While Selene lay paralyzed in her bed, her heart pounding and her mind entertaining fanciful images of the Grim Reaper or a vengeful spirit, the figure crept silently across the room. It glided without even a glance in her direction right past her bed onto the vanity. Confusion, for a moment, overpowered her fear, and she squinted through the darkness, trying to make sense of the situation.
"What…?" Selene whispered to herself, and she became interested. It was not the Grim Reaper either. Then who is it, and what is it doing in my room?.
It walked over to the dresser and yanked open a drawer. Selene's heart practically skipped a beat as it did; it was that very drawer where, earlier on, Maid Merly had placed her jewelry in. All of the valuable trinkets, her backup in case something went bad and she needed money, were inside that drawer.
A wave of panic and anger surged through her. Without thinking, Selene jumped out of bed, her body moving before her brain could catch up. "Stop, thief! You trying to rob me!" she screamed, high pitched with rage.
This sudden shout sent the intruder jumping. They fell backwards, tumbling to the floor with a loud crash. To complete dismay, the lantern which had been clutched in their hand flew out of their grip, landing on top of them, setting their clothes ablaze with a whoosh of fire.
Aaaahhhh!" it yelled, panicked, while rolling on the floor in an attempt to extinguish the flames. The room seemed to spring alive with turmoil as the fire began spreading across the wood floor.
Selene's eyes grew wide with terror. "FIRE!" she yelled, her lungs releasing all the air they could hold. She ran to the bathroom in pure panic, searching desperately for water. Behind her, the agonized cries of the thief sounded, but Selene fumbled with the bucket she found near the bath. Her heart raced as, with shaking hands, she splashed water into the bucket, knowing full well that if this fire overspread, the whole mansion would go up in flames.
Meanwhile, her screams had echoed through the halls of this mansion. Maids, knights-even the butler-ran toward the screams that had rung out, their footsteps thumping against the floor. First to arrive was the butler, by the name of Alaric. His eyes took one look at the room in a blaze of fire, and instantly he began to cast a water spell. His deep calm voice echoed down the corridor despite all the chaos.
"By the flowing rivers and the depths of the sea, let the waters heed my call. O waves of purity, douse the flames and—"
Just before Alaric could finish his spell, Selene burst from the bathroom with a large bucket of water clutched in her grasp. With a single, fluid motion, she flung the water at the burning figure, dousing not only the thief but also herself, the floor, and several onlookers in the process.
The fire sputtered and went out, leaving the room soaked and filled with the smell of smoke. There was just an instant of complete silence, except for the groaning of the thief, who lay wet and burned but alive on the floor. Steam rose from the soaked carpet, and water dripped from walls and furniture, completing the scene of utter devastation.
Selene stood there, breathless, clutching the empty bucket. The room was heavy with the acrid scent of burnt fabric and otherwise silent except for Maid Merly, who pushed her way through the crowd, her face pale and her eyes wide with concern as she hastened to Selene's side. "My Lady! Are you alright?" she asked, shaking, her hands cupping Selene's face as if searching for injuries.
I'm fine," Selene managed to croak out, still shaking.
Satisfied that she wasn't hurt, Merly turned to the drenched group, hands on her hips. "What is going on here?" she demanded, completely oblivious to the fact that she had just walked over the burnt maid. Her question made the already shocked crowd stare at her in disbelief. Hadn't she seen what had just happened?
Is the woman blind and deaf, Alaric was thinking. Then he cleared his throat and pointed at the charred figure that lay on the floor. "M-Miss Merly… the fire…" he stuttered, trying to compose himself.
The gaze of the maid Merly fell upon the burnt intruder, the blood draining from her face. "Good heavens!" she shrieked then instinctively pulled Selene into her arms, covering her eyes. "Don't look, young lady!
There was much silence in that room for quite a while longer since nobody knew how to proceed. The only things that could be heard were the soft moans of the thief, and sometimes, one or two drops of water falling from the ceiling.
Then, that silence was soon shattered by a voice, rather stern and commanding. "What is all this about?
The crowd immediately parted, and the Duke and Duchess stood behind them, both in their nightclothes, looking thoroughly displeased. The Duke's eyes swept down to take in the scene of the charred maid, the soaked butler, and his disheveled daughter, whereupon his face began to darken in anger.
The Duchess, rubbing her temple, was looking more tired than anything else. "I swear, every time there's peace in this house, something happens," she muttered under her breath.
Still damp, Alaric stepped forward and bowed stiffly. "My Lord, my Lady… there was an incident with… fire," he said lamely, having no clue as to how one would go about explaining such a circumstance.
The Duke's eyes narrowed as he took in the mess. "Who is responsible for this?
Before anyone could say anything, the voice of Selene piped up. "It was a thief, Father! They tried to steal my jewels, and when I caught them, they set themselves on fire!"
The Duke turned his piercing gaze toward the still-groaning figure on the floor, his frown deepening even further. "A thief in my house?" he growled.
While the maid, burnt to charcoal, groaned even louder with her burnt face and scorching clothes, in that instant, the room fell silent-just waiting for what the Duke would do next.