A minute later.

Ella and Agran rushed into the chamber. "Where's my sister, Ivy!?" her voice thundered inside the room.

Ivy slowly turned her head to the entrance of the chamber after hearing the all too familiar voice of her sibling. Then she was shocked to see an old woman. She can't possibly be her sister!

Ella reached the bed in no time.

Zemeth stepped aside to give the sisters a time to talk.

Ella smiled. "Sister, it's me. Ella!" she said happily.

"You...a...re...not...my....sister..." Ivy said.

"Yes, I am! Look at my face...I only look older because a monster had bitten me and transferred its curse to me that is why I'm looking old now," she explained hurriedly. She was about to inform her that Aunt Margie already passed away, but it's not the right time yet. Her sister looks ill!

Ivy examined the face of the old woman closely. Indeed, it was her younger sister's profile, she could be the old version of Ella, and her all too familiar voice can not be denied. Tears formed in her eyes. 'W....why...did...you..co...come...here...?"

Ella wiped the tears in her eyes. "It's a long story..."

Zemeth handed the magic healing potion bottle to Ella.

"Sis, you need to drink all the content of this bottle. It can restore your body to good health. After you are already feeling well... I'll tell you everything, okay?" Ella said and opened the bottle. She brought it to her sister's lips.

Ivy took a sip on the bottle and forced herself to endure its bitterness.

"Drink all, sister. This potion will help you back on your feet in no time," Ella insisted.

"Slowly...I can... only endure...a little bit...it's too bitter and smells horrible," Ivy complained.

Ella breathed deeply, feeling relieved that her sister is now willing to drink the potion. She brought the bottle to her nose, yuck, it smells horrible indeed, her nose wrinkled. She looked at the three men. "Guys, can you leave us for a moment, please?" she requested.

Zemeth, Ramza, and Agran turned around to leave that was also the moment Jegun appeared inside the chamber together with the hundred of leaves.

Zemeth looked at Jegun. "The girls asked for time alone. I think Ella can convince her sister to drink the rest of the potion, better than me," he said in resignation.

"Okay," Jegun understood and they all left the room including the leaves.

After the men had left.

Ella pressed the bottle again to her sister's lips. "Here drink some more..." she urged her sister.

Ivy took another sip. She feels that every time she drinks from the bitter-tasting liquid, the strength of her body comes back tenfold. The magic healing potion tastes bitter but effective, she wanted to drink it at once!

"Give that bottle to me, I'll drink it all in one go," she ordered, wanting to get over with.

Ella sighed. "No. Let's take it slow. You said that it tastes bitter. If you drink it in one go. I'm afraid that you will only vomit and the medicine will get wasted. We can't waste such precious medicine, I think it's difficult to find something like this," she argued.

Ivy agreed. "Alright, I'll take it slow," she said with a grimace. "Who are these people?" she asked.

Ella released a deep sigh and shook her head. "I dunno. I've never seen them before, but I've known about Ramza, he is the driver of the wagon..." She was preoccupied with her transformation that it's the only thing that she can think of.

Then suddenly she remembered something...

Wait...why did that driver able to enter the castle when she clearly remembered that she left him at the base of the hill? Hmm...she will ask him later how he entered the castle. The only thing she can think of is that the driver must have entered the castle wanting to find her after waiting for so long at the base of the hill.

Ella pressed the bottle again to her sister's lips. "Drink...sis..." she said.

Ivy obliged and gulped more liquid, drowning it quickly down her throat, fighting the urge not to vomit.

A few minutes later.

"Have you seen sister Kate here inside the castle? She comes here to investigate why you fail to visit us in the village? But she also didn't return..." Ella told her.

Ivy sighed heavily. "We're both trapped here. Don't worry...she already escapes. I hope she did..."

Ella's eyes widened. "When—? How did she escape? Agran told me that everyone can enter the castle but can't get out alive. When did sister Kate escape? And why you didn't accompany her? And why did Ramza told me that he found you in a shallow grave about to be buried by the leaves? And who are those leaves he is talking about? I don't understand..." she bombarded her sister with her endless questions.

