See I've come to burn your kingdom down
Hekateria was sitting at the table in the grand dining hall, engaged in a not-so-exciting discussion with the rest of her family about what her future would be. The most interesting event so far had been Great Uncle Albert, sitting next to her father, dropping his dentures on the table while dozing off.
Right in front of her lay an old dagger covered in bloodstains and inscribed with ancient runes. Hekateria's hands and dress were also covered in blood. Her father, perhaps tired of the family's indifferent, maybe even oblivious, reaction to the situation, took a deep breath and began to speak: "You say you killed Prince Cassius, Hekateria. Do you realize what you've done?"
Hekateria responded, holding her head high. "The murder of someone who pressed their throat against my blade is not my fault, father."
Her brother Felix banged his hand on the table with a mix of sarcasm and seriousness. "The king will hang all our heads at the palace gate. What will you do then, my poor sister?" His sister just rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.
A tense silence prevailed among the other family members. Some suggested fleeing, while others proposed preparing to resist. Infirma, her mother, as usual, sat silently next to her husband, nodding in agreement with whatever he said, with the mindlessness of a bathhouse attendant.
Finally, her grandfather broke the silence by banging his hand on the table. "Enough! Sitting here and fretting will get us nowhere. We haven't heard from the palace yet; I'll go and try to learn something tomorrow. Though the royal family is quite powerful, they still fear us and our ancestors." Towards the end of his words, he turned to look at the portrait of his ancestor Victor, who lived in the 1800s, hung above the fireplace, and a faint smile spread across his face. Then he turned back and said, "Now, everyone to your rooms; no one is to go down to the town tonight." He gave Felix a brief glance and stood up. The others rose with him. Medea, who hadn't spoken until now, was the first to quickly head to her room.
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Everyone quietly dispersed and retreated to their rooms. Hekateria climbed the stairs with heavy steps and entered her room. The bed by the window offered a comfort that seemed to want to envelop her. However, as she lay down, her eyes began to close from exhaustion.
Around midnight, a cold wind filled her room, gently fluttering the thin curtains. Hekateria opened her eyes and saw a semi-transparent figure in the middle of her room. A ghost was looking at her. Its eyes were filled with emptiness, but they were fixed on Hekateria. "Hekateria," said the ghost's voice, a whisper but clearly audible. "Danger is approaching."
Hekateria sat up and looked at the ghost. "What danger? Who is coming?" she said, looking completely bewildered.The ghost's face twisted with pain, cold waves emanating from its body filled the room. For a moment, Hekateria felt a strange shiver.
"Shadows... the shadows are searching for you. Do not trust..."Just as the ghost was about to say something, Hekateria suddenly woke up. Her heart was racing, and the room was pitch dark. Was it a dream or reality? The ghost's words echoed in her mind. Realizing that the chilling breeze was coming from the open window, she got up and tried to close it by feeling her way. The phrase "The shadows are searching for you..." kept running through her mind.
Hekateria couldn't sleep again until morning.