Anastacius watched as the girl stumbled away, her moments panicked and hasty. A chuckle left him as he watched on with amusement and a tinge of irritation until she was completely out of sight.
"So what did you find? Is the little girl acquainted with my pathetic little brother?"
A black mist materialized around the blonde guy, snaking around his body like a serpent.
The black mass rolled over Anastacius. "No. I couldn't accomplish my task. I tried to get through but she's more strong-willed than she look. I couldn't brainwash her completely. If she had stayed the results would've been completely different. Though I suspect her fragile, immature mind won't be able to handle the pressure of my magic."
Anastacius stood up, dusting his expensive coat. "Is that so? I wonder why her guard was up. Did my little brother warned her about me?" He remembered the look of fear and discomfort on her innocent face as she gazed into his own jewelled eyes. As if she was remembering some unpleasant memories. Then again it must have been her survival instinct. Her reaction to the burial had already put her on the edge but why?
"But then knowing my brother I doubt he has the heart to warn anyone. Such kindness wouldn't suit his abomination existence. After all, a heartless, ungrateful bastard such as him is incapable of caring for others." Anastacius spat out. "His damned existence will never bring anyone goodness. Just look at me. Because of him, I'm insulted because I'm the lesser incompetent brother. Just because of him I'm being looked down on for my mana in capability. That bastard, he'll pay for it." Anastacius gritted his teeth as he felt a wave of hatred bubble in his veins. His little brother's existence was nothing but an abomination. His pathetic life was causing so much trouble to him. He'd make sure he comes to regret ever being born. He'd isolate him, break him till he starts begging him to end his pathetic miserable life.
"You'll get your revenge but seem like we lost the opportunity to break your brother." The ominous, scratchy voice said in his ear.
"Why do you mean? She's not affiliated with my little brother?" Curiosity gnawed at him but the entity's words doused it with cold water.
"No. That is something we'd never know. I might've broken her mind in my haste. It's been a while since I made someone mindless puppet. My brainwashing method might've been slightly too forceful."
"Oh~" He let out a slightly disappointed hum.
"She might not be alive by the next morning. Or a few hours.."
"So you're saying she might have been an innocent girl caught between the crossfire of brothers? Now she'll die for nothing." Anastacius said amused. "Shame. She looked like an intriguing character. But she'll soon be dead so her story would finish just like that. An unveiled mystery." He shrugged indifferently, walking away from the garden to his frantic royal guards.
No more thoughts were spared for the unaware girl who had walked on her doom. He walked with nothing short of remorse or guilt. Feeling indifference to her tragic ending.
Anastacius froze. "Ah, isn't she the marquis adopted daughter? One which father was going to use. He'll be mad that we eliminated his pawn before he could even use it."
The scratchy voice replied in low voice. "I don't think she had much use as a pawn. We did your father a favour by getting rid of her."
"Ugh, explaining that to father would be troublesome." Anastacius groaned.
***
Your head pounded. You tiredly opened your eyes to find yourself in a black void. Darkness surrounded you from all sides. You sat up in alarm.
"What the hell-- Where am I?" You looked around to find nothing but darkness. Weirdly enough you could see and at the same time, you couldn't. It was a strange concept: this black void.
It felt like you lost your sense of reality. Time had come to a standstill. There wasn't any living soul, any indication that this place was part of the world. The place was dark yet the tranquillity that its emptiness had was strange.
"Hello, child." A velvet, sweet voice broke out of the dark void.
A female girl sat in the middle of the void --it was the middle-- looking at the glowing butterflies flocking around her. Her back gown glittered like a starry night. She glowed along with the butterflies that you remembered from your childhood memories. The one which had guided you to your doom.
Her shiny silk indigo tuff fell around her petite figures in waves. Her empty, bright indigo eyes glowed as she continued to gaze at the butterfly on her fingertip.
Instantly your mouth went dry in fear and panic.
"It's you. The Crazy lady?! You're the one who killed me!" You backed away.
"No, I'm the one granting your wish." Her voice was serene, a sweet whisper in contrast to your panicked-filled outburst.
You shook your head trying not to gape at her ethereal beauty that was calling to you. "What? Since when did I ask for a death wish."
"It wasn't a death wish, child. It was a cry for help from a dying girl who wanted to rewrite everything."
You said drily. "The hell are you blabbering about? You are just as cryptic as I remember." You paused "You mean the previous owner of the body wished for it? But I don't see a reason for you to murder me!"
