"It was a stormy night where the rain hammered against the window panes and the booming thunder ran a shiver down my spine. The mansion was quiet except for the cries of the storm and the screeches of branches pounding the windows, creating eerie shadows down the dark hallways."

"Everyone was sound asleep, already used to the occasional storm that occurs on every full moon night. I should be too. Then why was I standing there gripping the lantern white knuckled and glaring at the dark hallway that only lighted up on every flash of lightning?. Damn you, Betty! I stomped my feet and cursed at my friend, the culprit for this situation, inside my heart."

"I was pleasantly dreaming of a tasty juicy saucy chicken leg that flew towards me with wings, hymns and holy halo behind. "Come on, bite me! Don't be shy~," it said with a flirty wink. When I was drooling and about to take a victorious bite after a long vigorous chase down the clouds for the teasing chicken, I was suddenly kicked out of my dream and rolled down the bed embarrassingly. When I creakily turned my neck towards Betty with mouth gaping in a shocked stupor, there she was sleepily mumbling and snoring peacefully. I almost committed murder then and there but forcibly resigned in my intrusive impulse. My patience already trained like a sage with the kicks she gives me every night. Vowing to get back at her or atleast change my bed, I tried to go back to my dream of darling chicken. But I couldn't sleep because you know, nature called."

"So that's how I ended up death glaring at the dark hallway but flinching every flash of thunder and prepping myself with deep breaths to sprint to the washroom down the corner. With a determined look like a warring soldier, I ran down the hallway with fear gripping my throat at each clacking step of my frayed boots. Soon I arrived at the lavatory sweating and gasping for breath. Since nothing happened, I burst out in a joyous giggle admonishing myself for my foolish behavior. The thought of going back to the cozy sleep swept away all my fear."

"After finishing my business, I hummed a cheery tune and hopped back to my quarters with the lantern swaying at each step. As I turned the corner, I froze and my face paled in fear. My ears caught the faint screaming sounds coming from the corridor in the opposite corner. I took a nervous step back and raised the lantern high to peer down the stretch of the shadowy hallway. I flinched hard when once again my ears perked up at the faint sounds of someone screaming in agony. Conscience and fear fought hard inside me but ultimately the thought of someone in danger or gravely injured gave my erratic heart a courageous boost to follow the sound."

"As I walked down the dark corridor with the momentary illumination of lightning flashes and the faint yellow light cast by  the cheap lantern as my only solace, my mind reeled back to the occasional rumors I heard. They said this mansion was haunted as one could hear wallowing screams every full moon. Some even said it's the cries of the victims murdered by the cold blooded prince, this mansion's master. I froze my steps and hesitated when the recollection rekindled the fear lurking inside my heart. When the cries got a bit louder, I steeled my resolve and marched down the hallway dispelling the rumors as stories made up by the bored." 

"Soon I arrived at a staircase leading down to the basement. I gulped in fear and peered down for any possible hint but all I caught sight of was dark. With a frosty exhale from the chill, I climbed down the stairs as the wooden board creaked ominously at every descent. Soon I arrived at a short faintly lit passage leading to a tightly shut iron door at the end. The sounds were definitely coming from there. I extinguished the lantern and kept it aside in fear of alerting a possible enemy or maybe even a ghost. When I approached the door with tip-toed gait, I could see a faint light leaking from the gap under the door. So someone's definitely in there. Now I can clearly hear the heart wrenching screams, though a little muffled, and sounds of hitting and banging. I couldn't wait any longer so I reached for the door knob but suddenly there was a loud bang that made me jerk back my hand and almost scream my lungs out. After that bang all noises stopped. I clamped both the hands over my mouth to keep myself utterly silent. The door shuddered like someone or something heavy was thrown against it. With the last embers of courage, I bent down to spy the inside from the gap down the door. As I pressed my face against the gap to peer inside, bloody red eyes with burst veins stared right back at me. My pupils dilated in overwhelming fear and my  mouth gaped in a silent scream. My body scrambled away from the door in instinct but my legs and hands only cooperated for a few drags back. Tingling phantom pains of fear numbed all my fingers and toes. My whole body trembled and spasmed. When the door unlocking echoed like a death knell, I scrambled for whatever strength remained in my body and dashed back to the stairs. I could hear the door slowly creek open and footsteps approaching. So I ran with all my might, the loud steps on creaking stairs thankfully veiled by the thunder and rain. Finally, I hauled myself up away from the basement with the help of the railing. With the solace of the faint corridor light, I turned back my head but all I could see was quiet darkness. I didn't get caught. I sighed in a momentary relief. But suddenly, a flash of lightning brightened the stairway. At the end of it, someone stood there motionlessly with glowing red eyes, bloody clothes and white hair swaying in a stormy breeze. My breath caught in my throat and face paled a deathly white. Death felt ever so near. So I bolted down the hallways without a glance back all the way to my quarters, my body full on survival mode to escape from the monster. Once safe, I collapsed onto the bed like a string detached and only late in the next morning did I come to my senses."

