Just then, Jack and the others came out of the cottage.

"There's nothing inside except for some old furniture and messed up stuffs." Jack stated.

"Yeah, you sure you saw someone?" Tiffany asked.

"Yes, she was there! I heard her chuckling upstairs!" I pointed towards the window.

"It couldn't be... a... a ghost... Right..?" Elianor stuttered and hid behind Tiffany.

"No, it's not! I'll go search for her." I stated. Although I'm extremely scared of ghosts, I'm 100% sure that the figure I saw was not a ghost. She broke into Aunt Ana's cottage so she must be up to no good.

"I'll go with you." Jack and Tiffany said.

"I'll go in too." Niel insisted.

"Okay, the others stay outside. If anything happens, Elianor and Roselle will come and help us while Susanna stays on the lookout." Jack instructed.

I carefully walked inside the cottage. The inside is really dusty and the air is quite humid. The position of the furniture is as similar as the day we left it. However, there's no sign of Aunt Ana anywhere. I hope she's alright.

We walked up the creaky wooden stairs to the second floor. The second floor has five bedrooms for each of us. Aunt Ana's bedroom is downstairs, next to the kitchen.

We entered the first four rooms and found nothing suspicious. But there's still one room...

My room.

I took a deep breath before slowly opening the door. The door made a loud creaking sound.

Everything is similar as how I left it... A single bed near the wall, a small brown cupboard, my previous bows hanging on the wall and a white table lamp beside the bed. A bit dusty and messy, but nothing has changed...

Except that there's one strange turquoise door right beside the table lamp.

"There wasn't supposed to be a door there." I stated.

"I didn't see that door earlier. Or we might have not noticed it." Jack said.

"Adal, be careful! We don't know what's in there." Niel stated.

I took several steps closer towards the door. I don't know where the door leads to but I'm sure that whoever the person is, she is in there...

When I got closer, I heard faint whispers behind the door.

"Help me"

"Just open the door"

"And you'll set me free..."

The whispers are really tempting. My mind is in an inconclusive debate on whether to open the door or not.

But my curiosity gets the best of me.

As I slowly lifted my right hand to hold the doorknob, my heart pounds faster causing me to freeze at the moment.

Something's not right. I don't know what lies behind the door. It might not be a good idea to open it.

I refused to open it and tried moving my hand away from the doorknob. However, my hand didn't move. Not because it wasn't functioning, but a great force is somehow holding my hand.

"Guys, I... I can't move my hand!" I stated.

"What!? What's going on Adal?" Tiffany asked as she helped to pull my hand but it wouldn't budge.

Suddenly, my hand was slowly pulled towards the doorknob. I involuntarily turned the doorknob and caused the turquoise door to lit up with magical shapes and symbols. 

When I've finally managed to get control of my hand, I hurriedly backed away from the door and stood in a defensive position.

The others followed me and get ready for anything that comes out from the door.

The door opens slowly, revealing a really bright light that hurts our eyes. We tried to keep our eyes open to prepare for whatever happens next.

A tall, female figure walks out from the light and stood right in front of the opened door.

There she is...

Turquoise coloured eyes that stares directly into mine, silky black hair flowing gently, skin as white as snow, long elegant green dress, emerald stones right above her cheeks and... An evil smile?

"Adalinne, Adalinne, my dear..." she chuckled.

Her voice is soft and gentle. But I didn't like it.

"I, myself couldn't believe how foolish you are... Acting all brave and strong... You thought that you could save the kingdom?" she laughed hysterically for awhile.

I looked at the others and we exchanged confused looks. Like... has the witch become insane?

"Oh.. How good it felt to finally be able to get out from that horrible place!" she stretched her arms and fixed her hair.

"Who... Who are you?" Tiffany asked.

"Oh, my! You don't know who I am? How long have I been locked in there?" She asked with a shocked and sad look on her face.

"Answer our question first! Who are you?" Jack asked with a stern and angry voice.

"Oh, sweetie... Don't be angry at me... I am your queen... Queen Serafine Laricienne! Now kneel to me!!" she demanded.

Queen Serafine Laricienne?

"No, no!! Guys, she's the evil witch!! Attack her!" Niel ordered and blindly charged towards her.

"Wait!" I shouted but it was too late.

In a blink of an eye, 'Queen Serafine' uses her dark magic and threw all four of us against the wall.

Her magic was too strong. We couldn't even move. The wall behind us starts to crack and began to break into several pieces. The dark magic sent us flying away out of the house.

Except me.

I was stuck in midair with no control of my body.

"Adal!?" Elianor shouted.

Roselle and Susanna saw the others lying on the ground and ran towards them to help.

"Don't... do... anything... Just run away while you still can..." I muttered as I tried to move my body.

"We don't want to leave you!" Elianor stated.

"Th-There's no choice... Run now... Or all of us would die..." I cried.

"Go... Now..." I smiled before I was pulled back into the cottage.

Elianor is really stubborn. I just hope that she'll follow my orders...

"Oh, sweet Adalinne... I kinda owe you... So I have something special to offer you..." Serafine smirked as she whispered into my left ear.

"Forget about the others... I won't hurt them... For now... Because once I'm Queen again, no one fighting against me shall live..." she chuckled.

"Now, back to the offer... I reaaally need someone to help me. You know, I've been locked away for ages... I need someone to give me updates about my kingdom. Since you were such a good girl to follow my signs all the way here and released me... I might spare your life if you're willing to join me.." she smiled and sat down on the bed with her legs crossed.

"Follow you? You... You were the lady in my dreams?" I asked astonishingly.

"Of course, darling... I led you all the way here with the little remnants of magic I had left back inside that door. You were the only person that I was able to reach. The only person who could open the door... You're special, Adalinne. Your friends don't know that. You don't know that. But I do. Join me and we shall rule this world together..." she stood up and holds my shoulders.

It was all my fault. I was too stupid to blindly follow a lady I don't even know.

"So? Are you with me?" she asked.

"Never." I answered angrily.

I know that she'll kill me if I say that, but I would never help her. I was the one to set her free... I would do anything to stop her. However, I can barely move myself.

"Oh. Oh... A knight till the very end huh? Unfortunately, you wouldn't even get the chance to protect your kingdom then. Farewell, my dearest Adalinne..." she made a really creepy evil smile and waved her hands.

Before I could even speak, I was pulled backwards into the turquoise door.

The light that I saw before, changed into darkness.

I was falling down and slowly consumed by the darkness. I could still see Serafine waving goodbye at me before she closed the door and disappeared into thin air.

I could finally move my body, but it was no use. I kept falling deeper and deeper. I started to wonder if there's even an end to this fall. Well, if there is... It would literally be the end of me.

I tried to look around for anything that could help me. I was spinning around and around while falling at a pacing speed into the depths of darkness.

I felt dizzy and I couldn't focus on my eyes. I blinked slower and slower until I closed my eyes completely and became unconscious...