That night, Ivy and Kate were both lying on the mattress on the floor, staring at the ceiling. While Esmeralda was already resting in her room.

Kate looked at her sister and asked, "What are you thinking, sis?" She noticed that her elder sister has been silent ever since they returned from witnessing the deadly invisible barrier in action.

Ivy released a deep sigh of frustration. "After seeing the invisible barrier in action I kind of losing hope that we can get out of this castle alive..."

"Yeah...that's more like it. This castle is a dead-end, period!" Kate agreed.

Ivy retreated into silent mode. She was thinking ahead. How to solve her dilemma? After ten days and she still can't convince her sister to come with her then she will die of the poison she already ingested in her body.

Was she a coward to just surrender after witnessing the deadly invisible barrier? What if Maxwell's father can indeed free them from this castle? Would she just give up and not try waiting for that event to happen? They would die anyway inside the castle, sooner or later, it's just a matter when and how?

One thing is sure, she doesn't want to die inside the castle, she wants to escape!

Now that she had witnessed with her own two eyes about how dangerous the barrier is, she just wanted to try other methods. It's better to try than not to try at all!

Deep inside her heart, she was still fully convinced that Maxwell's father can bring them out of the castle. She would rather believe him than believe in Esmeralda's claim even if she had already seen everything in the river.

She just can't let her hope die!

She glanced at her sister. "Kate, if Esmeralda dies we also die, am I right?"

Kate nodded her head. "Yes..."

"So...if Esmeralda dies and all the inhabitants in this castle will also perish, then the barrier and the castle no longer exist?" she asked again.

"Yes!"

"Hmm...getting out of this castle is deadly which means instant death. If Granny's heart stops beating then the invisible barrier will self destruct killing everyone inside the castle. Am I right?"

"Yes you are correct," Kate mumbled.

"Damn, this is a complicated mystery, I can't find a way how to solve the complexity of the barrier!" Ivy groaned.

Kate released a bitter smile. "Sis, stop thinking how to outsmart the invisible barrier, you will only get a massive headache!" she reminded her.

Ivy took a deep breath. "Yeah, I guess you are right! If others can't escape the barrier, then how much more a weak human like us can do?" she finally agreed.

"Now you're talking! I'm going to sleep now, you should too!" Kate urged her.

"Alright, sis. Good night," Ivy murmured.

"Sweet dreams, sis," Kate replied and closed her eyes going back to sleep.

Ivy also shuts off her eyes looking forward to dozing of.

A few minutes later, Ivy can't still sleep. She opened her eyes and stared at her sister's face. Tomorrow, she will tell Kate about the poison in her body. Although she plans to tell her about it on the 8th day, she was afraid it will be very hard to convince her during that time and she'll be running out of time.

It's now clear as daylight that Kate won't come with her unless she will gain her sympathy.

She was sure that after Kate will know of the poison inside her body she will be forced to accompany her back in the vampire's domain.

She doesn't want to blackmail her sister but she has no other choice. She's feeling tormented inside. Even if she will stay inside Esmeralda's house the poison will still kill her. If she wants to continue living, she has to return to Maxwell's side.

Kate was awakened at some point and was surprised to see her sister still wide awake. "Huh? Are you still thinking of how to outsmart the invisible barrier?"

Ivy shook her head. "No. I'm no longer thinking about the invisible barrier. I'm thinking about something else," she answered.

"What is it? can you tell me about it?" Kate asked with a burgeoning curiosity leaping from her eyes.

"Not tonight, sis. You should go back to sleep. I'll tell you everything tomorrow," Ivy replied.

"Ah, okay, let's sleep then," Kate said and closed her eyes again.

Ivy closes her eyes and thinks of the village. How is her Aunt Margie and sister Ella doing right now? She hopes that the pouch of gold that she left for them is enough to sustain their livelihood during the trying times. She also hopes that the drought is already over and the good weather and climate already returned, so that the villagers can continue planting crops for their daily needs.

She released a deep sigh and forced herself to sleep. Tomorrow she will find the opportunity to talk to Kate without anyone eavesdropping on their conversation.

Granny Esmeralda and the magical tree must now know about the truth, or else they will find a way to impede her plan.

She was about to doze off when a brilliant idea suddenly popped up in her mind.

It's like a light bulb that keeps flashing in her mind right now.

She's finally excited to wake up tomorrow and execute her plan! If she can do it perfectly there is no need to wait for ten days and no need to tell Kate about the poison in her body, it will only make her sister sad and depressed.

If she succeeded tomorrow with her plan, all is well. Her sister might hate her for doing it, she might grumble for a few days but she will get used to it once it's over. It's the only way she knows how that can prevent those scary scenes that Maxwell had envision in his mind. She doesn't want to undergo those horrifying scenes that he describes so well while they were discussing in the room where she was imprisoned, she's dreading it happening soon to her sister and her.

If Esmeralda will not send them to Maxwell on time for the antidote, she and her sister will die together due to the poison on their bodies.

She was breathing hard trying to push those terrifying thoughts away from her mind. She hopes that she won't dream of those haunting thoughts tonight while she was sleeping.

Ugh! She shut off her eyes, she needs to sleep, she is mentally exhausted!

Minutes went by.

The world outside was already sleeping and silence blanketed the entire surrounding.

Finally, Ivy succumbs to a night of deep sleep, expecting that tomorrow, her mission will be fulfilled.