Again?

"What do you mean, she is in there? Are you blind? Can't you see the lock?!" Elias pointed at the lock, his eyes bulging with rage.

The maid, who had been quietly keeping tabs on Gwyneth, lowered her gaze, her eyes brimming with tears of anxiety. "I swear on my life, your majesty. She was right here, but she vanished. And then I heard her scream from inside."

Elias scoffed, clenching his fists. "Do you think I am a child?"

"No.. I... I just..."

"Enough!" Just as he raised his hand at her, the door swung open and Gwyneth walked out, her serene presence diffusing the tension.

Elias went completely still. "You.. you?!" His hand rose, ready to deliver a blow, but then a strange, unsettling sensation slammed into his body.

A shiver ran down his spine, and he froze, his breath catching in his throat. He lowered his hand, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Leave us." Gwyneth instructed the maid, who fled for her life.