"I knew I'd find you, even if you're a thousand miles away."

With those words, the dream ended. Olivia had been seeing the same dream for years. A dream where she played around in an empty castle lit by the sun, where a boy pulled her into the shadows, whispering those words into her ears, chuckling.

The boy's face was blurred; it made her restless. Those words, that boy, his voice – made her restless. A strange longing for home swirled within her like a whirlpool every time she remembered the dream. And this morning, the feeling was stronger than ever.

The lone girl walked through evergreen conifer woods, humming and chanting these words in the dawn of autumn. The warmth they carried made her feel at home as if she had found home within them. 

With a basket in her hand, she picked berries from the bushes. The morning breeze was colder and pricklier than usual, making her shiver a little. She felt the presence of another living being, somewhere nearby.

Just as another breeze blew, the girl turned her head. There was a man in a clover green cloak; his head concealed under a hood. He was standing in a small clearing at a distance, looking in her direction.

She was relieved the moment she saw him, for she knew who he was.

The man pulled his hood down and revealed his fiery red hair that faintly glistened under the soft sunlight. His sapphire blue eyes bloomed with euphoria as he walked toward her.

"Olivia!" the man smiled.

Olivia gave a nervous chuckle. "Count Florentine... it's you."

The red-haired man tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Just call me Cecil when no one is around. How are you and your family? Are you doing all right?"

"Yes... I think we will be okay from now," the girl spoke hesitantly.

Cecil's eyebrows rose. He gently held her chin and raised it. "What do you mean? Don't tell me you-"

"Started working," she replied with a weak smile.

With a concerned look on his face, he stroked her caramel brown hair. "Are you sure you can do it? I will help you more if you need."

Olivia shook her head and said hurriedly, "No, no, we don't need any more. You have already helped us a lot. I want to be a responsible daughter."

Cecil smiled, satisfied at her words. He patted her head and said, "That's my girl."

Taking a deep breath and looking up at the blackbirds flying in the sky, Cecil stated, "You know I've been waiting for the moment you become self-reliant and free. I guess the wait is over now."

Olivia gave him a look of confusion before realizing it. "I've waited for it too."

Cecil looked at the basket of berries in her hand. "Are those for Alice? I can deliver those to her. I was on my way to your house anyway."

Olivia chuckled, but her voice was hollow. "Sure. Thank you. I have to hurry."

Cecil took the berries from the basket in her hand and let her go. He waved her goodbye and said, "I'll see you again!"

Without looking at him, she began to run, not wanting to be late any longer. She came out of the woods with the basket in her hand and thought, I'm going to be late today...

Soon, she heard the sound of people chattering. There was a narrow road with shops on its two sides. Some people rode on two-wheeled vehicles called velocipedes to their respective shops. Not wanting to be late anymore, Olivia ran off to a small bakery at the end of the road.

A middle-aged man stood in front of the shop with crossed arms. "Olivia," he uttered, with his eyebrows slightly furrowed. "I'm surprised that you're late today." Olivia gave a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of her head. "I'm sorry, Uncle Jacob. It won't happen again."

Jacob patted her head and laughed. "I know, I know."

She went into the kitchen and two other girls waved at her while working with dough. The heat of the stove made Olivia feel warm. "Good morning, Katherine and Barbara."

Olivia put on her apron and worked with the two girls while gossiping. They baked bread and biscuits in batches and took their turns in displaying and selling.

Katherine, the blonde girl, asked Olivia, "Why are you late today? You look pale."

"I don't know," she answered quickly, tucking a stay hair behind her ear. 

"Is it the Count?" Katherine asked with a grin.

Olivia felt a rush of blood in her cheeks. "Katherine!" she shrieked, covering her face with her hands. "Please don't talk about this. I'll smack your face if you do."

The three girls broke into laughter. They baked bread and biscuits in batches and took their turns in displaying and selling. The tiredness in Olivia's face disappeared as the thoughts of that dream drifted away. 

The sun began to set. 

The three of the girls were almost done with their work. Barbara was selling the last batch of bread when a man in a coal-black cloak walked into the bakery.

Barbara flinched at the sight of him. She could not see his face clearly as it was hidden under the shadow of his hood. The man dressed in black was tall, and his movements were smooth.

Barbara felt a chill run down her spine. She stood stiffly and asked with clenched fists, "How may I help you?"

The man's dark eyes moved quickly as if they were searching for something. When he saw Olivia chattering with Katherine, his eyes stopped.

He stared at the brunette with a small frown.

Barbara looked at Olivia and back at the man. "Excuse me, sir?"

At the same time, Olivia and the man's eyes met. The man quickly broke eye contact and turned to the girl on the counter. He spoke in a dry voice, "I'm sorry. I don't need anything."

Turning away, he swiftly strode out of the bakery.

As soon as the man left, Barbara let out a breath. She wiped the sweat on her nose with the sleeve of her dress. Olivia and Katherine came to her.

Barbara whispered, "Did you see that?"

"I know! He was creepy," said Katherine.

"I felt so strange when he came! His presence made me feel cold."

Olivia said with a sigh, "He scared me. At least he's gone." She ended with a grin. 

"Did you see how he looked all around as if he were searching for something?" Barbara asked, eyeing Olivia. Olivia cringed at the remembrance of the man's cold stare. 

Katherine tucked a strand of honey-blond hair behind her ear and giggled. "He must be really disappointed not to find what he was looking for," she said, hoping to ease Olivia. 

All the girls gave out a light chuckle. Jacob came to them and said, "Alright girls, I guess this is enough for today."

He was here to give them their wage for the day. The man gave five coins to each of them, except Katherine. The blond girl moaned, "Father, where's mine?"

"Yours is with me."

Katherine pouted while the others laughed.

When they all came out, the same cold wind blew. Olivia looked around after parting with her friends. There was nothing unusual about the surroundings and yet, the odd feeling from earlier returned. Olivia thought as she rubbed her arm, Why do I feel so stressed today?

They all parted ways after coming out of the bakery. The sun was setting, leaving behind a pastel gradient of oranges, pinks and purples.

Olivia had two loaves of leftover bread in her basket. Once she approached a litter of puppies, she took one loaf and tore it into little pieces. She tossed those to the puppies and they ate to their heart's content. A smile appeared on her lips as Olivia forgot about the eerie presence that had been haunting her.

Leaving the puppies, she walked forward. The sun had already set by then. 

Olivia headed for home. She always took the shorter path when it was late. The shops were closing and everybody was going back to their houses.

Olivia walked through the empty roads while listening to the sound of crickets. She came across a lake. A bridge would lead her to the other side of the river. As usual, Olivia took the path of the bridge and went forward.

Another cold breeze blew by, giving Olivia a light shiver. She heard faint footsteps behind her. Although she turned around to see if someone was there, there was none. The wind blew again and she thought, Perhaps this is just my imagination. I'm too tired to think straight.

The girl stepped forward hesitantly, although the sound of footsteps was no longer heard.

As she was walking down the empty roads, a silhouette of a man came out from one of the alleyways.