The Qiong's Secret

It was already middle in the midnight when little footsteps can be vaguely heard all around the basement of the Qiong's.

A little figure with a bright flashlight on her hand looked around curiously on the bare walls, she needed to go downstairs in order to travel down the basement. Unlike other rooms, this one isn't polished nor glistening with extravagance.

It was dirty and full of webs, with brick walls that resemble ancient towers.

It was a relief that Keela Chen, the maid, taught her how to use the flashlight, or else, there's no possible way that she can walk through the dim room.

'A door?' she asked herself quizzically.

She was toured by Xiulan Qiong earlier in the villa, however, a certain door caught her interest, when she inquired Xiulan about this, he said she was not allowed to go there.

Curiosity indeed kills a cat.

She ventured the rooms of all the family members, there was no room that she hasn't seen, but why is that specific place she cannot enter?

Borrowing the flashlight to Keela when she saw that the maid used it when she went outside at 8 pm to see if there are any visitors, a brilliant idea came into Andromeda's mind.

(A small flashback)

She went to Keela's room first and searched the thing that gives light, and when Keela asked what is she going to use for, Andromeda left a small shrug and replied that she just wants to know how to use it.

Keela although doubting still gave the flashlight as her master, Yan Qiong, told her that Nixie is a dumb person and who cannot recall anything. She might just be interested in knowing what the thing is for.

'For a lady with a beauty that resembles a goddess, it' s a good thing her mind is empty' the maid thought with a small smirk.

She hates to be evil but she cannot help it, she felt Nixie stole something important to her...Xiulan.

"Thank you Keela!" Nixie replied as she went out of her way.

She waited until it's midnight to travel into that forbidden room.

(Flashback ended)

When she walked into the room, it was surprising that it was empty but filled with a few bookshelves.

All her excitement faded away.

'Oh well, I am already here, why not browse some books?'

She cannot read but it's worth the try.

Her nose twitches a little because of the dust inside the room and her eye started to become teary.

"It sure is dirty here" she whispered.

A small book caught her attention, it was on the highest part of the shelf.

Tiptoeing her way to reach the book, she accidentally leaned forward her body towards the whole shelf, losing momentum and getting swayed by gravity to not fall down aimlessly.

It was a soft sound of a click that occupied the whole room.

'What is that?' she thought, getting cold feet, she was damn nervous because of what happened!

Although she's pretty sure no one is awake at that time, what if there are guards patrolling inside the villa too? And they hear books falling down without anyone being awake, that would be suspicious.

Heaving a long sigh of relief, Andromeda pointed her flashlight to the door that was nowhere to be seen when she first came in. Maybe, the small book or her tripping triggered the appearance of the secret door.

Now, this is starting to get interesting.

Back in her kingdom, the Sutra kingdom, Andromeda would always explore the caves inside the deepest and most dangerous part of the oceans, Cassiopea would her anywhere and they would wander around finding sea monsters or treasures such as the oldest and biggest pearl in the world.

She is fond of dungeons and caves and in her eyes, this is nothing but another journey.

Her turquoise eyes shone brightly upon stumbling on what is supposed to be a hidden lair.

The new form of her tail, her feet started moving on its own, maybe due to the adrenaline overflowing her body.

It was the smell of mossy woods that welcomed her, is there a lake down below? Or some sort of a water body?

Her interest keeps growing with each step she takes, it is exhilarating!

Andromeda's heart began thumping harder with each step she takes, downwards to this unknown place.

When she reached the pinnacle, the end of the last stair, her heart almost stopped beating, what greeted her is a shadow... it's enormous.

It is a door, a huge one.

Although hesitant, she grabs the doorknob and turns it slowly, it was quite astonishing that there is no needed key to unlock it.

With a creepy creak that accompanies the opening, Andromeda gazed around the whole basement.

Walking slowly, the sound of her footsteps against the wooden flooring rang around the corridor.

It was not as scary as she thought because the more she kept walking, it becomes similar to the other rooms she has toured before inside the Qiong's, the walls are no longer made from brown bricks but instead in a lined gray and white paneling.

At the end of the long way, two doors are visible.

Andromeda, although reluctant to what she will know more, waged through the first door.

Upon opening the door, her eyes began to widen at the sight of various papers stockpiled inside the room.

It must be important documents.

A glass table was in the middle with all the papers neatly stacked.

"Minks fur...animals...endangered" she read to herself, almost close to whispering.

Andromeda, although not well-versed with words has scanned a huge amount of papers while she stays there, reading words that highlighted the main parts of the text such as dangerous and illegal.

It is enough for her to know that the Qiong's are one of those bad people whom she cannot fully trust.

Gripping the paper in her hand, she gritted her teeth upon witnessing a picture of her ocean, a whale in particular covered in its own blood.

Humans are indeed vile and it so happens that she encountered one of the evilest and heartless ones, her true enemy, the Qiong's.

However, that night didn't end with that alone, there's another passage she must unravel.

Gulping nervously, her stomach started to churn upside down, in expecting a more gruesome scene.

And indeed, it didn't fail her expectations.

What she witnessed that night and experienced made her feet walk away and slowly run towards the sea, she must escape this villa!

The adrenaline that runs throughout her veins heightened her senses, and as she already knows the structure of the villa, getting out through the big window she noticed earlier made everything easy for her great escapade.

At least now, she knows who her enemies are, and on that second door, she promises to return to that lady imprisoned there.

"Go run!" the girl shouted as Andromeda walks away.

Biting her tongue so hard that it bleeds, her legs turned into a golden tail.

'A new boat or dry place' her mind kept thinking as she swam to the familiar ocean.

The water hugging her bare skin.

Before her tongue heals, she must find a new location.