《LILLYA - The witch's puppet [thriller, tragedy, mystery]》 TIPS
This is an extra volume of LILLYA. In this volume, you will be able to revisit, recall and discover.
Characters Karl Rondart The head of the Rondart family. He lived a life of success, in the eyes of those who knew him, at least. He was of a wealthy lineage, had a young and beautiful wife, and was blessed with many children. He was a kind, calm and sweet man, or so it seemed to him and all those he encountered. His past was bright, and his life was good. He had no problems or obstacles to worry him. He lived an overall peaceful life... ...until the witch''s shadow crossed his path. Victoire Gindre Karl''s wife. Karl had a strong feeling of love for Victoire from the first day he saw her. They met in their youth in her homeland, and it was love at first sight. She was the second daughter of a low-class noble family, and she had the appearance and the aura of a woman of high breeding. Her mind was sharp, her heart kind, and she loved her dear husband, who let her have many, beautiful children. She lived a life filled with love... ...until the witch''s shadow crossed her path. William Rondart Born into this world as an innocent baby, William immediately made himself into a highly intellectual and strong individual, as well as the charm of an handsome man. He grew quickly and easily, and before long, he became a royal guard for his king. His work was always done cleanly and professionally, and he was a good brother for his little sisters and brothers, and a good son to his loving parents. He was blessed with a happy life, filled with much success and reputation... ...until the witch''s shadow crossed his path. Gale Rondart It was a surprise every time he walked through the cities. His long, golden hair always made the women swoon and the children reach out with awe, and the men could not help but stop to stare at him. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Gale''s skin was flawless and smooth, his smile as bright and warm as the sun. He was also a very smart and academically successful man, who was though very humble and kind. His life was also blessed by success and a bright future... ...until the witch''s shadow crossed his path. Vance Rondart Vance had a bright future ahead of him. He had a large group of friends who would do anything for him. He was also intelligent and academically successful, and had the face of an angel and a bright smile every single time. He was an artist, and was very good at his work. He sold many paintings during his life. He also was vert attached to his brother Gale, to the point the two were sometimes considered almost from another, completely different family. His career promised him fame and a great title after his name... ...until the witch''s shadow crossed his path. Rosie Rondart "Finally, a girl!" Karl shouted during that fateful day. Victoire wept at her birth. She had waited many long years for a beautiful daughter, and was now blessed by her arrival after three males. Rosie''s hair was the same color as her father''s, and her eyes as beautiful as her mother''s. She was a true blessing from God. She was calm, patient, and smart, and grew into a young woman with a simple, yet satisfying life... ...until the witch''s shadow crossed her path. Katherine Rondart This girl was a little different from her siblings. Her skin was more tanned. Her hair was brown instead of blonde or black and her eyes didn''t even match neither her father''s nor her mother''s. Although, despite this, Katherine was still a Rondart. She had a sharp and inquisitive mind, she was quiet, shy and frank whenever she had to spoke...her manners almost made one think she hated her own family. However, the young girl truly loved living there amongst them. She was a unique individual who had a very promising future ahead... ...until the witch''s shadow crossed her path. Annaliese Rondart This girl was born a little bit after Katherine. She looked a lot like her brother Gale...but unllike him, her personality was the opposite. Cynical, cold, sarcastic...she was the person you never wanted to have as your enemy or friend. Despite everything, her family still loved her somehow. And her future...it was unknown to her. She never worried about it. "It will be alright, my dad''s rich, after all." She thought... ...until the witch''s shadow crossed her path. Nelya Rondart Four years later, Victoire cried loudly as she birthed another girl. Her hair was pure golden, her eyes were pure diamonds. Her voice was soft as cotton and her hands as delicate as a rose petal. She was the perfect angel. The only problem was, the girl was childish. Her happy, carefree, childish demeanor never changed during the many years that came after her birth. She was so simple-minded that she often didn''t even know what was going on around her. That inevitably led her path cross with the witch''s shadow.
