*3rd POV*
Lauren remembers it too well; she's still in the living room with Lyn, but now she's back in the coffin. Although she can't see anything, she can feel the interior of the coffin on her back and the hardness of the walls on her sides. The cover was back too, trapping her inside.
Then she felt the coffin land on a hard surface after hearing a thud. "Where am I?"
Suddenly the cover was opened by someone and she inhaled fresh air and something more—the smell of plants and trees around her.
What's going on?
She's now in the forest? How did she arrive in the forest? She was in the mansion with Lyn.
"What are you waiting for, Lauren? Do you want to stay in the coffin forever?" Grandma Flora asked.
"Grandma? Is that you?" Lauren asked, scrambling out of the coffin. She succeeded when her feet finally landed on the ground.
"Yes, it's me," Grandma Flora replied.
"Are you going to give me the poison now?" Lauren ask
*3rd POV*"I'm still here, dear," Magnus finally replied."Okay. I thought you already left because you find my presence boring," Lauren said."Nah, don't say that. I offered you before to stay with me for good, but you chose Alex over me, so I give you your freedom back. But horrible things happened to you, and you are miserable now. I truly feel sad for you," Magnus said in a gloomy tone.Lauren sighed deeply. "It's not Alex's fault.""OK. As you say so," Magnus said, contemplating what he was about to say to her next."I just feel so lost right now. My vision is gone, and I'm now reduced to a useless human being. It's a hard pill to swallow," Lauren said, teary-eyed."I sympathize with your current condition, dear. But all is not lost yet. You still have me. You can stay in my house forever if you want. You will have Tabitha as your maid until your dying days. Or I can turn you into a vampire and you will live in this world for a l
*LAUREN*I woke up from my sleep and I have no idea what time it is now. I can hear Tabitha getting up and from the sound of it, she was folding the bed and placing it in the corner to be used again tonight."Tabitha, what time is it? Morning or still night?" I asked."Good morning, Miss! It's another day. A new day has just begun," Tabitha answered cheerfully."Is the sun shining outside? I remember that it was raining hard yesterday when I was in the forest," I said."Yes. The sun is already up in the sky. I'm going to the kitchen to get your breakfast. Do you want me to bring you hot coffee or milk?" Tabitha sked."Hot coffee with milk," I responded."Okay. Anything else? Are there any specific foods you want to eat?" Tabitha asked again."I'm not choosy when it comes to food. I'll eat anything as long as it's edible," I replied."OK. I'll bring you to the bathroom first, then I'll go to the kitchen afterward," Tabith
*LAUREN*I can't believe two weeks have passed since I went blind. I gradually get used to my condition and am able to move around the room without bumping into the dresser, chairs, bed, or other furniture.I can go to the bathroom on my own because I already know where to go and what to do. I realized that if I walk slowly and try to put my hands forward, I know what I'm facing and I will eventually get to the area where I want to go without injuring myself.Tabitha accompanied me to the garden every day and guided me to the flowers and plants so that I could touch and feel them myself. We would stay in the garden until the sun was about to set on the horizon. It has a nice gazebo and the servants supply us with delicious snacks every day.Magnus set up two swings in the garden; Tabitha and I enjoyed them very much.One windy afternoon, we were eating our snack when I decided to ask Tabitha some things about my benefactor."Is Magnus single
*LAUREN*One month later.Being blind is hard but manageable; that's all I can say. Thanks to Tabitha and Magnus's unconditional support and kindness, they make my life easier.I still have nightmares once in a while.But all in all, life is getting better for me in terms of my mental and emotional health.My trips to the city to see the doctors all failed because they couldn't identify where the problem is. They suggested I register on the waiting list for an eye transplant; they will remove my eyes and transfer a new set of eyes for me to be able to see again.Magnus, my benefactor, agreed to put my name on the waiting list for an eye transplant but it will take years because the list is long. I have no choice so I agree with his decision.It was a windy afternoon. Tabitha and I were in the garden when suddenly the rain drizzled and eventually turned into a heavy rain, creating puddles on the ground."Do you want to return to
"Yes. You will become blind again. I'm just trying to give you a taste of a good life and since you don't know how to appreciate it, it's better to make you blind again after you rejected my love. Then afterward, I will put you in a convent and you will stay there with the nuns for the rest of your life," Magnus said in a tone devoid of emotion."How cruel!" I murmured.Magnus grinned briefly, appearing unaffected by my disparaging remarks.But after a while, his tone change."Dear, after everything that I have done for you, you still have the audacity to say to my face that I'm cruel? How nice of you to say that to me. Give me some credit at least," he said, feeling hurt and offended by my words."Opps, I'm so sorry, Magnus. That was just a spur-of-the-moment reaction on my part. Please forgive me!" I sincerely apologized for my offensive words, knowing full well that his good deeds still outweigh the bad. He could change his mind at any moment an
