"Do you really need to do this? Should I apany you inside?" Prince Fraser asked.


    It''s been a day after the talk we had with the Great Ruler. Today is the day I will enter that alley again. Butpared tost time, I will enter the alley in daylight.


    "Can you assure me you cane back no matter what?" Prince Fraser got silent with my question. Even if they want to apany me, Ruler Laird already prohibits them. There''s no assurance if they coulde back like I did.


    Prince Fraser sighed and held my hand. "Just promise me you wille back home, Csille. You need toe back. I need you toe back home."


    I nod my head at him as a response. I look at Rufus at the side. His eyes look red. I smiled at him. "Did you cried, your highness? Still, a crybaby, aren''t you?" I tease him.


    Rufus just messed my hair and pinched my cheeks. "You''re the crybaby. Can you stop making up stories. We both know who''s the crybaby between us." He shakes his head. "You need to be careful in there, Purny. As much I want to apany you, but the Great Ruler already prohibited us. So, please take care of yourself."


    I smiled at him and yfully punched his chest. "Don''t worry. It won''t be easy to get rid of me. So, you''ll have to stick with me for a long time." I wink at him.


    Rufus is about to say something when Prince Fraser interrupted us. "Csille, you have to promise me that you wille back, okay?"


    I nod my head at Prince Fraser. I look at Princess Paislee, who is currently looking at me. "Lady Lauretré, do you want me to apany you? You don''t have to worry about me. I could definitely protect myself. I am also willing to disobey the Great Ruler."


    I smile at Princess Paislee before I shake my head. "There''s no need. You don''t need to risk your life for me. We still don''t know what will happen after Ie in. It''s better to have one casualty. Also, your responsibility is to protect the Crown Prince. Who will protect him if something happened to you?"


    I could see Princess Paislee struggle with her words. She probably wants to say something, but she knew I already decided to go in the alley alone.


    "Lady Lauretré, are you prepared?" Great Ruler, ask me after a while. Aside from the Great Ruler, there are few Elders beside him.


    I look at Prince Fraser first before nodding my head at Ruler Laird. "Everything''s okay. Is it time?"


    We are now in front of the alley, and any moment from now, I will be entering that alley. Again. I just hope I could help the Great Ruler and unravel the mysteries inside this alley.


    Ruler Laird nods his head as a response. He then gestured an elder toe close to us. The elder is holding something. It looks like a box, but it is covered with satin. "I''ve prepared this for you. We don''t know how long you would stay there. That''s why I made early preparations for you. There are few clothes and snacks in there." He hands me the box, which I dly epted.


    He''s right. I don''t know how long I will stay there or if I could even go out from that alley. "Thank you, Great Ruler. It would be a great help for me."


    Ruler Laird looks straight into my eyes before he sighs. "Lady Lauretré, I hope you could find my daughter. But if you couldn''t, that''s also okay. You, agreeing to enter that alley again, is already enough for me. Please, take care of yourself, and if you think your life is endangered, just go back. That young Crown Prince will surely be enraged if something happened to you."


    I look at Prince Fraser, who is now seriously talking to Rufus and Leander. He will be enraged if something will happen to me? Isn''t that a joke? I''m the viin that would ruin his rtionship with his beloved. I''m sure he will be d if I am not around.


    I smile sadly. "I know he will." I look back at Ruler Laird. "Don''t worry, Great Ruler. I will do my best to find your daughter and take her back."


    After a few warnings, Great Ruler let me go inside the alley. I took a deep breath, and I was about to enter the alley when suddenly Prince Fraser grabs my arms and hugs me behind. "You need to be careful there, Csille. Please,e back home. You need toe back home, my Queen," Prince Fraser whispered in my ears while hugging me from behind. He remains hugging me for a few minutes before he let me go. "You need toe back. Promise me."


    I could feel my heartbeat getting faster and my cheeks burning because of Prince Fraser''s words. I just nod my head at him and walk inside the alley.


    You need to get inside Ysavel. You cannot let Prince Fraser see that you are affected by his words. No! You''re not into him. Goodness, gracious! You cannot be in love with a fourteen year old boy. Are you a groomer?


    I shake my head to shake any thoughts about Prince Fraser. I don''t need any distractions right now. I still need to work my way in through this alley.


    The moment I step inside, all I could see is fog. I couldn''t clearly see the way in. I thought when you get inside. You could see the way. But I was wrong. I couldn''t see a thing at all. All I could see is white.


    This alley is really mysterious. At night it''s pitch ck, and in the morning, it foggy white? There''s definitely something wrong in this alley.


