The Palace Beast

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Maiden June awoke abruptly, her senses roused. Though it was the dead of night, a new day loomed on the horizon. Everything surrounding her lay in a slumber, casting an eerie silence upon the atmosphere. The weight of darkness bore down upon her, instilling a sense of dread. The memory of the attack during her journey to the Saxon village lingered in her mind, fueling her belief that ferocious creatures lurked in the shadows, capable of inflicting harm upon even the most valiant knights. Terrifying images raced through her thoughts, each one more horrifying than the last.

A chill ran down her spine, as if invisible fingers grazed her back, leaving her to wonder if the fearsome creature had its claws upon her. The slightly ajar chamber door held her gaze captive as she scanned the room for any signs of peculiarity or elusive figures lurking in the corners.

To her dismay, Maiden June discovered nothing out of the ordinary, further heightening her paranoia. It was as though she were locked in a battle against the encroaching darkness. She extended her hand into the shadows, searching for a match to ignite the candle by her bedside. Despite the lingering effects of her concussion, she persevered, retrieving the matches and successfully lighting the candle. In that fleeting moment, surrounded by the gentle glow of the flickering flame, a sigh of relief escaped her lips.

She strained her ears, attuned to every sound that brushed against her senses. The thudding of her frightened heart and the croaking of frogs formed a dissonant symphony, harmonizing with the limited safety provided by the candlelight. She recollected her habit of leaving the window wide open and the back door to the maiden quarters unlocked, unwittingly inviting shadowy strangers into her midst. Just as she started to regain composure and convince herself that all would be well, the fear of what lay ahead reared its head once more, plunging her back into a state of paranoia.

Aware that locking the window and the door was her sole chance at attaining sleep, she felt the weight of darkness bearing down upon her once again. Even with the comforting presence of the candlelight, a sense of unease persisted, as if the darkness pressed upon her window, yearning to assault her just as the creatures had. She resolved that the only recourse was to hasten downstairs, traversing the corridor to secure the back door and the exposed window. Each creaking floorboard beneath her hesitant steps seemed to serve as a menacing warning, cautioning her against venturing into the unfathomable darkness where the creatures lay in wait, eager to carry out their malevolent intent. With trepidation, she peered down the stairs into the abyss of pitch-black darkness below. Summoning her courage, she bit her lip and cautiously descended the stairs, fear constricting its grip on her every step, casting one last glance at the guiding glow of the candlelight before pressing forward into the unknown.

Step by cautious step, she navigated the treacherous terrain, her stride enveloped by encroaching shadows, distancing her from the haven of her illuminated room. Eventually, she reached the bottom of the staircase. Fingers groping for a source of light, she traced the wall, seeking the extinguished torch. Without hesitation, she ignited it using her matches and positioned it back on the wall.

"Phew... That's much better," she muttered, her words infused with a sense of reassurance.

With quick strides, she hastened towards the door, bolting out of the room. Facing the open window, she pivoted to the right, only to be met with a gust of wind that enveloped her, shrouding her in a chilling atmosphere that caused the fine hairs on her skin to stand at attention, forming prominent goosebumps.

With determination, she closed the window, sighing in relief, before turning and retracing her steps back to the staircase. Maiden June extinguished the flickering flame, urging herself to brave the darkness once more. Turning her gaze towards the light emanating from her room, she hesitated momentarily, replaying the incidents that unfolded during her journey to the Saxon village. She leaned forward, ready to blow out the candle, but pulled back sharply, sealing her lips, apprehensive that extinguishing the flame would allow the creatures to infiltrate her chamber and complete their malevolent deeds.

Sleep was far from her as her mind raced with thoughts on whether the princess of Maxis survived the attack. She would have loved to check up on her at the moment but the fear of what she might come face to face in the darkness outside the quarters kept her in her chamber.

"Please be alive my princess," she muttered under her breath.

A look of puzzlement crossed her face as she continued to let her mind race with thoughts. What would be the fate of the kingdom of Maxis with these vicious beastly creatures lurking and looking for innocent victims to maim? She paused her thoughts for a moment and peered intently at something as though she was eager to find unusual movement.

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Her eagerness was satisfied with the sense of fear that crippled her thoughts and entire being as a loud scratching sound brushed against her ears.

"Oh no," she gags automatically.

Her heart bounced and continued to race, almost jumping off her chest. She threw her arms across her chest in comfort. The more she tried comforting herself the louder the scratching sound grew. She's certain it was coming under her bed.

How could she verify when she's paralyzed in fear?

The worst of her nightmare is about to become a reality when she realizes her candle is almost burning out. Soon, her chamber would return to total darkness.

The scratching sound was replaced with a heavy growling-and then a fading snarl before increasing to horrifying snarling.

Her hands quivered, dangling just above her neck, too afraid to take a quick look underneath the bed. Sweat gushed from her pores like clams. Her muscles screamed of an unseen horror, and her skin crawled and her bones rattled. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end from fear. Her spine feels like it has unseen claws running along it.

The slowly burning candle eventually goes out. She looked across the bed and saw glowing red eyes staring at her. Heavier growling trailed behind. It has dawned on her that the issue beneath her bed is not the only one she must deal with. She was so overcome with paranoia by the terrifying glowing eyes that she had to scream like a baby banshee.

She felt the glowing red eyes drawing closer to her as she increased the loudness of her scream. The more she screamed, the more she realized no one was coming to save her.

"Spare me!" she finally lets out a plea, thinking that would do.

Before another plea would escape her lips, the unseen creature dug its claws into her lower abdomen. Maiden June's eyes gleamed with horror as the dark hour closed in on her forever and her limbs went limp.