"Your highness, the tea is ready," a maid said before placing a marble cup on the table.

The creamy steam rose from the cup and mixed with the flowery scent. The sunlight penetrated the glass dome and refracted into multiple rays of colours, filling the garden with lustres.

Consimia twirled the cup and took a sip, filling her mouth with the rich flavour and her lung with the soothing fragrance.

"Thanks, Ancil. Your tea is still the best, but if the scenery isn't so boring, my mood would have been much better."

"Your highness, please endure a little more. The performers are working hard to prepare a show for you this evening. In only three weeks you'll reach the Human Empire."

"I don't want to see the dirty and metallic world of The Empire. How long do I have to stay?"

"At least three days. I've arranged the best mansion for you. Before long you'll be surrounded by nature our Gods created for us."

"The artificial nature isn't real nature."

Ancil wryly smiled. Instead of trying to convince her innocently stubborn princess, she remained silent and admired the garden. On and on a group of butterflies flipped their wings. They smelt the Elven aroma and mistook it for flowers.

"Your highness, the butterflies thought you're a lovely flower."

"Knowing how hard you tried to gloom my appearance, this much is expected."

Consimia munched on a slice of the apple. The sweetness mixed with sourness pricked her tastebuds. Compared to the static, colourless sky, the excitement in her mouth was like colours in the monochrome world.

"This is so boring. Why do I have to go there?"

"It's a long-standing tradition for both The Empire and The Kingdom to send their royalty to visit each other. Only with a strong bond can we fight against the Arachna."

"You don't have to recite it. We've never sent anyone to the Elementia, and nothing bad happens."

"The Elementals are an exception, your highness. They don't value any affection and only pursue scholarly knowledge and practical techniques."

"Whatever. I just want to have fun. I've been in the same sky for almost a month. If I am to remain here any longer I will go insane."

"Your highness, you shouldn't say something like that."

Consimia pointed at the cloud before her. The usual clear sky gradually shifted into a dim ambience. The milky clouds sunk and gave way to the grey storm, saturating the atmosphere with moisture and fogs.

"Your highness, we should go inside. The thunderstorm is coming. Staying here won't do us any good."

"At least something happens. Let's go take a bath then."

Ancil guided Consimia into the vessel. Along the way, they went past several maids and butlers who were busily preparing the lunch and polishing the hallway.

In the steamy bathroom, Consimia submerged under the warm milk, her leafy hair spreading outward and forming a circular shape. Ancil carefully brushed the delicate hair and washed Consimia's body.

The soft yellow tiles reflected the glow from the light source and illuminated the room. The gloom of the downpour affected nothing within the boundary of the room. With the backdrop music ringing in the air, everything was peaceful.

"Your highness, your skin is getting fairer every time you bath."

"You're also beautiful. Of all the people I've met, your eyes are the most gorgeous."

"Please don't tease me like that."

Consimia pinched Ancil, her emerald eyes locking with the gorgeous pair of raven-black pupils. Though black eyes were common for humans, they greatly contrasted the pale skin of the Elves.

"It's time to get out. A prolonged bath will damage your skin."

Ancil wiped Consimia with a soft towel. Consimia glittered like a reflective mirror. Ancil caressed her skin. It sunk and bounced back like a marshmallow.

Consimia shifted her gaze at the door. It swung open and revealed a figure rushing in. The stream hid the feature of the man. His nervous panting resounded in the room.

"How dare you barge in!" Ancil shouted as she covered Consimia with the towel.

She grabbed another piece of clothes to conceal her naked body and retreated while holding Consimia's hand.

"Pardon, your highness, this is an emergency. Please get dressed and evacuate with me immediately." The Elf turned to face the wall.

"What happens?"

"An assault from the Arachna."

Ancil took Consimia to the changing room and dressed her in light clothes before wrapping herself with some mischievous clothing. Five minutes later they left the bathroom with the Elf, rushing to the secured vault.

"Why are we so scared of the Arachna? We've encountered them before," Consimia said.

"Your highness, this time is a little different. The main force is dealing with a big threat, but we need to remain vigilant."

The hallway shook and swayed to the right, knocking Consimia to the ground, pulling Ancil who was holding her hand. The floor rumbled as the cracks echoed throughout the vessel, instilling the fear of uncertainty into their mind.

"The Arachna has entered the vessel. Please vacate to the safety vault," a static voice repeated inside the hallway.

Consimia felt her heart beating faster. She accelerated her pace. The light flickered in and out while the unknown silhouettes kept crawling from the edge of her sight.

"The area beyond is a danger zone. Please stick close to me," the Elf said, his trembling hand holding a pistol. "As long as we let the professionals deal with them, we'll be fine."

Apart from the siren, the gunshots and the hurried footsteps resounded as if they were right at the next corner. Consimia saw many silhouettes vanishing out of sight before a rain of blood-red mist exploded with a series of screams.

They shifted their path with every death of another Elf and broke through many jammed doors. Along the way they found an Arbiter to help them repel the Arachna.

"What are you?" the Elf said as he aimed his pistol at the golden monstrosity before him.

