After a while of sitting in the garden, Kat felt a restlessness creep over her. The peace was nice, but the castle was so vast, and there were still so many places she hadn't seen. A spark of curiosity ignited within her as she recalled a few times when she had seen the maids pass through certain doors she herself had never ventured through. 'I wonder. Where do those lead?'.
She decided now was as good a time as any to explore. Rising from the bench, she made her way back into the castle, quietly following the path she had seen the maids take on previous days. The castle was usually so quiet, but these side passages seemed like a hidden world of their own. She entered the narrow halls, which twisted and turned in ways the grander halls of the castle didn't. These passageways seemed to run parallel to the more familiar areas, and she soon realized that they were likely how the maids and servants moved about without being seen.
Her first discovery was the kitchen. She hadn't expected to find it, but there it was—buzzing with activity. The kitchen was nonetheless how she had imagine. Yet It felt like it was straight out of a book. Large hearths burned brightly, with pots and pans hanging from every available space. Long wooden tables stretched through the room, where cooks and kitchen staff bustled about, chopping vegetables, stirring pots, and carrying trays of food. The aroma of freshly baked bread, roasted meats, and hearty stews filled the air.
It wasn't hard to spot the chef amongst the crowd, with the way he shouted ordering everyone around, 'they cook so much food than needed' kata thought.
Kat watched for a moment from the doorway, unnoticed in the flurry of activity. A small smile played on her lips as she observed the controlled chaos. When no one seemed to pay her any mind, she slipped in quietly, grabbing an apple from a basket on one of the tables, one of the maid's noticed her her eyes widened in surprise, but before she could speak Kat placed her index finger on her lips, gesturing for her to stay quiet. She took a bite and, with the apple in hand, and waved the maid goodbye, and slipped back out to continue her exploration.
The dipper she moved through more of the hidden corridors, the more noisy it was. The maid's really did gossip a lot. She could hear snippets of their conversations as they passed by, often talking about people she didn't know, household duties, or the comings and goings of certain nobles, a few times she heard her own name come up but wasn't curious enough to listen, worried it might spoil her mood. Whenever someone spotted her, they would startle before immediately stop and bow, greeting her with the utmost respect. Kat simply nodded in return, trying to make herself as inconspicuous as possible, and then continued on her way.
Her day was going surprisingly well, and for once, she found herself in a decent mood. There was no immediate pressure to do something she didn't want to. It was just her, wandering the castle, getting to know other parts of it, but what she was really hoping to come across was the library's of the castle.
As she walked further, the afternoon light filtered less and less into the narrow passageways. This part of the castle wasn't tiled with marbles like the rest of the castle but with cold stone bricks. The stone walls felt cool to the touch, and soon she found herself in a part of the castle she didn't recognize. She had been following the winding paths without paying much attention, and now, she wasn't entirely sure how to get back. But rather than worry, Kat saw it as another opportunity to discover something new. She could always ask one of the maids for directions later.
Continuing forward, she came upon a dimly lit stair way, large pillars leading along the stairs. She descended the stone steps, her footsteps echoing softly in the quiet. She heard the sound of some servants walking past and hid behind one of the large stone pillars, when they were gone she proceeded down the stairs At the bottom, there was a large old wooden door, and to her left was another part barely lit by any light at all. she paused before she pushed open the heavy wooden door.
She stepped into a large, cool room. It was a cellar, the air heavy with the smell of aged wine and wood.
Kat was begging realize she was literally in a whole new world, and far behind the 24th century, yet all these time she has been cooped up inside when she might never get an opportunity like this ever again, it's not every day people get mysteriously transport into another world.
Long shelves lined the stone walls, holding rows of bottles and large glass jars filled with wine. In the corner were massive barrels, taller than she was, likely used to refill the smaller bottles. The room was lit only by a few flickering torches mounted on the walls, casting long shadows over the shelves.
Kat walked slowly between the rows of bottles, marveling at how old some of them looked. She wondered if anyone even drank any of this or if the wine was just stored away, forgotten in the depths of the castle. The cellar felt ancient.
Kat moved deeper into the cellar, the darkness wrapping around her like a thick fog. The space felt vast and a little eerie, with shelves towering over her. She couldn't help but be curious, picking up a few bottles to examine their labels, marveling at how old some of them looked. 'Maybe just one for later,' she thought, her fingers brushing against the cool glass to her surprise it wasn't dusty, actually despite looking very old the whole place was kept in good shape, showing the fact that it was frequently cleaned.
The silence in the cellar was almost palpable, broken only by the occasional drip of water from somewhere above. Just when she was about to settle on a particularly bottle, she heard a faint rustling noise. making her freeze. It was faint but unmistakable, she glanced around, but saw nothing unusual, she hummed skeptically, moving her gaze back to the bottle.
However, the sound came again—this time a bit closer, and a shiver ran down her spine. She dropped one of the bottles frightened, the glass crashing against the stone floor, echoing in the stillness. Heart racing, Kat strained to listen, scanning the dimly lit room for the source of the noise, a bunch of rats ran past her legs, making her take a few steps back.
Kat let out a sigh of relief. Just as she decided it was best to leave, she turned abruptly and collided with someone. Startled again, she stepped back, eyes wide. It was a maid, her face pale and her chest rising and falling quickly, as if she'd just seen a ghost.
"Oh, my lady! It's you!" the maid exclaimed, placing a hand over her heart in relief, still heaving for air. "What are you doing down here?" She breathed.
