3 CHAPTER 1
As she gazed across the horizon, she relished the cool breeze and quiet waves of the ocean. She'd been here for over a week and had quite a great time. She looked down at her feet, which were dipped in icy sea water. What could she possibly have done wrong?
What will it feel like if she tries to drown herself in the water? How could she be so shallow, she wondered. She wasn't the type to drown because of a setback, especially after all she'd accomplished in the three years since she'd been released from the hospital.
With a smile on her face, she sighed and combed her short hair with her fingers. She had the impression that the day would only get better from here. As she heard someone approaching, she turned carefully to look at the person who had been by her side for many years.
"You may now tell me the wonderful news; we've been waiting a long time," she said, noticing the older man's smile.
"Is it that obvious?" the man chuckled.
"We have been together for many years, we can be considered a married couple," she laughed, seeing the man's face flush beet red. She couldn't stop laughing; how could he be so cute for such a big man?
"You need to follow me, I can't talk about it but I can show you," he said solemnly, and she realized it was time to get down to business.
Aurelia went out of the icy water and into her slippers before following the man who had been keeping an eye on her for over five years. Aurelia was on her small island, which her husband had purchased for her for her 21st birthday.
He wanted to spoil her, and who could refuse something so romantic and liberating? She smiled as she remembered her loving husband, who was waiting for her until she returns home.
She missed him as well, but it wasn't the right time for her to be going around kissing her husband for favors, especially since he had already established himself in the business world.
You had to be tough and build a fortress for yourself in the world she lived in, or you'd be hunted down and ripped apart by ruthless wolves.
Her island wasn't as big as some of the other islands where resorts have sprouted up. Hers included a helipad, a villa, and several hectares of land, some of which she had converted into an orchard and some of which she had left untouched. Because she was on an island, she decided to keep some of the island's uniqueness, which led her to her destination.
She was ecstatic when she first saw the island and loved exploring it every time she came back. She discovered a cave while constructing her villa. She didn't like it, but she couldn't change it because it was a natural part of the island. She ignored the cave for more than three years until she decided to investigate it one day when she had some free time.
Aurelia entered the cave, which had become brighter as a result of all the lights she had installed over the previous few months. It was no longer a bleak or dark place. She'd made it into a place she could freely enter.
There were only a few people in the cave, including all of her men. She had spent years searching for people who would be loyal to her, and she had finally found the first group. Her staff was not in large numbers; only a few were handpicked.
Her men all greeted her with respect as she approached and came to a halt in front of a locked door. It was scribbled with some amusing patterns that she recognized. She'd seen them in an old book she'd bought a year before at a garage sale.
She couldn't figure out why she had gone there in the first place. It piqued her interest, so she purchased and read it. It didn't make sense to her because she didn't believe in supernatural nonsense. Now that she was staring at that nonsense, she couldn't help but laugh.
She'd learned one thing from this: she'd never again look down on anything. She was going to be humble, particularly when it came to subjects she didn't understand.
"Everything was fine until now; there is no hidden mechanism to open this door. Is it worth making a big deal about it?" Julius asked her a question, and she just stared at him.
It was a wise decision, especially since she had no idea what those strange symbols meant. She closed her eyes and began to recall everything she had read before, especially this particular seal. She smiled as she remembered everything.
"I think you should take a break. Come back in ten minutes, and if I can't open it, we'll try to blast it out," she told her men, who stared at her with shock in their eyes.
Given that she was the group's youngest member; it was understandable that they were taken aback by her order.
"Are you sure about that?" Julius inquired. "How about I leave a few of the guys with you?" Julius proposed, but she declined.
"If you still believe I am your boss, you may begin to leave right now, or I will begin to question your loyalty!" Aurelia said it quietly, and they all knew what she meant. She'd never said those words to them before; she simply needed a moment to herself to deal with the situation so they didn't have to react too quickly.
Julius told her, "We will leave, but if anything goes wrong, just shout, and we will be here," and she smiled.
"I know, don't worry, I'm stronger than I appear," she smiled, and everyone seemed to relax a little because the mood had improved.
"We will take our leave," Julius said as he persuaded the guys to leave the cave.
Julius wasn't sure what his mistress was up to, but even after five years with her, she remained a mystery to him, and he wasn't tired of attempting to solve it.
"What do you think she'll do?" one of the men asked.
"I wish I knew. What can open that door now that we've tried and failed so many times?" Julius was unable to provide an answer to the question.
Julius shook his head, deciding to wait and see what his mistress was up to; after all, she wasn't stupid. She was by far the bravest person he had ever seen. She was incredibly strong for her age. After seeing what she had been through, he just wanted her to be at peace.
He was embarrassed by himself; after all these years, he had failed to complete even one of the tasks assigned to him. He could sense that he was getting close. She only had a few more days to get the answers she and her family had been looking for years. It will be ideal if that time comes when she is in a good mood; otherwise, he has no idea how things will turn out when she learns.
While Julius was outside with the rest of the men, Aurelia was busy deciphering the symbols on the door. After seeing something like this, she had an idea of what she should do, but she wasn't going to rush into it. She hoped to find some hidden treasures inside because she needed money for a new project. The greater the sum, the better, and the best part was that it was entirely free.
She drew the small knife from her waistband. It was custom-made for her two years ago. She didn't want to travel with a gun, so it was small and portable. As she slashed her left palm, she didn't even flinch. What was the point of being in pain at this point?
She stood there, watching the blood drain away.
It was a blood flower, an extinct species that was once common. She pressed her bloodied hand against the flower and drew it away as soon as the blood spread. She stood there for a while, waiting for a response, but there was none. Is it possible that she made a mistake? She'd read somewhere that she'd have to make a sacrifice.
She needed to make a blood sacrifice in order to open the door, and because she didn't want to bother anyone else, she sacrificed herself, but the door remained closed? She was frustrated when something unexpected happened, and fumes were already pouring out of her skull.
She was surprised at first, but she stood there watching the blood slowly drain into the flower. She was perplexed when she noticed the flower on the door change from crimson to golden.
"This is insane," she thought to herself as she froze in place. There was a vibration as if the cave was moving, which terrified her, but she wasn't leaving until that door was opened. It didn't matter to her if the only thing buried there were skeletons. This was her home, and she owned everything.
She would have someone look after the skeletons, but no one would know if there was treasure. She rejoiced as the ground trembled, but she will not be alone for long. Her men rushed in, thinking something terrible had happened to her, but instead found her standing there, bleeding from her hand.
