PROLOGUE

“Any dying wish, Princess?” Asked the assassin as he pressed the blade against Alena’s throat.

A small drop of blood trickled from the cut beneath her chin, falling like red droplets of tears onto the pure white petals of the bouquet she held in her hands.

“Who sent you to do this?” Alena's icy yet firm voice echoed inside the carriage. 

“Well, since you’re going to die now, I might as well answer your question as a parting gift.” The assassin's dark eyes, the only part of him not covered with black fabric, looked devoid of any emotion as he stared back at her. “It’s your… husband-to-be, princess.”

Alena’s eyes widened with shock and disbelief. 

"Why?" Her lips trembled.

"Forgive me, but I don't have an answer to that question. However... you can tell me your last words, and I shall deliver it to him."

She began trembling so hard. She couldn't respond. Her body was overcome with unbridled rage.

"But..." he continued, "if you don't have any last word... then..."

Alena grabbed his blade with her hand. Her own blood fell on her pristine wedding dress and yet, she didn't let go or even wince in pain.

"Tell him this…” she said through gritted teeth. “Tell him that I vow to never leave this world without dragging him to hell with me. Tell him that even if I'm dead, I'll come for his head!"

The bouquet slipped from her grasp, tumbling to the floor of the carriage. 

She clutched at her throat and felt the warmth of her own blood flow over her hands.

"As you wish, princess. I shall deliver your last words to him. Farewell," She heard him say as she fell onto the carriage's seat.

Hand still clutching at her throat, Alena knew that she was dying.

The assassin was gone, leaving her alone in the carriage.

Tears began to stream down her cheeks as her eyes lifted towards the grand castle of the Duke of Donovia, towering in the distance. Her carriage was already close, almost within reach of the estate where she was meant to marry. She was literally at the very threshold of the new life she had prepared herself for.

Why…? How did it end up like this? Why? What did I do?

Never in her wildest dreams had Alena imagined that death, rather than her husband-to-be, would be the one to welcome her as she approached the gates of his estate. 

Why? We have never even met yet. So why? How could you do this to me?

He had accepted the marriage proposal without any problems. Everything had been smooth and fine.

So why?

As she felt the pain of death coming to claim her life for good, burning hatred blazed in her entire being. 

I swear… I will haunt you to death! I will never ... ever leave this world unless I drag you to hell with me! She screamed within her. 

And then, it was over.

She took her last breath, but a fire of vengeance remained burning in her still open eyes. 

CHAPTER 1

Am I in heaven?

Alena lifted her trembling hand to shield her eyes from the blinding brightness, but her fingers met nothing but thin air.

Confused, she peered down at her hand and gasped at the sight of her translucent fingers. She flexed her hand, watching in disbelief as her fingers responded to her command with an otherworldly fluidity. It was as if she had been reborn into an entirely new form, a being of pure energy rather than flesh and bone.

In that moment, there was only one thing that came to her mind: She had become a spirit. 

But when she tore her gaze off her translucent hands and looked around, her lips parted open in confusion at the realization that she was neither in heaven nor in hell. She was still in her world! And right now, she seemed like a spirit hovering in the air… right above the carriage where she had died.

Why am I… still here?

The sound of clashing blades rang out, making her snap behind her. Immediately, she jumped down from the carriage, floating in the air as she moved towards the source of the sound.

She came upon a dead body behind the bushes. And then she saw him—the assassin who killed her. 

The man moved like a blur. Even in broad daylight, Alena doubted that she would have been able to catch even a glimpse of him if she were still flesh and bones.

Nonetheless, she followed the assassin as he moved through bushes until… they reached the towering walls of the Duke of Donovia's grand castle.

Alena paused, rooted in the spot as she watched the assassin scaled the wall and then easily entered the grand estate. It was as if someone had prepared the backdoor specifically for him to enter.

She had followed the assassin in the hope that he had lied and that it wasn't the Duke who had ordered her death. But it appeared she was foolish to even hope for such a thing. 

At that moment, her rage reignited. Her vows before she took her last breath echoed in her mind and now her body, or spirit, or whatever that was left in her felt on fire. 

She wasn’t sure what exactly was going on yet. Had she turned to a ghost who couldn’t go to the after life? Or was this just temporary?

The thought that it could be temporary compelled her to move fast. Perhaps the gods had heard her dying wish and now she was given a chance so she must not waste even a second anymore!   

Without hesitation, she moved forward. But the moment she crossed the wall, a strange force made her stop.

Creasing her brows, her gaze was drawn to her side. And there she saw a beautiful woman with long red hair and golden eyes standing under a willow tree, watching her with a serene smile.

Alena immediately realized the woman was a spirit, just like her. But this spirit felt… different.

"Are you... are here to come get me?" Alena moved back as she spoke. The thought that the woman before her was an angel or a spirit sent to guide the dead to their final destination made her recoil.

The beautiful woman smiled kindly at her. “If I say yes, will you come with me?”

“No,” she replied without hesitation. Her gaze shifted to the grand castle, and her eyes burned with hatred once again. She couldn't leave yet. She had a score to settle, a vow to fulfill! “I believe that the fact I'm still here is a chance given to me by the gods to exact my revenge before departing this world. After all, I promised never to leave unless I took the man who killed me with me.”

“I see…” The woman nodded as if she understood her wholeheartedly. And then she stretched out her hand.

Alena’s eyes widened as she watched a dagger materialize over the woman’s palm. The blade was slender and sharp, and it seemed glowing with a pulsating purplish magic that made it look so magical.

“Take this,” the woman said. “It's the only weapon that can harm the living, since you can't touch anything else in your spirit form."

Alena hesitantly reached out to take it.

As she grasped the handle of the dagger, she felt a tingling sensation run up her arm. It was a strange feeling, as if the dagger was alive and pulsing with power. 

Alena looked up at the woman and asked, "How...how does it work? I mean, are there any special instructions on how to use it?"

"Simply stab this dagger into their hearts, and they will die instantly.”

Alena nodded slowly, taking in the woman's words.

She looked down at the dagger in her hand again, feeling its weight and power.

"Thank you," she uttered, looking up at the woman with gratitude. "I'll make sure to use it well –"

“Also, Princess Alena,” the woman cut her off. “I am here to tell you that you need to finish whatever it is that you have to fulfill as fast as you can… because if you don’t complete your unfinished tasks in time,” she paused, holding Alena’s gaze with gravity. “...you will turn into a malevolent spirit stuck in this world. You will become a mindless and heartless fearsome creature with nothing but the desire to scare and haunt the living. That is all, Princess. I hope to see you another time.”

“Wait –”

The woman disappeared, leaving Alena standing there, looking at the now-empty spot where she had been standing.