She smiled mysteriously. "I did not take your life away. I merely brought your soul from that world to this."
You groaned as frustration replaced your fear. "Bullshit! Isn't it the same as killing me!?" She stared at you silently. "Say something!"
"What's there to say? When everything is what you wished for."
"I didn't wish for a lady who has lost her marbles to kill me, not to mention on my birthday!"
She shook her head gently as if she was trying to be patient with a child. "You'll come to know everything in due time."
"So you're not going to give me answers?" You asked defeated. Talking to her was sucking away your energy.
"Only ones I see fit."
"Great." You sarcastically said. "Can you at least answer me why I'm here? Or what is this place even?" You waved your hand to the void.
"It's a timeless suspended void. A tear in limbo. It's a place where lost souls come when there are standing between life and death."
"So I'm dead?" You asked shaken. Feeling your guts twist in panic.
She smiled "Hmm. Are you dead? Do you feel dead?"
You swallowed the lump in your throat. "Stop talking in riddles. Give me a straight answer!"
"No child. You're not dead. I brought you here to save your life. Your mind is slowly snapping from the pressure of black magic. Your mind is on the verge of destroying itself and slipping away. I brought you here to bring some time to them. He is frantically trying to revive you back. Maybe he ends up succeeding knowing his mana capabilities." She looked thoughtful. As if she hadn't just dumped the biggest news on your head.
"What? Black magic? Since when did I come in contact with black magic? Why would anyone want to kill me?" You shot one question after another in panic and fear.
"Since you met him. Though their intention wasn't to kill you. They just wanted to brainwash you and make you their puppet."
"That's even worse than death!" You shouted in sheer disbelief. You had no idea who they were. "And who are they?"
"I think you know them. The last person you met is the culprit of your failing condition."
"Claude's brother?" You whispered in shock. "But why?"
"You'll know in due time."
"Why do time?! Why not now?" You were getting fed up with her elusive answers.
"Everything has a right time. A truth revealed before brings nothing but damage and destruction." She said her empty yet bright indigo eyes digging into your soul.
You instantly backed away from her chilling aura and the suddenly tense atmosphere.
"Alright." You reluctantly agreed not wanting to push the buttons of this entity you have no knowledge of.
You swallowed hard to gather the courage to ask the next question. "Can.....Can I go back? Back to my place, my world?" You asked with hope.
She looked at you disappointed. "Are you running away from your responsibility? Escaping from your promise? Doesn't that go everything you stand for? I thought you wanted to change your cursed fate. But seems like you're just repeating your mistakes."
You looked at her puzzled. Guts twisting for some reason as your heart raced from her words.
She gracefully glided to you, each step so smooth and effortless. "Running away is never an answer. Fight head-on and fight till your last breath."
You felt shame for some reason. As if her jabs attacked your most sensitive parts.
"But I'm dying as you said..."
"No. It's not your time. Not now. Not when you've so much to do."
"This time you need to not repeat your mistakes. If you don't want to repeat the encore, overcome your incompetence."
You grunted feeling like a child being scolded for considering an easy path. You had no idea why you felt that way. There wasn't any answer to that. Not when the crazy lady wanted to keep you in dark while claiming to guide you.
She smiled as butterflies flocked around her form. "Love is a beautiful thing, don't you think? The desperate thing you do in name of love. You find yourself in a position you never thought you'd be."
"What?" Your mouth went dry. "What has love to do anything with this?"
"Love has everything to do with it. It's the entire reason for your existence." She sighed as she twirled a silky strand of hair. "Love. Such a mysterious feeling. Warm fuzzy feeling that no one knows where it originates. But it overweight everything in this world. Everything becomes dust in front of it. An addictive yet comforting feeling."
She came close. You felt like something was crushing your lungs. Her aura had gone from calm to oppressive.
"Love can make people insane. But insanity has its own beauty." She got up close that you could see the beautiful swirl in her eyes. Your mind was panicking from her sudden change of behaviour.
"You're so alike." She whispered nostalgic as her eyes had an intense look you couldn't decipher. Her sharp fingernails caressed your cheeks as she smiled widely.
"So fitting...."
You wanted to back away but something was keeping you rooted to your place. As if your body was not in your control.
Meow!
You broke away from the spell that the place seem to have on you. That her captivating beauty had on you. Her beautiful face contorted in irritation.
"Your familiar is calling for you." She tsked.
Next thing you knew you were sucked from that place.