THE next morning was refreshingly sunny, the perfect weather for going on an outing.
I looked out at the blue ocean from my guest room’s window. It was glittering under the sunshine. Above the blue sea, I could see seagulls flying and diving in the distance.
“Enjoy yourself in town today, Ellie!”
“I will! But are you really sure it’s all right for me to go?”
“Of course! Prince Harold will see that I’m taken care of. Don’t you worry!”
“Well, I do hope you’ll be all right…” Ellie was frowning with concern.
Today, we were going to try to break the spells placed upon “Elena.” Ed, Toll, and I were all going to attempt it together.
According to the letter that’d come from Prince Harold first thing this morning, Karina was due to go on her outing with Daniel straight after breakfast. It was unlikely she’d be taking Elena with her, bedridden as she was. We were going to use this chance to break the spells in her room.
Since we’d be spending a long period of time in Karina’s room, suspicions would probably be raised among the staff. To fix that, Prince Harold had arranged for the staff, including my ladies’ maid, Ellie, to be taken into town for a private tour.
After I said goodbye to Ellie and the other servants, Ed and Toll came by my room. Then, with the valet Prince Harold had assigned to us, we headed to Karina’s bedroom.
“I’ve posted some of my guards outside, and you are free to place your own guards outside the doors as well. If for some reason, Karina comes back early, you’ll be alerted immediately.”
“Understood. Thank you for arranging all of this.”
I thanked Prince Harold outside Karina’s door then placed my bodyguard, Hendrick, on duty. Finally, I headed inside the room itself.
The air felt oppressive.
It was the same heavy feeling I’d noticed last time. It felt like the room was draped in a heavy, thick, yet invisible cloth. It must’ve been the result of the spell Ed said was cast to prevent Elena from leaving the room on her own.
“Hello, Elena,” I called out softly so as not to alarm her. But there was no response from within. “Elena? Are you in here?”
I stepped tentatively inside. In the center of the large room was Karina’s bed, covered by a canopy. There was a twin bed against the wall, as well. Noticing the figure lying in bed, I crept over.
“Is she asleep?”
Ed passed me, drawing closer to Elena’s bedside, where he crouched down to examine her. Then he placed his hand on her forehead.
“Yes, she’s deep asleep.”
Ed looked at me, nodding. I put my hand on Elena’s shoulder. I tried shaking her gently. But she showed no signs of waking.
“That’s not good. Should we cast a Waking spell?” I asked.
“She’s under the influence of so many spells already, which we still need to lift. We can’t cast any more on her.” Ed gently removed my hand from her shoulder.
“Can we lift the spells if she’s asleep?”
I wasn’t expecting her to be in such a deep sleep when we came. I looked to Ed for a solution.
“It’s possible…”
“Then let’s get to it.”
We didn’t have time to wait for her to wake up. Time was slipping through our fingers with every second.
Ed checked the time. It was around ten in the morning.
“They said they’d be out all day. But I think the soonest we can expect them back is around three in the afternoon. I want to be done before then at the latest. I’ll work on lifting the spells placed on Elena. Toll, you work on lifting the spells placed on the room. Princess, help Toll with whatever you can.”
“Understood.”
“Okay.”
Toll and I both nodded. Then we all got to work.
I don’t know how long we were at it. We worked tirelessly, only stopping to wolf down the light lunch Prince Harold had sent up to us.
With the breaking of every spell, there was a zinging sound, and the air in the room shimmered.
While Ed was busy with Elena, I helped Toll lift the magic spells on the room. I thought we’d be done in no time, but it was taking far longer than I could have imagined.
“Next is the Soundproofing spell.”
“I thought we just did that one?”
“This spell was cast twice.”
“……”
Just how many spells are in place here?
How could one person cast all these spells? And manage to keep them active? The thought was terrifying.
Born in a magical place like Najir, I was blessed with magical powers on par with the Royal Magicians. But even I couldn’t begin to imagine the power and strength it’d take to keep this many spells in play at once.
“Ah, I think this next one might be the last one…”
“Really?”
Toll breathed a sigh of relief and my spirits lifted. Neither of us had spoken of it, but I knew we were both worried that we wouldn’t be able to finish in time, even while splitting the workload between us.
“Ed, we’re almost done! How’s it going with you?” I called out to Ed, who was sitting by Elena’s bedside.
Elena still hadn’t woken. It was like she was under a Sleeping spell.
“She’s been asleep for so long. Is she under a Sleeping spell?” Toll voiced my very same concerns. Now he joined me, leaning over to peer at Elena as she slept.