*LAUREN*Three days later.It was a sunny morning. Tabitha and I were in the garden enjoying the swing after taking the medicines for my eyes."I will go to the kitchen to get a pitcher of juice and a tasty snack, Miss," Tabitha said."OK." I continue enjoying the swing.Suddenly, I heard heavy footsteps coming to the garden and stood by my side. "Tabitha, is that you?" I asked despite knowing that it's Magnus."It's me!" Magnus announced his presence. "Are you ready for tonight? It's the final stage of curing your eyes," he said."Yes. I'm ready!" I responded enthusiastically.Magnus asked, "Are you excited?""Yes, very much!" I replied, smiling brightly."Good!" Magnus gave the swing a gentle push. "The final stage will start at 9:00 in the evening, two hours after you have taken your last medicine.""Ok. I will eat dinner early," I said in a voice mixed with nervousness and excitement. "Um, what's the fi
*MAGNUS*From the basement, I transferred Lauren into her bedroom. I settled on the couch, watching her sleeping. In my mind, I'm already constructing a lie about what to say to her after she wakes up and begins asking me about Tabitha.Well, the good thing is, she hadn't seen Tabitha's face before. They met when she was already blind. Getting another servant to pose as Tabitha can't be done because their voices would not match.Ah, I can't tell her the truth that her friend is already dead. Not actually dead but already gone from the human world.It was already 6:00 in the morning when Lauren stirred in her sleep. I rush to her side because I want my face to be the first thing she sees after she regains her vision.Her eyelids fluttered, and she opened her eyes.Great, she's finally awake!"Dear, good morning!" I greeted her in a cheerful tone.Lauren opened her eyes wide and stared at me for a long time, then her face broke i
*LAUREN*When Magnus woke up from his sleep, he looked energized and happy."How's your eye, dear?" He asked, sitting on the couch beside me in the living room."My eyes were fine. Everything is okay; there is no pain at all. My vision is clear," I responded in a cheerful tone."Awesome!" Magnus grinned. "Seeing you happy makes my heart sing!"I smiled at him. I was about to continue reading the magazine when he asked me, "Are you ready to go to the city with me?"I looked at him and raised a brow. "Now? As in right now?""Yeah. Why not? We will go shopping and dine in a fancy restaurant!" He said, smiling brightly at me."Um, I dunno. It's already lunchtime and we might not be able to return here before nightfall," I said."You don't have to worry about the night, dear. I have a house in the city. We can spend the evening there," Magnus explained."Ah, okay. So are we going to travel by car or through teleportati
*3rd POV*Two days later, Alex and Lauren returned to the city from their short vacation.Alex proceeded to his house while Lauren returned to Magnus' residence.Lauren opened the door, climbed the staircase, and went to her bedroom. The house was still quiet, an indication that the owner hasn't returned yet. His prolonged absence got her worried.What could have happened to him? She hopes he is alright.Lauren put her bag on the floor and saw the envelope on her pillow. Her brows knit together; what is this? She picked up the envelope and found a letter inside. It was written and signed by Magnus.~Dear, Lauren...When you read this letter, I'm already back in my kingdom because there are still a lot of things that need my attention. Peace has been restored in my kingdom. My brother and I are on good terms again. He finally let go of his woman for the sake of peace between the two kingdoms.In line with my current state of mind, I would like to let you go as well. You can go now and
*GRANNY URSULA*A while ago...When I looked out the window, I saw Alex in the car, then Lauren re-entered the house and investigate. I could have shown myself to the couple right at that very moment, saying hello to the two children that I raised like my own.The temptation to show myself to them again is very strong.I wanted to talk to them, have a conversation with them and hug them one last time but I can no longer do it. I can't look into Alex's eyes and pretend that I'm still the same old Granny Ursula that he used to know. I killed his grandparents and if he knows, he will hate me to the bone.I'm guilty of using the couple for revenge but I need to do what I have promised to my beloved queen when she lies dying in my arms in the garden.I can still recall vividly the pain of seeing her on the verge of death."Nanny, I'm dying. Please take care of my younger brothers on my behalf..." Queen Hesperia has a hard time breathing."Who did this to you?" I asked, my eyes filled with
*ALEX*I went home that morning and went straight to bed to sleep after eating a light breakfast.When I wake up in the afternoon, it's already 4:00 p.m. I texted Lauren that I'm going to her place to bring her to a place far from the city so she needs to bring some clothes with her.I haven't told her yet about what happened to my grandparents dead bodies.I need to go to a place that is quiet and relaxing to de-stress.Half an hour later, I'm already out of my house. I get into my car and drive to Lauren's place.After a few minutes of driving, I arrived at my destination and parked the car outside the gate of the vampire's residence.I texted Lauren that I'm already outside, waiting for her to come out of the house. I looked out the window on the second floor of the house and saw a silhouette. Who was that?When I looked closely, the silhouette had already disappear. Or maybe it wasn't there in the first place. Maybe my eyes just caught something that looks like the silhouette of a
