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Journal Entry 58
31.07.2026 The deep voice calling my name startled me out of my thoughts. I turned and pointed my mobile’s flashlight toward the staircase. Zechariah was slowly descending the steps before me. I should have known better. His eloquence and refined demeanor did not fit a bartender serving drinks to fishermen at Zum Alten Anker. Was I truly that stupid? Why had I not brought a weapon to defend myself? Certainly, I worked out, but I had never needed to defend myself physically. It was always Jonas. My best friend. My King, who had always protected me. Shouldn’t it have been the other way around? Shouldn’t a private secretary be his…
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Journal Entry 57
30.07.2026 The basement had a putrid odor bordering on the stench of death. Before me lay the epicenter of my misery. The chain that had connected the clasp around my ankle was still anchored to the stone wall. My dried blood still stained the basement floor. To the left lay my toilet—a metal bucket—on its side. Pain. Disgust. Anger. Sadness. The emotions immediately made me want to vomit. Images of food scraps thrown onto the floor by my captors flashed through my mind. I could feel phantom punches connecting with my skull and gut—reminders of the painful hours I had endured. The voices I had heard earlier returned, this time…
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Journal Entry 56
29.07.2026 The feeling that engulfed me as I entered the Captivity House took me by surprise. I had prepared myself for dreadful, painful memories to consume me. Do not get me wrong—I was unnerved the moment I crossed the threshold. After turning on my mobile’s flashlight, I saw decay and neglect all around me. The ceiling sagged overhead, and the chandelier that had once dimly illuminated the entryway was hanging by a thread. The spider webs immediately gave me the willies. I felt as though I were a ghost hunter conducting a paranormal investigation all by myself. The eerie atmosphere made the hairs on the back of my neck stand…
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Journal Entry 55
28.07.2026 As I stood in front of the house where I had been held captive, my mind raced with memories I wished I could forget forever. There was no doubt that I felt the urge to turn around and return home to Eberbach, but I did not. As rain sprinkled down from the heavens, my adrenaline returned, along with the determination I needed to confront the past and finally close this painful chapter of my life. It has been over two weeks since my last entry. Upon returning home to my children and my work, I gave myself some breathing room to focus on other aspects of my life. I…
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Journal Entry 54
12.07.2026 Bear with me, my dearest journal; my thoughts continue to demand transcription. Two journal entries in two days is not the norm for me. However, I need—and want—to document my feelings. Upon returning from Zum Alten Anker, I was unable to get my conversation with Zechariah out of my mind. There was something unique and intriguing about the pub’s owner that piqued my curiosity. Who is this man? What is his story? He was born and raised in Rüdersdorf, yet he carried himself and spoke as though he were an esteemed alumnus of Cambridge or Oxford. Perhaps Harvard or Princeton? Regardless, Zechariah made me feel comfortable as I recounted…
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Journal Entry 53
12.07.2026 As I walked into the Zum Alten Anker, I felt an immediate and unsettling sense of fear. The feeling dissipated, however, when the pub’s bartender and owner, Zechariah, glanced at me and greeted me with a slight nod and a smile. There was no doubt that he recognized who I was. Zechariah did not pry into my story, nor did he treat me differently from the other patrons enjoying their beverages and meals. His deep voice was kind and reassuring. He gave me a history lesson about Rüdersdorf and explained how the small fishing village, with its Scandinavian architectural influences, had slowly developed into an economic stronghold on Dorstenland’s…
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Journal Entry 52
11.07.2026 You are probably wondering why I am writing a second journal entry today. Well, my dearest journal, I cannot seem to halt my racing thoughts. Over the last couple of weeks, I have been so focused on the events in the basement that I blocked out where my troubles in Rüdersdorf began. The memory blindsided me as the train pulled into the station. Off in the distance, I saw the building—the Rüdersdorf Inn. At first glance, the five-story building, with its pointed roof, stabbed me in the gut. The Inn was the last place I remembered before waking up in the basement and vomiting the previous night’s dinner. I…
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Journal Entry 51
11.07.2026 There is no doubt in my mind that I was having second thoughts before boarding the train to Rüdersdorf. My thoughts were racing. My palms were sweaty. I kept asking myself whether returning to my personal hell was worth it. In the end, I took my seat and ventured north. Riding on a train is not something I usually do anymore, not since becoming Jonas’s private secretary. I remember when Jonas and I were younger, before he became King, and we would board trains without an agenda. Upon our return, the same scene seemed to repeat itself: the voice of Jonas’s father, King Edwin, roaring with displeasure throughout the…
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Journal Entry 50
10.07.2026 The King was not impressed by my decision to travel alone to Rüdersdorf. I explained how important it was for me to visit the basement on my own. Jonas’s concerns are valid. He is worried about a possible negative reaction I might have without someone with me to provide support. The King believes that I will be able to move on from the memories of torture and captivity if I continue with therapy. Jonas also expressed that my trauma could be aggravated by returning to the site of my tragedy. I declined Jonas’s offer to have members of his security detail accompany me to Rüdersdorf. My King has a…
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Journal Entry 49
09.07.2026 It feels as though a fortnight has passed since I had decent sleep. Waking up this morning at 4:45 a.m. was even more evident that I needed to clear my mind. Drinking tea in a quiet atmosphere has always helped me focus on what has been bothering me. My concentration at work is lax. Even Otto and Emma have expressed worry about the change in my personality. One moment I feel melancholy, then flat, then angry at the world. The decision was cemented in my mind as I sipped tea. I’ve decided to return to Rüdersdorf to put to bed the torment which has plagued my dreams for almost…
