Pretending To Be Gilead's Prince and Master Wizard

At the end of all the chaos we have experienced ever since I got back from school, Alex was able to kill most men that were chasing after me and Dexter earlier, but not all of them. Some were able to manage to flee as soon as reinforcements from the Magic Army have been dispatched at the marketplace.

As for my dear friend, who bravely protected me from harm by those men, the Magic Army gave him a decent burial at the cemetery where heroes are being buried a week after the incident.

Alex and his men hadn't stop searching for the enemy's hiding place all throughout the city, but ending up finding none, not even a trace to where it was.

Due to the shock that I have felt upon witnessing Dexter's sudden death, I wasn't able to tell Alex all the things that my friend had sacrificed his life upon just to tell me. I believe I have mourned enough. Now is the time to act on his behalf… so that his death would not be put to waste.

On the following Monday night, I trudged down into the hallways and made my way into Alex's office in my fake princely apparel, making sure there is no one that is now trailing from behind. I have to look either sideways to really make sure I am not being followed right now. 

I knocked on the door three consecutive times, but no one answered. Goddamn it, where could the lad be in at this hour?

I held the doorknob and tried to twitch it. To my astonishment, it eventually opened. And here he was, scolding me about not locking doors the other month, when he also does the same mistake here. 

Scoffing, I gently opened the door, creating light creaking noises to it. I peep an eye first to see if there are any potential dangers inside, but there was none, thankfully. 

After making sure that the coast is clear, I finally proceeded to enter and immediately closed the door behind me. Surely, there are no signs of Alex here. Perhaps I should make my way to the secret hideout then?

No. After what happened, I am pretty sure there are plenty of castle guards in patrol at the hallways. I have to avoid a bunch of them just to get here without getting detected.

And speaking of which, I just heard several heavy footsteps coming here, like the owner of it is wearing some sort of heavy boots or something. It made me stun for a moment, not knowing what to do from here. But since it sounded like it is still far away from here, I started going for my agenda in coming over here.

I hurriedly went to his desk and tried to look for some secret compartment here that outsiders would not easily locate. I know every desk of the royal officials has a desk like that. 

I bent down and tried to look for it, even I have to get on one knee, hoping that the secret compartment must be somewhere underneath. After several minutes of searching in vain, I almost gave up on it. I could hear the footsteps getting pretty louder as the person who knows it is now getting close to the door. 

I remained on one knee to move away from the guard's eye watch, only seeing his boot stepping inside the office as he opened the door. I tried to look on its face while exerting an effort of not getting caught at the same time, but to my dismay, it's not Alex as I hoped. I was right, it's a castle guard who has entered just now. 

Several seconds passed tilting its head, the guard finally scurried away, leaving me exhaling the breath that I have been holding for too long.

Damn, where could Alex be at this moment?

While kneeling over here, something caught my intention. The table itself is elongated, made in mahogany with some added embroideries at the sides made of pure damn gold. Three drawers could be visibly seen in each sides, which is so not my target because it could be easily seen. 

However, what really caught my attention is the teeny-tiny handle that could not be easily seen unless you take a closer look in it. It looks like a loose nail, but when I tried pulling it down with all the force I could muster…. I finally found the secret compartment I was looking for.

With haste, I fished the diary out of the coat pocket I am wearing right now. This is supposed to be for me to read all the events that has happened to me for the few months, so that whenever I forget all of this someday, I would have tangible proof that none of this was just a figment of my imagination.

However, in this case, Alex couldn't be found. I looked at his room earlier too before going here, by the way, but he is not in there too. I don't know but I am starting to get worried about his condition, whether he is okay now or what. 

Now that I am letting go of this diary in Alex's care, I don't know anymore how I could remember him again after my memories have been erased. Tears started rolling down my cheeks as soon as I closed the secret compartment and pushed the loose nail inward for it not to get noticed easily but by the owner only. 

I was already getting ready to stand up when another thing piqued my interest. On the big mahogany closet that is placed on my right, something is banging on its doors, like an animal was stored there and is now desperate to get out. I could also hear several thuds from the impact.

I wonder what it could be.

While I was preparing myself for whatever would surprise me from that drawer, I held one door and pulled it with all my might but it's locked. Well, alright closet door, I think this calls for magic!

Stretching my hands in front of me, I unlocked the door that prevents me from opening it. It was a success, thankfully, but the next thing that I am about to witness is what shocked me the most.

It was Alex who was banging the door earlier, with both hands and feet now tied behind him and his mouth sealed using a spell. His forehead has a small cut where blood was dripping from it. I was also successful in undoing the spell used on his mouth, thus enabling him to speak.

"Listen to me very carefully. You have to run out of here. Right now!" he instructs me with urgency visible in his tone. 

"But I cannot just leave you here, wounded and tied. I wanted to know what happened while I am now untying you."

I started untying his hands using my magic, but the magic used here is so complicated, I think the wizard who did this is the same level as Alex.

"There's no time for that! Forget about me, save yourself!" he demands once again. "The real enemy is here… inside the castle… and I was so stupid for not seeing through his plans in the first place! He is the real mastermind while using the princess and others as his pawns."

But I just can't leave him alone like this! If I have to teleport away from here, I will be taking him away from here.

"You have to go with me then as I teleport my way out of here," I insisted, now preparing to teleport. "Anyway, I also had figured out who the enemy was after that last statement from Dexter. If I am not mistaken, it's---"

"What a clever girl you truly are!" 

My body instantly froze upon hearing that voice… that familiar voice that I already got used to hearing all the time. However, this time… it lacks friendliness in it, like the one he usually uses on us. His voice now devoids any emotion in it.

Hearing it now makes me sick, unlike before.

"You have my sincere respect now, for I have truly underestimated your character the first time I saw you…"

The owner of this seemingly cold voice now starts making his way towards me. Every step he makes is like a threat to me, like a time bomb that would explode anytime soon. His lopsided smirk forms at the corner of his lips as his icy eyes stared into mine.

It is like… I am now seeing a whole new different side of him. He was not the guy that I once knew. 

"You…" I tried to say something but surprisingly, no words came out of my mouth. 

"Surprised?" he asks, smirking at me and Alex, who is still lying on the ground. "Well, that's actually the plan, isn't it? I had a different plan for you, to be honest. But seeing how things have turned out, I must act immediately or else, everything will all be wasted." 

"You're sick! How could you do this to all of us!"

But he only chucked at that.

"I am feeling very well right now, elated even, thank you." Then the guy points his finger at me and proceeds with what he is about to say.

"But you, little missy, I'm afraid you have to be put to sleep--- for now. And soon, you'll all wake up like all of this is just a nightmare."

Grinning to himself, he now starts to wave his hand as he cast the necessary spell-- the one that makes people forget what the user wanted them to forget about.

"No!" I objected as I tried to fight back. But surprisingly though, I cannot move even just one muscle right now. He literally froze me to my place, leaving my mouth and eyes still moving.

"Goodbye… Krisella. It was nice meeting you."

With a flash of his wand, everyone seemed to be very bright around me. The light that came from the tip of his wand shone brighter as every second passed by, until such time that I have to close my eyes to unsee it.

And the last thing I heard was my own voice, shouting up to the last minute.

"NO!"