“That’s what I thought at first, but I don’t sense any Sleeping spell.” Ed shook his head then returned his attention to Elena. “But I do sense an unusual spell, one I’ve never experienced before. What could it be? I thought it’d become clearer if I lifted the other spells, but I still can’t identify it. If I can lift it and the Illusion, then it should be all done…”
Ed’s face was clouded with concern. It was clear he wasn’t sure how best to approach this new, mysterious form of magic.
“I’ll come over and help you once we’re done, then.”
“Thanks.”
Toll went back to work lifting the final spell cast over the whole room. There was another zinging sound, and the air in the room shimmered again.
“It’s lifted… Huh?” Toll frowned as the final spell lifted. “There’s something still here. I feel it. Did I fail to properly lift one of the spells…?”
Toll looked confused and began murmuring the incantation again.
“Lift, Spell.”
Just then, the heavy air in the room seemed to instantly clear.
“There, that seems to have done it.”
“Good.”
I returned my attention to Ed and Elena.
“Ed…how’s it going?”
Ed was frowning somberly down at the woman in the bed. She’d snow-white skin and luscious red hair. Her closed eyes were fringed with long lashes.
I gasped as I gazed at her.
“Karina…”
Elena had returned to her true form as soon as Ed lifted the Illusion placed upon her. It was Karina all along! Only…she looked thinner than I remembered. And she remained fast asleep.
“Ed, let me help.” Toll immediately moved over to Ed’s side. “So it really was Princess Karina all along…” he mumbled to himself, looking downcast. Then he shook his head and placed a hand on her forehead to check her status.
“I can’t identify the final spell. What do you think, Toll?”
Ed stepped to one side and scrutinized Toll as we all waited.
I peeked past them both to see Karina, still sleeping away soundly.
Then Toll muttered, “Huh?”
Ed and I both instantly knew that something odd was going on.
“What is it, Toll?”
Karina’s long black lashes fluttered. It looked like she was regaining consciousness.
“Mm…”
“Karina!” I quickly leaned in closer to see her.
Karina’s eyes opened, and she looked blearily around the room before focusing on me. Then she blinked, as if confused.
“Karina! It’s me, Bel! Remember?”
“…Uh, sorry…who are you?”
“What…?”
I was struck dumb by her unexpected answer. But Karina continued to gaze around the room.
“What am I doing sleeping over here? Oh, my head feels so fuzzy.” Karina covered her mouth and yawned, then stretched. “Are you my new maid? Hello!”
Karina smiled innocently up at me. She was speaking almost in the manner of a child…
Toll was still frowning.
“Princess Annabel, I think Karina is possibly…”
But just as he was speaking, there was a flash of light behind him.
“What do you think you’re doing?!”
The voice sounded as sharp and cutting as a knife’s blade. It sliced right through the air, chilling us all. Struck dumb by fear, we all turned to face the speaker.
“Is it customary to intrude into people’s private chambers in Najir?”
“You…”
“And you brought your magicians with you? What are you trying to do?”
I was frozen in terror as I gazed at the woman wearing Karina’s face, glaring at us all with an icy stare. Fortunately, Ed and Toll blocked her view of the real Karina on the bed.
What are you doing here?!
That’s what I wanted to ask, but I was too terrified to speak.
But I’d placed Hendrick outside to guard the room. Hendrick was loyal and serious to a fault. He’d never have left his post without my permission.
And what about Prince Harold’s guards, who were also keeping lookout? No one could pass by without their express permission…
But then it came to me.
Of course… The door was never opened.
This room was placed under several protective magic spells.
The last spell that Toll lifted was a shield designed to prevent Transference magic. I assumed it was to prevent anyone from escaping the room, but it’d also prevent anyone from teleporting in. Until Toll lifted the spell, that is…
How careless of us…
The spell that Toll had picked up on toward the end, the one that was still lingering…must’ve been an Alarm spell!
Fake Karina, picking up on the alarm, must’ve used teleportation magic to instantly appear directly in the room. As she drew a circle in the air with her finger, I felt cold sweat slide down my back. She looked like a perfect copy of the real Karina.
But those cold eyes…were the same as the ones that’d looked down on me in contempt and mockery back in the old world. I couldn’t stay put a second longer. It was terribly dangerous to be anywhere near this woman.
“Time to go!” Ed mumbled something under his breath while resting his hand on the real Karina. Toll put a hand on Ed and me before all four of us were consumed in a sudden burst of light.
The last thing I saw was Fake Karina staring in shock as we vanished in front of her.