WARNING ⚠️ Mention of Suicide and murder please skip chapter if not comfortable.
"Lily?"
I looked around her room, nothing.
Her bed was made, her closet empty, even under the bed was clear.
"Damn it! Did she wake up before me?"
That didn't make sense. She always woke me up first. Maybe she wanted Levi to have a turn. She was probably already in the dining hall. Perfect. That meant I could get revenge on Levi instead.
I flung open his door. "Morning Levi!"
Silence.
His room was empty too.
"Levi?"
No answer.
Ok… this is weird.
I walked down the hall toward the dining room rubbing the back of my neck. Now that I thought about it, the voices were gone. The shadows too. Maybe things were going back to normal.
"You were right, Mom. Maybe I was-"
I froze. The dining hall was empty.
"Mom? Dad?"
No response.
Not even Grandma or Grandpa were there.
My stomach dropped. I sprinted down the hall, throwing open every door I passed. My parents' room, empty. Uncle Jake and Aunt Linda's room, empty. My cousin's room all empty.
Everyone was gone.
My chest tightened. "No, no, no…"
"Princess!"
I turned to see one of the royal guards running toward me, pale and out of breath.
"Oh, thank goodness you're still here," he said. "The King, Queen, everyone in the royal family has gone missing! Except for you."
My heart nearly stopped. "Do you have any idea what happened to them?"
The guard shook his head. "None, Your Highness. The King told me to stay put and not follow him. He looked… in a rush. That was the last I saw."
I gripped his shoulders. "You did nothing wrong. You followed orders."
He nodded shakily, and I left him behind.
Wait.
First, the voices stopped.
Then the shadows appeared.
Then the shadows disappeared.
And now… my family's gone.
I gasped. "The shadows. They took them."
But why me? Why was I still here?
I ran outside to the balcony and looked down at the village. People were walking around peacefully, laughing, chatting as if nothing had happened.
"What's going on? Why is the village so calm?"
"Princess," another guard said, bowing. "If word gets out that the royal family is missing, panic will spread. The wolves will strike at the first sign of weakness."
He was right.
"Then we keep this quiet. I'll stay here in the castle in case anyone comes looking for us."
"Princess, you're here!" a maid cried, running over. "How is this possible? Everyone's gone!"
"I'm asking myself the same question," I said. "But I need answers and I need them now."
I looked around, surrounded by guards and maids. "If anyone saw anything, speak."
Silence.
Then a voice from the back spoke up. "I saw something."
I turned. "Alexander?"
He bowed. "Last night, I saw Prince Levi and Princess Lily outside. A few minutes later, I saw the King and Queen heading in the same direction. After that… nothing. I didn't see Prince Jake, Princess Linda, or the others."
"Thank you." I said quietly.
So Levi and Lily were outside. Then my parents followed. After that, they all vanished.
If I questioned the villagers, they'd panic. The last thing I needed was chaos in the kingdom.
A scream pierced the air.
"Ahhh!"
I ran toward the sound.
"What happened?!"
Then I saw it, blood.
A dark trail led me down the hall. My heart pounded faster with every step until I saw her.
"Angelina…"
She was lying on the floor, gravely injured.
"No. No, no, no!"
I dropped to my knees, shaking her shoulders. "Angelina! Wake up! Please!"
Tears burned my eyes and fell fast.
"I promise you," I whispered, voice trembling, "whoever did this will pay."
If Angelina is dead… did that mean the rest of them were too?
"Guards!" I shouted. "Search the entire Kingdom! Find the others! I don't want anyone resting until everybody is found!"
"Yes, your Highness."
My whole body went cold. I lifted Angelina's lifeless body and carried her to her room. She must've gone to the kitchen for a midnight snack… and never made it back.
I laid her on her bed and brushed the dried blood from her cheek.
"I'll prepare a casket soon," I whispered, kissing her forehead. "Rest well, Angelina. I'll make them pay. I swear it."
Hours later, after sending out patrols, the guards returned.
"We found Osvaldo, there is no sign of the others."
"Princess," one said, bowing, "we found Osvaldo. No sign of the others."
My heart sank. "Where was he?"
"Rather not say your Highness. We also found this."
He handed me a note.
"Dear everyone,
I can't live like this anymore. The royal pressure and bullying at school have broken me. I tried asking for help, but no one listened. This is my final goodbye."
My breath caught.
"He… he committed suicide," I whispered.
The guards bowed their heads. "We're sorry for your loss, Princess."
I felt numb.
"Are you sure there are no others?"
"Yes, your Highness. Only princess Angelina and Prince Osvaldoso far. Shall we keep searching?"
"No. That's enough. You're dismissed."
When they left, I sat alone at the long dining table. My emotions were tangled rage, grief, despair. I wanted to scream, but no sound came out.
My family was gone. Eleven of us… and only two bodies were found.
I prayed the others were still alive.
A knock echoed.
"Come in."
A maid stepped inside, her face pale. "Your Highness… when you have a moment, please come with me. There's… more bad news."
"More bodies?"
She nodded silently. "We found them in their rooms."
My hands trembled. "But the guards said-"
"They must've missed them," she whispered.
When she left, I broke. My cries echoed through the empty halls, each breath ragged, each sob sharper than the last.
"Osvaldo," I whispered through tears, "I'm so sorry. I should've been there for you. I should've listened."
This was my fault. His death. Angelina's death.
My vision blurred. I looked up at the ceiling, teeth clenched.
Whoever did this… they messed with the wrong person.
But for now… all I could do was cry.