Three days. I have three days to figure out a plan before Gala is supposed to take place. 

Madam Zornem gifted me two new pairs of winter boots and one pair of socks for Mama and me. I did end up apologizing to her, but I still cannot get that dreadful feeling out of the pit of my stomach. No amount of reassurance could let up the idea that I was going to meet the gods and be away from Mama forever. 

I toss and turn on my mattress, waiting for sleep to drown out my thoughts and bring me into a restful peace. Not that this would ever happen because the thoughts in my head are simply too loud and demanding to be silenced. 

I cast my eyes towards our lone window; the light from a streetlamp reflecting some of the snowflakes that drift towards the ground. I let out a sigh as I roll off my mattress and walk towards where my winter gown hangs. I am not supposed to wear it until Gala, but I suppose a walk into the gardens would not hurt. 

I rummage around, throw my nightgown off, and then toss my winter dress on. I tiptoe over to where the new pair of shoes and socks lay, and I put them on. My new pair of boots fit comfortably over my feet, and I quickly lace them up. I walk over to the door and look back towards Mama. She is fast asleep; I do not think I am going to wake her. 

I quietly open the door, and it lets out an eerie squeak. I take in a shallow, wispy breath and step out into the serene snowfall. Compared to the sunlight hours, the snow has calmed down into a slow sprinkle. 

I gaze around as the few light spots among the kingdom grounds came from fire-lit streetlamps. The once bustling streets are stifled and serene. I let out a breath that comes up in a soft cloud of air. 

I start my walk down to the fields. I desperately want to allow my thoughts to drift into an array of directions, but they remain stuck on my upcoming death. How many folks get to meet a gatekeeper who tells them that they are going to die? Goodness, I still cannot believe it. 

I find myself entering the field where the stables quickly come into my eyesight. The crunch of snow under my feet is comforting as I stride towards the building; its lights are also dimmed. What is special about the barn's lights is that they are not natural fire; they are magically lit. There are very few places in the kingdom that are granted the privilege of having any magic to be used within their proximity. The east farming grounds is one of those places where magic is permitted. There is also the castle, obviously, the fighting grounds, and the west farming grounds. Those are the obvious areas, but I am sure that there are others spread around the kingdom grounds.

My steps echo in the barn grounds as I enter. The lights that were once faint, to allow the animals to rest, are now brighter. Some of the animals stir in their sleep, but the nocturnal ones, such as Marylou, a Masyl calf, turn her head towards my direction, exuberant. She lets out an excited little squeal as she rushes towards the front of her kennel. I smile and hustle over to meet the tiny, juvenile calf. 

"Hello, little one," I reach to pet her head that reaches peaks over the gate. Her dark gray fur is soft in between my fingers. She closes her eyes and leans into my touch.

"You've been a good little calf. It is so sad being here all alone, being awake when everyone is asleep. You deserve to be free," I take a moment and let out a shaky breath. 

"This is no place for a calf to be raised, in captivity, away from family," I let out a little scoff. I understand why we have these animals here, to make food and weave clothes. Yet, it is still a bittersweet thing. 

"Strigoi," a voice whisper around me. I turn my head around and raise both my hands into fists. My heart starts to pump as my eyes look around every little space of the barn. The blood that runs through my body freezes in my veins as the air in my throat is stuck in place. 

"Who goes there," I shout as I inch closer to the calf's gate. Having another being here, that is awake, is certainly the smallest bit more comforting. 

"Little strigoi," I let out a muffled yelp as I keep my eyes alert, my feet on their tippy toes. The calf behind me lays down and remains silent. I look around the barn as the temptation to flee is raging through my body. 

I make a dash for the entrance of the barn and can feel like wind flushing through my hair, but I am abruptly stopped as I run into an invisible barrier where the open gate doors would be. I fall onto the floor, having the wind knocked out of my lungs. This is a nightmare, right? 

I look back towards the barn opening and touch the barrier I ran into. Where I touch shows a light purple color, my reflection appearing such as that in a mirror. This means one thing, there is magic involved. 

"Strigoi, strigoi, strigoi," the voice wraps around my mind as a chill rush down my spine. I bring the dress's hood over my head as I look down, cradling my body in a ball. This will not happen; I will not die now. 

