Esmeralda and Ivy returned to the house situated up in the floating piece of land.

Kate was sitting outside the door, waiting for them. She sprinted towards them. "Guys, where have you been? You were gone for too long," she told them.

Esmeralda handed the flowers to Kate. "Here are the fresh flowers I picked up for you, I hope you like them. I'm going to my room to rest. Enjoy your dinner, girls," she said and left.

"Thanks, Granny," Kate said and examined her sister's face, then she asked, "Where have you been, sis? did you cry? Your eyes look red."

Ivy smiled. "Granny and I were just talking about adult stuff in the stream. She wants to get to know me better. We just have a girly bonding," she answered with her ready-made lies.

Kate pouted. "Eh? Did you go to the garden? Why you guys didn't bring me along with you? You know that I love that place. So unfair!" she grumbled.

Ivy smiled and patted her sister's back affectionately. "Stop pouting. We're already here. Don't worry I'll ask Granny to bring us back to the stream tomorrow. Okay?" she said.

"Alright," replied Kate smiled. She buried her nose in the petals of the flowers.

"Let's get inside the house," Ivy said.

"OK, after you. The messenger bird delivered the food for dinner awhile ago. I already arranged it on the table, let's eat!" Kate chattered cheerfully.

Ivy smiled and tried hard to set aside her depression, struggling to mask the sadness in her eyes. She must not let her sister notice the pain and bitterness in her eyes. She doesn't want her to worry and spoil their last days together.

She must make their days memorable as much as possible. It's the only thing she can do for her sister. Let the good times and happy memories prevail without arguments and conflicts. She wants her sister to remember her that way.

They entered the house in a pleasant mood.

After putting the flowers in the vase, they start eating dinner with gusto.

Ivy was smiling cheerfully in front of her sister, but deep inside, her heart was breaking into pieces.

Kate was in her usual bubbly sunny self, unable to decipher the sadness and distress that her elder sister was hiding beneath a happy exterior.

~o0o~

The following day at Browncliffe Village.

Ella looked at her Aunt Margie busy packing a few of her accommodation in the cloth bundle. "Aunt, I should be the one going to the rice paddies, you should stay here in our house, let me do the hard work for you since I'm stronger than you," she said the tenth time.

Margie folded several pieces of clothing and put them inside in the bundle. "Shh, enough of this talk. I'm going with my friends, besides it's just a few kilometers walk to our destination. About twenty of us will go there and have fun and after that, I'll come back with one sack of rice, isn't that great?" she said, smiling.

Ella released a deep sigh. Why her granny is being stubborn today?

Margie looked at her niece's sour face. "Don't worry about me. I've been doing this every year. I will be gone for one night only, I'll be back here tomorrow afternoon. I asked my friend Juanita to have her daughter Julia sleep here with you so that you will have company for one night. Don't venture outside in the middle of the night and always lock the door!" she reminded her.

"Yes, I will." Ella nodded her head obediently. "Wait...I'll cook food for you," she offered.

Margie shook her head. "No need. My friends prepared dishes for our outing. You just cook your food and don't forget to water my vegetable garden," she gave her last-minute instruction.

"Yes Aunt," Ella responded.

Margie exited the bedroom holding her bundle. "You take care of yourself and behave while I'm away," she said sternly.

"Aunt, I always behave, haven't I?" Ella responded.

Margie walked towards the door. "I'm leaving now...I'm going to my friend's house. They are waiting for me there. That is our starting point."

"Enjoy bonding with your friends. And don't tire yourself too much!" Ella reminded her Aunt.

"Don't worry, we have plenty of resting places on our way towards the rice paddies. It's going to be fun," Margie replied animatedly.

Ella smiled. The enthusiasm on her aunt's face was contagious.

They reached the door. The two women bid goodbye to each other.

Ella watched her aunt going to her friend's house which was located just a few meters away.

When Aunt Margie disappeared from Ella's sight, she went back inside the house going to the kitchen, and continues washing the dirty dishes that they used for breakfast that morning.

While performing the task, the worrying thoughts of her sisters came into her mind. Until now, she had a hard time accepting the fact that her sisters don't have any plans to return to the village even for a short visit. They exhibited unusual behavior on their part.

She knows her sisters well, she grew up with them.

