Princess Kyra?

I dream I'm flying and for once I'm not afraid. The clouds are as soft and fluffy as cotton candy. The breeze gentle on my skin on my wings.

"Your Highness," a female voice disrupts my peaceful dreams.

I open my eyes and find myself wondering if I'm still dreaming until I remember going through the Eight Levels of the Underworld and being reborn as Princess Kyra. Xin's buzzing around the chamber lighting incense.

"What is it?" I sit up wishing I could go back to sleep, "blow those out," the smell of incense burning makes my head hurt and my nose itch. Xin seems confused until I start sneezing. With a wave of my hand, the incenses are drenched in water.

Xin claps her hands together, "Wow, my Lady has improved," she smiles at me but all I feel is annoyance.

"Why do you say that?" I walk over to her studying her every movement. It's calculated and, "since when are spirits maidservants?"

My blades in my hand within seconds, Xin lets out a whimper as the cold metal pressed against her skin, "just who are you?"

"My lady please," Xin pleads, "what has gotten into you, someone help, her Highness has gone mad!"

I knock Xin out with the end of my sword then slip back into bed sword hidden under the covers. With closed eyes, I listen to the guards' confused murmurs. Xin is clearly a spirit yet no one else seems to notice, I don't think she's aware of what she's become. That was genuine fear of course it could be due to being caught.

Slowly I open my eyes then scream, "what are you doing?"

The guards fall to their knees, "forgive us, my lady, we heard screaming and rushed in thinking you were in danger," one of the guards says.

I clench the covers against my chest with as much of a tremor as I can master ask, "where is Xin?"

"My Lady, Xin was executed three weeks ago," the same guard says.

"Ah, yes I remember now," with a steadier voice I say, "rise."

They rise and as they do, I notice how the guard that spoke has no eyes his skin is hollowed out. The other two seem to be dead as well, their throats have angry red marks.

"They hung you," I crawl out of bed sword in hand, "you're all dead."

"You kill us," the eyeless guard says.

"They took your eyes in life, not death why does your soul lack them?" I ask.

"They burned them out," Xin says, "you're not the Princess."

"I don't know who I am," I say, "I was supposed to find someone."

"The Dark King," Xin says.

"Yes, I don't think it was supposed to turn out like this," I say, "last night was he here?"

"No, my… what should I call you?" Xin asks.

At the realization of what Xin has said the guards stop pretending to be alive and take a stance behind Xin.

Before I can answer a voice calls out to me. Xin seems to notice my confusion.

"It seems you can hear us all," she says, "the souls Princess Kyra tormented. She murdered the Empress's favored Concubine earning her a place in the cold palace. To be forgotten by all Kyra took her anger out on the few servants sent to accompany her."

"She had my name," I say, "the name my mother would have given me had she lived."

"Perhaps when the Eunuch called out to her you accidentally got pulled into her vessel."

"Eunuch?"

"He's the only living soul that'll venture here. All the other servants believe the cold palace to be haunted. Since the Princess killed everyone no one dears serve her."

"You where the last one," I say, "three weeks ago she killed you."

"The Empress sent poisoned wine calling it mercy, Princess Kyra forced me to drink it instead and ran away. She fell into the creek the Eunuch saw my corps and realized what had happened went out in search of her."

"He resuscitated her."

"Yes and no," she points at me.

"Right, tell me Xin how do I get out."

"We don't know, there's a chance you're trapped."

An idea comes to mind without hesitation I turn my sword plunging it into my abdomen curved upward towards my heart.

"Don't let anyone in," I say, blood flowing from my wound and mouth, "I will not be stuck in this vessel," at those words' darkness floods the room.

Fie looks at me with horror.

"No," I manage to get out, "this isn't my vessel. Please understand I will find you."

"For how long?"

"You've waited this long what's a little bit longer," cold darkness overtakes me before I'm falling. The familiar sensation makes me laugh. I land with a thud on the Bridge of Eternity.

"Well this is unexpected," two ruby-red eyes peer down at me the female's snow-white hair cascades down one shoulder, "most don't figure it out."

"What?" I ask finding the pain from the stab wound to be quite real and still there, "I got out."

"When you jumped the Bridge determined you needed one more trial," the female says, "most don't figure it out and live out whatever role they get stuck in thinking that's what they were meant to experience. I'm Cerin…

"The firstborn of the Empress and Deity of the Underworld. The Deity of Shadows and Darkens also known as Selene the Deity of Night and Hope and Healers. When you underwent your trial in the secular world your father split your soul reincarnating you as a white rabbit and an eight-tail red fox." I sit up leaning against the bridge for support.

"You are quite smart, not many know my tale, with such detail. Now think of what you want and jump," Deity Cerin smiles placing a hand over my head I feel warm energy flow through me.

The pain and fatigue, gone, "thank you," I haul myself over the bridge and think of Fie, of that moment when we first met in Luna's tea house.

I pray to the Underworld I pray to the Celestial Realm that I can find him that I can do what I was supposed to have done long ago.