Chapter 15: Spirit (Aria's POV)

"Are you walking okay now?" he asked while we started strolling around the library. 

"Yeah, it'll be fine," I mumbled, staring at the creepy room. I love books. But I hate ghosts and the dark and everything spooky. So I'll probably stay away from here. 

"So, you're not still scared of ghosts, right?" he asked, walking beside me. 

"Of course not," I scoffed. "Why do you ask?" 

"I just remember this one time when we... never mind." 

"What?" I asked. 

"Forget about it. I don't want to say something that embarrasses you." 

"Try me," I dared. 

"Okay," he said slowly. "I was just saying that I remember this one time when we were playing hide and seek here. And the power went out just like this. You were hiding, I was seeking. You were at the very back of the library and then-" 

"I came running out yelling because I thought I saw a lady all dressed in black walking around. Long hair that hid her face, blood red heels that clicked on the floor when she walked, and red nails. Right?" I finished for him. I could swear it really happened, that's how real it felt. But apparently not. 

"Right," he nodded. 

"I still stand by what I said at the time. I really think there was a woman like that walking around." 

"There is no woman and there never has been a woman with that kind of appearance to be in the palace," he sighed. 

I shrugged, trying not to think about the memory. 

"Maybe you saw a spirit." 

I abruptly stopped walking and turned to him. "What spirit?" I questioned. 

He shrugged, "Like a ghost. I don't know. The place has existed for centuries with simple changes being done every year. No doubt somebody has died here before." 

"Alexander, if you're trying to scare me-" 

"I'm not," he chuckled. "I swear. But anyway, if there really was a woman here that day, wouldn't I see her? Or hear her heels clicking as you said? I was going all over the place looking for you." 

"I'm not saying it was real. I'm just saying it felt very real." 

"It could have been real," he mumbled under his breath. Which makes me think I wasn't meant to hear it. Which freaks me out even more. 

"What are you-" I stopped talking at the sound of heels. It was so faint and it only lasted a second. "Did you hear that?" I asked. 

"Hear what?" he questioned, looking around. 

"Nothing," I brushed it off, and we continued walking around. "You were saying something." I turned to him. 

He eyed me warily. 

"Tell me," I nodded. 

"Do you think the palace could be haunted?" 

I stopped walking again. "Stop messing with me, please. It's not funny." 

"I'm not joking. It really could be." 

"Why? What happened here?" I folded my arms across my chest. 

"I'm not supposed to talk about this, I was joking earlier, okay? But I'm not now. Let's just go," he nodded. 

"No, tell me." I grabbed his arm. "What?" 

"We... we've had a housemaid commit suicide in the palace." 

I gaped at him. 

"Not here. In the staff quarters. She found out her husband was cheating on her and couldn't handle it. It happened way before I was born though." 

"You're not kidding, right?" 

He shook his head. "She hung herself." 

"Stop, stop, stop! I don't want to hear this." 

"Okay!" He put his hands up in surrender. We slowly started walking around again. 

"What did she look like?" 

"Aria." 

"Just tell me," I shrugged. 

"I don't know. I wasn't even born," he scoffed. 

"What happened after that?" 

"I don't know. My grandmother told me about it ages ago. When I was around fourteen. I never asked about anything else." 

"Your palace is haunted..." 

"You could still just have imagined it." 

"What are the odds?" I arched a brow at him. Then I heard the heels clicking again and I jumped. 

"What? What do you keep hearing?" he asked. 

"The heels clicking," I mumbled, ignoring the goosebumps that I had. 

"Aria, you're thinking way too much about it and you're hearing things, okay?" 

"No, I'm not hearing things. Listen!" I hissed. 

He sighed and listened anyway. His eyes snapped to mine when we both heard the clicking of heels on the marble floor. The doors opened and we both jumped. "Alexander? Are you in here?" 

I let out a huge sigh of relief when his mother's voice came through. 

"Uh... yeah! In here!" Alexander called out. 

"The power will be back soon, we're working on it, all right? I just came to make sure you're fine!" I chuckled softly. That's kind of cute. His mom still worries about him. 

