1 Chapter 1: Neverending

All I can hear is the deafening silence that is suddenly cut through with the scribbling noise of a pen on a notepad. I'm sitting across two royal knights that are heavily armored as if they're preparing to face a deathly threat.

I believe they are interrogating me about something that I don't understand. The reason being, I can't hear anything while I look down twiddling with my long and white satin robe that is draped over my pale pink nightgown. I notice that my curly silver hair is cascading down on my lap and I start to fumble with a lock of my hair instead.

Suddenly, I hear a loud screeching of some unknown creature. I quickly cover both my ears with a slap of my hands while squinting my eyes in agony. It only stops until I'm transported to my mother's bedroom. I'm by the doorway when I see my mother lying flat on her back on the bed as if she's deep in her slumber.

I call to her lightly, "Mommy?... Mommy?... Are you awake? Mommy?" I receive no response while I feel a chill go down my spine.

I'm utterly confused as to why I'm approaching my mother slowly with much caution like never before. One step after the other, as I tiptoe through the room, I feel terrified with my gut feeling that is twisting in pain. I clench one of my fists on to my stomach while I'm before her on the left side of the bed. She looks so peaceful and beautiful that I can't help myself from reaching across to her to pet her cheek with the back of my finger.

I gasp in shock when I felt her ice-cold skin. I step back immediately and my focus goes wide when I notice the crimson blood is pooling on the back of her head. The pillow appears to be absorbing all the blood. I step back further clasping my hands to my mouth.

When I look upon the wall across, my eyes widen in disbelief. There's dark blood dripping down on the white wall as if the blood was oozing slowly down from the top. I fall back on my butt and in a panic, I begin crawling away towards the exit. I step up and trip over my pale pink nightgown. I groan in pain from my knees due to the impact of the fall. I push myself up with my arms again and start rushing towards my bedroom in silence.

I arrive in front display of my shrine, I fall to my knees again as my legs buckle under me. I clasp my hands together in a prayer position.

I begin to plead out loudly, "Please Gods in the heavenly realm, please tell me that my mommy is okay?! Please don't take her spirit! I will do anything, I'll be a good daughter, and pray every day!" I quickly stop pleading when I hear a loud scream of terror from my mother's maid, "Aahhhh! NOOOOOO! HELP! Someone Help my Lady!"

As soon as I herd her despair out loud, I finally started to cry desperately for my mother. My tear ducts were finally activated when I started to weep like a child. The tears felt hot and tasted salt as they dripped down profusely from my eyes down to my cheeks and stopping at my mouth.

My cheeks and nose must be the color red as a rose because my whole face was hot as fire. It started to feel painful to crying from my nose being stuffed with mucus and blocking my airway. I huffed with breaths and tried to wipe away my nose as the pit of my stomach was deeply in pain.

It was the knowing pain of lost hope. The delusional hope I held onto for a minute was ripped away as I knowingly knew my mom was gone. I didn't comprehend what was going on, but deep down I understood death.

When I was finally able to get up from the floor, I walked back towards my mother's chamber. I stop at the doorway when I see my father and one of my brothers looking down at the body on the bed. My father looks up and notices me by the door.

He immediately tells me, "Lysandra, do not look...go to your room, now."

I could hear the sadness in his voice and concern for me. I obeyed my father and rushed back running to my room.

I laid down on the cold floor in my room and started to cry with even more tears. Then I heard in an eerie whisper someone call my name, "Lysandra..." When I lift my head up and look back; a dark ghoul suddenly pops up lunging towards my face with its mouth wide open vertically and with screeching so loud that it sounds like hundreds of nails scratching down on a chalkboard!!!

I loudly gasp for air as I rise up from my bed, "Ughhhhh!, Mommy!"

Sweat is glistening from my temples and on the back of my neck. I touch my face, my stomach, and my bed with both hands as I try to calm down. I say to myself, 'It was just a dream, just a memory, just a reoccurring dream, the ghoul wasn't actually there, remember? 'My cat, Sam jumps up onto my bed and starts purring while he rubs his soft fur on my face. "Are you okay, Lys?"

I reply back to him, "Yes Sam, it was a flashback that felt too real. I'm fine now, I promise." Sam continues to say, "Okay... was it the same flashback again?" I honestly tell him, "Yes, the day my mother died when I was 10 years old. But you know what? I'm a young lady now, I'm 17 years old and I feel stronger than I was before."

I try to give a convincing smile to Sam, but he catches on as he says, "It's okay to be sad, Lys. You were a child when your life started to change and you were forced to grow up."

I begin to rub his black fur as I say, "Alright, enough talking about this let's start getting ready to go downstairs to eat breakfast." Sam perks up and says, "Yup, its a lovely day here in the kingdom of Epirus. Let's get started, princess."