Kat, also startled, stuttered. "I... I got lost."
The maid's expression shifted from surprise to concern. "You shouldn't be down here alone. It's not safe." She glanced nervously over her shoulder, as if wary of the darkness, then down to the broken wine bottle.
But again kata felt something pass just by the corner of her eyes, and just like that it wasn't there anymore, 'more rat's?' She wondered, but she didn't want to wait to find out, she was already beginning to feel uneasy here, she felt like they were being watched now.
"Did you get hurt" the maid asked, scanning her body kinly and Kat shook her head "Let's get you back. I'll clean up the mess." Kat nodded, a little desperate to leave the cellar herself. As they moved toward the door, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was still watching her from the shadows. She glanced back nervously.
The maid, misunderstanding, assured her, "I'll send someone to clean up the mess." With that, she closed the door behind them, and Kat felt a slight relief.
Together, they walked back toward the stairs, Kat's eyes lingering on the cellar door. A frown tugged at her lips.
Once back in the familiar corridor, Kat's heartbeat slowed. "I think I can find my way from here," she said, waving off the maid's concern.
The maid hesitated, glancing forward before nodding. "If you're sure, my lady. Just be careful." With that, she turned and headed down the hall, leaving Kat standing in the soft light, grateful to be away from the darkness.
Her eyes glanced out the window it would be dinner time soon, she wasn't so hungry cause she ate a few things while exploring. The letter she had drafted for Josephine was still tucked away in her pocket and she remembered She needed to hand it to Sabastian.
Now that she thought about it, she hasn't seen him since earlier this morning. she asked several servants for his where about, but no one seemed to know where he was. A few pointed her toward a hall in the east wing, but when she arrived, it was empty, Frustrated, Kat sighed, knowing she would eventually have to give the letter to Lucian, which she was reluctant to do.
Reluctantly, she made her way to Lucian's quarters, passing by her room. She hummed a soft sound as she walked, apart from the creepy cellar, her day went great and she was in a good mood. Though with each step closer she got to Lucain's room she was a little worried the wolves might be out by this time the sun had already setting completely.
Kat was just a few steps away from his door, and suddenly a bang came from Lucian's room it sounded like thing's being thrown across the room.
Kat stop abruptly, another bang came louder than the first. Again like something being slammed against the wall and along with the bang followed the terrified scream of a woman echoed from the room. And everything went quite for a moment a chill went down Kat's spin and she struggled to move her legs.
She wanted to bolt, but there was someone inside being harmed she couldn't just run away. "curse my virtues" she muttered understand her breath taking shaky steps towards the door.
Now In front of the door she couldn't bring herself to open it. Kat's hand trembled as it hovered near the door handle. Her breath came in quick, shallow bursts, her heart pounding in her chest. The terrifying silence after that scream weighed heavy on her, but she couldn't bring herself to flee, even though every instinct told her to run.
Her mind could only race with possibility. Just as her fingers brushed against the cold metal of the doorknob, a thundering voice echoed from inside the room, shaking her to her core.
"Get out!" Lucian's voice roared.
The sheer force of his shout made her jolt back in fright, her body acting on instinct as she stumbled two steps away from the door. Her heart skipped a beat, eyes wide with shock. She had never heard Lucian's voice like that before; so raw, so furious.
Before she could even gather her thoughts, the door burst open with a violent crash, slamming against the wall. The sound reverberated through the corridor, and out came a figure, a maid rushing out as if her life depended on it crashing into Kat and she fell to the ground. Kat still frightened stretches her hand out to help the girl when she turned her gaze to face Kat. Her face was pale, her teary eyes wide with fear, and her breathing ragged, like she'd just escaped a nightmare. She was disheveled, her dress torn, and Kat noticed bloodstains marring the fabric.
" Ar...are you okay?" Kat asked when she found her voice. The maid didn't seem to hear a word she said and hurriedly stood up. She brushed past Kat, barely registering her presence, before bolting down the hallway, her footsteps echoing away into the distance.
Kat stood frozen, her pulse racing as the door swung slightly, still open, revealing glimpse the dimly lit room.
Kat barely caught a glimpse inside the room—darkness, thick and suffocating. Her pulse raced as the air seemed to shift, an eerie heaviness creeping over her. Something was horribly off, and her instincts screamed at her to run after the maid, to help her, or even just to get away from here.
But before she could even take a step, a cold, iron grip seized her wrist. She gasped, her body freezing in place. In an instant, she was yanked into the room, the door slamming shut with a deafening bang behind her. The shock rattled through her as her back was slammed against the door, knocking the breath out of her.
She found herself being pressed against it, a hand firmly planted beside her head and the other still gripping her wrist, trapping her in place.
Kat's eyes instinctively shut, her heart racing as a primal sense of danger flooded her senses. Even with her eyes closed, she could feel the intensity of his gaze boring into her, a coldness that sent chills through her entire body, she as felt this feeling before, but this was on a whole new level.
Slowly opening her eyes, the room was barely lit, and she could barely make out the figure looming over her. His towering figure shielded the faint light from the fire place, unable to look up at the person she kept her gaze glued to a corner of the he room.
But she didn't need to see, who it was she already could tell it was him from scent of rose wood mix with the metallic scent of blood.
"Lucian?" she whispered, her voice trembling, but sure it was him. But the oppressive air around her gave no reassurance. The hand still gripping her wrist was unrelenting, trapping her against the door.
She winced when the grip tightened.