There was a resounding silence in the kitchen save for the cracking of the stove when I breathlessly finished recounting the happenings of yesterday night.

While I waited with bated breath anticipating my coworkers' reactions, Betty, who was munching some peanuts sitting on the counter with swaying legs, jumped down, dusted the crumbs and stared at me with hands on her hips like I'm some unbelievable creature.

"So Emine, are you saying the reason why you overslept and missed all the morning chores was because of the thrilling adventure you had last night? Are you sure you weren't making that all up? If so, I would strongly suggest you quit the maid work and pursue a career as a writer. Because that was one damn good story, I tell ya."

"But Betty, it's true!. I'll even show you the bruise on my hip where you kicked last night"

"Okay, okay! That part might be true. I know I have a habit of kicking in my sleep. So..."

"Wait! So you do know you are kicking me every night but still have the nerve to play dumb and never apologize?!"

Betty froze then casually turned back as if never hearing my shout.

"Wow, look at me. It's laundry time already. Gotta go work. See you guys later!"

She walked away as if running.

"Hey! Wait…"

"Emine, my girl, this sister will cover up for ya! So you can sleep in a bit everyday!"

Without even turning back, she waved her hands and ran away.

"I'm telling you, I wasn't sleeping in.. ha…"

I sighed and turned back to glare at the two guys who were munching peanuts and enjoying the show. They were the Brisa brothers - Theros Brisa and Nikos Brisa. 

"Ahem, well Emine I believe you."

"Yes we do, Emine. In fact, didn't you hear the rumors of the full moon day?"

"I've heard about it. So you guys believe me?"

When I asked with puppy eyes, they both nodded like chicken pecking.

"Aren't you guys scared?"

"Well, Let's just not wander outside on full moon nights. Isn't it okay? Seriously, where else can we get such an easy job with only occasional chores and an easygoing butler..."

"What about me?"

""Eeek!""

We all jumped out of our skins when we heard the mansion butler's unique monotone voice. 

When I nervously turned towards the kitchen entrance, the butler stood there leaning casually against the door frame with crossed arms and a cold face.

"Did he hear?"

Nikos whispered quietly to his brother.

"Maybe.."

"Aren't you guys delivering breakfast yet?"

"Emine is just on her way sir!"

"We'll get back to our work too. See you later Emine!"

They both expertly scurried away dumping the work on me.

When I blankly stared at their backs, the butler's raised eyebrows as if asking why haven't I moved on yet snapped me to senses.

"T-the food j-just finished heating. I'll deliver it soon!"

Hearing my almost shouted response, he gave a casual nod and walked away.

"Oof… so scary.."

How can a person be so casual and stern at the same time? A handsome face that looks 30 but also 20. His tied back blue-black hair reaching his shoulder gives an androgynous appearance. He's like a walking paradox. 

I reheated the chicken soup and bread and placed it on a cart along with strawberry jam, salad, scrambled eggs, butter and a pot of steaming coffee along with sugar cubes. After placing the cutleries and covering everything with an  insulating cover, I rolled the food cart and made my way to the prince's room. It's in the first floor remote corner of the mansion. Strange preference I'd say. Soon I reached the door and placed the cart beside it. I didn't go in but just gently knocked twice and turned back. As I climbed down the stairs halfway, I stopped and looked back up towards the door unblinkingly for a minute. It was still closed. My mind reeled to the figure I saw last night. It strangely resembled the prince. Or was it an illusion? Did I even experience all that but not a lucid dream? I shuddered even thinking back to it. Should I ask the prince?

