WARNING: Gore, intense, and frightening scenes. Please proceed with caution.

As Yelenas face turned pale, Hans said in despair,

Ah, the roof.

Please come this way!

Anna urgently grabbed Yelenas hand and pulled her away.

She brought Yelena into the kitchen and dug through the ashes under the furnace.

To Yelenas surprise, a wooden door heading to the basement appeared.

Please go in.

Yelena quickly opened the door and rode down the ladder.

But then she looked upwards.

Anna wasnt moving.

Anna, come on.

I wont be going.

Eh? Why not?

What does she mean?

Dont tell me, because the basement is cramped?

Yelena glanced down.

She hadnt examined it properly but the basements space was visible enough.

Anna faintly chuckled and said,

We need someone to pile up the ashes again and conceal the entrance. Itll be useless if youre found.

But Hans can

Wouldnt that mean just leaving out one person?

When Yelena thought that, Anna said,

Were married.

We couldnt be born in this world on the same day and time, but we should at least depart together.

An

It was then, when Yelena was about to call out to Anna, that they heard a loud noise from outside they couldnt ignore anymore.

Anna!

Anna closed the door. Love is an open door, hello?

The noise decreased a bit after the wooden door closed.

But it was just a bit.

She could still hear the sounds of the roof being completely broken through, and the sounds of something shattering and crashing.

It seems like sometimes strange cries and screams were also mixed in.

With her body stiffened by fear, Yelena forced her body to move then lost her footing when she was going down the ladder.

Urgh!

After Yelena crashed down from the ladder with only a few steps to go, she gritted her teeth.

Even though her ankle felt extremely painful since it might have been sprained when she fell, she couldnt make a sound.

The basement was dark.

Yelena felt the wall with her trembling hands to find and get herself to the corner of the room.

Then, she leaned her back on the corner and curled up her body.

As she did that, the terrifying sounds from upstairs kept going.

Yelena gathered her knees together and buried her head in between.

She couldnt see anything properly because it was dark anyway, but she did it instinctively.

Her whole body was shaking like a leaf.

Mom.

What Yelena remembered first was her late mothers face.

When she was alive, the Countess was always warm and gentle to Yelena.

Thats why when her mother passed away, Yelena cooped herself up in her room for a week and cried to the point of exhaustion.

Father.

The next one was her father.

Yelena didnt like her father who was patriarchal and only had eyes for his business, but there were a few points of his that she liked.

After losing his wife to an illness, Count Sorte never got remarried.

It had been more than ten years since his wife passed away, but whenever it was her birthday or death anniversary, he would still go to her grave with some flowers in hand and talk to her.

Yelena loved that side of her father at least.

Unnie, Oppa.

The Unnie and Oppa in Yelenas memories were always fighting whenever they saw each other.

Even though they werent like that when they were little, it seemed like as they grew up, they started to see each other as rivals.

On the other hand, they were always nice to Yelena, who couldnt be their rival.

Her brother had a nasty character, so he would sometimes say annoying things. However, to make up for all that, he would buy dresses, hats, and shoes to give to Yelena.

Her sister was the same way.

Once in a while, she would bring Yelena to go out for a change of pace and decorate her from head to toe with sparkling jewels.

Huu

Yelena held her tears back with all her might.

Her beloved family, friends, delicious food, the puppy she saw recently on the streets and thought was cute.

She tried to fill her head with only delightful thoughts and happy memories.

Because she thought that if she didnt, her head would be taken over by the terror and fear.

She wondered how long time had passed like that.

When the exhausted Yelena woke up from her short slumber, the outside had turned quiet.

Yelena waited for a while before finally standing up.

In a breath, she could feel the sharp pain from her sprained left ankle.

Yelena could barely hold in her scream as she stumbled and grabbed onto the ladder.

Her entire body, not just the injured ankle, was screaming in pain due to being holed up in a narrow space for a long time.

She went up the ladder step by step.

Finally, her hand touched the door.

She pushed the door with all her might using her weakened arms and as it opened, light shone through.

Yelena crawled out of the furnace before setting herself upright.

Finally leaving the kitchen, she let out a cry that sounded as if it were squeezed out of her belly.

Ah

The bar was in shambles.

The collapsed roof.

