Chapter 2: Lost

The air hung heavy with mist as the first rays of sunlight broke through the eastern horizons, slowly streaming across the vast expanse of Blair estate, casting long shadows upon it's ancient walls.

It was still early in the morning yet the castle was already bustling with activities as the servants went about their daily chores, a few of whom entrusted with the task of loading various luggages on top of a horse-drawn carriage.

"Mom, is this really necessary?" Catherine, now flawlessly in the usual appearance of her twin, couldn't help but ask her mother who was busily directing the castle servants. "With this much luggage to send me on my way, I have reason to suspect that you're trying to drive me out of the house."

"Oh, darling. You jest! How can I possibly let you leave empty-handed? This is barely even enough! If not for the time constraints, I could have requested the tailor to customize a few more sets of clothing for you."

"Need not." Catherine's lips twitched. "I wouldn't be able to wear them anyway since the academy would be requiring us to wear the prescribed uniform every day."

"Oh." Duchess Blair sighed in disappointment. "It's would certainly be a feast to the eyes having you dressed in military uniform. Quite a pity that I won't be able to see it for myself."

Catherine thought for a moment and then proposed. "I'll take a photo, then, if that's alright with you."

"My! I'll look forward to recieving it. Remember to write home often."

" Yes. Gladly so." Catherine hugged her mother. "Farewell, mother. I'll surely miss you."

"And so will I. Much more than you."

"What about me?"

"And me. I want a hug too!"

Two male voices came from the side, attracting attention to themselves.

"None for the both of you!" Duchess Blair snapped and pulled the two unwilling men back to the castle. Probably itching to give them a beating once more.

Watching their backs disappearing out of her sight, Catherine couldn't help but smile.

"Young Miss, it's about time we depart." The Coachman reminded her softly.

"Hmmm." Catherine nodded as she stepped into the carriage. "Oh! And Bill, remember to address me as Young Master from now on."

"Understood."

.....

More a month later, after travelling nonstop through the scorching heat of summer, the carriage bearing the Blair Dukedom's insignia finally arrived at it's final destination, a huge gray fortress located in the outskirts of the capital.

"So this is Siegfried Military Academy. It's quite impressive." Catherine exclaimed as she stepped out of the carriage, marveling at the sight in front of her.

"Tis' so, Young Master." Recalling his days within the academy a few decades back, Bill couldn't help but burst into a fit of laughter. "Quite a vast, old place they have here. If you're even a little bit poor with directions, many a chance you'll get lost after leaving your doorstep!"

Catherine"..."

"Say, Bill. What are the chances of people getting lost and entering the wrong room?"

Bill blinked. "If the door's not locked. Then it's very much likely."

"Is it not possible to place a unique mark on your own door. For example, the family's insignia."

"I suggest not, Young Master. Putting the family's insignia on your door might invite thieves, assassins, and possibly even perverts into your room late at night. After all, the Young Master's appearance is just too dazzling that even the straightest of men would become bent after a look or two." Bill said in a light-hearted manner, unaware that his seemingly innocuous words sent a chill down the young lady's spine.

By the gods!

This place is practically a slaughterhouse!

Catherine couldn't help but cry inwardly as every cell in her body resisted the idea of entering the old gray fortress that now looked nothing short of a wild beast threatening to swallow her whole.

"Young master, are you alright? You look quite pale. Perhaps, I should go and have one of the guards summon a doctor."

"... I'm fine." Catherine smiled weakly. "I've already taken everything I might need from my luggage. Just drop off the rest at our family's manor in the Capital."

"Yes, young master."

"Alright, I'm off. You guys ought to have some rest too before heading back to estate." Catherine waved her hand at Bill and her escort guards before heading into the fortress.

Unlike other military cadets, she didn't need to show any form of identification since the insignia on the carriage she alighted from was more than enough to prove her identity. After all, who in their right minds would risk death to impersonate the Duke's family? Much less enter a highly guarded fortress while bearing the guilt of committing such a treasonous act.

Looking down at the admission letter given by her brother before her departure, she skimmed through words to search for information regarding her dormitory's room number.

"Let's see, 107 room on the thirtieth floor's east wing. Hmmm... doesn't seem that hard to find. Bill must've been exaggerating."

More than an hour later...

Catherine sat limply on the ground while leaning against the cold stone wall, her chest heaving as sweat as she took in labored breathes.

"Just what kind of ghost place is this?!"

Clearly, she had walked, ran, and even climbed up quite a distance. Why was she still back to square one?!

Earlier, Bill told her that this place was vast enough for one to get lost in. That's still reasonable considering how big the building was, what with it's towering height of having almost a hundred floors.

However, why didn't he tell her that not only does it have more than two hundred rooms in each floor, most of which were unoccupied, it was even built like a maze!

And not only that, what's even more terrifying was that during her more than an hour of exploration, she didn't even meet a single soul, much less a person she could talk to!

"Arrrgghhh!!! Just what kind of ghost place is this?! I swear, if I ever find out who designed this fortress, I'd definitely dig up their graves!"

"Pffft! Talking about digging up your own ancestors' graves... My! You're quite an unfilial one, aren't you?"