20. One escaped dove

The darkness was cast away by a dim light coming from a gaslight held by the man walking down a dark spiral staircase. Only the light footsteps and the shuffling of his clothes, whenever he walks, could be heard.

The man reached his destination. A huge double door at the end of the stairs. He lifted the lamp and the carvings and letterings designed on the door were illuminated. The words create a sentence.

A riddle.

'The start of the chronicle where lies the beginning, the last lies on the end of an arch, and 'you' the 'reader' is in between.'

The man uttered the answer, and a vibration occurred. It was due to the slow and creaking movement of the door that accepted the answer as correct, thus it opened.

As soon as the door was completely opened, the lights burned from the wall lamps attached to every column and wall. The lights revealed the rows of old wooden shelves containing ancient books and scrolls.

When the man stepped inside, the door instantly shut. And because of the lightened space, his face was now displayed clearly.

The first highest priest of the holy land. Yunis.

He walked further inside and stopped in front of the shelves displaying ancient relics. He traced everything and noticed an empty spot on the far corner at the lowest part of the shelf.

He was right. Something was missing, an ancient relic sealing a demon inside.

He surveyed the surroundings, but none other than his presence was there. And everything was in place, except the one missing. He moved to another shelf containing books. Traced the titles of the books and when he found what he was looking for, he pulled it out and carried it to the door.

The stolen ancient relic should be retrieved. Or deaths may occur otherwise. And First Highest Priest Yunis already had someone in mind to take care of it.

He took his lamp and ventured into the long dark stairway again. And on the flickering light of the lamp he holds, the title of the book he's carrying is shown.

Revival of the God of Darkness and Destruction.

* * * *

It was already noon when Mona and the Grand Duke reached the territory, after two days of traveling on horse.

Mona felt relieved that she finally could settle down on a soft mattress and sleep comfortably. Her entire body was weary, and her bottom was throbbing and swollen already. Her thighs are stiff and she feels like her every muscle was battered.

As soon as they arrived, the Grand Duke ordered for her to be brought to her room. Which the servants obeyed immediately, despite their confusion and own curiosity.

After that, she had never seen the Grand Duke again.

She carelessly sprawled on the wide bed and stretched her arms and legs repeatedly, but after doing so for a while, her stomach grumbled. Only then she remembered she hadn't had a proper meal during and after the travel.

She hesitated to ring the bell on the bed to call for a servant. Even though she was treated and served right away, she could still feel the animosity of those people toward her. The only reason they were being civil and nice was because she was a guest of their master.

After contemplating, she decided to reach and shake the bell. Not long after, a lady in a maid's uniform entered the room.

"Is there something you need?" she asked Mona.

"Uhh. I'm hungry. Is there something I could eat?" Mona answered, with a slight hesitation in her voice.

"Is there something you want to eat?"

The maid looked at her without any expression. Even her speech doesn't hold contempt or sound patronizing at all. She was simply observing her while waiting for her orders.

Mona somehow sighed in relief. She was thankful the maid who attended to her wasn't too hard to handle and get along with. Besides, she wasn't thinking of staying at the duchy as a guest forever. It is better to gain acquaintances or even a friend if she plans to work for the Grand Duke.

"A light meal would be enough."

"I will prepare it, then. Please give me a few minutes." The maid bowed and left.

After the maid was gone, and the room fell to silence once again, she closed her eyes without intending to sleep.

But sleep pulled her right away...

***

It was raining hard on that day. But a woman wasn't even trying to find shelter in the heavy rain. Her shoulders are drooping, and on her face, tears hidden from the raindrops are falling. She was a woman who always hid her emotions, yet the rain brought out her long-kept tears.

Her long black hair was damp, and her gown was soaked.

She clenched her fist and murmured on the thundering skies.

"If I can... I wish to be someone else..."

Luna stayed standing still under the big willow tree, outside the Vandross mansion currently holding a celebratory banquet for the graduation of his younger brother from the empire's most prestigious academy.

She traced the path her mother walked on before the rain fell. She remembered her words and her heart was pained. Those words are what made her cry.

The words that cut her last remaining strength to hold back her tears.

'I don't remember giving birth to a monster!'

Her mother's words to her when she called her 'mother'.

Light flashed followed by a deafening sound of thunder, but the music and the laughter inside only echoed louder in her ears.

Her mother must have been feeling so proud of her brother's achievement, ignoring or probably forgetting her eldest child.

In a gloomy state, she walked to the opposite side of the mansion.

In her mind, she kept asking, 'Am I, not your child?'

She noticed the reflection of someone in the pool of water she passed on, and smiled bitterly. The reflection mirrors the image of the woman who claimed not her mother.

Only appearing soaked in rain and much younger...

***

The clattering noises of utensils wake Mona up. She shifted her head towards the noise and found the lady putting all the untouched food and cutlery on the trolley.

When the maid felt a stare, she lifted her head and met Mona's gaze.

"The food had gotten cold. I will reheat it."

Mona got up and answered. "No, it's fine. I'll eat now."

The maid did not insist and put the food back on the table. When Mona sat and started to eat, she noticed the maid taking something from the pouch of her uniform. For instance, Mona doubted the food she was eating. It was just a light meal, chicken soup, a loaf of bread, and boiled sweet potatoes.

She was about to put the spoon and fork down when the maid handed out a clean white cloth.

A handkerchief.

Confused, Mona looked up.

"Your eyes are moist, my lady."

The maid answered even before she asked.

Mona immediately felt her eyes, and it was really wet. She cried in her sleep again. Some memories are too painful for her to watch, but even if she wanted to turn away, she can't escape. She will only end up having the same memory over and over again.

She took the cloth and mumbled gratitude.

She wiped her eyes and smiled at the maid.

"Let me wash it before giving it back to you."

The expressionless maid was quite taken aback.

She then composed herself and answered. "There is no need, my lady."

Mona only nodded and put the handkerchief inside her robe. She continued to eat in silence, while the maid was observing her quietly.

After some time, she heard the maid speak.

"You must have had a nightmare."

Mona was startled, she was actually prepared to be ignored. But to hear someone initiate a conversation with her, made her happy somehow.

She looked up and smiled at her.

"Not a nightmare. Just something sad."

"Sad dreams are considered a nightmare, aren't they?"

"Not sure. Aren't nightmares only supposed to be scary?"

"So that makes every dream a nightmare then." The maid responded.

"Why so?"

"Because a dream itself is scary since it was just a make-believe creation of our hopeless desires that are impossible in reality."

The maid said those words in an emotionless manner, that Mona was doubtful it came from such a person.

Those words are deep. The kind of speech Mona could only hear from a certain place. And coming from a servant, who was probably a commoner. But commoners in the empire hardly had an education. Unlike that place.

"You're not from here, are you?" She asked. The maid did not answer. "I was wondering why you're treating me nicely, and you were speaking such insightful words. Plus, your behavior kind of reminds me of someone."

She wiped her mouth and stood up.

"Did you come from the Holy Nation?"