The destroyed furniture here and there.

The rolled out corpse.

Ah, ahh.

Yelena could find Hans and Anna without much difficulty.

Both of them were lying on top of a puddle of blood while tightly holding each others hand.

They were alive and talking to her just a few moments ago.

Anna gave her warm water.

She also gave her a blanket and wrapped her in it.

Ugh! Blergh!

Yelena leaned onto the table and gagged.

However, she only tasted stomach acid in her mouth, with nothing coming out.

It was then that Yelena realized.

Her body had not consumed anything for the whole day.

CREAAK!

Right then, she heard a sound that made her hair stand on end.

Yelena raised her head slowly.

The monster that was half her size, that tore into her maids stomach with its claws, was staring at Yelena.

She opened her mouth.

Ha, haha.

A flat laugh, as if she were going mad, escaped her mouth.

She knew she shouldnt be letting out a sound, but she couldnt control herself.

Ahaha. Ahahaha.

Yelena laughed as tears started streaming down.

The monster jumped at Yelena and drove its claws into her heart.

AAAAHH!

Yelena screamed as she rose from the bed suddenly.

Yelenas exclusive maid, who was staying in the room next to hers, ran over to her room in surprise.

Young Lady? Are you okay?

The dark room brightened.

Yelena, with trembling hands, glanced at the person who was talking to her.

Merry.

Yes, Young Lady. Im Merry. Whats wrong?

Where Where is this?

Its your bedroom, of course.

Bedroom.

Yelena lowered her gaze and checked on her own body.

Her loose and spotless silver hair that wasnt entangled or dirtied at all.

Her smooth, living body without a trace of injury anywhere.

Yelena unconsciously touched her left ankle and the area around her heart.

Merry said softly, as if to coax Yelena,

It seems that you just had a nightmare.

Nightmare.

Yeah, it was a nightmare.

That must be a nightmare.

She glanced outside the window.

It was still dark outside.

Yelena hesitated as she grabbed onto Merrys hand.

Stay with me until I fall asleep.

Certainly.

Merry entered this residence early on, so she had been serving Yelena since the latter was young.

Since they werent that far apart in age, she was just like a big sister to Yelena.

Merry made Yelena lie on her bed and gently stroked her forehead.

Under the warm and soft touch, Yelena felt safe.

She didnt know when it happened, but her trembling body calmed down.

Breathing out softly, Yelena once again fell into slumber.

* * *

The next day, the moment she opened her eyes, Yelena thought,

It wasnt a dream.

She was sure of it.

The thing that happened last night wasnt a dream.

She really saw the future and came back.

But how?

Even though she was sure of it in her mind, she lacked the words to explain the situation.

Since waking up, Yelena skipped breakfast and spent her time pacing back and forth in her room. While doing that, she called for a servant.

Yes, Young Lady.

Find me a person.

The person that Yelena described to the servant was the old lady begging on the streets yesterday.

In addition, Yelena also sent along the knight and maid that knew the old ladys face.

A few moments later, the servant who went out already came back.

Young Lady.

Did you find her?

Uh, we did find her, but

An expression indicating he was in a bind flashed across the servants face.

Thinking of what couldve happened, Yelena frowned.

Is she actually someone who has been dead for a while?

No, thats not it

Then?

The old lady declared that she wont take a step out of her place at all.

What?

We were going to bring her to the residence, but the old lady was really stubborn

Yelena straightened up her body.

And here I thought it was something serious.

Lets go.

Pardon?

I said, lets go to the old lady. Lead the way.

Donning the cape used to go outside, Yelena walked out of the room with light steps.

The servant couldnt hide the uneasy gaze he had as they headed towards the old lady.

He didnt feel comfortable seeing the lady he was serving move on her own accord just to meet a beggar old lady.

Well, who cares.

Yelena ignored the servants obvious feelings.

She was in a hurry.

Only

She had no time to waste on playing dignified.

Looking outside the window of the carriage, Yelenas expression hardened.

I need to meet the old lady. Theres no other way.

Yelena recalled the day she spent yesterday.

It was normal.

It was so normal that she couldnt find anything that was out of place even if she washed her eyes.

Except for one.

When she did a good deed by giving bread and soup to an old lady on the streets.