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“Aargh!”

A blood-curdling scream pierced the night. Most frightening of all, it belonged to a woman.

My senses snapped into full alert, as I jumped up from the bed, and instantly, I was on my feet. My heart was beating loudly, booming inside my head. I grabbed my pants and quickly dressed myself, my hands trembling with a sense of urgency.

I rushed out of my room, only to see Lilith standing in the doorway, her eyes wide with fear.

“What was that?” she asked, trembling.

“I don’t know,” I replied, still hearing the echo of that scream. “Are you alright?”

“Yes,” she nodded. “It wasn’t me.”

At that moment, we both turned to the staircase, which was still engulfed in darkness.

“Turn on the lights!” I shouted, and she did as I bid her immediately.

The entire place lit up instantly. We both rushed to the staircase, my heart pounding louder than my footsteps. What we both saw at the same time made us paralyzed.

“Cass!?” Lilith screamed her sister’s name so loudly that I thought the entire place would collapse from the strength of her pain. “Cass!” she shouted again, lifting her nightgown and running down the stairs.

I quickly followed after her. A moment later, I heard oncoming footsteps, but I didn’t look up to see who it was. It didn’t matter. Lilith knelt down next to the motionless body of her sister, as she gently cradled Cassandra’s head in her hands.

“Don’t move her,” I urged. “She might have broken something.”

She didn’t say anything to that. Instead, she grabbed her sister’s hand and pressed her fingers to feel her pulse. She dropped Cassandra’s hand, shaking her head.

“No, no… it can’t be…” she kept repeating over and over again.

I bent down next to her, pressing my fingers to her neck. There was no pulse.

“Quickly, call for the doctor!” I shouted to a few of the servants who had silently gathered around us, gasping in disbelief at the lifeless form of Lilith’s sister, sprawled out at the bottom of the stairs, with her long flowing hair and eyes that would never open on their own again.

“Cass?” Lilith suddenly started to speak, bending over her sister, cupping her face with her hands. “Cass, please stop with this nonsense. Wake up, OK? Just… wake up, it’s me, Lil. Don’t scare me like this.”

Her voice was weak, trembling with shock and disbelief. She had to be removed from here, especially when the doctor arrived. I noticed Luke in the corner, his eyes wide and his mouth agape.

“Luke!” I shouted to him, gesturing at him to come over. “Take Lilith to her room.”

He seemed as if he didn’t hear me at first, but a moment later, he nodded. He came over to Lilith and wrapped his arms around her.

“Come on, Lil,” he whispered tenderly into her ear. A part of me was jealous. I wanted to be the one to comfort her in such a terrible tragic moment, but I knew that it wasn’t my place to do so. I had to remain here, especially because the king hadn’t arrived yet. I feared what he would say when he saw that his daughter was dead. What could he say other than drop downto his knees, crying? Because he was a father first and a king second. That was the impression I had of him.

“No, no,” Lilith shook her head, her eyes red and swollen from the tears she was trying to keep at bay. “I have to stay here. I have to wake up Cass. She fell and she is hurt. I have to be here. I have to.”

“I know, sweetie,” Luke spoke gently, pulling her closer to him. She allowed him. He got her up and made her look at him instead of at Cass’ body.

I watched as Lilith struggled to process the reality before her, and my heart clenched at the pain this was causing her. Time seemed to slow down, as Luke finally managed to get her back up the stairs, as she kept repeating that Cass fell and she wasn’t feeling very well.

“Make some room,” I suddenly heard Doctor Zalkind’s voice, as he fought his way through a swarm of servants, more of whom had gathered, creating a circle around Cass and me.

He arrived swiftly, his face a mask of concern and grief as he knelt by Cassandra’s lifeless form. His experienced eyes assessed her first. I was sure that he could tell immediately. Still, he knelt down, pressing his trembling fingers onto her neck. Then, he checked her eyes. It was clear that there was nothing he could do. The room fell into a heavy silence momentarily. Up until then, I could hear occasional whispers, but now, there was nothing.

“I’m sorry,” he lifted his head to me. “She’s gone.”

A collective gasp filled the hallway, followed by wails of grief from all the servants. I looked somewhere behind Doctor Zalkind, and I realized that the king was standing there. He hadn’t even seen Cassandra yet.

I jumped up, trying to hide her body from his sight.