*ALEX*When I arrived at the funeral parlor and went to the second floor of the building to join my sister and parents, I was shocked to find an empty room—no coffins or whatever—just flowers and candles on the floor. Instead, what I saw were my family members looking at each other with a shocked expression on their faces.I rushed to their sides. "What's wrong, guys?" I inquired."Son, the coffins were gone! It happened so fast! It's like a blink of an eye. I felt like I was frozen in time and I don't know what happened during those moments. But the moment we were unfrozen, we were surprised to see the two caskets gone!" Mom said it in a rattled tone.My brows snapped together. "What is going on?" I asked in disbelief. "Who would steal a coffin with dead bodies in it?" I said it in bewilderment."Brother, believe us when we say that someone has frozen us and stolen the coffins!" Lyn explained in an agitated tone."We got to find the coffins!" Dad exclaimed anxiously."Alright, calm d
~MAGNUS~"So, is this your good news to me?" I asked the silhouette standing near the window, my eyes blazing with anger. "I'm in the middle of a negotiation with the opposing kingdom to obtain peace and you just whisked me away just to show me this good news?"I feel like my heart is about to explode due to jealousy. "I tell you now that seeing Lauren with Alex is making my blood boil. I don't like it! And the fact that you tolerated them and did nothing to prevent them from seeing each other makes me feel like the person I trusted the most has betrayed me!"I looked at her, feeling upset. "You disappointed me! I left you behind to watch over Lauren on my behalf! Not to tolerate the couple's reunion! You didn't even try to do anything to separate them!"I no longer hide my displeasure. I felt annoyed that my precious woman was now getting back together with her ex."Your highness, this is not the good news that I'm talking about," Granny Ursula responded. "I'm sorry if you didn't lik
*ALEX*I haven't slept yet and the time was already past 2:00 in the morning. Lauren was sleeping soundly beside me on the bed. I've been wide awake the whole night, and I want to make sure that this night will go well without any mysterious occurrences on Lauren's part based on my mother's instruction.I even put a CCTV camera inside our bedroom as evidence that Lauren was with me the whole night, just in case something went wrong.I think the party has already ended by now.When my phone rang at 2:40 in the morning, my heart beat so fast.Damn!They will never call me at this hour unless something happens!I quickly grabbed my phone and read the message. It was from my mother and the contents of her message broke my heart into pieces.'Son, when I wrote this message, I'm still in the hospital. Your sister is fine, but both grandpa and grandma didn't make it. They died in the party venue; the guards found them dead after all the guests had gone home safely. The reason for their death
*ALEX* On the day of the masquerade ball, I was with my family the whole afternoon, chatting with everyone. The atmosphere in the house is fantastic, filled with lively chatter. We are in good spirits, riding the wave of excitement for tonight's event. It will be the first time that our family is complete and we will be attending the masquerade ball together. In the previous ball, it's always been me who is missing and my grandparents, so today is very special because it will be a family affair and everyone will be present on the festive occasion. Everyone is excited. I can see the shimmering excitement on their faces. By 5:00 in the afternoon, I made my exit and informed everyone that I'm going home and that I would see them at the party later. I left our family home, and part of me felt sad that I couldn't attend the party. I got into my car, drove into the heavy traffic and dropped by at the vampire's place. Lauren exited the gate and waved at me. I opened the door and she qu
*LAUREN* One week had passed already. I was waiting for Magnus' return every day, yet there was still no sign of him. What could happen to him? I hope he is alright and his kingdom didn't go to war. I'm worried about his safety. I was pacing back and forth in the living room. I glanced at the clock on the wall. Alex would come anytime soon. I agreed to sleep in his house every night as part of my commitment to our relationship. I already wrote a letter for Magnus and put it in his bed just in case he would arrive at an empty house. I explained in my letter that I'm going to sleep at my friend's house. I'll be back tomorrow morning and all he needs to do is text me and I'll reply right away. My phone rang and Alex sent me a message informing me that his car was already parked outside the gate. I grabbed my shoulder bag and exited the house. After locking the gate, I quickly get into the passenger seat of Alex's car. "Hi, sweetheart." Alex greeted me cheerily. "I hope I didn't make
*ALEX* The following day, me and Lauren woke up late. After having a glorious night, we welcome the morning with fresh perspective and refreshed energy. I kissed Lauren's cheeks. Her eyelids stirred on the verge of waking up. "Good morning, sweetheart!" I greeted her jovially. "Morning!" She replied in a sweet tone, caressing my jaw. I patted her arms lovingly. "I'm going to work today. If you want, you can accompany me in my office," I offered. "No, thanks. I should go home." She refused my offer politely, getting off the bed and going to the bathroom. A few moments later, she emerged from the bathroom, returned to bed, and said, "Can you drop me off at the house on your way to your office?" "Sure! That's what I have planned in my mind already. I will send you home after we have breakfast," I answered. "Thank you," she murmured. "We can also teleport, right?" "Yes, we can do that as well. But I prefer that we use the car so that we can talk along the way," I said, gazing at