Chapter 22 - Chapter 3.2: Shadows Of The Past

𝟑.𝟐: Shadows of the past

𝐓he secret library, once a silent sanctuary of ancient wisdom, had become a breathing, suffocating trap.

Elysia crouched in the shadows behind one of the taller shelves, her breath caught somewhere in her throat.

She had tucked herself into the smallest space possible, limbs curled in tight, hoping the darkness would swallow her whole. Dust pricked her nose, and she fought against the reflex to sneeze.

The sound of descending boots on stone echoed through the silence—three sets. The faint glow of oil lamps flickered across the walls, revealing silhouettes cloaked in armor and ceremonial robes.

The palace guards.

And leading them was a familiar, wiry figure draped in deep crimson and gold.

The Royal Historian.

Elysia's heart dropped to her stomach.

She hadn't accounted for this. In her excitement to explore the secret room—spurred by her mission reward and all the undisclosed information just waiting to be discovered—she'd forgotten the one man who had free reign over every written relic in the Empire.

The historian was a distant relative of the Aerelion line, a branch family scholar known for his obsessive commitment to preserving the kingdom's history. Of course he would know about the secret archive. Of course he had a key.

Elysia hadn't realized the shelf she moved aside earlier to enter the secret chamber was routinely checked.

She cursed her own recklessness as she heard the historian's hushed, urgent tone. "The secret chamber's seal has been tampered with," he muttered, motioning the guards forward. "Someone's been here. Captain, sweep the chamber. Now."

Moments later, the captain of the guards signaled for the others to spread out.

They began to scour the aisles.

Elysia didn't dare move. Her legs were just a few paces from the stairwell that led back up to the main library, but the open floor between her and the exit may as well have been a canyon. If she so much as shuffled, the light would catch her. And there was nowhere else to run.

A bead of sweat slid down her neck.

She held her breath as footsteps grew closer, the steady thump of a guard sweeping down her aisle.

Her thoughts spiraled.

What would King Zachary say if she were discovered trespassing in a restricted part of the palace? She had only just begun to earn a sliver of trust—from him, from her brothers. Would they revoke it all in an instant? Would Liliette, Mira, and Seraphine feel betrayed for pledging themselves to someone who skulked around like a thief?

Would they hate her?

Her heart pounded so hard it hurt. Her lungs screamed for air, but she forced herself to stay quiet, frozen. The dust. The damp. The tightness in her chest. It was too much.

Then she heard the guard's armor clink. He was only feet away. His lantern swung closer, casting beams of light that threatened to spill over her hiding place.

Something in her broke then.

The panic surged, wild and merciless. Her vision tunneled. Suddenly, she wasn't in the palace anymore. She wasn't Elysia.

She was Cassandra again.

A trembling child, back in that dark, suffocating room. Back in the shadows of men who treated her body like it was theirs to carve up and discard. Back in the orphanage where silence was safety, and crying got you punished. The memories swelled—pain, shame, fear—all slamming into her like a tide.

'No, no, no. Please. Why now? I can't do this right now.'

Her entire body shook. She couldn't stop it. She could barely think. Her breath came in sharp, shallow gasps, too fast, too loud. She clawed at the edge of reason, trying to convince herself she wasn't there again, that this was a different life.

That she was safe.

But her trauma had teeth. And it sank deep.

Desperate, she grasped at the relic around her neck—the white feather pendant. The same one Nylos had given her as a parting gift. Her fingers clutched it so tightly, the chain dug into her skin, almost drawing blood.

And then… something shifted.

A warmth pulsed from the relic, humming softly beneath her fingertips.

Elysia vanished.

Quite literally.

But she didn't feel it happen. Didn't notice the sudden stillness of the air around her, or how the guard paused in confusion, holding his lantern higher as he looked directly at the spot where she should have been.

His brows furrowed deeply.

"I could've sworn I heard something…" he muttered, scratching the back of his head.

But there was no one.

With a sigh, he turned and retreated down another aisle, leaving Elysia untouched, still curled up, still trembling.