While I was hesitating whether to turn back or not, a loud crash like something breaking came from the room. 

"Welp that's my cue….to not go back ofcourse"

He's definitely in a bad mood. This happens a lot. I'd rather recheck the basement with Betty and the brothers later than confront the mad prince.

I skittered down the stairs and ran away to do some leisure gardening.

The mansion became quiet and settled like a forgotten feather shed by a hasty bird when its only inhabitants - the four servants and the mysteriously disappearing butler, save for the prince - left its abode. The black-out curtains rustled gently in one remote room of the mansion, sifting in hazy glimmers of light. The rays of light swayed peacefully along the carpeted floor. One patch of the carpet below the side of the bed bloomed a vivid red. Blood dripped drop by drop from the fluffy white bed covers.

Rough gaspings echoed inside the room. One could tell how terribly parched the throat was with each raspy drag of breath. Fingers dripping in blood grabbed the throat and painfully scratched it. The bedsheets rustled as the figure on bed hastily scrambled away and fell down the bed pasting and crouching themselves along the room corner. In the process, the water glass from the bedside table crashed down loudly raining splinters and scratching the trembling pale white feet in strokes of red. But it snapped the unfocused eyes full of despair and dread staring at some invisible entity back to senses.

.

.

.

.

I didn't even get a respite from the suffering after going through that harrowing death. Pain once again racked my whole body like a switch turned on after a hasty off. I didn't know where I was, but when I snapped my eyes open, the same death knight but only more monstrous with maws dripping with blood in a wide sinister grin hovered over me. Its eyes a pitch black darkness submerging me in an abyss of terror. Breath constricted. I clawed at my throat to somehow stretch it wide enough to breathe in even a wisp of air. 

My mind paralyzed in horror and already resigned for death against the monstrous predator but my body still backed away in instinct as far as it could go. When heart rate raced to its pinnacle and the wraithlike death knight raised its scimitar to end it all, I almost looked forward to the sweet death. But a loud crash snapped everything to senses. The wraith dissolved into oblivion. The pain all through my body stopped like a phantom save for the mild tingling in my wrists. I concentrated on nothing but raggedly breathing in blissful mouths of air and gradually calming my trembling body.

When I looked down at my hands, the vivid red of the blood oozing from nasty gashes at both my wrists gave a halting jolt to my just calmed heart. I clumsily tried to press down to stop the blood in panic. Then with a bit of sense reaching my wracked brain, I tore down the sleeves and wrapped the wounds tightly as first-aid. 

Only after securing survival did I fully regain my senses. I stood up swaying from my crouched position in the room corner with the help of the bedside beige cabinet, in the process leaving bloody handprints on it and the midnight blue colored walls. I sat at the edge of the large canopy bed draped in soft feathery white duvet giving me a fluffy warmth. So I leaned tiredly against the cushioned bedpost. My eyes instinctively wandered around to take in the surroundings. 

It was a large luxurious room decorated in beautiful chandeliers, vases, paintings and what not. But it somehow gave a gloomy detached feeling. My wandering gaze soon caught a dressing mirror on one side of the room. I already guessed it from a distant familiarity of this body but still stood up with some regained strength and stumbled towards the mirror. 

Sweat damped white hair, tired red eyes, handsome features and a boyish body with lean muscles dressed in bloody clothes. The reflection looked younger than I remember but definitely seemed healthier even with pale skin, dark circles, chapped lips, scratched throat seen through the bloody collar and red cut wrists. 

I raised my hand and stroked the reflection absentmindedly. 

What fate do you and I have? Ezlian…

I knew I won't get an answer because somehow I'm sure the soul of Ezlian is nowhere inside me. I wouldn't lose control of this body nor is there any immediate danger to my life so I should feel joyful but only an emptiness remained with a distant bitter taste of grief.