I followed her.
"Let's see what we have here," Mrs. Sandra said excitedly.
She handed me a fashion magazine and asked me to choose a dress.
I stared at the pages in amazement.
I had never been treated like this before. Being allowed to choose from so many beautiful dresses felt almost unreal.
This must be how princesses feel.
But when I looked around the shop, something confused me.
There were no clothes anywhere.
Not on shelves.
Not on racks.
Nothing.
Did they actually sell clothes here?
The four of them exchanged looks, as if they had heard my thoughts.
Maybe they really could communicate inwardly.
Mrs. Sandra smiled.
"I think this one will suit you," she said, pointing at a dress in the magazine.
I looked down at it.
It was a sparkling sky-blue gown, shining like the dress Elsa wore in Frozen.
Before I could say anything, the girls grabbed my hand and pushed me into the changing room.
I frowned slightly.
Why would they send me in without the dress?
I stepped forward to open the door and ask for it,may they forget I thought but before my hand reached the handle, the entire room suddenly spun around.
Crystal-like particles began falling from above.
"What—?"
A bright light surrounded me.
Before I could even process what was happening, the door opened automatically.
Outside, Denise, Kate, Flora, and Mrs. Sandra were staring at me with wide eyes.
"You look absolutely beautiful," Mrs. Sandra said proudly.
She guided me toward a large mirror.
I slowly raised my eyes.
And my jaw dropped.
The sky-blue gown was now on my body.
But that wasn't the only thing that had changed.
My red hair, which had been tied into a ponytail, now flowed freely down my back. The red and white strands blended beautifully together.
My glowing purple eyes looked brighter.
My lips were lightly painted pink.
For a moment, I couldn't even recognize myself.
I never knew I could look this beautiful.
"Wow…" I finally whispered, turning to them. "This is amazing. Thank you."
"One more thing," Mrs. Sandra said.
She walked to a corner of the shop and returned with a pair of white wings.
She gently attached them to my back.
The wings shimmered softly.
Perfect she said.
With that, we said goodbye to Mrs. Sandra and left the shop.
Soon we were flying above the city.
Yes.
Flying.
The wind brushed against my face as we soared through the sky.
It felt incredible.
Part of me wondered if this was another strange dream.
But if it was, I never wanted to wake up.
Since I couldn't control the wings yet, Kate and Flora held onto my hands while helping me fly.
As we flew across the city, many creatures waved at Denise and her friends.
They seemed very popular.
"Denise!" someone suddenly called.
We landed near a shop.
It was Mr. Crocker's sausage shop.
Mr. Crocker welcomed us warmly.
"Hello there, beauty," he greeted me.
I blinked in surprise.
He had the head of a hen but the body of a human.
"Hi…" I replied awkwardly.
"Mr. Crocker, can we have sausages?" Denise asked eagerly.
"Of course!" he said happily.
We went inside, and the sausages were surprisingly delicious more than the ones on earth.
After we finished eating, Denise remembered something.
"Our hideout!" she whispered excitedly.
She had mentioned it earlier while we were eating, and I had begged her to show it to me.
So we took off flying again.
We passed through many parts of the city as people continued greeting the girls.
They seem very popular in the city.
Eventually, we left the crowded areas.
The place we arrived at was quiet.
Too quiet.
No creatures.
No movement.
Just a tall palace standing in the distance.
But something felt wrong.
The palace looked dark and abandoned.
Curiosity quickly took over.
"What is that place?" I asked quietly.
"That's the palace," Denise answered.
"The palace?" I repeated. "Then why is no one there? Aren't there supposed to be guards and servants? And palaces are usually full of lights."
Kate lowered her voice.
"That's because the Queen is no more."
"No more?" I asked, confused.
"My mother told me the Queen disappeared thousands of years ago," Kate explained softly. "Since then, the palace grounds have been forbidden."
Before I could ask another question—
"Sshhh," Denise whispered.
"We're here."
We landed to the ground quietly.
We crawled into a small cave, moving one behind another.
Soon we reached the other side.
And just like that, we had entered a place children definitely weren't allowed to be.
It was a club.
But not just any club.
It was a betting club.
Creatures that looked like thugs gathered around tables playing games.
Denise walked confidently toward them.
"I want to play," she announced.
Meanwhile, I stayed behind with Kate and Flora.
Time passed.
Finally, Denise returned to us with something shining in her hands.
"Denise!" Kate and Flora shouted excitedly.
"I told you I'd win a treasure from the palace," Denise said proudly.
That was when I realized something.
This wasn't just a betting club.
It was a black market.
After that, we decided it was time to go home.
But while we were flying back—
A powerful wind suddenly rushed toward us.
It struck us violently.
"Ahh!"
The force scattered all of us in different directions.
The wind was so violent that it threw me straight into a nearby rock.
Pain exploded through my head.
Before I could even react, everything went dark.
When I finally opened my eyes, I had no idea how much time had passed.
My head throbbed painfully as I slowly sat up.
For a moment, my vision was blurry, but when it cleared, confusion immediately filled my mind.
I was in the middle of nowhere.
Tall walls surrounded me, the walls looks icy, everywhere was so dim that little or no light could be seen. The place felt strangely quiet, almost too quiet.
I pushed myself to my feet and looked around.
"Denise?" I called weakly.
No answer.
"Kate? Flora?"
My voice cracked slightly as I called their names again.
Still nothing.
The girls were nowhere in sight.
A strange feeling crept into my chest.
Something about this place felt… familiar.
The air felt heavier, colder.
I wrapped my arms around myself and began walking slowly, carefully observing my surroundings.
Maybe if I kept moving, I would find a way out.
Or at least find the others.
But with every step I took, the hall seemed to grow darker.
And the uneasy feeling in my heart only grew stronger.