Mine left me. 

"I'm fine!" he replied but he was looking down at me. "See? No ghost. No spirit." 

"You're the one who started talking about it," I mumbled, staring at my feet, looking at the ankle. It's still a little swollen. Suddenly he kneeled down. "Oi, what are you doing?" I asked, moving back. 

"Checking." He glanced up at me. He took my hands and placed them on his shoulder. I held on to steady myself while he lifted my now injured right foot. He pressed down on the ankle and I winced. "You can't wear heels tomorrow." He stood up. "Come on, let's get you upstairs." 

"I-in.. in the dark?" 

"We can open the window?" I slowly followed him out. We were about to reach the door when there was a loud thud. He looked back and then at me. "A book must have fallen." 

"Books just fall out of their spots from the shelf in your library?" I asked sarcastically. 

"Maybe it is haunted. Come on," he shrugged, letting out a short laugh. He took my hand and slowed down his pace to match mine while walking beside me. We made it to the staircase, the lights conveniently switched back on. "Can you...?" he trailed off questioningly. 

"I walked down the stairs, I can walk up them too," I replied, holding onto the banister and slowly making my way up while he followed me. When we were nearly at the top, a hunch of curiosity hit me. I just had a feeling. That he was checking me out. Just a feeling. I stopped abruptly and swiveled around to look at him. 

"Um..." He cleared his throat and looked up at me. I stepped down and was now only one step above him, face to face. 

"What were you just doing?" I smirked. 

"N-nothing. I was walking," he shrugged. 

"While staring at my...?" I arched a brow at him, trying not to laugh. 

"At... your belt." 

I looked down. "The invisible one?" I looked up at him, seeing him closing his eyes and taking in a breath. "I'm not wearing a belt." 

"Yeah, I realized that just now..." 

"So what exactly were you staring at?" 

He looked up at me. 

I laughed at the look on his face. I couldn't keep it in any longer. "My...?" 

"Let's get you upstairs." He tried walking around me but I grabbed his wrist, pulling him back down. 

"My what?" 

"Nothing. I was staring at nothing," he cleared his throat. I put my hand over my mouth, stifling my laugh. "Keep walking," he huffed, grabbing my waist and spinning me around. I continued walking and stopped when I reached the hallway. I turned to go into my room but he grabbed my wrist. "This way," he nodded. 

I pulled back. "Why?" 

"I need to change the tape. And you can't have it on for too long, it's not that serious," he said, glancing at my ankle. 

I huffed but listened nonetheless and followed him. He opened the door and I went and sat on the edge of the bed. He shot me a pointed look. "What? What have I done now?" 

"Sit back." 

I rolled my eyes and scooted back on the bed, leaning against the headboard. He grabbed all the stuff from his desk and sat by my legs. "Roll up your jeans." I leaned forward but he grabbed my hand. "Why don't you go change? You should be wearing something more comfortable." 

I stood up slowly and he helped me. "Look at you getting all worried after checking me out on the staircase," I teased while opening the door. 

"Aria," he groaned. 

I ignored him and left. I went and changed out of my jeans and into a pair of black sweatpants. While I was at it, I changed out of my t-shirt into a black tank as well and grabbed the grey cardigan that I would normally wear around the house. Then I went back to Alexander's room. He was looking out of his window and all the decorations that were being done. I walked over silently and stood behind him. 

"Boo!" I smacked the back of his head. 

He turned, glaring at me. 

"What's happening?" 

"They're decorating," he deadpanned. 

"Really? I had no clue," I said sarcastically. 

"Shut up and sit down. Or I'll call that spirit tonight," he threatened. 

I glared at him, going and quietly sitting on his bed. "It's not funny. Someone really died here, Alexander." 

"I know it's not funny. Don't hiss or move, okay?" He pulled the tape off and grabbed the spray. 

I instantly jerked at the cold, tingling sensation. 

"I said don't move."

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Chapter 15

just a disclaimer, I don't wanna offend anyone with the suicide thing about the housemaid, it's just dark humor

next chapter: legend