    After walking for half an hour, I still couldn''t see the end of the alley. It''s as if the end is still far away from where I am.


    "But as far as I remember, I didn''t walk that long before. What happened? Why did it suddenly get long? Did I turn into a corner? But that''s also impossible. The whole way here is just a straight path. How could I even turn when there''s no way I could walk to?"


    I take a deep breath and set my anxiety aside. I have no time to be anxious now. All I need is to continue walking, and I''m sure I''ll get to the end in no time. I nod my head. "Yes, continue walking, Ysavel. You will get to the end in no time. I still need to talk to the owner of that bookshop. I also need to find the daughter of the Great Ruler, and I need to unravel the mysteries of this alley."


    I continue walking for another half an hour, but I couldn''t still see the end of the alley. I slump on the ground. I''m tired. My legs are already shaking, and I''m hungry. But I still couldn''t see anything at the end. Not even a light.


    I tried to look for food in the box that Ruler Laird gave me. It''s a good thing the Great Ruler gave me food, or else I would be starving myself to death.


    I was eating happily when I suddenly felt movements from my side. I immediately stand up and look around. But I couldn''t see anything from the fog.


    I look for the knife that Princess Paislee gave me. She gave it to me for self defense. In case anything happened to me in this alley. However, after a minute of being on guard, I didn''t hear anything.


    Is that my imagination only? I sigh and slump on the ground again, and continue eating my food.


    After taking a break, I continue walking through the alley. It''s better to continue walking now that it''s daytime. When nighttime came, I''m afraid it will be pitch ck again. And that''s not what I want.


    I fasten my footstep. If I would calcte the time I am in the alley, it''s been two hours now. I entered the alley at two o''clock in the afternoon. So, it''s probably four o''clock in the afternoon now. It will be night after two hours. I need to get to the end of the alley in two hours.


    However, no matter how fast I walk or even if I run, I still couldn''t reach the end of the alley. It''s as if like I am walking on an endless loop. What is happening here? Thest time I went inside it isn''t like this.


    "I couldn''t take this anymore," I slumped my body on the ground. I have been walking and running for the whole afternoon now. My legs are already shaking, and I don''t have any energy to lift any muscle.


    I tried to look for food in the box that the Great Ruler gave me, but I realized I already emptied the food. Not even a single drop of water is left.


    I groan in frustration. Great! I''m stuck in an endless loop, and now I don''t have any food. Is this how I am going to die? I thought I could at least see my novel being published, but I guess not all dreams wille true.


    Iy my head on the wall and close my eyes. I am just nning to take a break to gain some energy and continue walking afterward, but I didn''t realize that I fall asleep in the process.


    When I wake up, I am already sleeping on afy bed. I immediately get up and look around my surroundings.


    Where am I? Thest time I remember, I was resting in that mysterious alley. And when I wake up, I am already in this room?


    I stand up and look around the room. The room looks unfamiliar to me. I''m pretty sure I never been in here.


    I walk towards the closed window that is covered by the curtain. I set the curtain aside to look outside, but I was shocked when I didn''t see anything outside the window. It''s pitch ck. I couldn''t see any light. It''ll not the typical darkness of the night. It looks more like oblivion.


    I put the curtain back with a racing heart. Where the hell am I? This is not the Illorian City. But if it''s not the Illorian City, what is this then?


    I look around, trying to find some clues, but there''s nothing much to see in the room. There are no personal belongings that could be seen. It looks like it''s a guest room.


    I look to the enclosed door. If I open that, will I find the answer I am looking for? I am still contemting what to do when the windows suddenly opened.


    I look back, and I was shocked at what I am seeing. Outside the window, I could see the smiling face of Lena. It''s like what you see if you use the projector, but there''s no projector around. So where is this alling from? And why is it showing Lena?


    I walked close to the window. But I still leave two meters away from it. I could feel pressureding outside the window. I''m afraid that if I take another step, the pitch ck darkness will suck me away.


    In front of me, videos of Lena cleaning the room, doing her work as a policewoman could be seen.


    "Lena," I whispered. I could feel my eyes getting teary. "I miss you." I really miss her. I want to see her. I want to hug her again.


    "Ysavel, happy birthday. Please wake up now. I already miss you. Didn''t you promise me that you wouldn''t leave me behind? But why are you lying in there?" I heard Lena said.


    I look up and saw Lena in a hospital. Crying beside a patient. My eyes widened when I realized who is the patient on the bed. It''s me. That is Ysavel!