Hazel and her men had been trekking for hours through the maze-like forest. They had lost track of time, unsure if it was day or night.

Walking by the dim lantern light, they hadn’t encountered anything unusual. But they hoped to find a fruit or anything to eat or drink. Queen Lucida had sent them on a dangerous errand without food, only water. And they'd finished the whole jar of water.

"Ah," Hazel let out a startled gasp as she stumbled.

"Are you okay, your majesty?" The men asked worriedly.

Hazel nodded but said nothing. She couldn't manage to say a word because she was tired. She slumped against a tree, exhausted. She panted, beads of sweat trickling down her face.

"I’ve never walked so far in my life," Hazel said, looking up. "We don't even know how long we've been walking; whether it is a day or night, we have no idea."

"Let's just have a rest here, my queen," Raymond said, settled down and rested on a tree.

As the others settled down, Dav spotted a massive snake, large enough to be a python, slithering quickly behind Raymond.

"S…..S…..Snake!" Dav stammered, pointing to the snake.

When the others turned to the direction Dav pointed at, the snake had cornered Raymond; it winded its long body tightly around him with the tree.

"Raymond!" Hazel screamed. The rest shrank back in fear. Confused, Hazel wanted to lurch at Raymond to save him but Mask and Crest held her arms.

"We should leave!" Mask cried, dragging Hazel away.

"No! He's going to die!"

"We have to leave him! Let's run!" Goltha shouted to others.

They ran, glancing severally at Raymond trapped by the snake. Hazel shouted his name as Mask tugged her along.

When they were far away from the scene, Mask let go of Hazel's hand. Hazel swayed, and Lailack caught her as she nearly collapsed.

"My queen," Lailack cried. "Are you okay?"

"Ray….Raymond…" Hazel looked up at the guards, her face pale with shock and exhaustion. "Has he died?"

"Your majesty!" Crest's voice shook.

Mask squatted, his head bent. Unsure how to console Hazel, the others looked away with heavy sighs.

The scene must have terrified her, they believed. Even Lailack, who held Hazel, was shivering—The terror of the incident remained vivid in her mind.

"You must be tired," Mask said to Hazel and stood. "We have to find you what to eat and drink. At least I believe there should be water and fruits here." Mask shifted the focus of everyone.

Hazel said no word to Mask, she just nodded and sat and rested against a tree. Lailack sat beside her, wrapping her arms around Hazel.

Mask and Crest left to search for fruit and water while the others stood guard as they encircled Hazel and Lailack.

A few hours later, Crest and Mak came running toward the Queen with a bulged black sack.

"Here!" Crest said excitedly to the Queen. "We have some apples," Crest placed the sack in front of Hazel.

Everyone turned to Crest, eyes widening with surprise and greed as he revealed the fresh red apples.

"This is an apple!" Ranya, the youngest of the guards, exclaimed.

Crest nodded proudly; he picked two apples and stretched them to Hazel.

"Try, try it, my queen!" He urged her.

Hazel stared at the apples for a few seconds. As she stretched her hands to have it, Mask snatched the apple.

"We have to taste this first before the queen can have a bit."

"Oh, sorry," Crest nodded, rubbing his neck. "Then who will…."

"I'll try it first," Mask said firmly.

Everyone nodded, but fear crept into their expressions as they watched Mask take a bite.

They'd all wanted the apples so greedily; but when Mask mentioned someone tasting the apples first, fear took hold, and they shivered.

They watched Mask chew the apple and swallow it; they waited for a few minutes in deadly silence, all eyes glued on Mask but nothing happened.

They smiled and rejoiced. They decided Hazel should eat first.

Hazel was so hungry and weak that she could not say "no" to their offer. She ate the apples hungrily. As Crest stood to share the apples with the rest, Mask fell to his knees, blood trickling down from his mouth, nose and ears.

"Mask!" Crest screamed; he held Mask, wiping Mask's blood with his hands. "No, no!"

Everyone surrounded Mask, crying his name. They laid Mask down, their hands already smeared with blood, unable to stop his bleeding.

Hazel tore the hem of her dress with trembling hands and continued wiping Mask's blood. But their method could not stop Mask bleeding.

Tears trickled down the corners of Mask’s eyes as he looked at Hazel and muttered,

"The ...a..apple…."

"Apple!" Ranya got what Mask said and turned to look at the Queen.

"Your majesty, the apple!" Ranya cried and slumped to the ground.

Crest looked at the apples in his hands and dropped them in fear; he turned to Hazel,

"My….my queen..."

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