You arrive at the Main Hall. The floor is made of shiny marble, and a giant crystal chandelier hangs from the high ceiling. However, this luxury is a golden prison.
"Stop, little mouse!" Bela's voice shrieked from behind. It turns into a flock of flies and darts past your head, landing right in front of the huge double door that leads out.
You're cornered in the middle of the hall. On the balcony of the second floor, Lady Dimitrescu appears, looking at you from a height with a condescending cynical smile. He held a glass of deep red liquid in his hand.
"Running upstairs will only make you fall harder," Alcina said calmly. "You won't be able to open that door without Maroon Eye. And unfortunately, it is safely stored in my pocket."
Siege of the Main Hall
From the direction of the kitchen, Daniela appeared dragging her large rusty sickle, creating a deafening metallic friction sound. Srak... srak... srak...
"Mom, can I cut off his leg?" asked Daniela in a terrible spoiled tone. "So he doesn't run around anymore."
Alcina took a sip of her wine, then looked at you. "Well, she's indeed a little too active for a maid. Do as you please, but leave her heart for me."
Life or Death Choice:
You stand in the middle of the hall, surrounded by three bloodthirsty princesses downstairs, and the giant upstairs.
Me : Wait, if you torture me. Mother Miranda will be angry
Daniela's steps stopped for a moment. Its large, rusty crescent is held in the air, just inches from your feet. Bela and Cassandra glanced at each other, the flies around them suddenly buzzing low, as if the name you just mentioned brought a chill that was more piercing than the snow out there.
On the balcony, Lady Dimitrescu gripped her wine glass so tightly that the crystal creaked. His sarcastic smile faded, replaced by a stiff and tense facial line.
Gripping Silence
"Mother... Miranda?" repeated Alcina in a low voice that trembled between anger and forced respect. He steps slowly towards the edge of the balcony, looking at you with his sharp yellow eyes.
"How dare you use that woman's name to threaten me in my own house!" she shouted, but this time there was a hint of doubt in her voice.
In this village, no one dared to mention Miranda's name carelessly, let alone use it as a shield. Alcina knew that it was Miranda who sent you here. If you really have a special 'duty' from Miranda that she doesn't know about, torturing you can be considered treason.
A Fragile Armistice
"Mom..." Bela whispered as she turned her head up. "What if this rat is honest? If Miranda has a plan for him..."
Alcina let out a long sigh, trying to calm down. He points you at his long cigarette pipe. "You... You are just an ordinary young man. Why should Miranda care if I take one or two of your fingers?"
Despite his slurred speech, he motioned for his daughters to back off. Daniela lowered her scythe with an annoyed grunt.
"Tell me, maid," said Alcina, looking at you intently. "What makes you so special to Miranda that she'll stand up for you? If your answer is not satisfactory, I will separate your head from your body, caring for the demons with Miranda's wrath!"
Current Situation:
You managed to temporarily stop their attacks. The three princesses now surround you within a meter, waiting for you to speak, while Alcina watches you like an eagle ready to snatch you.
Me : Please do not revoke
The atmosphere in the great hall suddenly became a suffocating silence. Lady Dimitrescu stands sculpting on the balcony, her yellow eyes narrowing sharply, trying to look for signs of lies on your pale face.
Daniela snorted in annoyance, pulling her rusty sickle away from your feet, but she kept looking at you as if she wanted to skin your face with her gaze. Bela and Cassandra took a step back, the flies around them buzzing lowly, creating a sound that filled the silent room.
A Tense Armistice
"Don't unplug?" Alcina repeated your words in a low voice that shook the windows of the castle. He placed his wine glass on the marble balcony divider. "You begged for your life by bearing the name of the Woman... Your courage is absolutely absurd."
She slowly descended the grand staircase, her long white dress sweeping the marble steps with a graceful but menacing hissing sound. Every step felt like the approaching heartbeat of death.
"If I touch you, and Miranda finds out... it could be a problem," Alcina muttered more to herself. He stopped right in front of you, his figure almost three meters high making you have to look up far to look at his face.
Loyalty Test
Alcina bowed, the smell of expensive powder and the fresh smell of fresh blood emanating strongly from her body. "Alright, little mouse. I will hold my daughters... for now. But don't think you're free."
He reaches out his big hand and grabs your shoulder—not with his sharp nails, but with a force that can crush bones if he wants to.
"If you do 'belong' to Miranda, then you have to prove it with your usefulness. You will be my personal servant. You will clean the blood stains in this hall, pour out my wine, and do whatever I command silently."
He turned his head towards his three daughters who looked disappointed. "Bela, take him to the kitchen. Give him a decent maid outfit. If he tries to run again... Miranda doesn't need to know if she's 'missing' in the basement."
Current Situation:
You survived death, but now you're officially a servant inside the most dangerous castle in the mountains.
