I treaded down the narrow path of the staircase. The sparkling green light was my aid.

The air here was damp and stifling. Cobwebs hung in corners. Who knew for how long these old stairs were not in use?

An ancient within an ancient. A perfect place for discreet business.

I thought with a small smirk, smudging dirt on the cold wall with my finger as I descended on the last step.

A dark silhouette of a door teased the line of my vision ahead and I raised the intensity of my green glow.

There, the rusty brown wooden door was in clear sight now.

I hurried over there and twisted the stone knob.

The door groaned but didn't budge.

I pulled harder, thinking it was the old hinges.

No change.

A frown creased my brows and I twisted the knob further. A faint tsk escaped my lips as I glared at the door.

Either this door was an old hag or someone deliberately locked it. Nevertheless, I knew just the trick.

With that thought, I touched the stone knob again. This time a wispy green smoke trickled out of my palm and slid into the gap of the lock.

I closed my eyes and felt for the bolts within the mechanism.

They were rusty, yes, but not enough to keep a door locked. Then my senses stumbled with a chained knot within the bolts. A clear sign that the door was locked and from the outside.

Just what I thought.

I let my smoke do its job and untied the knot of the bolts until I heard that familiar click.

My eyes flung open and my hard gaze stared ahead as I twisted the knob, finally opening the stubborn door and stepping out to find the esteemed key bearer of it.

The night air was a welcome crisp on my skin as I walked out of that stifling place. However, I did not have the luxury of time to enjoy it. I had an offender to catch and I was certain they were there somewhere in that oak garden ahead of me.

This was the easternmost side of the palace, a sanctuary of nature, perfect for a morning or afternoon stroll. Although, this could also serve as a place for secret meetings since the thick, gnarled branches of oaks with their lush green umbrella of leaves provided just the right kind of privacy.

And now, I was treading through those branches, careful not to make much noise with these crispy leaves beneath my feet as well as keeping my senses sharp for any kind of noise.

After a while, a faint sound of whisper caught my ears and I turned to look to my left.

There, almost twenty steps away from me, two silhouettes were standing beside an oak tree. I pressed my back against the nearest cold bark and strained my hearing.

At first, I couldn't hear anything over their low hums of voices. So, I heightened my hearing senses and soon found out they belonged to a man and a woman. One familiar, the other unknown.

"Are you sure it won't be risky?" The male voice spoke.

"You doubt me?" the female responded.

Lucinda.

"Don't mind if I do. Ye blues are slimy."

"Not me. I'm not a blue."

The male snorted. "Yeah, a leech. A rich leech of a leech pod."

"More like a working bee under command, " Lucinda grumbled, "Anyways, be careful. Prince and princess are with their parents."

"Don't worry. We won't burn the livestock. Just a little spark. Those pegasi look heaps pricy. Should be good on the market."

"And this is why I don't trust you hooligans. Always greedy for more. Just do your job and never show your face."

"Remember what you promised Coven Father, leech," the male snapped. "Be good on your words and you won't see trouble."

Leaves crunched afar and their muttered voices faded into the night. But my feet remained rooted on the spot.

My skin turned cold, clammy fingers clutched the rough bark as though it could keep me floating in the vast sea, the sea of betrayal.

Baba...

My baba was behind this!

The man who I looked up to, who I admired and respected.

A responsible father. A formidable leader. My baba.

And he was conspiring against me, stooping so low as to never hesitate to hurt his own grandchild, his daughter,

Did I really not matter to him at all?

A whimper escaped my trembling lips and I briskly brushed off a stray line of tears. I wiped my damp face with rough hands until my skin burned and sniffled, hardening my resolve, right along with my soul.

"No, Baba. I won't let you take my children away from me. I won't let you harm my home. Enough."

With that, I strode away toward the palace.

Terrence had to know this. Only he could help me in this situation.

The clearing was in sight as I rushed through the space. But before I could reach the last row of oaks, my world swirled with a resounding thud and a sharp pain in the back of my head.

And my world turned dark. This time, in a well and true sense.