Chapter 422 - PENDANT

The girl was hanging onto the edge, her heavy breathing echoed all over the chimney. She was barely hanging on, any moment now she could fall and it would be a great disaster. She dare not look at her current state, she fears once she opens her eyes she'll lose focus on what she was doing and fall. Such a difficult stunt caused her to sweat a lot as it dripped down from her forehead all the way to the floor. 

Second turns to minute and she continues to hang on… 

The girl slowly opened her eyes, as her beautiful crystal blue eyes appeared, she was stun about her current situation. 

"I made it." she said indisbelief of herself. She didn't expect to reach the stop where the item was. She didn't expect herself to be able to do something so miraculously. "Ha-ha…"

The girl laugher echoed as she let out all her emotions out. Not only was she laughing but tears followed through as well. She been through so much and thought she'll meet her ends. 

"Ha-ha, those idiots really have underestimated me. Ha-ha, once I see them, I'll…"

Before she could finish expressing herself, her finger suddenly felt something. She has almost forgotten about the item due to her emotion, so she looked up and checked her situation. Using her remaining strength, she pulled her body up and pressed herself to the wall. 

Finally, she has a clear view of the item. It was a metallic box, nothing special about it nor did it have a coded or lock. Anyone can open it if they know where it is.

She opened the box and inside was indeed the key, but it was not only that what she saw. Inside was a pendant, something so familiar to her yet unknown. 

"Hmm, I wonder whose this?" She decided to grab the pendant as well as return the metal box to its place and return down with the key and pendant on hand. 

As she slowly made her way down, it made her think why they made such a difficult task for her. Even though they hated her for the fact their young master or cousin is in love with her, still it was a ridiculous reason to bully someone. She was sure that she has rejected the man's feeling but why in the end was she imprisoned by him. 

Once she reached the floor, she went out of the chimney and sat down for a moment to relax. She was exhausted and was in need of a long rest. How she wished she could take a shower and go to bed but that was just her wishful thinking…

"Man, once this is over, I'll travel so far away all alone, somewhere no one can find me." She declared as she collapsed on the ground and layed down. 

Whilst she was resting, she suddenly recalled the pendant she found. She grabbed it out of her pocket to examine it. 

"Hmmm, I wonder if you belong to that brat." Elizabeth was referring to the person who thought her the piano piece and about the secret passage. No matter what reason she could think of, she couldn't think of any reason as to why he would hide such a precious item up there. In the end, she could only think of something ridiculous. She thought: the item must have belonged to his ex-girlfriend or he was about to give this to the girl he liked but was busted. 

As she continues to gaze at it, she notices something written at the back. 

"If you dream of me, it means I'm real. So, wait for…"

Elizabth couldn't finish what was written, her face stared strangely at the pendant. She realized it did not belong to the young man but to her. The pendant must be for her but... why? Why does she have no memory of such an item and does not even recall who gave it to her?

In the end, with a bitter tone, she read the last part. "So, wait for me, I'll find you."

THe girl couldn't explain why such words hurt her heart so much. Such words should not exist if it only brings her pain. "Yeah, right…" She responded bitterly as her eyes turned watery and red. She couldn't understand why her eyes felt like crying. Who is this person that means so much to her? She has always thought it was Yun Shen but the more she regains her memory, she feels like she has loved someone. Yet, Yun Shen's image always pops into her mind, making it hard for her to recall who that person is. Maybe, this is the reason why she is so close to Yun Shen and felt such connection. It was because of the person in her memory…

Elizabeth didn't bother about her thought, she pulled herself together and cleaned her face. Afterwards, she grabbed her bag and returned to her previous task which was to escape. She pulled out the key from her pocket and went to the keyhole. As she pushed the key in, she smiled seeing the key fit. She then twisted the key to open wherever the door may be. 

Then suddenly, she felt the ground moving as if there was an earthquake. She didn't panic seeing none of the items in the shed were moving about. She realized the only spot shaking was the spot she was on which was the chimney floor. After a few seconds, the shaking stops…

Elizabeth removed the key and moved herself away from the chimney, she then moved her hand around to look for a lever or handle to open the door. Eventually, she didn't find any but at the very top bit was a small opening allowing her to fit her fingers and pulled the door downward. She used all her strength since it was made of stone and was quite heavy to pull it down. 

Soon, a staircase appeared in front of her. Seeing the dark staircase, Elizabeth has this eerie feeling. As everyone knows, she hates horror movies and looking at the dark staircase leading to a dark tunnel. Her imagination started to go wide making her anxious. 

"I really should stop watching horror movies." She sighs heavily and regretfully pinches the skin between her brow. Her lips turned dry as she continuously licked it. "Ah, why did he pack such a small flashlight." 

The girl cursed herself for thinking of strange things again…

As time passed by, the girl was still rooted on the same spot. She continues to stare at the staircase wondering whether she should go or not. "This would have been easier if Jo was here."

Again, she regretted her decision. If only she didn't overthink and thought Jo would betray her. But, in the end, she needed to act before things got out of her control. 

"Ha-ha…"

"Whatever." 

The girl chuckled awkwardly as she made her way down the staircase. However, as she was about to make her first step down. The voices of her family started echoing causing her to fall back. 

"F*ck!" She cursed so loudly. 

"What should we do, it's been weeks?"

"Don't worry, she'll be fine."

"You said that a week ago yet she still…"

"Don't cry, I can't bear to see you like this."

"But my baby…"

"Don't worry, trust me, I do everything for her. She is my daughter." 

The short and confusing conversation between her parents confused her. She wondered why she continued to hear their voice and what had happened to her when she was fine. Hearing her parent's voices have confused her a lot. She couldn't explain why she kept hearing their voice and why does it sound so real?

Eventually, she let it be. Right now, to solve all the confusion. What she needed to do first was to find her way out. She gathered up all her courage as she made her first step down the staircase. As she continued on, she didn't look back eventually her whole body had emerged down the floor. 

Before she continued on, she closed the door making sure that no one will be able to find her. If ever they do realize that it was the doorway, it will take them time to find the key. Anyways, in the end, they'll eventually just break it… However, what Elizabeth didn't know was the fact is they ever do break the doorway. The whole tunnel path would collapse halfway making it impossible for anyone to follow after her. 

As she made her way down the tunnel, time to time she would rest and replenish her strength. 

It surprised her when she reached a corner of the tunnel. It dumbfounded her by what she noticed. It seems the tunnel was not her escape route but instead her hiding place. They didn't plan for her to escape or anything... but instead to hide. Inside were supplies of food, medicine and clean water lasting her for a year. There were even spare clean clothes and bedding for her. Surprisingly they were books as well to entertain herself, as if she was to stay there for quite some time. 

Seeing the supplies provided, it made Elizabeth worried if there was indeed a way out apart from the way she went in. It made her panic as she didn't want to stay there and hid from everything. She wanted the answer not to be protected again… She's been protected and pampered for too long, she now needs to make her own decision and not let others take care of everything for her.