Upstairs in the Abandoned Building…
Kristen stood in the middle of the room, sword in hand, staring at the two brothers as though her soul had already left her body. 😑
Kristen: "So… one brother hid upstairs because of a lizard. The other brother cried downstairs because of a lizard."
She slowly shook her head.
Kristen: "Amazing bloodline." 😤
Rowan (looking offended 😔): "We are sensitive men!"
Leo stretched his arms lazily.
Leo: "By the way, my name is Leo." ☺️
Kristen: "I didn't ask." 😑
Leo: "Still, manners matter."
Kristen: "I'm about to throw both of you out the window."
Rowan (whispering 😶): "She's scary."
Leo (smirking 😏): "She's beautiful too."
Kristen slowly raised her sword.
Rowan and Leo: "SORRY!" 😱
Before Kristen could threaten them further, something strange happened.
The pendant around her neck began to glow.
SHIIIIIING… ✨
Kristen: "Huh?" 😶
A cold breeze swept through the room.
The books trembled on the shelves, and the old wooden furniture began rattling violently.
Rowan (panicking 😱): "SEE?! I TOLD YOU THIS PLACE IS CURSED!"
Leo: "No, you told me there was treasure here." 😑
Rowan: "BOTH CAN BE TRUE!" 😤
Suddenly, a faint whisper echoed through the room.
Voice: "Kristen…"
Kristen froze.
Her fingers instinctively reached for the pendant.
Voice: "So… you came back…"
Kristen: "…"
Voice: "After all these years…"
The temperature dropped even further.
Voice: "Please… come closer…"
Leo slowly looked around.
Leo: "Who said that?" 😶
Rowan immediately hid behind his younger brother.
Rowan (trembling 😭): "Protect me, little brother!"
Leo: "You're older than me. This is embarrassing."
Rowan: "AGE DOESN'T MATTER WHEN DEATH IS CALLING!" 😭
Kristen ignored their nonsense.
The pendant suddenly lifted away from her chest, pulling her towards an old wooden cupboard in the corner.
Kristen: "Excuse me?! Why is my jewelry dragging me around now?" 😤
She tried to resist, but the pendant continued tugging.
Kristen: "Fine! I'm coming! Stop behaving like a spoiled child!"
She reached the cupboard and opened its creaking doors.
Inside sat a small wooden box covered in thick layers of dust.
Leo's eyes sparkled.
Leo: "Ooooh! A secret box!" 😮
Rowan grabbed his arm.
Rowan: "DON'T TOUCH IT! IT MIGHT CONTAIN GHOST TAXES!" 😱
Kristen slowly turned towards him.
Kristen: "What kind of fear is that?" 😑
Rowan: "I DON'T KNOW WHAT GHOSTS PAY!"
Kristen sighed and examined the box.
There was no visible keyhole, no handle, and no marking except a strange symbol carved into its lid.
Her pendant floated forward.
CLICK.
The moment it touched the wooden box, the lid opened by itself.
All three stared inside.
A folded letter lay beside a tiny baby bracelet.
For once, even Leo stopped smiling.
Kristen carefully lifted the letter, brushing away the dust.
Rowan leaned towards Leo and whispered.
Rowan: "If a skeleton jumps out, I'm leaving you behind." 😨
Leo: "If a skeleton jumps out, I'll use you as a shield."
Rowan: "YOU UNGRATEFUL—"
Kristen: "SILENCE!" 😤
Both brothers immediately shut their mouths.
She unfolded the letter.
The handwriting was elegant but faded, as though someone had written it centuries ago.
At the very top were four words.
To my daughter…
Kristen's eyes widened.
Kristen: "…"
Leo swallowed.
Leo: "Why do I suddenly feel serious?"
Rowan: "I don't like serious. Bring back the lizard." 😭
Kristen barely heard them.
Her fingers trembled as she stared at the letter.
She recognized the name signed at the bottom.
Kristen (whispering): "This was Queen Elda's…"
The pendant flashed brightly.
For one brief moment, a woman's silhouette appeared behind Kristen.
A woman's voice whispered beside her ear.
Voice: "My little girl…"
Kristen slowly turned around.
Nobody was there.
But the letter in her hands suddenly revealed another line beneath the faded ink.
If you're reading this, then my daughter has finally returned.
Kristen's blood ran cold.
Kristen: "...What does this mean?" 😨
Behind her, Rowan grabbed Leo's shoulder.
Rowan: "Brother… I think the lizard was the least of our problems."
Leo: "For once, I agree." 😶
And the pendant continued glowing.
As though it had finally found the person it had been waiting for.
To be continued...