The strange Arachna stood on its two feet and held a spear. Its bulky build radiated insanity and coldness as it stared at Consimia like a spider eyeing a butterfly.

Consimia took a step back, her eyes darting to her back only to see uncanny shadows approaching from the corner. Inside the vessel's hallway, now a death maze, she found herself surrounded by the Arachna.

The Arbiter channelled his Fons. His hand waved leaves and petals into existence and fired them at the golden Arachna. The pinkish swarm swirled with an invisible air and enveloped the Arachna.

It bent down and leapt to the Elf, slashing its spear and dividing the petal swarm into two. They grazed its carapace and created cutting wounds.

The Elf pulled the trigger and fired three shots, two of them landing on the Arachna, one missed. The Arachna threw its weapon at the Elf, punctuating his stomach and pushing him against the ground.

In his last breath, he emptied his magazine and took the Arachna with him. His eyes shifted to Consimia as he took out a photo of a lovely Elf and a piece of paper.

"Your highness, follow the path and you'll be safe." He reached for her hand and placed the photo on it before closing his eyes, his body collapsing on the floor.

Before Consimia could register the event, Ancil pulled her and started running. Her gaze lingered on the lifeless body before the darkness consumed him.

The smoke and dusty smell became dense as Consimia progressed through the hall. When witnessing the corpses of maids and butlers to whom she talked yesterday, she saw only the blurry images of their appearance.

Their bodies and features merged into a deformed faceless entity she could care less. Along the way, she realised she had lost the picture of the lovely Elf. The face of the young Elf who saved her had already faded from her memory.

While running, a hand caught her leg and yanked. She tripped and looked at the crying humanoid resembling a maid. Its mouth moved, but Consimia couldn't hear anything but a distorted wail. She flung her leg and knocked the body away.

She pulled herself up, but something caught her arm. Her eyes went from Ancil rushing in to the monstrous golden hand gripping her.

The glittering glow filled her vision. A carapaced hand reached out and expanded in her perception. Bigger and brighter it moved closer to her head. She stared at the approaching doom in a straight face, not knowing and not caring about the consequence.

An ice shard flew past her and hit the Arachna, going through its forehead. The Arachna lost its grip on Consimia and fell on its back, spewing blood from its grinding mouth.

The burning green blood splashed on Consimia's face, pulling her back from her absentminded. Her dull perception was dried red with the emergency light as her emotions bound back. A suffocating sense of anxiety gripped her chest and compressed her heart.

She felt her disgust liquified and threatened to rush through her throat and escape her body. The acidic smelt assaulted her nose as she swallowed her fear back.

In a period of dizziness, Consimia arrived at a password-protected gate, ever so nearing the security vault. She sat on the floor, disregarding the dust and blood. Ancil wiped the acidic blood on her face, revealing the reddened flesh.

"Your highness, please endure a bit more. We're almost there."

"That maid, what is her name?"

Ancil gulped, her face darkened. "Incosa Berviar. She's one of the newer maids assigned to the vessel."

"How many more?"

Ancil averted her eyes, her sob leaking out no matter how she resisted. Consimia touched her face, but no tears could come out. Her eyes had already dried since she had witnessed the first death.

"Ancil, tell me what I should do."

"Your highness must survive. Only you can sanction the compensation for their families."

"Why must this happen? What did we do to deserve this?"

"This isn't the time to lose in your thought, your highness."

The gate creaked open. The blinding light leaked from the gap and filled the blood-red atmosphere with hope. The inner part of the secured zone was strangely clean compared to the gore field they passed through.

"Let's go," the Arbiter said, walking in first as if a spell had enchanted him.

With the help of Ancil, Consimia rose from her feet and swayed back and forth from exhaustion. She struggled to maintain her foothold as she grabbed onto Ancil's shoulder and walked with her.

She looked back. The crimson hallway, soaked in the lingering screams and haunting despair, gradually shrank and blurred out of sight. The eerie silhouettes loomed beyond the darkness she couldn't see but knew with clarity.

Her footsteps echoed inside the hallway. The Arbiter had already gone ahead. His presence vanished from her perception. When she felt lightheaded and drowsy, she would grip her hairs and pull some off, shocking herself out of the grasp of the abyss.

"Your highness, just a little more we'll arrive at the vault. Please keep your eyes open and do not fall asleep."

"Ancil, I smell blood. This is a mistake." Consimia coughed, blood seeping from her mouth.

Ancil supported her and slowly made her way across the hall. The coldness from the air circulation system caressed her skin. She shivered.

Ancil and Consimia merged into one entity and moved together, never to let go. They dragged their bodies across the hall and turned a corner.

In the two minutes that stretched like two years, Ancil held Consimia and went through the automatic gate, gazing into the haven she desperately hoped for.

The Elves knelt before a figure cloaked in a half-torn brown mantle. She sat on an ordinary chair that transformed into a throne worthy of her majestic presence.

The pair of azure abysses laid on Ancil, and with them, the golden Arachna seized her, Consimia, and her hope. She spiralled into an ocean of despair.

GDLiZy

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