A slow exhale of breath came out of my dry lips at the words that came out of Azrael's mouth.
I should have expected it, because I know how Isaac is in the novel. A person who acts on his whims. Ruthless and unapologetic, and the kindness that he rarely displays comes from a distorted perception of the world that others would often misinterpret as goodwill.
When I read the last chapter of the novel, I cried. The ambiguous thoughts of the Prince that were written led me to believe he regretted realizing his loneliness, but now I know, I was just one of the fools he played in the palm of his hands.
I thought maybe the novel was wrong. I thought I shouldn't judge him from a book that described only the qualities of the perfect killing machine because of the convenient violent setting. That maybe in a time of peace, there might be a gap in his heart that is genuine kindness. And maybe, despite all the uncanny similarities, the person I met was a person entirely different from 'that' Azrael.
But I was wrong. How could there be a person too similar to someone? There should not have been any other explanations other than being the person himself.
He truly is the Issac Ivan Vanderbilt, and he is as unfeeling as he is in the novel.
Despite the times we spent, he couldn't see me as something even remotely close to a human being... Not even a gullible girl, but a mere piece of bartering item to be discarded. The pain from the scratches I've gotten from the shards stung and my eyes started to feel hot.
I swallowed the lump in my throat as I pushed back the annoying hair that pricked my eyes. The white color reflected the light, making me squint against the glare. No longer was it clean and shiny, as splotches of red smudged against the blank canvass.
He said he liked pretty things... He willingly protected me... Laughed at all my witty remarks. And he rushed to save me in times of danger. Even getting hurt... For this.
From the moment we met, he planned everything, and played out a character I desperately needed for a nefarious purpose. My breath hitched. I could feel my heart thumping painfully slow, as if it was on the verge of bursting. My breath slowed down as I reached for a glass around me.
With shaking hands, I raised the glass and chopped the long strands without as much as a blink. I watched them all sink in the pool of blood under my feet. My grip tightened, and the cracked shard broke in two. The glass fell out of my hands and crashed on the floor, the sound escaping through the panels.
I raised my sight and looked through the hole in the cracks. It was too late to conceal my presence. Everyone's eyes turned to my direction including a striking pair of amber irises that glowed ominously. And for a moment, it seemed like we locked eyes despite the distance.
"Sierra..?"
I exhaled a weak breath as I stared at the familiar figure, standing at the center of the room. It became an unrecognizable blur, and I didn't realize I was crying until I rubbed my eyes to clear my vision.
"Ha... Ha-ha-ha..." I laughed, feeling funny all of a sudden.
He stepped forward and the smile was erased from my lips. I shakily reached in my pocket and searched through my satchel for the transportation scroll. A creaking sound came from above, but I didn't remove my eyes from Issac. Even as the panel in front of me lost its supporting frame. Even as it tipped away, seemingly being pulled out of it's frame. And even as the hinges gave out a final roar before flying elsewhere, I did not pull my gaze away.
Now that the wall separating us was removed, I probably look pathetic as I stared at him with wet cheeks, dyed with traces of blood from when I furiously wiped the tears away.
"Sierra... I came to get you." There was a striking contrast to his, now, sweet tone in comparison to the voice I heard a while ago. But instead of feeling relieved, I felt unbearable pain radiating from my chest. I could feel it all the way to my fingertips, further to my injuries, making them more obvious to my consciousness that was running purely on adrenaline.
I discreetly pulled out the transportation scroll when his feet pointed towards me.
"I apologize it took me a while to find you." Prince Issac Gryffon Vanderbilt, strode towards me as if rushing. "What did they do to you?"
I raised my chin to look at his hooded face. His eyes weren't amber any more. It was the warm shade of brown that looked at me tenderly, but there was a strange dissonance in the way he was rushing as if to help me, to the people behind him who were being choked mid air by the shadow under his feet, lengthening and coming out of the surface as if shadows weren't supposed to be inanimate.
"Stay where you are..." My hoarse voice was barely a whisper, but he heard it and paused ten steps in front of me, a look of realization forming in his gaze.
"Sierra..." He began. "You heard everything?"
I flinched, trying to retreat when he took a decisive step forward after. I couldn't help glancing behind him. To the origin of the screams and terrible choking sounds that echoed from the bodies hanging in the air. Fear enveloped me when he took another step closer. Despite my waning consciousness, my hands instinctively tried to carry my body away from him, but my feet hurt, and I let out a pitiful mini scream.
"You can't run away when your feet is in that state, can you? It's okay, Sierra..." His voice turned coaxing, making me want to gag. "Since you survived, I'll take care of you."
I blinked up at him, my vision blurring even more. I could taste salty tears in my mouth as soon as a soft laugh slowly meandered out of my throat at his comical words. I can't help feeling like a fool the more he talked. Take care of me? He'd probably use me until there's nothing left to use. If we were to end up in a long, cold winter night, he would burn my body with a smile to warm himself.
Grabbing the teleportation scroll, I weakly smiled up at him while shaking my head.
"...You have nowhere to go, Sierra. Be obedient. I'll be a good, righteous knight like you want."
As a response, I tore the scroll with every fiber of strength I had left in me. I gave him the benefit of the doubt, and he proved me wrong in every manner possible.
Frightening shadows reached for me from every corner, but they weren't able to catch me as I disappeared in a blue light, leaving him standing alone in the chaos he made.
- - ┈┈∘┈˃̶༒˂̶┈∘┈┈ - -
Felberta wiped the sweat on her forehead after finally airing out all the blankets. As soon as she raised her eyes, she noticed a hawk flying towards the orphanage. She stood up and left the empty basket, stretching before taking a small walk towards the unkempt path that led to the woods behind the two-storey building.
It didn't take long before the hawk caught up, and landed in front of her. She knelt down, and took out the message from the small tube that was strapped to its back.
Your work is much appreciated. The proof that you've gathered convinced everyone of Pubrina's plans.
Before returning, however, there's a lady called Sierra Alvior who supposedly is a resident of Brenia. I want to know everything there is to know about her.
A sigh came out of her mouth as she recalled the crying face of the lady she'd helped escape. Things have subsided since she spread rumors about Pubrina's plan to wage war in Kesoe. She'd also intercepted news of a witch appearing in Brenia, but it seems Sierra Alvior is bound to catch attention wherever she goes.
Felberta, one of the great talents produced by the Godraidh Duchy crumpled the paper in her hands. She doesn't know how Miss Sierra crossed paths with the Captain and why he wants to know about her, but maybe meeting him is a good thing.
If she acquires a sponsorship in the Duchy, she'll be granted protection. If a powerful family vouches for her identity, she will never experience what happened here ever again...
Meanwhile, another messenger bird slowly descended from a high altitude, but as soon as it reached a palace that clearly pulsed with the ring's energy, it suddenly disappeared and the distance grew wide again. The bewildered winged animal still flew by the windows to check any signs of its recipient, but it didn't expect to be caught by a strange thing. It furiously struggled with the black entity, before it was forcefully taken inside towards a man.
The message tucked in a small tube that was fastened to the hawk was taken crude fingers. It was clear that he isn't the recipient, but the hawk couldn't do anything under the stranger's sinister strength.
Lady Alvi-or's worries came true. My subordinate has gathered substantial evidence of suspicious movement from Pubrina's forces. For the lady's peace of mind, the Princess has quickly made preparations for relocation of the towns that will be affected.
Also, I no longer need your help as a witness, as we've gathered concrete evidences to indict the Mayor of Banaha. May the lady fare well in your journey.
P.S. The sponsorship is always open to accommodate your talent.
***
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