Chapter 75
"I would have preferred you had brought these things to my attention earlier, Kimberly," Ma’am Elena said, her tone both firm and understanding.
"But all the same, thank you. I’m sure we’ll get to the root of this and overcome it." Her face softened, the tension in her eyes giving way to a look of hope.
"I’m sorry, Ma’am," I replied, guilt tugging at my voice. "I wasn’t sure what was happening to me. It all felt... so unreal." My eyes dropped, reflecting the weight of my thoughts.
She sighed and shook her head gently. "Don’t feel bad about it. You’ve been through a lot. Just be careful out there, and remember, we will get through this." She offered me a small, reassuring smile, then turned away to walk out of her chamber. I followed her quickly, not wanting to be left behind.
Once we stepped outside, Ma’am Elena turned back to me with a calm smile on her face. "Kimberly, take this route back to your quarters. If anything happens, the chief maidservant will let you know." She gestured toward the path.
I nodded, forcing a smile in return, and made my way down the path. The conversation with her lingered in my mind, a mix of relief and anxiety swirling inside me. What could the Silent Beast possibly want? Why did it spare me? And why was it targeting everyone else?
’Why me?’ I thought, feeling the weight of the unknown pressing down on me. ’I have to figure this out.’
As I neared the open field, I saw that the bodies of the two maids had been taken away, and the area was now deserted. It seemed that everyone had been ordered back to their rooms. I hurried to my own, the silence of the empty corridors unsettling.
Once inside, I sat heavily on my bed, my thoughts racing. I wanted to shut everything out, to just sleep and let my mind rest. I lay down, closing my eyes, determined to block out the noise in my head.