LILLYA A puppet was crafted by a vengeful witch. It had the mind and body of a young, beautiful girl. Her name was Lillya. She had white, pure and long hair, and her eyes were two shiny rubies. She was made as an angel, and her soul was innocent and kind. She loved her dear family, who adopted her without hesitation and mare her life whole. Her creator, though, wasn''t as kind as she was. Her strings would be soon tainted with blood, and her whole life ruined and lost. She crossed her path with the witch... ...no, she has always been with the witch. ERIKA A genius girl with a mysterious past. She had many skills, from her sharp mind to her survival instincts. She was the smartest one of them all, the one with the brightest future of them all. Her path crossed with the witch''s shadow...but it was a path she chose on her own. And as such, it was a path she could never run away from. Yunya The incarnation of anger, suspicion, discouragement, hatred and desolation. The witch whose name has been lost with time. The witch whose shadow has been cast over many souls. The witch who is still searching for her.
I am Lillya Since the moment I began to love, all I loved withered away. Since the moment I began to think, all my thoughts were drowned. Since the moment I began to feel, all my feelings were crushed. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Since the moment I was born, all I could do was listen to her voice. Since the moment I was built, all my limbs could do was to move for her. I am Lillya, the puppet of the witch. Volume 1 | Chapter I - Birth
It was a calming night, one of the many soothing nights I used to spend to my dearest sister¡¯s side. We shared a bedroom together, because we loved each other to an almost obsessive extent. The rest of our siblings didn¡¯t complain much about it...since they knew our bond was too strong to be torn apart. She caressed my hair, singing that little lullaby in my ear, clinging to my resting body. She loved to pet me like this, as if I was her little doll. ¡°Sleep, sleep and sleep...sleep in the sea of the flower¡­¡± ¡°...and when you wake up, you will have me by your side, you will not cower.¡± She loved me so much. And I loved her so much. As she caressed me so gently, whispering those words to me, I laid on our bed motionless, giving her my back¡­ ...my right hand, tainted with blood, grasped hers tightly. I looked at the corner of our dear bedroom and I saw her smiling, a smile on the verge of laughter. I closed my eyes, clenching my dear sister¡¯s hand tighter and tighter, wishing that the bad dream would end. But no matter how much I waited. No matter how much I prayed¡­ ...she was always there.
Chapter I - Birth They found me six years ago, right in front of their gates, dressed in a white robe. A little girl that was around my age, in terms of appearance, saw me standing in front of the gate, confused. I didn¡¯t remember anything, I didn¡¯t know who I was at all. I...simply opened my eyes and found myself there. I looked on the ground, my bare feet were clean, even if I was standing on a dusty, dirty ground ¨C as if I appeared in that spot out of thin air. The robe was clean as well, making me reach the same thought. The little girl came closer, and closer. A curious look on her face. I was in front of a huge mansion''s gates, surrounded by a thick forest. What am I doing here? Why am I here? How did I get here in the first place? My fresh thoughts, being that I didn¡¯t retain any kind of memory, started twirling around. ¡°Who are you?¡± Her voice was clear, young and sweet. She grasped the gates¡¯ bars with her two little hands. She clearly was curious in a positive way ¨C maybe believing she found a new friend that could play with her. ¡°¡­¡± I stayed silent, trying to figure out what was going on. I didn¡¯t remember anything, but there still was this vague knowledge about the world...a knowledge which was enough to make me realize none of what I was experiencing made sense. ¡°Hey! I¡¯m talking to you!¡± But she wasn¡¯t the patient type. She called for me again, pouting. I looked right up, fixing my gaze against hers...I made a sad, worried expression. I didn¡¯t know why I was making it, I just...wanted her to worry about me. I was scared, because I couldn¡¯t remember anything about myself. ¡°Is something wrong¡­?¡± She asked, widening her eyes. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± ¡°I...I don¡¯t...I don¡¯t remember anything.¡± My voice was a surprise to my ears. It was sweet, delicate and young...just like hers. My slim, short body matched my voice¡­ ...I was a young girl. Finally, I knew something more about myself. ¡°What do you mean?¡± She asked. ¡°Do you at least know your name?¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t know anything.¡± I shook my head, trying to get help and advice as soon as I could from her. ¡°I don¡¯t remember who I am...and I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Your hair is beautiful¡­¡± she said with a smile. ¡°...I¡¯ve never seen eyes of this color before! It¡¯s amazing!