Beware children, be wary of the night

It knows no friends, only enemies

For the darkness is a veil for maliciousness

For criminals and monsters fearful of the light of the gods

For the night hides all, good and bad

It is where the unspoken are laid to rest

Beware children, be wary of the night

-Ishgrian Poem

Anguished. That was the word that perfectly described Remuria's mind after the loss of Princess Rhea. The sight of the princess' funeral was nothing short of heart-wrenching to her. Ever since the day they met, Remuria had been enamored with the princess, her admiration blossoming into a deep and unconditional love. For Remuria, the princess was her dearest, her reason for existence, her very soul. The emptiness she felt after the princess' passing was unbearable, it was as if a part of her own body had gone missing.

The image of Sir Falkner's sword plunged into Rhea’s body was forever etched in Remuria's mind. Yet, Remuria harbored no ill feelings towards the knight or the ruling monarchs. No, her heart only had room for sorrow. Words of comfort did little for her. The person she cherished above all had narrowly escaped the grasp of death by disease, only for the blade to claim her life instead. Remuria ached to speak to the princess once more, to fulfill all the plans and dreams they shared, to give the princess everything she had left to give.

There was a small solace, at the least. Thanks to Princess Rhea's fearless and exceptional performance in her duel against Sir Falkner, the king and queen exonerated her of all accusations after her passing. In honor of her bravery, Princess Rhea was given a state funeral with full honors, her remains laid to rest in the Sacred Catacombs. This was the ultimate recognition of her legacy, as only the most distinguished Ishgrian nobles and royalty were interred there for eternity.

Remuria was eventually promoted to head butler of the castle. She had decided to continue working for the king and queen so that she could continue to maintain the late princess's bed chamber. The king and queen honored her request to keep the room untouched, and she devotedly kept it in pristine condition. 9 months had passed since Rhea's death, but Remuria's love and devotion to the memory of the princess never faded.

Remuria often clung to the precious memories of Rhea, cherishing the daily rituals that kept her close. In the servant's pantry of the royal castle, Remuria would often prepare a cup of warm chamomile tea, the late princess's favorite morning beverage, now her own as well. Each sip was a reminder of the love she once felt in Rhea's presence, a comforting thought to carry with her as she went about her duties.

“Good morning Remuria! how are you?” greeted a cheerful voice.

Remuria raised her eyebrows and turned towards Joey, he was a new butler who had been assigned to Remuria so that he may be trained. Joey was a young man with short, neatly styled blond hair and a cleanly shaven face. He was dressed in the standard uniform of a butler serving the Ishgrian Royal Family, although there was a small wrinkle in his white dress shirt.

“Joey, did you even bother to iron your clothes properly?” Remuria asked in a tone that was laced with a hint of irritation. She couldn't help but feel frustrated with the newbies’ lack of attention to detail.

Joey let out a nervous chuckle in response, his eyes downcast. "Oh goodness, sorry! I’ll try to be careful in the future," he replied, trying to make light of the situation.

Remuria let out a sigh, "Come here," she said, motioning for him to come closer. Joey slowly walked towards her, his posture rigid with tension.

"You can drop the salute, I’m just a servant, like you," Remuria said gently, trying to ease Joey's nerves.

"But you are my senior and the head butler," Joey replied, his voice tinged with nervousness.

"It is fine," Remuria said, smiling kindly at him.

As Joey dropped his salute, he almost knocked over Remuria's tea, causing a small splash of liquid to spill onto the floor. "Oh, I’m so sorry!" he exclaimed, frantically trying to clean up the mess.

Remuria knelt down to help him, her face softening with understanding. "You need to be careful next time, what if you were to serve the king and queen in the future?"

"I know… I’ve just been clumsy for the longest time," Joey admitted, his cheeks blushing a bright red.

Remuria chuckled lightly, trying to break the tension. "You could say that again."

After Joey finished cleaning up the spilled tea, Remuria gestured for him to join her for morning tea at a nearby table. She brewed a fresh batch of aromatic chamomile, offering Joey a cup.

"Thank you for the tea, Remuria!" Joey said, sipping the hot liquid carefully.

"You are welcome, be careful it’s quite hot," Remuria replied, watching him with amusement.

"Once again, I’m sorry for my tardiness, I know I should do better," Joey said, sounding contrite.

"It’s fine Joey, you’ve only been here for a week. What matters is that you are willing to learn," Remuria said, trying to reassure him.

An uncomfortable silence descended upon them, with Remuria's thoughts drifting away from the present moment. She was lost in her memories, feeling a deep sense of loss and loneliness.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Joey noticed her distant gaze and tried to break the silence. "If I may ask, Remuria, why do you not speak with the other staff often? They all seem to hold you in high regard."

Remuria hesitated, her mind grappling with complex emotions. She struggled to find the right words to express herself, feeling vulnerable and exposed.

“Lay off, Newbie. That’s a tough one for Remuria," a gruff voice interrupted. It was Aziv, a senior butler of the castle, who had come to offer his support. His comforting presence allowed Remuria to feel more at ease, knowing that she was not alone.

"Oh, I didn't know, I'm so-"

But before Joey could finish his sentence, Remuria had already begun to leave. She took a deep breath and turned to Joey. "I think I'll take my leave for now. Joey, I'll see you in the evening after you complete your duties." She spoke in a cold tone as she walked away from the pantry, leaving the newbie and Aziv behind.

