They say that Witches are the incarnation of evil, and that under no circumstances are we to interact with them. And yet, they freely let one roam around the palace as they please, as if it's their own home...
But frankly though, I, or any of the staff here for that matter, don't really mind at all. The Witch of Mirage, Lilith Nivanie, is a tame and docile Witch, despite what we've been taught. She has free roam of the entire palace save for the king's quarters and the restricted section of the library. She's also rather kind, and whenever one of us passes her, she's very polite and greets us. We also greet her, of course. She also has her own room and a servant attending to her. You'd expect a Witch like her to be acting more like a prisoner of war, but it's quite the opposite, as if she's a distinguished guest.
That said though, she's not allowed in the main halls whenever an event is on-going, and although all the servants in the palace knows about her, her existence is supposed to be kept a secret. Basically, she's living here somewhat as the king's secret illegitimate child.
Today, I happened upon her in the library while I was on duty there. She often goes to the library and reads books by a world-famous author from nearly a hundred years ago that went by "Nel". His books were, to say it in a single word, incredible. However, nearly half of his books have burned to the ground when his home did the same. It was an unfortunate event, and after that, Nel never published another book. In other words, the books that Ms. Lilith are reading right now are one of the few remaining copies of Nel's books.
“Good morning, Ms. Lilith.”
I called out to her, but she didn't reply. Well, I guess that's to be expected considering she's so focused in her reading. Though, I was rather interested in which of Nel's books she was reading, so I casually move towards her.
“Ms. Lilith?”
I called out to her when I got closer, but still no response. Now that I take a close look at her, I have to say that she's really beautiful. She looks so fragile, yet so strong. Her bright blue hair worn down, with her black dress, all of that paired with her posture while reading, it's like I'm seeing a goddess right in front of me.
I move a bit closer, but when I took the step, the world around me suddenly changed. The high shelves full of books, the table and chairs, and even Ms. Lilith disappeared, and what was in front of me was instead a burning house, with two children crying in front of it. I couldn't hear anything, but from their lip movement, I think they're saying "mama" or something along those lines.
“This is...”
This is the setting of one of Nel's books, a story about two kids losing their mother in a housefire. Still, this looks so realistic... Everything around me was a burning hell, yet nothing feels hot, the fire is raging, yet there's no sound. I tried to walk forward, but my foot hit something. I'm assuming it was the table from before. Which means, this is one of Ms. Lilith's illusions. I heard that Ms. Lilith can create powerful illusions, but I didn't think they could be so realistic. Shortly afterwards, I heard a loud clap as the world around me returned back to the library, and there I saw Ms. Lilith closing the book she was reading, and the moving on to pick up another book. I tried calling out to her again, but before I was able to, she opened the book and everything around us became a large, raging storm at sea. Of course, I know it's an illusion, but it just feels so real. I was standing on top of a stormy sea, but in reality I was simply standing on a marble floor.
I know this is an illusion made by Ms. Lilith, maybe to make her reading feel immersive. However, I don't recognise this setting. I've read all of Nel's books that were available in this library, but this setting doesn't belong to one of them. I'm also fairly certain that Ms. Lilith only picked up the Nel books, which means this has to be one of his books, but as I thought, I just can't figure out which one.
As I stood there pondering, I could feel a cold wind pushing against my back, which is strange, considering the library is supposed to be an enclosed space. I move backward, and I could feel my foot stepping on water. The cold wind starts becoming more aggressive, to the point that it's starting to push me in all kinds of direction. And each step I take, I could feel the water level rise. This illusion of a stormy sea, I could feel it becoming more reality than just being an illusion.
As I was struggling to even stand straight, in the horizon I could see a large figure. A large ship, but I couldn't figure what kind of ship. At this point, I don't know what's an illusion and what's not anymore, so at desperation, I tried to signal the ship to my direction. What happened next, was something straight out of a fantasy novel.
The ship in the horizon was now surrounded by large, practically titanic... black, bladed tentacles, the very same description used for the mythical beast, the Kraken. It is said that in the middle of the Pacific, the Kraken uses it's humongous black, bladed tentacles to surround it's pray and drag them towards the ocean floor, where the Kraken itself is awaiting it's meal. As I was in awe of the sight before me, the ship was dragged into the sea, just like the stories say, and the moment it did, I felt such a large wave shaking my feet, and the cold storm pushed me off balance.
I sat there, wet and cold, unsure of what to do anymore. I'm definitely not in the library anymore, but I don't know what's happening. Everything is just too confusing. This is supposed to be an illusion, right? So then why is it that the rising water, the cold storm, everything feels so real? Even my ears have gone deaf from the loud thunderstorm. What is this place, an illusion, or am I truly at ocean? I don't know the answer anymore, and I'm too confused and scared to think straight.