Her mind was blank. She didn't even realize she was invisible. All she knew was that the danger had passed for now. And so, with the adrenaline still burning through her veins, she bolted.

Still clutching the feather pendant in her palm, she ran.

She ran up the stairs, through the metallic door left ajar. She rushed through the winding stairwell that led to the main floor of the library, past dusty banisters and marble walls. The secret entrance to the chamber—a sliding stone wall—was still open, and she flew through it without hesitation.

She didn't even consider what would happen if she let go of the pendant. She didn't question why no one could see her.

All that mattered was getting out.

But just as she passed by the reading nook she often claimed—her favorite chair nestled beside a grand window—her legs buckled beneath her.

She collapsed with a heavy thud.

The pendant slipped from her hand.

Instantly, her form reappeared.

And at that exact moment, a group of guards burst into the library.

They stopped short at the sight of her—crumpled on the floor, pale and shaking, eyes wide with terror. One guard hurriedly dropped to his knees beside her, reaching for her shoulder.

"Princess Elysia! Are you harmed? Were you attacked by the intruder—"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" she screamed, recoiling violently.

The air cracked with the rawness of her voice.

The guards pulled back, stunned.

They could only gape at her disoriented state. She was shaking her head frantically and mumbling a bunch of gibberish under her breath, not paying any mind to them.

It was like she was completely lost to the present reality.

But before anyone could say more, the doors flung open once again—and in rushed Liliette, Mira, and Seraphine.

They had heard the news. That someone had broken into the library. That there was danger.

But when they arrived, and found Elysia kneeling in a heap on the floor, muttering fragmented words with her arms wrapped tightly around herself, their eyes went wide with shell-shocked dread.

Liliette gasped loudly, hand flying to her mouth. Mira's face was drained of color. Seraphine looked ready to attack anyone who came near.

They had heard of an intruder in the library. And they knew Elysia had been reading there.

Their worst fear had come true.

"Your Highness!" Liliette cried, rushing forward, heedless of the guards.

"Princess—what happened?" Seraphine asked, her voice breaking.

"No—don't—don't come near me," Elysia whispered, shrinking back. Her eyes darted between them like she didn't recognize them, like the trauma was still warping her sense of reality.

But their voices—soft, familiar—began to chip away at the fog.

"Liliette…? Mira…? Seraphine...?" she rasped.

"Yes, it's us. It's just us. You're safe," Liliette said, her voice cracking as she reached out slowly, carefully.

"Help me…" Elysia whimpered. "Take me back to my chambers."

The girls didn't hesitate.

They knelt beside her and gently helped her to her feet. Her legs were weak, her steps staggered. She leaned heavily on Mira and Seraphine for support while Liliette grabbed the soft blanket draped awkwardly over the reading chair—Elysia's favorite one.

She tucked it under her arm, not realizing there were hidden books within it. The same ones her mistress had just risked everything for.

Elysia didn't speak again. Her lips trembled, her eyes glassy and unfocused. Her body was clammy and cold.

As they walked through the grand hallway and into the quiet safety of her rooms, she mumbled something—anxious fragments of thought that made little sense.

Was it just a panic attack?

Had she overestimated how much she had acclimated to this new body?

Or… was it something deeper? Something broken inside her that not even reincarnation could mend?

When they reached her bed, her ladies gently laid her down. Mira brushed hair from her forehead. Seraphine pulled the blankets over her, then rushed over to open all the windows for ventilation.

"Your Highness…" Liliette's voice broke with intense worry. "Please… can you tell us what—?"

But Elysia didn't hear the rest.

Darkness overtook her, and she began to slip into unconsciousness.

In the fading nooks of her mind, she heard the familiar notification chimes from Winfred.

[ Ding! Side mission: Uncover the hidden history of the Aerelion family. Passed. ]

[ Ding! +30 EXP earned. ]

[ Ding! Lv 1 ➔ Lv 2 ]

[ Ding! You have earned +20 EXP for leveling up. ]

[ Total EXP: 57 ]

[ Ding! Reward Class: C ]

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