Pov : *Night is falling, everyone is asleep.. *
A suffocating silence enveloped Dimitrescu Castle. The pale moonlight penetrates the tall windows, creating a long, sharp shadow above the marble floor. A heavy soft snoring sound rang out from Lady Alcina's main room upstairs, while the flypuffs of the princesses slowly subsided, signifying that they had rested in their coffin or dark corners.
You stand in the middle of a pitch-black hall. Only the sound of a big clock ticking in the corner of the room breaks the silence: Tiktak... tiktak...
Night of the Escape: A Dangerous Silence
The chain on your wrist has been removed because Alcina thinks you're "tame", but the main door is still tightly locked. You know this is your only chance before dawn breaks and the monsters wake up with an even greater hunger.
In the darkness of the hall, you see three paths that might lead you out:
Kitchen Door: There is a path to the dungeon that may be connected to the caves beneath the castle. It smells bad, but there may be a secret exit there.
Dining Room: You see a small window that isn't trellis near the ceiling, but you need something to climb on.
Library: You've heard rumors about a lever hidden behind old books that could open the castle's side gates.
Beware!
The wooden floors in this castle are very old and creak easily. Every wrong step could wake up one of the princesses who had very sharp hearing.
Me : To the Library, Searching for secret mechanisms amidst thousands of books.
You step tiptoe, holding your breath every time the old wooden floor beneath your feet lets out a small creak. The atmosphere in the Library is much cooler; Thousands of old books lined up on tall shelves that touched the ceiling, giving off a suffocating smell of weathered paper and dust.
The moonlight coming in through the large window above provides a bit of dim illumination. You know, this is where Daniela often spends her time, but right now the room seems empty.
Searching for Secret Mechanisms
You start fumbling through the rows of books on the west shelf, just like you've heard from the whispers of other waiters who are now out of nowhere. Your heart skipped a beat as your fingers touched a book with a leather cover that felt different—cold and rough.
When you pull the book out, you can hear the sound of iron cleats spinning smoothly behind the wall. Clap! A secret wooden panel in the corner of the room opened slowly, revealing a narrow hallway that was pitch black.
Surprise in the Middle of the Night
However, just as you were about to step in, a very subtle and cold whisper sounded just behind your neck:
"Looking for something interesting, maid?"
It was Daniela. He is not sleeping; It hangs on the ceiling of the library like a predator waiting for its prey to be trapped. His body slowly descended, the flies around him buzzing very lowly, barely audible.
He held his large sickle casually, his yellow eyes gleaming wittily but deadly in the dark. "Mom would be very disappointed to find out her new toy was trying to leave without saying goodbye."
Critical Situation:
The secret panel is already open, but Daniela is standing right between you and the exit.
Me : Daniela, you are beautiful. Please don't tell me.. *eyes sparkle*
Daniela was stunned on the spot. The rusty movement of his sickle stopped right in front of your chest. The flies that had been buzzing wildly around him suddenly slowed down, as if they were also confused by the sudden compliment.
He tilts his pale head, looking at you with yellow eyes shining in surprise. The silence in the library felt so heavy for a few seconds that it felt like forever.
The Reaction of the Bloodthirsty Princess
"Pretty?" Daniela repeated the word in a hoarse voice, almost like a whisper of the wind between an old book. He slowly lowered his sickle. "You... praising monsters like me?"
He stepped forward, so close that you could smell the strange cold, sweet smell from his skin. He licks his reddish lips, staring at your face with childish and terrible curiosity.
"Mom said humans can only scream in fear when they see us," Daniela murmured, her cold fingers touching your cheeks, her sharp nails scratching your skin slightly. "But you... You instead smiled and complimented my face."
Suddenly, he chuckled—a laugh that sounded more sincere but still held madness. "You're so weird, maid. If I let you go, Mom would be very angry with me. But... Your praise is far more appealing than the cries of the previous servants."
Golden Opportunity
Daniela glanced at the secret panel that was still open behind her, then looked back at you.
"Go now," he whispers, pushing you slowly towards the dark hallway. "But remember... If we meet again outside, I won't guarantee your neck remains intact. And don't let Bela or Cassandra see you, or they will eat you alive before dawn."
Escape Into the Darkness
You immediately jump into that secret passage just before Daniela changes her mind. The panel door closes back with a smooth clicking sound, leaving you in total darkness. You grope through the damp cold walls and start descending the steep stairs.
Me : *Before I go I'll kiss Daniela's cheek* thank you *right way*
Daniela sculpted perfectly. Her corpse-pale face suddenly turned red, not from anger, but from extreme shock. The flies around her buzzed in panic, as if they didn't know how to react to your reckless actions.
He holds his cheek with trembling fingers, his wide-eyed yellow eyes staring at your back that is starting to disappear behind the secret panel.