Levitating in the Dark

Aika let out a long, exhausted sigh as she locked the door. "Okay, it's fine. This is actually interesting. It's going to be fun," she whispered to herself, trying to pump up her adrenaline. "Let's see what it's really like to work in an office."

She marched into the massive washroom and splashed her face with ice-cold water to snap herself out of her daze. When she looked up into the mirror, her eyes widened at the reflection of Helena's hair.

"Now that's the big problem," she groaned, grabbing a handful of the long, dark locks. "Who even keeps their hair this long? Really, Helena, you had taste but... who is going to handle all this? Should I just throw it in a bun without combing it? Nobody will know. But it'll be so uncomfortable."

She looked at the length—it fell way past her waist. "Man, I look like a pale ghost. Thank goodness I didn't scare myself."

In her white T-shirt and blue jeans, with her pale skin and that hauntingly long hair, she did look like something out of a Ghibli movie—beautiful but a bit eerie. She quickly swapped into her pajamas, feeling a bit more like a human being. Then, she grabbed a comb and started ripping it through her hair. She wasn't gentle; she combed roughly, not caring how much of it broke off.

"It's just hair," she muttered, staring at the comb that was quickly becoming clogged with strands. "It says it grows more, no big deal."

She tossed the loose hair into the dustbin and quickly twisted the rest into a tight, practical braid. "Now, it's done."

She wasn't ready to sleep yet. She grabbed a few wet wipes and cleaned the floor where she had been sitting earlier, wiping away the dust from the old manga and the snack crumbs. Once the "crime scene" was clean, she dragged a plush comforter onto the floor, creating a makeshift study nest.

She sat down comfortably, pulling the laptop and Noel's papers in front of her. She even found a pair of glasses on the vanity—Helena's reading specs—and slid them onto her nose.

Internal Monologue:

"Let's get to work. What does this data column even mean? 'Quarterly handling'... okay, let's search that."

She opened the laptop and started researching every term she didn't understand. Beside her lay the diary where she had written the novel's plot, but now she was using the empty pages to take frantic, detailed notes on intern tasks. She wasn't just reading; she was analyzing. She even started trying to draft a practice balance sheet, her med-student brain treating the financial data like a complex medical chart.

"If I can memorize the human anatomy, I can definitely memorize a corporate spreadsheet," she whispered, her pen flying across the paper as she lost herself in the work.

Aika worked like she was back in med school, cramming for a final exam. She ate her snacks with one hand and took notes with the other, her head occasionally dropping from exhaustion before she snapped herself awake to search for another term she didn't understand.

After hours of intense focus, she finished the last of the 500 pages Noel had given her. She let out a long, loud stretch, her joints popping.

"Huh... finally. Done. At least I understand the basics now," she whispered, rubbing her sore neck. "Damn, my neck hurts. I'm so thirsty..."

She didn't even check the time. She just felt her throat parched from the salty snacks and the hours of talking to herself. She looked around the room—no water pitcher.

Internal Monologue:

"Seriously? A room this big and not a single bottle of water? I have to go down to the kitchen. Do I really have to? It's a long walk, and this house is way too quiet at night. It's a little scary... but come on, Aika, you're an adult. You've worked night shifts in hospitals. You can't be afraid of a dark hallway. Just go, girl. I need water or may be a coffee, otherwise, I'm going to pass out before the alarm even goes off."

She slowly pushed open the heavy bedroom doors. The corridor was silent, the air thick with that "old house" chill. It was still pitch black outside, and the only sound was the steady, rhythmic ticking of a grandfather clock somewhere in the distance.

She poked her head out first, looking left and right like a cautious rabbit.

Internal Monologue:

"Damn, still no servants? Maybe they're actually sleeping too. Okay, fine. Ghosts don't exist. It's just physics and shadows. Let's go."

Summoning all her courage, she stepped out into the dark hallway, her small figure shadowed by the high ceilings as she began the long trek toward the kitchen.

Internal Monologue: Ghosts don't exist. It's just physics and shadows.

She began to hum

"I got you, moonlight, you're my starlight... "

Aika reached the kitchen, the air cool and smelling of expensive cleaning products. The room was a void of shadows. Moving carefully, she reached out and flicked on a single, small accent light under the cabinets. The dim, warm glow was just enough to see by without being blindingly bright.

