4.

For two years, I haunted Carlos relentlessly. Night after night, I tormented him, whispering in the darkness, dragging shadows across his vision, and making his every waking moment a living nightmare. He couldn't take it anymore. He fled, abandoning this palace the place where he had betrayed me and left my body to rot. He built a new castle at the border, far from my reach. 

I wanted to follow, but I was bound to this cursed mansion, forever tied to the place where my life was cruelly stolen. The old palace was abandoned for years, left to crumble in silence. But today, that silence was broken. 

The sound of horses clattering across the cobblestone path caught my attention. I appeared outside, drawn to the commotion. A line of carriages approached the castle gates, filled with new residents. 

Servants spilled out first, their attire distinguishing their roles. Maids in black dresses and white aprons hurried with supplies, while cooks in uniform bustled about with crates. They marveled at the vast, decrepit castle as they entered, their voices mingling with the echoes of their footsteps. 

I wandered through the halls, observing as they explored. The air was thick with the smell of dust and decay, but I paid it no mind. In the back patio, I stumbled upon a scene that made me pause. 

A man and a woman, hidden from the rest, were locked in a passionate embrace. "We have to be quick before the others notice," the woman whispered. They stripped hastily, their hands fumbling with each other's clothes. She straddled him, their movements growing intense and unashamed. When it was over, they dressed quickly and parted ways without another word. 

I followed the woman back inside. She rejoined the other maids, her flushed face betraying nothing as she murmured, "I can't believe such a horrid incident happened here." 

"Don't speak of it," another maid hissed. "We have work to do." 

They scattered, dividing tasks as they cleaned the castle, mended fences, and prepared for their master. 

Later, a new figure descended from the carriage. She was dressed in fine, noble clothing, her face obscured by a veil and wide-brimmed hat, like she was some outcast. A long black gown flowed around her ankles, and her gloved hands clutched a small wooden chest. 

The maids whispered as she passed. 

"I heard she's the new mistress," one said. "The master's new favorite." 

But something about her didn't sit right with me. She carried herself with an air of quiet determination, and when she was assigned to clean the main palace chamber, my chamber,I decided to follow. 

She walked the halls without hesitation, ascending the grand staircase toward the room where I had died. The doors had remained shut for years, locked tight after Carlos abandoned the palace. Yet she pushed them open with all her might, slipping inside as the heavy doors creaked closed behind her. 

The room was just as I had left it. The bloodstained floor, the shattered glass, and the lingering scent of death. My body, whatever remained of it, lay where it had fallen. My severed head sat beside my incomplete skeleton, the gruesome remnants of my betrayal. 

She froze, her eyes wide as she took it all in. For a moment, I thought she might scream, but instead, she bolted from the room, running as though the devil himself chased her. 

I followed her, intrigued by her reaction. The sound of a commotion drew me to one of the lower rooms. There she was, on her knees, being beaten by a woman with sharp brown eyes and a cruel hand. 

"What kind of maid are you?" the woman snarled, slapping her hard. "You can't even clean simple bloodstains!" 

The girl's veil slipped as she recoiled, revealing her face. My breath or what was left of it—caught. She looked just like me. The same sharp features, the same delicate frame. Only her hair was different, a deep black where mine had been white. 

Tears streamed down her face as she stammered, "T-there's a body there… The late princess's body. Her bones are still there!" 

The woman froze, her expression shifting to panic. "Take her to her room and tend to her wounds," she barked at the nearby maids. "And don't let my husband hear of this!" 

As the maids carried the girl away, I lingered, my thoughts racing. Who was she? Why did she look like me? 

I drifted through the castle, watching the servants as they worked. The fences were repaired, supplies were restocked, and the halls were scrubbed clean. Yet my mind remained fixated on the girl. 

This castle, once silent and still, had come alive again. New faces, new secrets, new lives to unravel. 

I might not be able to haunt Carlos anymore, but this… this would be fun.