The Palace Beast

"What is going on?" Princess Bonnie asked with a sense of curiosity. A look of anxiety was written all over her. "Where are we?" she focused her gaze on a guard. "No idea, my princess," the guard answered with haste and at the same time feeling lost.

As they stepped forward, their feet sank into the debris that covered the ground. The crunching sound echoed through the silent woods, where the only noises came from the rustling of leaves and the creaking of branches under the weight of the wind. Squirrels chattered as they darted from tree to tree, and birds sang their sweet melodies, filling the air with a symphony of sounds. Insects hummed as they went about their business, and the wind whistled around the trunks, causing the leaves to dance in the air. Despite all the sounds around them, they still had no idea of their location.

Suddenly, they heard a whoosh. They both flicked around at the same time.

"We are not alone," the princess muttered in a fretful little voice as she continued to scan around with her eyes. There was no sign of anyone besides her and the guard.

"We must find shelter before darkness befalls us," the guard suggested. He knew in a few hours, there would be darkness all over the kingdom as the sun would disappear from the expanse, giving room for the full moon.

The guard threw a step, leading the way. Second step... third and fourth... The princess followed his cue as he led the way.

Taking another step, the whoosh sound brushed against their ears. This only terrified them the more. The princess felt fear running its invisible fingers down her spine.

"We need to..."

Her voice was forced to pause as she let out a wild scream. A shapeless shadowy figure is moving toward them at a very terrifying speed.

The guard's eyes widened in shock as the princess continued to scream wildly, her voice echoing through the deserted forest. He watched her as she stumbled across the uneven ground, her movements erratic and uncontrolled. The guard couldn't help but feel a sense of unease as he pondered what could be wrong with her.

Just like the other guard, he isn't seeing anyone. They were alone in the woods, and there was no one around to help. Suddenly, the princess was slammed across a shrub, the sound of the impact reverberating through the silent forest. It was then that the guard noticed something strange. His sword, which had been securely fastened in its sheath, was now drawn out by an invisible force. He tried to resist, but the sword was too powerful, and he watched in horror as it was pulled from his grasp.

Immediately, his eyes opened and he caught a terrifying sight of the shapeless shadowy figure. Only the pinpoint of the glowing red eyes threw him into a terrified confused state as he pondered what type of creature it could be. Before he could make a head or a tail of the situation, he found himself lifted about the ground. He screamed, begging for his life.

"You are trespassing in my territory!" the figure echoed in a harsh voice that came with a wind blast, knocking off the guard from the air.

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He had no idea what the creature was talking about. He steeled his failing nerves and sprang back to his feet. "Please, don't kill us. We will..."

Before his sentence could be completed, he felt his chest impaled. He gasped, choking on his blood. He watches with a blurred vision as the creature digs out its hand from his chest. The guard's heart came with it. He breathed his last and slumped.

"No!" the princess cried out. She sprang to her feet and quickly flicked around, running in the opposite direction.

She felt her panting fading slowly as she continued to run without looking back. She's losing her breath. Running further would be the end of her. She slackened her pace, accepting her fate in the hands of the unknown creature. As she bent to catch her breath with a loud snort, she noticed the shadow of the creature hovered over her. It's too late for her to flick around or even run. The creature's hand was fast enough to impale her chest just like the guard's. She gasped and gasped. Her limbs went limp as her eyes gleamed with horror. She tried uttering her last word but couldn't. She blinks away her tears trying to stay strong till the very end.

*****

"Princess... Bonnie..." Her father's voice continued to pierce into her ears. "Wake up, my child. It's just a nightmare. It's not real."

Seeing that his daughter was far gone from hearing him. He turned toward the healer. "Do something," he said in a voice overwhelmed with sorrow.

"Am afraid my king, there's nothing I could do," the healer muttered softly. "We need to let her fight through the nightmares." "Or what?"

"Or we lose her forever, Lord King."

The king's body trembled uncontrollably as the words of the healer struck him. His heart raced as he struggled to process the implications of what he had just heard. Slowly, he rose to his feet, his face now expressionless, as if in shock. The gravity of the situation was palpable as he spoke, his words filled with a sense of raw desperation. "If she dies," he said, his voice quivering with emotion, "I will burn this entire kingdom down!" It was clear that he was not to be taken lightly, and that his words carried a weight that could not be ignored.

He may not be trapped in the dream world with her, but he can sense that something is wrong. He noticed her jerking movements a while ago and saw tears streaming down her face.