"Joey was it? Don't take it personally, Remuria just needs space," Aziv said, trying to console the the newbie as he took a seat.

Joey hung his head low, the weight of guilt and regret evident on his face. "If only I knew, I wouldn't have asked," he replied, his voice filled with worry.

"You live and you learn, I'm sure Remuria won't hold it against you," Aziv reassured him.

"I hope so, I'll try to make it up to her later. Maybe I’ll get her something for when I go out to town tonight.” Joey pondered out loud.

Aziv's face suddenly became stern. "Speaking of which, will you be going out to town late at night?

Joey nodded. "Yes, there's an item that my father left for me back in my house, and I'm only able to be excused later in the day."

"I see," Aziv replied, his voice grave. "Please be careful then. There have been rumors of people disappearing at night. It started with people missing in the outskirts of some towns, but now, it has reached even the capital."

Joey's eyes widened in shock. "Oh? Bandits?"

"No," Aziv corrected him. "The people who disappeared could usually be found days later, their possessions and clothes more or less intact."

"But?"

"The victims, no, the victims' bodies," Aziv paused to choose his words carefully, "they were usually pale and mangled. As if they had their very life essence drained out of them before being butchered."

"That sounds terrible! Who would do such a thing?"

"Nobody knows for sure," Aziv said with a hint of fear in his voice. "Some names have floated around: banshee, wraith, dream eater. But most have decided to name the potential culprit: Night Terror."

"Does anyone know what this so-called 'Night Terror' looks like?"

"Rumors have it that the Night Terror is a pale beast that stalks the night in search of prey. It is said to have scarlet eyes and massive, scything talons that can tear apart flesh with ease," Aziv replied. "If I'm completely honest, its description eerily matches the one described in the fables."

Joey gulped audibly. "I'll try to mind my step when I go out later, thank you," he said to Aziv, standing up to give a curt bow.

"Best of luck on your duties, kid," Aziv said as he watched Joey leave the pantry, praying in his heart that the newbie won’t be too careless later.

***

The sun had set for the day, and the moon had taken its place in the night sky. Joey was walking alone in the capital, only half an hour away from the royal castle. He was eager to finish his errand as soon as possible, as Aziv's warning earlier in the day was still fresh in his mind.

The streets were eerily empty at this hour. It seemed not a single soul was outside bot for Joey himself. He felt goosebumps on his skin, it was rather cold. Joey cursed at himself, he wished that he had brought a scarf with him.

Joey swiftly walked past several dark alleyways. Each one he passed made him ever more fearful. It was fine, Joey convinced himself, tonight was just a mundane time as any other. He would make it back to the castle safely, and nothing would happen.

Yet, Aziv’s words from earlier in the day still echoed within Joey’s mind. Night Terror, what kind of person or creature could warrant such a title? He thought. A morbid curiosity had worked its way to the young man’s mind. He pictured images of wicked fanged beasts and of the most hardened criminals. His mind wandered once more to what Aziv said regarding the victims of the Night Terror, how degraded they became.

CRASH

The sound of a piece of glass shattering broke Joey’s train of thought and made him move two steps back. He tensed himself and scanned his surroundings. There was nothing of note. Just more dark alleyways and empty streets. Joey questioned himself, was that noise just my imagination? He scanned his surroundings once more, eyeing every little nook and cranny he could see through the light of his handheld lamp.

Once he felt it was safe, Joey took hesitant steps, his heart pounding in his chest as he moved at a slow pace. The silent streets only amplified the sound of his heartbeat, making him feel as if he was walking through a ghost town. Despite his fear, he finally reached his destination: his house, it was empty, as his family had gone to visit relatives in a nearby city.

Joey fumbled through his pockets to produce a set of keys. He inserted one of them into the keyhole of the front door of his house. After opening the door, Joey went inside and proceeded to grab what he came for: a pocket watch that was left on the dining room table. Underneath the item was a note. Joey picked up the note, and placed it under his lamp's light. It read:

Dear Son,

I managed to repair your pocket watch and restore it back to roughly its original condition. Please try to not drop it too much in the future.

With Love,

Your Father

Upon reading the note, Joey smiled. He was thankful that his father still put up with him for all these years. He pocketed the note and pocket watch, then went outside and locked the door to his house. When he turned around, about to return to the castle, he was surprised to find what appeared to be a woman standing just a few feet in front of him. Joey was about to greet the woman, until he took a second look.

Joey's heart raced as he stood frozen, transfixed by the unearthly sight before him. The woman's deathly pallor seemed to glow in the darkness, her scarlet eyes burning with a fierce hunger that made his blood run cold. Her tattered cloak obscured most of her features, but Joey could sense that his life was in grave danger.

Despite his fears, Joey tried to convince himself that the pale woman might simply be lost, in need of help. But then he saw her hands, the fingers elongated into razor-sharp claws that shimmered under the moonlight. The blood dripping from them was fresh, still slick and warm: evidence of their latest work.

As the pale woman licked her lips, Joey glimpsed the glint of her fangs, far too large and sharp for any human being. He tried to run, but it was too late. The pale woman moved with lightning speed, her claws tearing into his flesh with a sickening crunch. Joey fell, gasping in pain, as the woman sank her fangs into his neck. As he bled and dropped to the ground, the last thought on his mind was one name: Night Terror.