CHAPTER 6 - Part 1

After roaming around relentlessly to find the still missing duke, Alena ended up in the Duke’s study. She hovered near his desk and scanned the room.

Papers were neatly stacked, books lined up in perfect symmetry, and not a single portrait or artifact of his lineage displayed. It was just as bland and colorless as his personal chambers.

Her dagger materialized in her hand and she reached out to open the book resting atop the desk, curious what was within its pages.

She halted and turned her gaze towards the closed doors. Footsteps were approaching!

Is it the duke?

When the door knob moved, she crouched beneath the desk.

She knew that it's absurd. A ghost hiding from the living was probably unheard of!

But given the Duke's ability to see ghosts, she knew this might be her only option to glean information from him right now.

She listened carefully as the sound of footsteps echoed softly in the room.

Realizing that the person was heading towards the desk, she braced herself. But she also thought of executing a surprise attack if it’s indeed the duke. Her appearing from beneath his very desk might at least shake his composure or catch him off guard, right?

She relished the thought of disturbing his calm, calculated world. If she couldn't frighten him, she could at least disrupt his peace and create chaos in his orderly life. Maybe, she could even succeed at killing him today.

A cold, faint smile played on her lips as she watched a figure came into view. To her delight, it was indeed the Duke. She could just tell before his face even appeared in her view.

She readied herself, poised to leap out at the perfect moment, preparing to materialize her weapon and spring into action the moment he notice her.

To her surprise, he simply sat. And then fixated his eyes on the things atop his desk. Did he really not sense her?

Alena narrowed her eyes. She thought that the Duke was merely pretending not to see her.

"Pretending again, are we?" she said. Still, there was no acknowledgment from him. He simply continued rifling through papers.

A bitter smirk briefly danced on her lips. Here was the mastermind of her demise, seemingly unbothered and engrossed in his work, like everything was fine, while here she was... drowning with rage and frustration.

Her dagger materialized into her hand, she lunged at him from beneath the desk.