¡± I wandered around my head with my hands...my hair was soft, and long ¨C I finally could sense their presence. I grabbed one single strand, bringing it in front of my face. It was white, pure white. ¡°And your eyes...they¡¯re stunning!¡± She exclaimed thereafter. I couldn¡¯t see my own eyes...so I didn¡¯t know what she was talking about in that case. I found myself being showered by compliments by a total stranger. I felt a warm feeling around my face, and my heart started beating a bit faster - I felt embarrassed. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± I muttered, looking down. ¡°Wait, I¡¯m going to call Kruz and have him open the gates!¡± She suddenly ran off, traversing the huge garden I could see on the other side of the gates. After a little while, she came back...a tall man by her side. He was bald, with a gentle smile on his face that was surrounded by a nice gray beard. The gates quickly opened after the man inserted a key in a padlock. The little girl immediately ran towards me, grabbing my hands. ¡°My name is Nelya! Nice to meet you!¡± I looked at her more closely...beautiful, flaxen hair. A pair of blue eyes that I could lose myself in. A smile that destroyed any kind of sorrow. ¡°Miss Nelya...may I ask you who this girl is?¡± The man questioned her right away, glancing at me multiple times with suspicious eyes. I did look like a ragged girl indeed. ¡°I don¡¯t know! She doesn¡¯t remember anything.¡± She shrugged, smiling constantly. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°...do you mean you had memory loss?¡± The man asked, looking at me. ¡°Y-Yes...that¡¯s how you would say it, I guess¡­¡± I replied, looking down. ¡°...I am sorry. I don¡¯t mean to be a nuisance.¡± ¡°Kruz, we must help her!¡± Nelya moved my hands up and down excitedly. ¡°Let¡¯s go ask mom and dad if she can come inside!¡± ¡°Miss Nelya...I don¡¯t know if you should-¡± ¡°Quiet! She is not a bad person! I can see it!¡± She interrupted him immediately, pouting. Then, she strengthened the grip on my hand and started pulling me inside the mansion. ¡°W-Wait...N-Nelya¡­¡± I muttered, panicking. I looked behind, and the man started locking the gates. I suddenly felt trapped. Nelya¡¯s hair swayed with her quick walk as we approached the mansion¡¯s doors. It was huge ¨C the whole building, by staying at its feet, was overwhelming. Three stories filled with countless windows. The courtyard was also amazing...flowerbeds everywhere, a clear cobbled path intertwined them. Despite all my strong emotions...I felt happy by seeing such a beautiful place.
As soon as we got inside, Nelya brought me to the living room. A big, spacious room. With a chimney, some couches and armchairs, paintings shelves. It was all neatly decorated ¨C it was definitely luxurious. Two people sit at one of the couches, while I was at the opposite one with Nelya. I felt nervous, and I almost cowered in worry...but I remained still, my back straight and my eyes fixed on the two. A tall, adult man. He wore a huge smile, similar to Nelya¡¯s. His hair were black and short. His clothing matched with the luxury of the living room. And then a shorter, mature woman. Her hair were flaxen, just like Nelya¡¯s. She was wearing a beautiful, frilly dress. I want a dress like hers so much¡­ That was my thought of the moment. While I was confused about everything, I still had the mind of a little girl. As I was admiring the appearance of these two people, the woman put a hand on her face and tilted her head. ¡°I do wonder where you come from, child.¡± She sighed. ¡°Probably from overseas. No red-eyed girls wander around here.¡± The man chimed, chuckling. ¡°You are truly a beautiful girl. And that hair? Stunning." ¡°¡­¡± I nodded, looking down. A little smile grew on my face. ¡°Do you really not remember anything at all?¡± The woman asked me. ¡°Not even your name?¡± ¡°I...no, sorry. I don¡¯t.¡± I shook my head, clenching my fists. My smile immediately faded. ¡°That is a shame. I wonder how you got in front of our mansion in the first place¡­¡± the man sighed, rubbing his chin. ¡°...you must have some parents, don¡¯t you? Maybe they¡¯re searching for you right now.¡± Do I have parents? Even if I did, I didn¡¯t know anything about them. I didn¡¯t feel any instinct that drew me towards them. ¡°Maybe you hit your head. That is why you lost your memories.¡± The woman suggested. ¡°We should call a doctor.¡± ¡°Here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do.¡± The man stood up, clearing his throat. ¡°We¡¯ll call a doctor from the city, have you checked...and then I¡¯ll have my servants asking around for parents in search of a white-haired girl with red eyes. If they''re around, we''ll surely find them.¡± ¡°Thank you so much¡­¡± I joined my hands and bowed. ¡°...I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No need to apologize, sweetie!¡± The woman stood up as well. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take it easy while we help you? You may have a bath, perhaps?¡± I wasn¡¯t dirty, so I shook my head. The woman nodded and looked at Nelya. ¡°Nelya, have a bedroom ready for this young girl.¡± She said. Her tone made it seem like she was commanding her. ¡°Okay!¡± Nelya jumped off the couch, dragging me with her.
