There are days where Hunter and Ridge would not see her and when they asked her about it, she would reply that those are her busy days.
Soon they turned five and because Elise has no birthday, Hunter told her that they can celebrate together.
And that he will give her a different birthday.
So when they sneaked out on that particular day, to be precise a week after his, they brought her to the meadow and there were already foods there.
He and Ridge did their best to take as much food as they can without anyone noticing.
Her eyes twinkled at the sight of all the sweets.
"Happy birthday, eat as much as you want!!!"
They enjoyed the feast.
As they lay on the grass looking up at the blue sky.
"Say Elise what is your dream? A wish on this birthday of yours?" Hunter asked her.
She though for a bit before before a sad smile appeared on her lips, something the other two didn't see because they are looking in the sky.
"To roam around?" she answered with a question mark.
"Why are you so unsure?" Hunter chuckled.
"You should be proud of it," Ridge added.
She giggled, "Yeah, someday I will surely roam around and explore the places and see a lot of different things."
"Yeah we will wish together with you, once we grow up you will surely roam around," Hunter raised his hand and turned into a fist.
The smile on Elise's lips disappeared as she remembered what she had heard early today, fear slowly crept inside her heart.
"What's wrong?"
She snapped out of it when Hunter and Ridge's faces appeared right in front of her.
She smiled, "Yeah, I am."
But as they walked back to where she is, the fear started becoming more and more to the point that she just wanted to run away.
"Okay, see you tomorrow," Hunter waved her goodbye.
But as he stepped away, she held on to the hem of his shirt.
"Don't leave me..." she suddenly begged shocking the two of them.
"Wha- What is the problem?" Ridge panicked.
"Please save me."
She finally uttered the words she had been holding back all this time.
Tears flowed from her eyes.
Hunter turned serious, "Calm down and explain to me what is going on. Why are you crying? What are they doing?"
Very slowly Elise told them her real identity in this building.
She was a special person, someone who actually has the blood of a phoenix and wounds would instantly heal for her.
Her blood was being experimented on by the people in this building.
They would inlfict owunds after wounds on her.
Not just her blood was being taken but she herself was being experimented on.
They were checking up to what extent could she heal herself.
And tonight they are planning on trying her heart itself.
Everything was being done while she was awake, they didn't allow her to fall asleep at all.
"Then we should leave this instant," Hunter held her hand.
"No, there are others in here. So please get someone and come back," Elise shook her head.
The two of them hesitated.
"They will start with me this sundown, two more hours. We are in the palace area, you will surely be able to return before then."
"We can leave and then come back for them," Hunter told her.
"No, they will surely check on me, that is why I need you to go on your own then come back for all of us. If they found me missing then the rest will surely die."
The reason she couldn't just leave because they have told her that the other people in here will die if she is gone. Even the orphanage will be affected.
Hunter and Ridge didn't want that as well but to think that such a thing is going on within the palace grounds, Hunter couldn't accept it.
"Fine, just wait for half an hour, we will surely be back with other people," Hunter relented.
Elise nodded her head and she watched the two of them leave.
She was still scared, not until they are here and everything was fine will she calm down.
Yet ten minutes later, the door in her room opened.
"Let's go," the old man said.
Fear enveloped her whole body.
"But... you said sundown," she spoke her voice trembling.
"I am not in the mood, now get over here. We are going."
He didn't wait for her and pulled her towards the room she dreaded the most.
'Hunter, Ridge,' she called in her mind.
*****
"PLEASE JUST FOLLOW ME FATHER!!!"
Hunter was trying to explain to his father of what was going on but his father won't believe him.
Losing his patience knowing that the time Elise will be taken was getting near, he could only beg and shout at the same time.
It has been an hour already.
his half an hour didn't work as no one wanted him to enter his father's office because he was in a meeting with Ridge's father.
Radcliff was shock to see that even his son was acting like this.
Though they are supposed to be reprimanded for leaving the premises, the two of them were both asking urgently.
Their eyes were red, tears threatening to fall.
No one had thought anything bad about the poison building, it was a normal place so they couldn't believe what they are hearing.
"Please save our friend," the two of them begged leaving the two adults no choice but to follow.
Elise had told them that the room where they experimented on her was well hidden but she had given them instructions on hos to get there.
So when they got to the building, with different people following not understanding why the emperor, the second prince, the scientist and his son was marching about.
They arrived at Elise's room.
"Oh no," Hunter uttered seeing as it was empty.
He run and after him followed Ridge.
Both followed the path that Elise has told them, Radcliff and Reginald could only follow.
Seeing the room made them suspicious as that room was supposed to be a storage room, yet a bed was there.