The creepy laughter grew louder, scratching against the inside of my skull. It wasn't just sound anymore; it was physical.
My whole body went numb, a bone-deep cold spreading through my veins. Whatever this was, it was disturbing—worse than any nightmare I had ever had on Earth. It felt like I was being dissolved.
I dropped to my knees in the endless black void, curling into a tight ball. I hugged my chest, burying my face in my knees, and pressed my palms hard against my ears to shut out the mocking lights.
"Kael..." I murmured, my voice trembling.
The laughter shrieked.
"Kael... KAEL!!!" I screamed into the darkness.
Then, the cold snapped my consciousness like a twig. I passed out.
...
"Kael..."
The name escaped my lips as a dry whisper.
My eyelids felt like they were made of lead. I forced them open, blinking against the soft, warm light of a chandelier.
I wasn't in the void.
I was lying on my back, sinking into the impossibly soft mattress of my Royal Bedroom.
"Ugh..."
I tried to move my head, but it felt heavy, throbbing with a dull ache. As my vision cleared, I realized I had quite an audience.
Standing right beside the bed, looking like he hadn't blinked in hours, was Kaelen.
Beyond him, the room was crowded. Elena was clutching her hands together, looking pale. Elin was weeping silently in the corner with a handkerchief. Grandpa Eldric was there, looking grave, his hand hovering over a medical bag.
And standing near the foot of the bed were two unfamiliar dudes in long, embroidered robes—likely royal physicians or mages—watching me with intense scrutiny.
I tried to push myself up on my elbows, but one of the Royal Physicians stepped forward instantly, his hand raised.
"Your Highness, please remain still," he instructed firmly. "This will only take a moment."
He hovered his hand over my body, moving slowly from my head down to my toes. A complex, rotating magic circle of vibrant green light materialized on his palm, scanning me like a mystical MRI.
Wow, I thought, staring at the glowing runes. He is literally Doctor Strange.
"Your Highness," the second physician spoke up, stepping to the side of the bed. "If you will allow me to check your pulse?"
I nodded weakly. He reached out, placing three fingers gently on my wrist, his eyes closing in concentration.
The room held its breath. Kaelen and Eldric watched like hawks.
After a tense minute, the physicians pulled back. The green magic dissipated.
"Her Highness, the Imperial Consort, shows no sign of fever," the second physician announced, looking baffled. "Her pulse is steady and strong."
"Then why did Big Sister suddenly collapse?" Elena demanded, her voice tight with worry. "She just dropped like a stone!"
The first physician—the one with the magic scan—shook his head gravely.
"We did not find any magical curse or foreign force interfering with Her Highness's body," he reported, looking at Eldric for confirmation. "According to our diagnostics... she is perfectly healthy."
The two Royal Physicians spoke in hushed whispers with Grandpa Eldric in the corner for a moment, shaking their heads, before finally bowing and taking their leave.
As soon as the door clicked shut, Elin threw herself onto the floor.
"Your Highness! My apologies!" she sobbed, bowing so deep her forehead hit the carpet. "I made the food so bad you passed out! I deserve death!"
I shook my head, weak but amused. "Elin..."
Elena stepped in, crouching down to pat Elin's trembling shoulder. "Elin, you did nothing wrong! The Physicians said she's fine, no fever, no poison. Besides, Master and I ate the same food, and we are perfectly fine."
I nodded from the pillows. "Yes. Don't blame yourself, Elin. The tarts were delicious."
Elin sniffled loudly, looking up with red, puffy eyes. "R-really?"
"Really," I promised.
Grandpa Eldric stepped forward, his expression serious.
"Your Highness," he began formally, "regarding your collapse..."
I immediately shot him a fake, offended glare. Really? After I called you Grandpa?
He paused, blinking. He caught the look, cleared his throat awkwardly, and corrected himself.
"Cough. Um, my apologies... Young Lady."
I smiled, satisfyingly relaxing my expression.
He pulled a chair close to the bedside, his demeanor shifting from Knight to concerned elder.
"Young Lady," he asked softly, searching my eyes. "Is there anything that bothered you right before it happened? Can you tell me exactly what you are feeling?"
I sat up in bed. Grandpa Eldric moved quickly, placing a pillow behind my back to support me.
I looked down at my hands. They were still trembling slightly.
Okay, so whatever I saw—those laughing lights and the darkness—must have been something really threatening. But is it okay if I tell them? Or should I try to find out what it was on my own?
My mind raced. I'm still alive. The System said I needed to "Tame Kaelen" to survive the Library Encounter. But I haven't tamed him yet, and I'm still here. Nothing bad actually happened to me physically. Something is not adding up.
"Young Lady?" Grandpa Eldric asked gently, his eyes searching my face.
"Uh, yeah..." I forced a weak smile. "Grandpa, I was just a bit dizzy. My brain is just going through so many things so rapidly... it's overwhelming."
He looked at me for a long moment. His sharp eyes narrowed slightly; he definitely wasn't buying it. He knew I was hiding something.
But he didn't push. He simply sighed and patted my hand.
"If something feels wrong, please do tell us," he said softly.
I nodded. "I will."
Elena broke the tension, clapping her hands together. "Come on, Master! Don't you have anything to say to Big Sister? She literally kept calling your name in her unconscious state, too!"
I froze.
I was calling him?
I looked to my side. Kaelen was standing there, silent as a grave. He didn't look annoyed by Elena's teasing; he looked crushed.
"My deepest apologies, My Lady," he said, his voice low and strained. He stared at the floor, refusing to meet my eyes. "I was of no use while you were calling me for help. I gravely regret not being able to perform any healing magic to assist you."
"It's alright," I said, trying to keep my voice light. "It's not like it is your duty to protect me from my own mind, right? I just felt overwhelmed and chose to sleep. That's all."
He didn't say a word. He just stood there, jaw tight, staring at the floor.
Okay, this guy is really guilty.
I sighed internally. Here is this man, worried sick about me—even if it is just for "duty." Meanwhile, that ice cube husband of mine didn't even bother to show up?
After a few more instructions on "proper rest," Grandpa Eldric and Elena reluctantly took their leave. The physicians bowed and exited.
Now, the room was quiet. Only Elin remained, hovering near the nightstand like a nervous hummingbird, ready to assist if I so much as blinked. Kaelen resumed his post beside the bed, silent and statue-like.
I closed my eyes, diving into my thoughts.
System?
[ Yes? ]
What was that?
[ What? ]
You know exactly what I'm talking about!
[ You will learn soon. ]
What do you mean I will "learn soon"?! I raged internally. All you do is give me these half-assed answers! You intentionally made me go to the library, you pushed me to take your help, and now this? You answer nothing!
[ Calm down. I'm just trying to help you. ]
What kind of help is that? I snapped. Just f—king tell me what that place was! Was it an assassination attempt?
[ I can't answer that. But let's say... it was the Price you paid for taking my help. You will learn to handle those entities eventually. ]
I froze.
What do you mean? You showed me that... that nightmare? Just for the reading and writing help?
[ It was the cheapest price available. ]
My blood ran cold. That terror? Those laughing lights? That was the cost of a simple language pack?
I'm not taking any help from you. Ever again.
[ We shall see. ]
The screen faded.
I opened my eyes, my heart pounding with a mix of anger and lingering fear. I gripped the bedsheets tight.