Chapter 12

**Acacia Point of View**

That can't be a dream. It felt so real.

But it can't be real too. How come I felt a presence but still did not feel it at the same time?

I tapped my head with my hand as I mulled over the incident from the previous night. I still couldn't decide if that was just a touch of my imagination or it happened for real.

Right after I was getting more aware of my surroundings and a possible presence in my room, I drifted back to sleep as my paralyzed condition relaxed.

One moment, my body trembled with fear and the other moment, didn't how and when, it relaxed back into sleep. It's because of that, that I cannot seem to grasp how much of it is real and how much is a dream.

The incidents that are taking place here, the castle, the whole island itself is spooky. It's like this island is a world in itself; a world that I couldn't still understand about.

With thoughts racing my mind, I grabbed another piece of wood block and started carving it with small knife. I'm yet to finish this model and still have to find the bastard that is holding me hostage here.

The more I accept the reality of my pregnancy, the more I'm getting anxious. The desperation for getting out of here and finding way back home accelerated over the past few days.

Even though I did not find any hint about the person who is holding me here, I still want to find him and bury him six feet under with same vigor as before. But, no matter how many times I look, I could not find anything that might help me.

I even checked the books from library if any of the picture from those books can help me but I only met with failure. Not only the language but most of their drawings are coded like too.

Although, there was this one book where I found the picture of doors of the locked room; there was something written beside the picture and it was in another unknown language which I can't understand.

It makes me wonder if this closed room holds something dearly important.

If only I could open it!

Putting the wooden blocks and the tools on the table, I got up from my chair and moved to the closed room slowly. Standing before it, I studied the intricate emblem on them and tried to make sense of it.

Every symbol, every emblem stands for something. I always known that this emblem is everywhere in this castle, marking everything owned but what exactly does it stand for?

I examined every curve, every aspect and every angle of the crest to make some sense out of it. Trailing my fingers over the swirls of wind that surrounded a fire torch, I studied the details closely.

A fire torch usually symbolizes knowledge, freedom, hope and life. Some say that fire stands for enlightenment.

Then if there is a fire torch and if the fire is still alive on the torch, why are there wind swirls around it?

Let's say the swirls represent wind, then fire surrounded by wind doesn't sound that positive and hopeful to me. Not forget that there is a bird that is flying above the torch.

As I traced my fingers over it, I placed my other hand on the doors and tried to push them open although I know it is not going to work.

"Of course." I grumbled as I banged the door with my fist. "What else am I expecting?"

"Open, you dammit!" I kicked it with my leg before I turned back to leave.

Disappointed and annoyed, I stomped down the hallway towards the study room I'm using. Only, my steps halted when I heard something startling.

A slow, dragging creaky sound.

A sound of a door opening.

The sound was heavy, rusty. I wasn't hoping, I wasn't imagining yet I know where the sound was coming from. There is only one set of doors in the whole block and from how close the sound is coming from, it should be –

The secret room!

With a gasp, I turned around slowly and jogged towards the source. Standing before the secret room again, I breathed in heavily when I saw the doors wide open.

How did this open?

Should I be happy and scared, I don't know; all I want to know is who is living in this room or what exactly is in this room that is so secretive.

Taking with me a candle stand, I stood near the threshold of the room as I contemplated whether I should go in or not, whether it is safe or not.

Bending a little forward, I tried to look inside but all I could see is dark. I carried candle light along with me and took every step with caution. One step, I stopped to see if I could make out the contents inside.

Surrounded by heavy darkness with only a small candle that could only show light to just couple meters around, my heart pounded in my chest with every step I took.

I had to rub my eyes to focus and with nervous feeling, sweat formed all over my face as it trickled down over my eyelashes.

"Why is it suddenly so dark? It's unusually gloomy."

When I couldn't see anything, I moved a little more inside only stopped when my leg hit some kind of furniture. Bringing the candle down, the little light illuminated enough to show me the chair made of hard wood and a small table before it.

Placing the candle on the table, I moved the chair with grunt and placed it against the opened door just in case not to be locked up here of all places.

On the table, I thankfully found another candle stand. Lighting up the candles from the table, it was less gloomy but by no way was the room lit enough to see how big it is what exactly it holds.

"Going by the wall seems plausible." I thought to myself as I started from the left side of the entrance. I placed my palm on the wall and a candle on another hand, I let the wall lead me through the room.

There was a several side tables and drawers arranged against the wall. I had explored this fort for so many times and during my expedition, one thing I observed was there was always stock of candles and fire stick in the top right drawer of every side and other tables.

With no further ado, I lit them up. It took me nearly half an hour to complete one circle around the room and light it enough. Once the whole room is now illuminating in the candle light, I squinted my eyes to look around the room.

The room was relatively normal and can be considered empty except for large portraits hung on the walls. On a closer look, I noticed that all the portraits are paintings of some well dressed royalty looking men.

Starting from the one right beside the door, I took baby steps and started to study every portrait. The man from each portrait is different. The first portrait was a painting of a stout man sitting on what looks like a throne with a distinguished crown sitting on his head.

He was dressed in tunics which looked very ancient style and remarkably rich. Surely, he is some kind of king.

The next portrait was closely similar, only the man looked different and much slimmer than the first one. So does the next one and those that came next until I stopped by the last portrait that was much larger and hung over an entire wall.

I raised the candle towards the portrait and studied it carefully. This painting is more vividly highlighted than the others.

The man in the portrait was younger, probably in his early thirties, and looked regal. The way he sat on the throne, the way he held a scepter in his hand and the manner his face held the majestic aura of an emperor, it was overwhelming.

Standing on tiptoes, I observed the scepter that he was holding. On a closer look, I saw the head of the scepter has same emblem that was carved everywhere in this castle.

"So this symbol is an insignia of some royalty indeed. But what does this mean?" I continued to study this particular painting keenly.

Unlike most of the paintings, this one held a lot of realness in it. Not only did the painter justify the handsomeness of the man, he also succeeded in showing the arrogance that was lit in his eyes.

He has a hard look dawned on his face and the words I-am-your-death-if-you-cross-me was literally shown in every stroke and corner.

One glance at the whole picture, I can tell how alive it looks.

It looks eerily alive.

**~*~*~*~*~*~

Hello Sweeties,

Next chapter is here. Enjoy!

What do you think about the chapter? Good?

How and why did the doors to secret room open?

Your views on the sleep paralysis condition she had? Was it real or just a condition?

Why are there only portraits in the room?

Whose portraits are they? If they are of some past emperors, then which kingdom did they belong to?

So, the mysterious person is not in the secret room. Then where is he?

What exactly does the emblem signify? Is it a symbol of a kingdom?

Whose portrait was the last one?