The Moon Princess (Part 2)

When she woke up, she was feeling a bit dizzy. Her head hurt. Probably still drunk from the whisky, Selena thought. She had never drunk the whole bottle of alcohol by herself before. This was a first. And the worst thing was that her father had witnessed that. She would bet that he will not forgive her for this, and she will be hearing about it for the rest of her life. He always loved to lecture her.

Realizing a warmth was enveloping her body, she turned her attention to the present. Her gaze focused. What she saw sent her into a frenzy.

She was lying in a wooden bathtub full of warm blood.

She shrieked and tried to jump out of it, but she lost her balance and fell right back. Panicked, she started moving her hands, trying to splash away the red water.

A pang of pain hit her wrists. Her hands hurt. It took her a few seconds to realize the blood was hers.

She was not feeling dizzy because of alcohol. In fact, her mind was sharp and clear now, as if she had never touched that bottle. She was feeling dizzy because she had lost too much blood.

Is she going to die now?

Disgust was replaced by fear. Her self-preservation instinct roared inside her, like a beast caught in a trap, desperately trying to get away. The pulse, which was supposed to drop, now came up. Her heart was beating like crazy.

The blood reacted swiftly to her emotions and to her will to live. It swirled around in the water, gathering itself, and then climbed her body like a sticky crimson snake. Once it found her wounds, it went straight back into them.

She blinked, not believing her own yes. Her blood, which she had already lost, had found its way back to her body. Now the bathwater was clear again, and her wounds fully healed, not even scars remaining.

“What the–”

A loud bang on the door interrupted her.

“My Lady, is everything all right?” an unknown male voice echoed from behind the door.

“Yes, I am… all right…”

“Let me know if you will need help with anything,” the voice replied to her.

“T-thank you.”

The steps behind the door vanished in distance.

Selena stayed in the warm water. Since the blood was now back in her veins, her dizziness dissipated. She was no longer feeling weak. She turned her head around, inspecting her surroundings.

Her apartment was gone. She was now in a small circular room, probably in a tower. It had stoned walls, and she could see thick wooden beams peeking from the ceiling. The room was furnished very poorly and crudely. There was only a bed and one armchair nearby. Near the wall was standing one wooden chest, probably used for storing clothing and other things. The wooden bathtub was probably brought here by someone, as it was now filling almost the whole space.

Where was she? And how did she end up here?

Once she thought about it, a vision came to her mind, filling her senses. She was still seeing the same room, but now from the birds' perspective, as if she were an owl, sitting on one of the wooden beams under the ceiling. Not only could she see it, she could also feel the heavy emotions swirling in the chamber.

A young, unknown woman was sitting naked in the wooden bathtub, crying. She was maybe seventeen or eighteen. Her whole body hurt despite no visible wounds, and her dark blue eyes were red and puffy. Her long black hair was falling into the water, sticking to her body as if trying to wrap her and hide her in a cocoon to protect her from further pain. A strong feeling was burning inside her chest – a desire to leave this place once and for all.

There was an old ritual dagger lying on the floor next to the bathtub, awaiting her orders. She looked at it and took it into her hand. She trembled.

“O Lord, I beseech Thee,” she whispered. “Grant this poor soul freedom from the pain and suffering.”

Selena opened her eyes. Her heart was beating too fast, disturbed by what she had just seen in her vision. She could still feel the cold metal on her skin. Her despair was making her own heart heavy.

That poor girl. What kind of hardships did she suffer for her mind to end in such a state?

Selena rose from the bathtub. There was no bath towel nearby, only some kind of rag. She used it to wrap around her body, but it was too short, uncomfortable, and cold. Once she thought about it, her body started to warm up by itself, the water glistening on her skin dissipating into the air. Her hair was now dry as if it had never been swimming in the water.

“What is that?” she said to herself, confused by her own feelings.

There was a strange power culminating in her veins, warming her like a fresh soup, caressing her body. She had never felt something like this before. Before, she felt so dizzy and tired. Now she was full of energy, her skin tingling.

Walking through the chamber, she squatted down next to the wooden chest and opened it. There were a few pieces of cloth lying there, and on top of them, there was an old bronze mirror. She peeked into it.

Her hair was raven black, and her eyes deep blue. She looked exactly like the girl she had just seen in her vision.

“That can't be,” she said, confused.

She looked exactly like the girl she saw in her vision before. She softly touched her face, and the unknown girl in the mirror did the same. She opened her eyes, turned her head sideways. The copycat in the mirror was perfectly synchronized with her.

“Is it really me?” she whispered.

There was no doubt that she was looking at her own reflection, not into some kind of mirage. But now, she looked too young, her limbs too thin, her hair too long, her eyes too dark. She was reincarnated into the body of this girl locked in a high tower. And she didn’t know why.

She took out a piece of clothing from the wooden chest, examining it. It was a long habit in black, with a high white collar. Next to it was something reminding her of a veil. But it was also black in color. It was strange, but it looked like a uniform for a nun. But the veil was not making any sense. Should she just put all those clothes on?

Not wanting to stroll around naked, she decided to dress herself and cover her own face to hide the confusion showing on her face. The clothes felt too uncomfortable. The fabric was too hard and scratchy. It was irritating her skin, instantly making it red. There were no proper undergarments in the wooden chest, and she felt vulnerable without them. It took her a few tries to figure out how to put that horrible habit on her.

Once she was done, she sat down on the armchair, folding her hands together. Nervousness filled her stomach. She needed to understand what exactly happened.

Another knock on her door echoed through the chamber. This one was now much softer, quieter. Not as harsh as the previous banging on the wood.

“My Lady, are you finished with the bath? Shall I enter?”

“Please,” she replied.

The door opened, and a young male servant entered the room. Dressed in a simple linen blouse and brown pants, he looked like a young man from some fairytale village. He had hair color of sand, but his eyes were like honey. Even his features were soft, missing a sharp, muscular jaw and a big, straight nose. Selena realized he must have been younger than her for sure.

“How was the bath, My Lady?” he asked her. “Do you feel well rested now? I will tell others to take out the bathtub.”

“Wait,” she stopped him. “Where am I?”

“You don’t recognize the place you were raised in? My Lady surely jests,” he smiled at her.

“I am not joking,” she said. “Please, tell me, where am I. And why am I here?”

“It seems you are still weary, My Lady.”

“I am not your lady. Listen. I am not from here. I just… I… I am not supposed to be here. I need to leave, immediately.”