Powers

Esme's keen ears picked up the sound of multiple footsteps in the distance. Blood trickled down from the corner of her mouth and her palm which was pricked with the rose thorns. Her momentary distraction broke her control over the woman's mind and the kneeling woman fell on her back.

Hearing the sounds of the footsteps approaching closer, Esme ran towards the darkest corner of the ballroom before hiding behind the layer of thick curtains. She clutched the material of the curtains in her fist and leaned back on the wall to support her limp body.

"Your Grace, is this the place where you heard it?"

''Yes, I think so,'' came a gentle voice like that of tranquil water.

Esme slightly shifted the curtains and glanced in the direction of the voice. Her gaze landed on the lady dressed in an elegant lilac gown. Her blonde tresses were arranged in a beautiful braid as it fell in front of her shoulder. There was a small frown tugging on her small face.

"Ah…" The lady screamed all of a sudden attracting the attention of the guards walking after her.

"Are you alright, Your Grace?" One of the guards stepped forward towards her.

She pointed her trembling fingers towards the center of the ballroom which had the reflection of sunlight through the glass chandeliers amidst the dark corners. "S-Someone is there?" Fear was evident in her voice.

One of the guards stepped forward towards the woman lying on the floor. "The lady here looks like a guest from the distant kingdoms," The guard spoke politely, ''There is blood around this place."

At the mention of blood, Esme glanced at her hand instinctively. Because of the darkness, she could not see it but she could feel her sticky wet palm. It was her blood.

"We should take her to the physician before her condition worsens," The lady spoke concernedly.

The guards bowed at her while a female guard stepped forward and picked up the woman lying on the floor.

Esme sighed in relief as soon as they left. After making sure that they had gone far, she stepped out of her hiding. Her eyes dimmed looking at the empty floor. She was about to ask her question when they came.

Her knees trembled slightly. She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand walked out with the support of the wall. Her throat ran dry and she paused near the door. She inhaled a deep breath and stepped out of the place with her back straightened.

The moment she stepped out of the ballroom, the drops of her blood on the exquisite hardwood floor disappeared.

Unaware of anything that happened behind her, Esme kept her chin straight and walked past the guards in the subsequent hallways. By the time she reached the servant quarters, her legs could barely keep her standing. She glanced at the group of servants talking about something.

"Esmeray, come here. You might not know but today-"

"I-I have work left," She nodded at them and walked away. What to do? Where should she go? These people would stop her to talk with them and there was not much that she knew about this place to know where she could go despite living here for so long.

Her gaze landed on the rose in her hand. After contemplating over it for a few seconds, she quickly went to the Prince's room.

As usual, the hallway remained empty and there were no guards at the door. She hesitated for a few seconds before knocking on the door, "C-Can I come inside, My Lord?"

Sweat trickled down her face as she waited for him to say something but he said nothing. 'Is he not here?' With that thought, she pushed opened the slightly ajar door. The room was dark as usual but the candles on the crystal chandelier casted a warm glow inside the place.

Her eyes roamed around the place looking for any signs of him but he was nowhere to be seen. Just as she expected. She walked inside the bath and her eyes glimmered at the sight of pristine water in the huge pond-like structure amidst the place. The pool was surrounded by pillars.

As soon as she descended inside the water, the façade she used to get past the guards dropped. Her straight back slightly hunched forward. Her body slumped, her legs in a trembling mess.

From the day she started noticing these strange powers in her body and used them on people by mistake, she used to feel such pain. But it was never this painful and it will go away within a few moments. She had no control over these powers inside her body, she was controlled by them once she used these powers.

A gasp left her mouth when there was a sudden prick in one of her ankles. The rose in her hand dropped inside the water as she lifted her leg to the side. The prickling sensation intensified and she closed her eyes.

She glanced at her ankle where something was piercing out. Her eyes widened as she touched the spot. It felt hard to her fingers, unlike the previous times when it just appeared and disappeared like an illusion. Like a toenail, the hard pearly things stuck to her ankle.

"Why am I like this?" A teardrop glided down her cheek, turning into a pearl as soon as it fell into the water. She wiped her teary eyes with the back of her hand and rubbed her ankle until the skin turned red, the silver thing was plucked leaving a cut on her skin. Blood seeped through her white gown tainting the pure water

She struggled to stay awake but her consciousness started fading away.

In the hallway.

Aleister walked back to his room with the white tiger walking beside him.

It growled again and again trying to get his Master's attention.

The man uninterestedly spared him a glance as they stopped near the door, "Are you hungry?"

'Growl'

"You have thinned quite a bit," He measured Leo from front to back with his gaze.

The tiger's eyes brightened as if he believed he would get something to eat.

"But you won't get food for now," The corner of his lips tugged up, ''There is a feast waiting for you by the night in the court. All exquisite food from various kingdoms."

Leo growled again. He had to eat to survive till then first. Letting out another earth-shattering growl, he walked towards the opposite wall and sat with his back facing the man.

Aleister raised an eyebrow, "Even she never tries to get my attention with such tricks," Completely unfazed by his sulking beast, he pushed open the door and stepped inside the room.

His footsteps came to a halt when his gaze landed on the floor.