She knew deep inside her heart that something is going wrong in that castle! Some of the neighbors reported that after reaching the castle and inquiring the whereabouts of their missing relatives they were given a letter from the staff, informing them that those people have been long gone from the castle, leaving letters to their families telling them that they look for other work in other places and they would come back home soon.

They were also given copies of the termination of work signed by both parties. A legal declaration which can prove that the castle can no longer be held accountable for those missing employees since they already left the place on their own accord and signed the proper documents.

Ella found those documents and letters suspicious. She's been trying to convince her aunt to allow her to look for her sisters in the castle. But her aunt refused her plea over and over again.

She needs to go to the castle and find her sisters' whereabouts by hook or by crook. That's been the burning desire she was harboring deep inside her heart. She knows that her aunt was also suspicious about her nieces' condition, they weren't visiting the village in the past few months, that raised the red flag. Something... obviously went wrong.

She knows that Kate was always interested in wanting to work in the castle, but she should at least go home first and inform them of their sister Ivy's condition.

Now that Kate was also missing, her desire to go to the castle and get to the bottom of her sisters' disappearance is like a fire that keeps burning in her mind. It refused to be buried, it's keeping her awake during nighttime, and her mind would reach the point of exhaustion, too tired of thinking too much and she would drift into dreamland.

Meanwhile...

Up in the big tree, a few meters from the wooden house.

Zemeth just came back from being gone for one day.

Ramza eyed his friend. "Where have you been?"

"I went to a place to consult the one who sent me, asking him why the signal wasn't even given yet. I was told that the sign would appear in my dream, but I got bored of waiting, so I went back to him for confirmation..." explained Zemeth.

"I see...so when is the sign coming? I'm bored to death watching the girl and the old woman daily, it's getting boring!" Ramza whined.

Zemeth ignored his friend's whining and asked him instead, "What's the current news?" he asked.

"Nothing special," replied Ramza. "Aunt Margie is going somewhere today..."

"Eh? Where? Out of the village?" Zemeth asked.

"Yeah, going out with her friends to the rice paddies to harvest rice, she will be back tomorrow afternoon," Ramza answered.

"Great! That's what we've been waiting for!" Zemeth's eyes sparkled. "Listen...I want you and the boys to do something... make Aunt Margie disappear! I don't care how you do it!" he ordered.

Ramza smiled. "Yaay! Finally, some action! Don't worry, the boys and I will take care of Aunt Margie," he said.

"Good..." said Zemeth.

"When are we going to get inside the castle?" asked Ramza excitedly.

Zemeth studied his friend's face closely. "Excited, eh?"

"Yes," Ramza responded with a gloomy sigh.

"Still thinking of rescuing Kate, your beloved?" asked Zemeth while shaking his head.

Ramza's eyes had that glassy look on it, then replaced with a deep longing while looking at faraway and beyond. "Yeah, I can't forget her no matter how hard I tried. Only seeing her dead body can end my mourning and move on," he said sadly.

Zemeth sighed and patted his buddy's shoulder in sympathy. They both know that Kate and Ivy wouldn't stand a chance inside the castle that is teeming with ferocious creatures and even if they did, they are already owned by someone and that someone would not release such beautiful pets without a fight. "Bro, when we enter the castle, we should stick together and don't wander around on your own. If we stick together we will get out of the castle alive," he reminded him.

Ramza nodded his head. "Noted!" he said but deep inside his mind, he was planning to find Kate inside the castle after they get what they come for.

Zemeth was eyeing his friend suspiciously, doubt was growing in his mind. "What exactly are you going to do once we're inside the castle?" he questioned his friend's intention.

Ramza finally decided to come clean. "Well, after we accomplished our mission inside. I already decided to remain inside the castle to find Kate. Don't worry I will help you accomplish our mission first," he assured him.

Zemeth observed his friend's countenance for a long time. "Since you already decided, then I wish you success in finding Kate inside the castle. But I have to remind you again that getting out of the castle is a one in a million chance. It will only happen once and it will never happen again," he said, wearing a serious expression on his face.

Ramza bowed his head in understanding. "I completely understand. I've been thinking about it and I'm willing to take a chance," he said with finality in his voice.

Zemeth shook his head and was lost in his thoughts for a while.

The friends were engulfed in a thick wall of silence, they have nothing more to say to each other.