As we followed a young maid after Nelya asked her to give me a bedroom, I started throwing out questions I had. ¡°Who were those two?¡± I asked her. ¡°My mommy and daddy!¡± She chimed happily. ¡°They love me and my siblings so much!¡± ¡°Oh, alright.¡± I smiled, looking at her happiness. ¡°Why are they so nice to me?¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t they be? They are nice with people.¡± She shrugged. It was a weird question, I know. Why wouldn¡¯t they be nice? However, for some reason, my brain didn¡¯t take kindness for granted. Maybe it was because of my lost past ¨C that was my conclusion. I suddenly felt Nelya¡¯s warmth fading. The maid opened a door of the long corridor. As soon as I stepped in. I saw a beautiful bedroom...with a big, comfortable bed. I felt excited ¨C I couldn¡¯t wait to rest my mind here and think about myself. ¡°If there is anything you need, any maid is at your service.¡± The young, gentle maid said, bowing. ¡°Do you want to be alone?¡± Nelya asked, stopping the maid from closing the door for me. She clearly wanted to play with me...she looked very ecstatic because of my presence, for some reason. I charmed her as soon as she saw me standing in front of those gates. But sadly for her, I did need to be alone. I wanted to reflect upon what was happening to me. ¡°F-For now...yes.¡± I nodded. ¡°I feel a bit tired.¡± ¡°Okay! We¡¯ll be back with your doctor when he arrives! Bye bye!¡± The door shut quickly. I looked around, then I walked towards a tall mirror, placed right beside the bed. ¡°¡­¡± My breath hitched. Something wasn¡¯t right ¨C my fingers, my wrists, my elbows, my knees and my feet...they had joints. I looked down, staring at my fingers. They were...normal. I touched them, and the meat was soft and real. I pinched the skin of the rest of my body as well...it was real. But alas, when I looked at my reflection...the joints were back. What¡¯s going on? Maybe it¡¯s this mirror¡­? I wandered around the bedroom, ending up inside its bathroom. Inside, there was a smaller mirror over the sink. I raised my hand, as I was so short that my little head was the only thing I could see¡­ ...I felt a weird anxiety. I wouldn¡¯t say I was afraid...but what I was seeing was absurd. I got out of the bathroom and lied on the bed, my limbs spread as I thought deeply. Who am I? Why are my limbs one of a puppet when I looked at them through mirrors? Am I a puppet? Am I human? Are the mirrors wrong? Am I wrong?
¡°Nothing seems wrong¡­¡± The doctor rubbed his chin, nodding. Nelya and her parents looked at me at the entrance with relieved faces. He performed various tests on by body...and didn¡¯t find anything. ¡°...little girl, do you have any discomfort? Mental, physical...tell me.¡± He asked me. ¡°I¡¯m at a loss here. How could you forget everything?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I looked at the mirror. I was sitting right in front of it, as it was beside the bed. Our reflections were crystal clear... ...my limbs were one of a puppet, while his were normal. ¡°...what is wrong with my body?¡± I asked him. ¡°See?¡± I pointed at the mirror. ¡°It looks weird.¡± ¡°¡­¡± he looked at the mirror, squinting his eyes and furrowing his eyebrows. After a couple of seconds, he look at the Nelya¡¯s parents, standing up¡­ ¡°She is clearly in a state of confusion. Her head is fine though. And she doesn¡¯t present any signs of physical trauma.¡± What? He couldn¡¯t see it ¨C the very fact that my limbs had joints. No one could see them. ¡°It could be mental¡­no, I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s it. She looks distressed...not hurt.¡± The doctor said, closing his suitcase. ¡°I cannot act further.¡± ¡°Poor baby...what happened to you?¡± The woman then said, sitting beside me...her warm hand placed on my bare knee, right over its joint. At this point, everyone in that room was sure I lost my memories because of some traumatic event. However, I somehow felt that wasn¡¯t it ¨C this problem wasn¡¯t neither mental, nor physical. My body and my mind were sure I was born right then and there¡­in front of those gates. But it didn¡¯t make sense, did it? Some mother had to give birth to me...and a certain set of events had to bring me in front of that mansion. Nelya sat at my other side, caressing my back. I was being comforted nevertheless...and that made me happy despite everything. But as soon as I started feeling a little better¡­ ...my eyes gazed at the mirror once more. What are those limbs? Why am I the only one who sees them? Volume 1 | Chapter II – Baptism Chapter II - Baptism ¡°And this is my favorite one, Runy!