My motionless body was subject to all of nature. The cold and loud thunderstorms, the raging waves of sea, and I couldn't do anything but sit there. I'm not even sure why I was just sitting there. Perhaps I'm waiting for something, or maybe I've already given up hope? As I was pondering about the reality, I could see little black strings surrounding me covertly. However, I can't just see them as little black strings. To me, they felt just like the Kraken's bladed tentacles, the same things that took down that ship in the horizon. So this is it? This is the end? Will no one be there to wake me up? In the first place, is this even a dream or is this reality? I don't know anymore, and I've practically given up at this point. I don't care anymore, I don't care. Just take me, I don't care anymore! Kill me!
I accepted my fate, and the black strings rushed towards me, and pulled me down into the sea. Everything is about to end at this point, huh. As I was being pulled towards the seabed, I could see various other life forms, mostly different types of fishes, swimming about. And as I reached the ocean floor, what awaited me were the floating bodies of my fellow palace staff, and even the king and his close subordinates. What... does this mean? The black threads let go of me, but I couldn't move. Every passing second, I felt like my body was deteriorating. I looked towards the other floating bodies, and I realized that they looked so pale and thin, drained and dehydrated, despite being at the bottom of the ocean. I'm sure that they've all died, and soon, so will I. Ahahaha, what a way to go, I can't help but laugh internally. I was being drained of my life, and I'm laughing. I don't even know who or what's doing this, but I'm placing my bets on Ms. Lilith... I guess Witches really are just plain evil incarnate...
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I closed the book I was reading, and I looked over to the lifeless body beside me. Mr. Willis was a nice man, he always took care of me whenever I went to the library. Perhaps that was the reason why I left him for last, or maybe it was something else... He posed a scarily striking resemblance to William, to the point I was hesitating in draining him for a while. But, what's happened has happened. There is no turning back anymore. Though the library looks plain and peaceful, that's only an illusion. The truth of the matter is more... hopeless.
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Lilith's eyes were glowing a bright gold color as she paid respect to the lifeless body to her side. And then, as her golden eyes became a dark blue color, the entire palace was returned to the reality. The moon light shining on the windows were the only source of light. After paying her respects, Lilith moved towards the front desk of the library, where there were three more lifeless and pale bodies. She paid her respects to them and exited the large room. In the hallway, she made a handful of stops, to pay respects to the skeletal-like corpses laying there. She walked slowly and gracefully, as she stops by every single lifeless body to pay her respects.
Finally, she reached the king's quarters, and there awaited the king's subordinates' drained bodies. Lilith approached each body and paid her respects, and then she looked towards the standing king.
“...playing with the dead is below you, Witch of Dolls.”
Then, the king's body slumped forward and fell, his head being cleanly cut off from the rest of his body and rolling towards Lilith's feet.
“Caught, ey.”
And sitting on the throne was an ashen white-haired girl looking to be in her teen years. She was wearing the now dead king's robes, which were too big for her so she just looked like a child princess wearing her father's clothes.
“So, what are your plans now, Sofia?”
“Scratch that name, wouldja? S'long as I'm sittin' on this 'ere throne, I'm thinkin' of callin' meself sumthin' else.”
“If you plan to do that, atleast do something about your speech pattern.”
The two struck conversation as Lilith walked towards the girl she called Sofia.
“I know, I know, I'm practicin'... practicing. The noble lady speech is harder than ya... you think.”
“...so? Your new name?”
“Right, right. I'm... thinking of taking the li'l princess' name. Marie Antoinette, yeah?”
As Lilith approached Sofia... Marie, she hopped off the throne and did the same. And now the two were standing in front of each other. Marie told Lilith about her next plans after eliminating the government.
“Well then, I'll tell Celestine about your little plan, I'm thinking she could be of help.”
“That quiet, uncooperative blondie? Ya serious?”
“You think you can fool the countrymen alone?”
Marie retreated at that statement. It would appear that she hasn't thought that far ahead. Lilith put her hand on Marie's shoulder and knelt so that they were on equal eye levels, then she looked straight at Marie's golden eyes with her own golden eyes.
“You can trust that I'll help you, yes?”
“...I guess.”
In a blink, both of their eyes stopped glowing gold. Lilith's eyes returned to their dark blue color, while Marie's became a lightless brown. Looking at it from afar, you'd think they were a pair of mother and child.
“Good. In exchange, you'll have to use everything in your arsenal to find my two sweeties, okay?”
“I can do that.”
“Then I'll find Celestine.”
Afterwards, Lilith got up and left the king's quarters, leaving Marie there alone. Marie returned to the throne and sat on it, then she looked at the lifeless bodies that Lilith left.
“...Did she... just leave the cleanin' to me...?”
Marie sighed as her glowing golden eyes were the only illumination in the dark room. Dealing with the aftermath, she plans to find a way to dispose of the bodies.
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Afterword
By the way, Sofia actually loves cleaning, that includes dealing with the aftermaths of slaughters.