I spent those next years gaining trust while learning about the wonderful pyramids and keeping my new slate flawless. No one ever called me Phantess; they never knew that name even existed. I was always Miss Nicole or Miss Demira. Everyone I spoke to was always very polite and no one ever once question about the mask I wore or why my eyes were red or why my skin was so pale. They accepted me.

I was accepted.

"Mrs. Rose! Oh Mrs. Rose!" Jacqueline, one of the young ladies whom were listening to the story, calls, "Has Nicole finally found happiness?"

I smile and grab a rose from one of the vases on the table next to me and gently place it in the mysterious book before shutting it.

"It seems as if she has." I reply with a smile.

"But Mrs. Rose!" Abigail pipes in, "What of Christian? What has happened to him?"

"Yes! Please do tell! And what of Sam and dear little Yuna? Where are they?" Delia inquires.

"Hush now girls!" Ms. Grasmere shouts silencing the young ladies, "Ms. Rose knows just as much as you do so you will have to wait as she will."

Ms. Grasmere extends her for the book, winking as she took it from my quivering hands. I stand and leave the room with Ms. Grasmere as they young ladies stare longingly after us. Their chatter ensues as I shut the door behind me.

"So dearie, what do you think of this book so far?" Ms. Grasmere inquires, a smirk pulling at the corners of her lips.

"Where do I begin?" I sigh as I fell on to one of the couches in the living room.

"Well let's start with your question from earlier." She smiles.

"The one of the symbol?" I inquire sitting up.

"Yes. I believe you can try and answer it know." She speaks her nimble fingers gracefully handing me the mystifying book.

"Well, the N must stand for Nicole..." I begin running my fingertips over the symbol, "But the C... It could mean for Christian or for Sam's last name, Clark."

"Yes... It could very well..." she grins.

"I have one more question." I begin.

She smiles and nods her head as a signal for me to continue.

"How did my father come into possession of this book?" I inquires, holding my breath for the answer.

Ms. Grasmere smiles and speaks,

"Rose, have you been thinking of the characters in the story?"

I nod my head slightly.

"Well, think of them now. Think of Each character and all the details that fall with them."

I nod again and shut my eyes, envisioning each character.

"Think of Nicole and her life. Think of how brave she was." Ms. Grasmere begins, "Think of Christian and all his mystery, how his sapphire eyes glittered in the moonlight and how his mask kept hidden a secret from the world. Think of why he was there with Nicole."

I nod my head as she continues, soaking up each connection she makes.

"Think of Sam... Really think of him. Think of his crystal-blue eyes and how he was described. Think of how he shared Nicole's first kiss." She continues.

"Yes." I say, "Sam seems so familiar."

I open one of my eyes to see Ms. Grasmere's eyes shine.

She knows something... I swear she does...

"Well dearie, you think about all of this. I shall go tell the girls what time to be here tomorrow." She speaks before leaving me with so many thoughts that my head was swimming.

I watch the chattering girls walk in pairs out of my door and into the cool winter air. The gust of snow-filled wind fills my lungs with a sense of awaiting answers to my many questions and long forgotten and well hidden secrets of the past.

Ms. Grasmere smiles at me before following the many girls out the door, shutting it behind her.

I plop back down on the couch and fall into and uneasy doze, waking nauseated and disoriented. I sit up to find my husband sitting across the room watching me, his eyes sparkling in the firelight.

"What are you doing up dear?" I inquire as I sit up.

"Couldn't sleep. Not without you." He replies as he walks towards me and sits next to me on the couch.

I fell into his arms as the nauseated feeling began to set in once more.

"What's wrong love? You look pale and your cheeks are flushed." He states his voice full of concern as he places a warm hand on my cheek.

"It's nothing, a cold perhaps, nothing more." I reply as I lay my head on his shoulder.

"Perhaps it is from the stress you have been put under of late love. You should rest." He coos wrapping an arm around my shoulder.

"I wish I could... I wish I could..." I sigh as my eyes avert to the fire that burns brightly across the room.

I did not hear his reply for I fell into a daze of sorts and felt myself drift into the oddest dream I ever could remember. In it was a beautiful woman whose hair was long and white, her eyes of ruby red.

"Nicole?" I breathe but she doesn't hear.

She looks directly at me and runs right through me.

She was running, running from flames that bit at her dress and dried her throat.

"SAM! SAM! coughs heavily CHRISTAIN!" she cried tripping and falling to the earth.

Suddenly it flashes to Christian who is fighting Sam, their swords locked and then slashing about. Flames danced around them as the room in which they were in began to fill with smoke and screams could be heard from upstairs as glass was shattering.

"Oh my God." I breathed as I saw Nicole leap into the flames towards Christian and Sam.

Drawing her sword, she parted them and as she began to reason with them, it seems, an explosion occurred knocking them from the platform.

Sam fell into the flames and Nicole dove in after him.

"You must cough escape." She told him as she led him to safety.

Another explosion occurred and this time Christian was the victim. Nicole began to turn and run to him, but Sam grabbed her arm and stopped her.

"Don't do it Nicole. Don't kill yourself." Sam cried tears welling in his blue eyes.

Nicole did not reply... She only stared deeply at him, her eyes pleading.

"Take care of yourself." Same spoke, "I love you."

As soon as he spoke those words, a tear fell to the earth from one of Nicole's ruby eyes. She then turned and darted back into the fiery pit. Sam was about to jump in after her when a part of the rafters fell where Nicole and Christian were.

Sam fell to the earth from the explosion that occurred due to this. He staggered to his feet and it flashed back to where Nicole and Christian stood.

They were locked in each others arms, tears streaming from Nicole's eyes. Another beam from the rafters fell upon them and they could not be seen any longer.

Sam stood by the flames horror struck...

I awoke in a cold sweat, my throat dry and sore; the smell of smoke lingered in my breath.

Such a dream as this, that seemed so real, can frighten anyone of out their mind.