"Leave me alone," I whisper as my eyes dart forward, only to see what appears to be a --- ghost. It is a woman draped in a torn, white dress. Her skin is sheet white, and her eyes appear a lifeless grey. I cringe as she walks towards me, the word "strigoi" being repeated from her mouth. 

My back starts to rise as I stand up, using the magic barrier as leverage. She is about twenty feet away from me as her hand reaches up, a gentle light beaming out of it. I want to scream, but the words are stuck in my throat. 

No, I cannot die. 

Before she has a chance to get an inch closer, I go ahead and bolt to my right, heading towards the ladder in the middle of the barn. I have an option; go to the other side of the barn where it can also be barricaded off or go to the ladder that leads to the rooftop. At the top, there should be another ladder that leads downstairs as an escape route. 

I cannot hesitate for a second. I run towards the ladder, peeking over my shoulder only to look at the ghost turning around, giving me an eerie smile. 

"You can't escape it, strigoi,"

"Patrz na mnie," I spit as I grab the ladder's rungs and start to climb up.  I continue to climb until I reach a latch that opens to the roof. I open the latch and my face is hit by a whirling gust of snow. I shake off the original shock of the cold and get on top of the roof, closing the latch in the process. 

I look from the top of the roof back towards the latch where I just came from. What the hell just happened? No, I cannot ponder on it; I must get away.

 I stare towards the ladder that is leading down. I immediately head on over and start descending towards the ground. 

I am slowly climbing down when my body is frozen. It is not in fear, nor is it from the cold; my body is frozen from a spell. My head is the only part that I can move, so I peer around, only to see the ghost waiting at the bottom of the ladder, simply just smiling. It is an eerie smile, expecting, awaiting my arrival.

Is this how I die? 

"Freeze," a voice screams as my eyes dart towards the entrance of the field. I snicker; I could not move if I wanted to. I see two men approach; one is wearing armor and the other is in normal garments. 

"What are you doing," the knight shouts; he is only wearing a chest plate and holding a sword. 

"Ghost," I shout as my head attempts to nod towards the ground. I take a deep breath, "I am under a stiffen spell. I am completely frozen." 

The two men share a glance before the lad in regular garments starts to move his hands, chanting in a language that oddly familiar to my ears. I realize that he is a magic wielder. 

The mage leads the knight towards where the ghost stands at the foot of the ladder. I attempt to move my feet, but neither one of them budges. This means that the ghost still has her spell wrapped around my body. I attempt to wiggle free of the spell, but it is cast tightly around my body like a rope. For it digs into my skin and leaves burn marks; the more I try to escape, the more it buries into my flesh.

"Please, help, my body is going numb," the two looks at me before the magic-user casts a white flame from the tips of his fingers. My eyes widen as I realize he must be either a fire wielder or a light wielder. 

"Zjawić się," the mage shouts as the ghost lets out a shriek and fades into the night; what was left of her body is now a light, greying sheet of air. My body finally regains feeling, and I am quick to go down the rungs of the ladder before my feet touch the ground. I immediately go on my knees and pant as every bit of energy in my body is depleted. This is the typical reaction when a negative spell is cast on a mortal, I think, at least.

"Are you okay," the mage and knight run over to me as all I can do is lift my head up and look at them. I shakily get up on my feet before stumbling back into the ground. My legs feel weak, and my arms are hardly able to support my body weight. 

"Aiden, hold my sword. I will carry back to the castle; the amount of blood she is lost is great. We need to get her treated."

"Blood," my voice is a soft whisper as the knight gets a secure hold underneath me, picking me up. I look at the knight as his oak brown irises gaze into my own eyes. His deep brown bangs fall away from his eyes as the worry he holds is evident in the way his eyebrows knit together. 

"Yes, you have been impaled from the back, my lady."

"No, I was never ---" I freeze as the words die on the tip of my tongue. Weakness is starting to spread through my limbs as any feeling within my body is soon dipping into oblivion. 

"Shit, Aiden, we have to go now!"

"Got it, I'll alert Lydia," the mage, from what I can see, is starting to run. The knight then tucks me into his arms and starts to jog towards the medical ward. I would typically attempt to protest about going an inch near the castle, but I am too weak to even utter a syllable. 

I can only focus on keeping my eyes open, looking towards the snow that is starting to go away. Only then does everything fade, and I am quickly tossed into the world of emptiness.