Rain's body was crushed. Her muscles felt stiff and tense like a crowd had just beaten her. It was excruciating pain even to breathe. Rain was trying to squirm in her bed when she faintly heard the sound of birds chirping in the distance. Rain suddenly woke up. Her eyes opened wide even though her body was stiff and she couldn't move. Rain had only heard birds chirping in the morning for the first time since she came to Darkwood Palace. "Wait, am I still dreaming?" she thought. Rain wasn't sure she had heard the birds chirping. Even though Darkwood Palace was on top of a mountain and surrounded by dense forests, Rain felt like she was in a void. In Darkwood Palace, no one could hear the cooing and squawking of the beasts, apart from animals and birds on certain nights. Rain felt very lazy. She realized the sun was already quite high that morning, though the dressing was still the same—grey. Rain refused to move from her soft and warm bed. The experience she had gone through last n
A man with oval glasses wearing a dark suit walked unsteadily by the side of the road. He pulled his tie loose, and his hair looked disheveled. In his right hand, he is carrying a briefcase, while in his left hand, he is holding a piece of paper that is tattered from being opened and closed too often. A light breeze brushed against the skinny man's face and body. The traffic beside him was full of the glittering vehicle and street lights."Die... die... die...." The man whispered, following the voices in his head.He continued walking along the sidewalk until he reached the bridge connecting Hambara Town and Haridra Town. In his head kept flashing the image of the boss's cursing and anger this afternoon at the office. He failed to reach the sales target that month.The man dropped his briefcase onto the sidewalk. The termination paper in his left hand was blown away by the wind and fell onto the wide surface of the Hambara River under the bridge. The man's eyes
"Are you sure, Erica?" asked Samantha, who suddenly appeared under Erica's feet and formed a shadow of her body. "Last night, the Prince just had a tantrum and lost control. Now you're allowing him to travel even deep into the middle of nowhere that we have no control over?""Of course I'm not that stupid, Sam! I can't just let it go without a well-thought-out plan," Erica answered confidently."So what's your plan, you know-it-all miss?" quipped Samantha."I have prepared all forms of security in the city they are going to. I've got everything ready.""Then, what are we going to do alone in this gloomy and pitiful palace?" Samantha complained."Of course, we'll follow them," Erica smirked. "Come on!" Erica gave a long whistle, and a very dashing jet-black mare appeared with a long, beautiful mane."You are terrible Erica! I thought you wouldn't be able to just let the Prince off your guard."Erica jumped first onto the horse's back.
Once they survived the old warlock's attack, Rain hugged Jace tightly because she was so scared. A few moments later, Jace's body suddenly felt unsteady, previously as solid as a rock. Rain had to support Jace's heavyweight even though he looked pretty slender.Rain struggled to support Jace's weight and sat in the carriage seat. Jace lost consciousness. He collapsed with a body that felt very weak and shivering with cold."Jace?" Rain whispered into the man's ear. "Can you hear me? Are you hurt?"Rain caressed Jace's cheek, which felt very cold. Jace's body seemed to freeze. Rain immediately took off her coat and wrapped it around Jace's body. She took the spare blanket in the upper cabin and quickly wrapped Jace's body.Rain had forgotten about the train attendant who fell and passed out in the middle of the carriage. There were no other passengers besides Rain and Jace. Nothing can help the poor man. Rain was still busy trying to warm up Jace's body, w
Jace and Rain stood outside Haridra City station. Jace sat on his trunk with a slight bow and folded his arms across his chest. A black coat covered Jace's body until his head. Rain stood a little further from Jace at the curb and looked down the busy street."Are you sure I can count on you?" quipped Jace.Rain pouted and rolled her eyes upwards. She wanted to show that she was distraught."Then should I rely on you who never came out of the Darkwood forests and caves?" Rain quipped back."Okay, then what are you waiting for?" replied Jace."Can't you see I'm trying to wait for a taxi? Too bad in Haridra City there is no horse carriage that will take you everywhere. Okay? Here we have to take a taxi."Jace just shrugged. "You underestimate me too much, Miss Orwell. You think I don't know what a taxi is?" Jace looked offended. "Actually I want to offer a more practical and more convenient way than having to wait for a taxi on the side of the
Rain walked alone, leaving the station not knowing which way she was going. Rain slung her backpack over her shoulder with her head bowed slightly. The girl limped along the sidewalk. "Is Jace really going to be all right if I leave him there alone?" thought Rain. "What if something happened to him? But it's not my fault! I never asked him to come with me! This is very annoying." Rain stopped and was ready to go back to Jace. Before she could turn around, someone grabbed her shoulder from behind. "Benjamin? How did you—" Rain was very surprised. She didn't expect to meet Ben there. "Where have you been Rain?" Ben showed his annoyed face in front of Rain. "How long do you think I've been looking for you? I even went so far as to report you to the police. I thought something bad happened to you!" Rain could only stare. "I-I… just…" Rain was speechless. She wasn't at all ready to give any explanation for her being gone to Ben all this time. Rain recalled the last time she left Ben
Jace Dauntess paces around his luxurious new residence in the middle of the city. He got the new place with the help of the workers who had accompanied him on his journey to Haridra Town—where Rain Orwell had been living all this time. "Alex!" call Jace. The phoenix perched on the window transformed itself into a young teenager. He hopped onto the couch and sat with his legs crossed a short distance from where Jace was pacing. "Do you need anything, sir? If you're so worried and nervous about her, why did you let her go to the station?" "Mike, you're being rude," said a man in a black suit emerging from a swirl of smog near Alex. "Oh, come on, Randall. I'm so tired. For these five days, I kept pacing the air to keep an eye on this place. Ms. Erica didn't even let me take a second to take my eyes off the condo. She is apprehensive about Young Master." "Erica is here?" Jace shouted as he stopped in his tracks. He spread his arms and glared in disbelief. "Oops! I'm speechless." Al
Benjamin continued to run, looking for the whereabouts of Rain, who had suddenly disappeared. In short, the music accompanying the dance is not attractive. Every girl wearing a dress the same color as Rain caught Ben's attention. "What's your name?" asked the man in the red hood. Rain turned stiffly and tried to smile to soften the tense atmosphere she was feeling. Whatever the purpose of the man in producing by confining Rain in a warehouse, it's not a good thing. The dim light in the barn fell through the tall, dust-stained barred windows. There is a lot of garbage, such as piles of electric wires, disco lights that have broken glass, and new paint numbers. Everything is dusty and musty. "Ra-Rain." answered the girl doubtfully. "Good name." The red hooded youth approached the Rain. He treads carefully between the stretched wires just in case any remains. In the dim light, Rain looked half alert. She was draped in Princess Jasmine's dress like an angel in a jacket she hadn't e