Humming:

" I'm levitating... "

The silence of the house was heavy, but the tune in her head kept the "ghosts" at bay. She grabbed a tall glass from the rack, the crystal cold against her palm. She filled it to the brim at the tap and gulped the entire thing down in one go, her throat parched from the hours of studying and salty snacks.

When she finished, she wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve—a quick, un-ladylike motion that felt much more like her real self than the "Ice Queen" ever was.

Internal Monologue:

"One more. I'm not walking all the way back here in twenty minutes."

She looked left and right, checking the shadows one last time. Still no one. She filled the glass a second time, holding it carefully. With a quick click, she turned the light back off, plunging the kitchen into darkness once more.

Holding the water like a precious prize, she began her trek back toward the grand staircase.

Humming:

" You can fly away with me tonight... 

She moved faster now, her eyes adjusting to the dark. She just wanted to get back to her "bunker," finish her notes, and change into her suit. She was halfway up the stairs when she felt a prickle on the back of her neck—that weird sensation of being watched from above.

Aika gripped the glass with both hands, her focus entirely narrowed down to the surface of the water. She walked with a stiff, careful gait, making sure not even a single drop spilled onto the polished marble stairs.

Internal Monologue:

"Don't spill. Don't spill. If I slip on this water in the dark and die, the headline will be 'Heiress dies in freak hydration accident.' That is not how I'm going out."

The air around her felt cold and thin. Every tiny creak of the house sounded like a footstep, and every draft of air felt like a ghostly hand. Her heart was thumping against her ribs, but she kept her eyes glued to the glass, refusing to look up at the dark landing ahead.

Humming (Fast and nervous):

" I-I-I'm levitating... 

She reached the top of the stairs, her breath coming in short, shallow bursts. She was almost there. Just a few more meters to the safety of her room. She was so preoccupied with the water and the shadows behind her that she didn't realize she was about to walk straight into something—or someone—standing perfectly still at the top of the flight.

She was only a foot away when she finally looked up from the glass.

Standing right in her path, dressed in a dark silk robe and looking like a literal shadow, was Noel. He was standing perfectly still, his arms crossed, watching her struggle with a glass of water like it was a high-stakes science experiment.

Aika gasped, the water in the glass sloshing dangerously close to the rim. She froze mid-step, her eyes wide as she stared at him in the dim light of the hallway.

Internal Monologue:

"Holy—! Does he just spawn out of thin air?! How long has he been standing there watching me hum to a glass of water?"

Noel didn't move. He just looked down at her, his gaze landing on her messy braid, her pajamas, and the way she was clutching the water like her life depended on it.

"It's 4:52 AM," he said, his voice a low, dry rasp in the silence. "I thought I told you to be ready by five. Why are you wandering the halls in your nightclothes?"

Aika's heart didn't just skip a beat; it felt like it had flatlined for a second. She gasped, her hand instinctively flying to her chest while she precariously balanced the water glass in the other.

"D-damn!" she snapped, her voice coming out in a sharp, breathless hiss. "Do you... do you have any idea what you just did? Who even stands like that in the dark?!"

Noel didn't flinch. He just stood there like a stone statue, his cold eyes tracking her panicked movements.

"My legs are literally giving up right now," she muttered, her knees feeling like jelly. She leaned slightly against the banister to steady herself, her medical-student brain noting the adrenaline surge that was making her fingers tremble. "Man... you seriously just took the soul out of me. I thought I was meeting a ghost."

She took a few deep, ragged breaths, trying to force her heart rate back down to a normal rhythm. She glared up at him, her usual bluntness overriding any "polite heiress" act she was supposed to maintain.

"I was getting water so I don't pass out during your 'serious' internship," she said, finally regaining her voice. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have exactly eight minutes to go from 'scared-to-death pjs' to 'professional employee.'"

She didn't wait for his permission. She carefully but quickly maneuvered around him, making sure not to splash water on his expensive silk robe, and headed for her door.

Internal Monologue:

"Seriously, what is his problem? Does he enjoy haunting the hallways? I have seven minutes left. Cold shower, suit on, hair back. Let's go, Aika. Don't give him the satisfaction of being late."