Chapter-2

Cold sweat ran down Auden's face. She could hear her heart pounding. Even after he said 'please', it didn't feel like much of a request as much as a command. Auden felt her jaw clicking. She took a foot back.

Duke Edin- "...My lady?"

Auden- "…."

Before the Duke could reach Auden's face the house butler Nathan appeared.

Nathan- "Princess Eve wants to see you both."

Lieutenant and Duke nodded while Auden found her chance to slip away.

The weight of Auden's body clashed with the pavement and echoed through the empty streets. The cold wind calmed her nerves as she looked up at the sky. Auden let her cloak down and could finally breathe.

As darkness fell and the last vestiges of daylight faded away, the night sky emerged in all its glory. Above, a vast expanse of deep blue-black stretched out as far as the eye could reach, dotted with pinpricks of light that twinkled like diamonds in the sky. The stars appeared so bright and clear, it was as if you could reach out and pluck them from their celestial perch.

Auden couldn't help but admire the view she saw as she wandered, "Princess Eve? She must be the girl who came to my room."

Auden was still walking down the street. The only sign of life was some plants and ravens. The forest engulfed the whole city with its vines. Auden looked around and she heard the voice again. "Auden….I am here." It said.

She looked at the path where the voice came from. A huge gate covered with vines and grasslands and the gaps shined the light. Auden touched the door handle and the door pulled her into a deep black hole.

----

In the corridors of the palace stood a few mages, Eve, and some attendants. Eve paced around the room back and forth and the only thing one could hear were her footsteps. Losing her patience, she finally spoke, or rather, screamed.

"Are you guys unsealing a door or building one? What's taking you so long? This is no joke!" Eve yelled in frustration.

One of the mages answered her, "Your Highness, We were trying our best. It seemed as if some outer force had sealed this place. I had no conscience of what it could be."

"Here comes the Sun of the Empire!" An attendant announced. Everyone stepped aside and formed a path for the Queen. Surrounded by the guards and Nathan, the queen seemed in a fury. Her slender body was filled with jewels. Her hand covered in rings rose and slapped Eve.

No one dared to speak, all they could do was stand and watch. Eve looked the queen in the eyes.

Eve- "Mother." She said it like it was a curse.

Despite the warmth in Eve's voice that demanded respect and revenge, there was also a note of desperation. She swallowed her saliva to control her vulnerability.

Queen Beatrice- "My little daughter. do you know what the people in the kingdom say?" She spoke in a monotone yet her voice could pierce through the most steely hearts.

Eve remained quiet.

Queen Beatrice scanned Eve and with a sense of joy she said, "That while Auden was the future Sun of the empire, Eve was the Moon."

Queen Beatrice caressed Eve's cheek. Suddenly she grabbed her face, forcing her to look into the Queen's eyes.

"Did you finally plan to kill Auden?" Queen Beatrice's eyes darkened as she looked at Eve.

Eve replied, "I am afraid Your Majesty is accusing me of the wrong. I merely sealed the door and ordered the guards to go away to make Auden secure, not hurt her." Eve released herself from the grip of her mother.

"Very well!" Beatrice yelled in exhilaration. "Duke Edin?" She called.

Duke Edin bowed in the presence of the queen and replied, "A command, Your Majesty."

"Go with Eve and find Auden. If she isn't there at the ball tomorrow evening, I am afraid even I don't know what I will do." And so the Queen left while everyone bowed yet again.

Duke Edin was a man in his late twenties. Regardless of his age, he exhibited extreme talent in swordsmanship and leadership. He was known as the Kingdom's wolf, who hunted down and protected his pack.

"Princess," Edin called out to Eve.

"Duke. Get the troops outside in half an hour. We are going to the woods," Eve commanded.

"Your word is my command, Your Highness." Edin bowed.

-----

Standing in the abyss, Auden looked around her. There was no sign of life there. She walked towards the voice that was now more audible and much more intense. Amid all this chaos, the voice suddenly switched to a stabbing high pitch. Auden covered her ears as she fell in agony.

"Agh!" she cringed.

As if on cue, the voice stopped. Auden lay down on the abyss floor. "Where am I?" she mumbled as she wiped sweat with her hands. Auden looked down and saw red dripping from her hands. She had felt her ear bleed as she screamed.

A wild wolf appeared in front of Auden. So huge it could reduce the palace to crumble with a paw. Auden's adrenaline pumped in and she started sprinting away without a second of delay. She ran till her muscles were strained from the pain, and her pulse violently throbbed and her ankle was twisted. Auden's heart pounded against the wolf. She looked at the wolf. One kick from it could kill her. Auden didn't find herself in a dispute.

She could feel her knee bleeding as she closed her eyes. She was ready for her end, but something unexpected occurred.

"The Forest Guardian greets Your Highness," a soft and kind voice said.

Auden opened her eyes cautiously to realize that the voice was coming from the wolf itself. Although she hadn't seen it before, she felt familiar with the unknown Guardian of the Forest. She tentatively moved towards it in light steps.

In a blur of moments, the Guardian turned into a cub. Auden found herself in awe. How could something so terrifying change into something so captivating in a moment?

The cub licked Auden's wound and it vanished. Auden looked around, and there was again nothing but the Abyss.

'TING!' the high-pitched voice returned, and Auden fell to her knees. She made a losing attempt at stopping her ears from bleeding. Each drop of blood felt like her death was near.

The voice didn't stop like last time, it just got louder and louder. "Agh...." She exclaimed with a teary voice. Auden could not hold out longer and lost consciousness.

Amidst this abyss fog, a masculine figure appeared. He took an unconscious Auden into his arm.

"Welcome back, my sol." He whispered as he carried Auden away, deeper into the abyss.