I continued to walk down the path that was set for me and jumped when something touched my shoulder, twisting that way with a balled fist to see... nothing. I bared my teeth and narrowed my eyes in warning while I looked this way and that, wondering what had touched my shoulder.

"What the fuck?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. My whole body was tense, and I looked this way and that, growling ever so slightly with the hair on the back of my neck stood at attention. "Who is there?" I asked, baring my teeth and narrowing my eyes further. "Who touched me?"

Nothing...

There was only silence...

I growled and shook my head before I turned back the way that I was going and started to walk that way again, my whole body tense and on edge because I had no idea what happened and what was going on.

Who the fuck touched me?

What happened, and why did it happen?

Again, something touched my shoulder, and I twisted around and threw a punch in that direction, but I connected with nothing and no one.

"What the actual fuck?" I asked out loud and looked around some more, baring my teeth further while I growled a warning. "Who the hell is there? What the fuck is going on and what happened?"

The weight on my shoulder was still there unlike the first time as if the person knew that I couldn't hit them, and I placed my hand on my shoulder to again feel nothing.

I furrowed my brows and pressed my lips into a thin line while I let my hand fall to my side but in a closed fist. "Samuel?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "Is that you?"

The feeling on my shoulder squeezed my shoulder once as if to say, "yes," and I bit back a small sigh of relief and relaxed just a tad, even though I grew confused because I had no idea what was happening and why he was there but not there.

"Are you a ghost?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

Samuel squeezed my shoulder twice, and I had a feeling that he meant, "no."

"Then... what are you if you aren't a ghost and are invisible?"

Samuel didn't squeeze my shoulder or do anything for that matter, and I had a feeling that he wasn't able to answer my question in a way that I could understand.

I sighed and rolled my eyes before I moved a hand through my hair and across my face, annoyed. "I know Morse Code, Samuel," I said, grumbling ever so slightly. "Can you tell me what's going on that way?"

Samuel squeezed my shoulder twice as if to say, "no."

I pressed my lips into a thin line and narrowed my eyes. "Do you not know Morse Code?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question. "I thought that would be the first thing that you learn, especially since you are supposed to be this geeky ass nerd."

Samuel didn't squeeze my shoulder, and I sighed and shook my head while I pursed my lips in annoyance.

"Are you coming with me, Samuel?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper while I changed the subject because I had no idea what else to do.

Samuel squeezed my shoulder once as if to say, "yes."

"Do I continue to go down this path?" I asked and gestured toward the way that I was going.

Again, Samuel squeezed my shoulder once as if to say, "yes," again and gently pushed me in that direction.

I grunted and slowly nodded while I pursed my lips in annoyance and moved in that direction. "Is it safe?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

Samuel didn't squeeze my shoulder once or twice, and it felt as if he was hesitating, for he did not know if it was safe or not.

The future keeps changing and is affected by strings being pulled by someone that we can't see...

Carter's words entered my mind, and I couldn't help but shiver as if cold with the hair on the back of my neck standing at attention again.

I sighed and moved a hand through my hair before I shook my head and pursed my lips in annoyance. "Are you ready?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Samuel squeezed my shoulder once as if to say, "yes," and I had a feeling that he was wondering why I had shivered.

I pursed my lips further in annoyance before I shook my head. "Don't worry about it," I said and started to walk forward again with him following me and keeping his hand on my shoulder. "It's nothing for you to be worried about, Samuel," I grumbled with a small huff. "It was just a random thought that I had."

I had a feeling that Samuel scoffed and rolled his eyes while he pressed his lips into a thin line, and I had a feeling that he said something that I couldn't hear.

"I can't hear you, Samuel," I grumbled while I pursed my lips in annoyance. "Remember, you are this ghost type of creature that isn't even there that I can't see." I patted my shoulder and still did not feel his hand, even though I knew that it was there.

I had a feeling that he chuckled and didn't try to say another word while we continued to follow this dumb path that he had created for me.

"How long are we going to have to walk before we reach the next sword?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "Or do you even know?"

Samuel didn't squeeze my shoulder, and I had a feeling that was his way of telling me he didn't know.

I sighed and slowly nodded while I pursed my lips in annoyance. "Whatever," I grumbled. I folded my arms across my chest and pursed my lips further. I didn't say another word while I looked around, noticing that we were surrounded by books and more books and more books, but these books seemed different than what I was familiar with.

I wanted to stop and look at them, but I wasn't able to because for some reason, Samuel was able to move me away from them and kept me on the path we were following. "Really?" I asked and bared my teeth while I narrowed my eyes. "I want to see them, Samuel. Why do they look so different from what I am normally used to?"

Samuel didn't say a word and shoved me harder than he needed to, and I stumbled just a tad before I growled a small warning while I bared my teeth and gritted my teeth. He squeezed my shoulder in warning and in apology, and I rolled my eyes and scowled.

The urge to close my eyes grew stronger with each step we took, and I tried to fight it the best I could because I did not want to run into anything or have anything attack me while I was defenseless.

My heart skipped a beat before it started to pound hard and fast in my chest, trying but failing to escape the confines of my chest. The hair on my whole body stood at attention, and it took all of my self-control not to rush forward and do what I was set to do.

I had to think smarter and not jump into things if I wanted to make it out alive...

I growled and shook my head when the feeling got too much for me to bear, and I turned my head a little to the side so that I was "looking" in Samuel's direction even if I couldn't see him. "I have this urge to close my eyes," I said and paused, biting the inside of my lip.

Samuel didn't squeeze my shoulder like I thought he would, and I had a feeling that he was waiting for me to continue.

I cleared my throat and licked my lips, raising an eyebrow in question while I looked forward again. "Do you have my back?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper and filled with nervousness.

Samuel squeezed my shoulder once as if to say, "yes."

Always...

I pursed my lips further in annoyance and slowly nodded. "Ok," I said. "I am trusting you to make sure that I don't get hurt. We do not need that to happen or something much worse. Right?"

I had a feeling Samuel chuckled while he squeezed my shoulder, silently promising me that he would watch out for me and to go ahead and close my eyes.

I sighed and slowly nodded. "Fine," I said. "But I hope that you know that if something happens to me, then I will come back from the dead and kick your ass."

Samuel seemed to chuckle again and squeezed my shoulder again. He didn't say a word that I could understand, and I couldn't help but silently wonder if I would be able to hear him again.

I took a deep breath before I released it with a small whoosh before I did what I was told to do and closed my eyes while I continued down the long path surrounded by books on either side.

My heart continued to pound fast and hard in my chest before it skipped a beat, and everything else grew still.

And I couldn't help but stop before something else happened...

Samuel removed his hand from my shoulder and cleared his throat, and my ears pricked when I heard it because I did not expect that. "You're able to open your eyes now," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's safe."

I did what I was told to do and looked around to see that something seemed... off.

It was as if I had stepped back in time where there were no artificial lights and only lights that seemed to be from natural sources that I didn't understand. It smelled old, was more dusty, and I couldn't help but feel different as well.

Someone cleared their throat from behind me, and I turned that way to see someone different but familiar to me standing behind me with his arms crossed behind his back.

Samuel...

Samuel's dark blonde hair was pulled into a ponytail with a ribbon, and he was dressed in old timey clothes with a white shirt, tan pants, tan vest, and brown boots. He had a belt around his waist with a sword and sheath attached to it.

He bit back a small smile and bowed when I met his eyes after I finished taking him in. "Welcome home," he said and bowed deeper, pausing while he cleared his throat and standing until he met my gaze again with a tight smile on his face. "Your Highness."