Hollywood Zenith

" Brother, I can't sleep."

It was bound to happen; telling horror stories to children was never a good idea. Samuel glanced at the clock; it was already half past one.

" Come inside. Want something to drink? Warm milk could calm your body."

She nodded, but the problem was it would be hard to find someone awake at this hour. He could get it, but he had to leave her alone for a while.

" I will turn on the lights. Can you wait a few minutes? I will be back before you know it." She was hesitant initially, but it was bright enough for her to hold on for those few minutes.

Seeing her agree, Samuel rushed toward the kitchen. Coincidently, he saw someone walking in the hallway; it was one of the maids, who was wearing her nightgown and about to go to bed.

" Young master?"

" Oh, Cecile."

" Why are you rushing? Did something happen?"

" I need something from the kitchen. Can you bring up two glasses of milk to my room?"

" As you wish. Are you having trouble sleeping?"

" No, it's for Hannah."

" I see; it was bound to happen. I heard that she got pretty scared." She was the one who brought the snacks for the party.

" Yeah, It was a silly idea, to begin with."

She helped Samuel, and they both brought two glasses back to Hannah. The maid excused herself; she, too, had work to do in the morning.

Hannah crawled up to Samuel's side with a glass of milk in her hand. She silently sipped it while looking at Samuel. Her whole face was red, probably because she was embarrassed by asking for help.

" It is too hot? You can slow down; no need to force yourself."

" No, it's fine. Brother, I am sorry for troubling you."

" Silly girl, Don't you remember our promise? Big brother will always protect you!" Samuel ruffled her hair as it was painful to see her crestfallen appearance.

" Yes, I remember."

" Do you want to hear a story? "

" No, I don't like scary stuff any more." Hannah refused immediately.

" It will not be a scary one, I promise."

They both settled down, Samuel turned off the light which alarmed her, but he bought a lamp, illuminated it and placed it on his chest. It was in a box shape which was perfect for the occasion.

He moved his hand above the light, which cast perfect shadows on the ceiling. It was clumsy, but Samuel tried incorporating Hand Shadowgraphy with his storytelling to make it more compelling.

" It is a forgotten tale about two sister princesses and how they saved the world.

A long time ago, in a faraway kingdom lived two sisters

They had changing views on their country, the world and life.

The younger princess who lives in their country resigns herself to her fate, waiting for a prince to save the day even though she is not that interested in those types of things to keep the peace among kingdoms.

The older princess lived in Western Courts, where she studied and then returned to her hometown. She was smarter than everyone but always looked after her people, especially her younger sister. "

He tried the best he could with his gesture.

" It seems her older sister's country was superior, but she had respect for her younger sister, who saved her once from a calamity.

Then one day, a boy came to their world, he had mysterious power, but something was missing. Although he could feel the power, he could not conjure it."

" Why?" Hannah asked.

" Because he lacked basic knowledge. But it all changed when he met the princess, they nurtured him, and soon, he displayed immense strength enough to become a Hero."

" Does he know magic?"

" Yes, it was magic. A very powerful one."

" But everything was more complex than it seemed at first. Soon, an evil villain appeared, threatening to wipe out the whole kingdom. But-"

" But?" Judging from her reaction, she was intrigued.

" But because of the Hero, he was having trouble. He soon learned about the princess and took the younger princess hostage. She was always timid and weak because of that, he targeted her.

When Hero and the other princess learned about the kidnapping, they rushed to save the princess. Despite magic powers, Hero was struggling to defeat the villain. Now, they were at a standstill.

Neither one could overpower the other one, but the villain gained the upper hand toward the end. "

" Was he really that powerful? I thought the Hero always wins."

" Yes, it was a very strong enemy."

" But the older princess sacrificed herself to save the Hero in the final moment. That gave the hero power to defeat the enemy. In her final moment, the older sister pressures the younger sister to escape with Hero after he has taken care of the prophecy and defeated the enemy.

" Sister, I am sorry because of me, y-you-" The younger princess cried, realizing that she had caused her sister's death.

In her dying breath, the older princess smiled; instead of resentful, she was happy that her sister was safe.

" Don't cry. You are much stronger than this. I am sorry I couldn't come sooner."

" No, I am not strong. If I was, you would not be in this situation."

" You are; you just don't realize it. Don't blame yourself; I will always watch over you. Always."

It was unfortunate, but from that moment younger princess no longer lived in fear. She took her sister's mantle and made the greatest empire in history."

" That was a good story, but I just feel sad about her sister."

" That is not the point. Sometimes there are no happy endings in life."

" Hmm. I just-"

" I know, but she will live forever because whenever her younger sister is mentioned, they will remember the sacrifice of the older one." He continued before Hannah could ask more questions.

" It's already two in the morning. We better sleep, or mother will blame me in the morning."

Hannah fell asleep while holding Samuel's hand. Although there was a lot on her mind, it was not scary thoughts.

In the morning, Samuel woke up to find various people crowding his bed. Laura was smiling while looking at two little kids bunking together. Unbeknownst to Samuel, they had already taken several pictures to commemorate the moment.

Samuel could see Cecile at the corner, smiling knowingly. She was definitely the mastermind behind it. He had to shoo them away to avoid waking Hannah, who was fast asleep by his side. He could not move because his hand was still tightly gripped by her.

After the commotion, Carol came to pick up her daughter. While Samuel was getting ready, Carol and Laura reviewed the photos. They were discussing which one was best for framing.

All in all, Hannah enjoyed her stay at the estate. She left after they made some future arrangements. Samuel knew something was on her mind, but he didn't press her for answers.

He would be ready when she was comfortable to ask for it herself. He could guess that question, but it was not worth mentioning.

Today, He had a special arrangement to visit the Headhunting Association. Robert had already informed them about his arrival, so he was not worried about it. He took David, as he was the only one available currently.

As usual, the convoy left with some people following its every move. Unlike movies, people with money are not idiots, especially the uber-rich.

David reached the location; it was a stylish five-story building that looked more like a restaurant than a business establishment. But seeing a row of luxurious cars in the driveway, they knew it was the right place.

Walking inside with David, Samuel could see a few people at the entrance. They wore typical business suits but bulges on their side gave away their identity. They hired security, and through the glass, the whole place crawled with security.

" That is some heavy firepower. Are they expecting a raid?" Samuel whispered.

" You will find out soon. The person in charge is not ordinary. You have to be careful. I will call some of our people just to be sure." David said, accessing the situation. He had met the person before, but you can never be too prepared.

On his signal, five people appeared and circled Samuel and David.

Samuel had seen them before while training and remembered quite a few by name. But it was his first meeting with this group; they had extreme expressions like someone on edge.

" Uncle, this?" Samuel asked.

" I will introduce you later. First, let's finish the job." He dodged the subject.

" Alright. I am also dying to meet this 'person'"