Ivy ignored the avalanche of questions her sister had thrown at her. She sat up, took the bottle from her sister, and drink from it. "My goodness, if there is only another way to restore my health, I would not drink this one!" she said, grimacing.

Ella rubbed Ivy's back. "It's better than nothing. If I'm on your shoes I will drink it without complaint..."

Ivy handed back the bottle to her sister. "What is the name of the guy you mentioned a while ago?" she asked.

"Agran?"

Ivy shook her head. "The other one..."

"Ramza?" said Ella.

"Yes, that's it! I see... Kate fall in love with a wagoner whose name is Ramza. And the driver of the wagon that brought you here in the castle also named Ramza? Isn't that strange? Hmm...what a coincidence. Aren't these men suspicious?" Ivy said a bit louder. "We can't trust them..." she finally concluded.

Ella looked at her sister. "Yes. They're all strangers to us. But you have to remember that these people are the same persons that rescued you from certain death. We owe them your second life. So far... they're not doing anything to threaten or harm us...they have gone all the way to help us. They can't possibly be the bad guy...right?" she reminded her although she had inner doubts and reservations as well.

Ivy nodded her head. "You got a point, sis," she agreed.

Ella handed back the bottle to her sister, this time, her sister drink from it without complaint.

Every time Ivy drinks the liquid her body is getting stronger.

Ella stared at the bottle and smiled. "Look...sis...the bottle is near empty! Congratulations!" she said beaming.

Ivy smiled triumphantly. She sipped some more until she already finished consuming the liquid and handed back the empty bottle to her sister. "Done!"

"Amazing, sis! How are you feeling now?" Ella asked.

Ivy smiled. "I feel my old self. Feeling better so far."

"Good job! I'm so very happy that you're back to normal," Ella said and hugged her sister tightly.

The sisters hugged each other for a few minutes, celebrating Ivy's second life.

"You sleep more, sis. I'll be right here beside you. I'll never leave your side," said Ella.

Ivy examined her sister's body. "How do you feel now? Now that your body is that of an old woman?" she asked worriedly.

Ella shrugged her shoulder. "Don't mind me. Only my physical appearance that was changed, the rest is still the old me. I can live with this appearance as long we are together, sister," she said.

"How is Aunt Margie doing?" Ivy asked.

Ella bit her lip, she thinks it's not the right time yet to tell her sister that their aunt already passed away unless she fully recovered from her present condition. "She's fine. We're talking about you and Kate a lot, wishing for the day that we can be together again," she lied.

"I was hoping that Aunt hasn't allowed you to come to the castle to check on us because it's dangerous here. Once you get in you can't get out alive. I was disappointed with Aunt Margie, she shouldn't permit you to come after us. Too bad, I don't have any means to warn you guys, I'm so sorry," Ivy said apologetically.

Ella sighed. "Sister, don't blame yourself, it's not your fault. It's the castle's fault! This castle is hiding monsters inside! At first, I thought it was just an old crumbling castle. I never knew all sorts of monsters and powerful creatures lurk here. This place is scary!"

Ivy nodded her head. "It's our misfortunes that we're brought here by our destiny. If I know beforehand what's going to happen, I should have not worked here at all. Too bad, I can't turn back time. From now on, we can only proceed with caution, especially that we are surrounded by strangers that we only met. We only have each other to trust, I don't know if we can trust these men..."

Ella remembered something. "Sis, you told me before that Kate already escape this castle? Is it true? How did you know? And why you didn't accompany Kate? You told me that nobody can escape this castle? How come Kate escape? How did she do it?"

Ivy massage her temple. Her sister starts asking so many questions again, she can't blame her. If she will tell Ella that she sacrificed her life so that Kate can escape, her sister would feel devastated.

She wants to know if Kate, Granny, and the tree escape successfully? She needs to ask the leaves first.

Ella studied her sister's face closely. "I'm waiting for your answer to all my questions, sister," she reminded her.

"I need to see the leaves first...they are the only ones who can tell me if Kate manages to escape successfully from this castle," Ivy replied.

"Huh?" Ella's brows furrowed. "Why the leaves are involved with Kate's escape? Tell me why, I'm confused," she said.

Ivy released a deep sigh. "It's a long story. Don't worry, I'll tell you everything," she assured her.