out and walked toward the black thing.

I was like a moth to a flame with the way I was going.

“Gods!”

I nearly had a heart attack when the window, by the right, suddenly closed.

The way it banged in the silent room caused my heart to skip beats. The poor organ was already on its way to the grave, with the way it leapt.

I put my bow in front of me in a defensive mode as I glanced around the room.

There was no sound, and nothing strange aside from how cold the room became. It was freezing, unlike the first time I entered the room.

“Strange,” I wondered aloud.

We are in the moon fall season which is a season of constant heat.

“How can this house be this cold?” It was as if I had somehow been transported into a realm that was still in its moon shining.

Yet, I didn’t allow the thoughts to deter me from approaching the odd black-shaped box.

I would have mistaken it for a jewelry box, but that couldn’t be possible with how big the box was. No jewelry box could be so long, it might contain a human should need be.

And that was what sparked my curiosity. I needed to see what was in the box.

Who knows, it might be the treasures of the palace.

Presently, my kingdom will do well with a box filled with so many riches.

I only have to make sure the occupants of the palace have all deserted before I stake my claim on this and call dibs.

“Hello?” I called out the closer I got to the box.

I glance around the room one more time before I closed the distance between the black box and me.

I rubbed my hands in glee.

Up close, I was able to see the entire details of the box. The intricate golden designs on it shone with the light.

I ran my hand through the drawings I saw on it.

None of them made sense.

In one of the designs, a woman was kneeling on the floor while a man stood over her with his head buried in the crook of her neck.

More of the same drawings were on the black box. Each of them depicted a different scene, but with the same man bent over a female.

“What strange things are these?” I traced a finger on one of the drawings.

Suddenly, the same window opened a bit and banged shut.

And suddenly, the lights went off, bathing the entire room in darkness.

Up overhead, the sounds of rumbling thunder could be heard, and the streaks of lightning scared me shitless.

“Gods!” I covered my ears with my palms as I slowly chanted.

“I’m a fearless female, I can’t be scared of this.”

Yet, I was.