¡± Nelya was sitting on the floor with me. Her countless stuffed toys surrounded us as she presented them to me. I hugged my own legs, looking at her favorite one...Runy. A teddybear. I wasn¡¯t personally interested in stuffed animals, mainly because something else was bothering me¡­ ¡°¡­¡± ...I ran my slender fingers up my knees, trying to figure out the reason behind my ghastly joints once more. A whole week passed. I had eaten, lived, and spent all my time in my own room ¨C despite their hospitality, Nelya¡¯s parents didn¡¯t want me to eat at their table. Apparently the family was huge, a lot of people lived there. Few knew about me...and they were the servants, Nelya (who barely could keep her mouth shut about me) and her parents. In fact, I shouldn¡¯t even have been inside Nelya¡¯s room that day...but she sneaked in mine and begged me to follow her. I couldn¡¯t say no ¨C so I was there, looking at the stuffed toys to make her happy. To this day, none of the efforts made to search for my parents in the nearby town, and the towns nearby that town, succeeded. But I didn¡¯t care ¨C I wasn¡¯t searching for a mommy to call for, or a daddy in whose arms I could have cried. I...I really didn¡¯t know what I wanted. I didn¡¯t want anything. I had no scope, no objective. The only things that were stimulating my mind were Nelya¡¯s charming voice and...the mystery behind my limbs. ¡°Hey...are you bored?¡± She pouted, dropping her dear Runy on the ground. ¡°E-Eh? N-No...sorry.¡± I shook my head, feeling ashamed for ignoring her. ¡°I¡¯m just thinking.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay...if we don¡¯t find your parents, we will adopt you! Daddy said that last dinner!¡± ¡°E-Eh?¡± I widened my eyes. What she said baffled me. ¡°Yes! Mommy and Daddy said you are cute and nice...they would like to accept you as our family, if we can¡¯t find your parents!¡± ¡°...I...I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary...I-¡± ¡°Come on! It would be great if you were here!¡± She hugged me tightly, squeezing my slender body. I mewled, trying to push her away. ¡°All my sisters are not funny, and my brothers are not girly enough! You¡¯re nice and we¡¯re little! We can play together.¡± She kept hugging me despite my attitude. What a pure soul she was. ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡± I asked her. ¡°How many siblings do you have anyways?¡± ¡°I have four sisters and three brothers.¡± She replied. ¡°But they don¡¯t play with me, because they¡¯re grown up. That¡¯s why I like you! If you were my sister, I would be very, very happy!¡± ¡°¡­hahah, really?¡± I giggled. She looked, sounded and acted so innocently. She was a silly girl who just wanted to have fun. Despite our similar age in appearance, I clearly was smarter than her. I had deeper thoughts, and I generally had a better vocabulary than hers. Where did all that knowledge come from? I didn¡¯t know. In any case, Nelya was deeply convinced I was bound to be adopted, even if it had been only a week of searches¡­ ...and that was because she needed me. I didn¡¯t understand that at the time, sadly. If only I had known earlier, many things would have gone differently.
After hanging out a little more with Nelya, I sneakily hurried back to my room. The silence was comforting, yet a bit sad. Nelya¡¯s voice had filled my ears for many hours...and then everything stopped. I walked over to the mirror and stared at my body. I had to take a bath, so I removed all the things that covered my body. And it wasn¡¯t just my limbs. It was everything. Every single part of my body looked like it was made of a shiny porcelain ¨C a intricate system of pieces, all attached by joints. My hips, my arms, my chest...everything looked fake. I didn¡¯t even have any reproductive organ, nor proper breasts. Then I looked at myself in the real world. I was a nude girl...with a functioning and female-like body. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Then why? Why do I look like this through this mirror? What¡¯s the meaning? My daily life convinced me the mirror was lying. I had been to the bathroom multiple times...I ate and did everything a human does. If I really was a doll, a puppet¡­whatever I was...I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do all those things¡­that was my reasoning. I quickly dressed back up and turned the mirror around...making it face the wall. I sat on the bed, looking at my body again. I needed to affirm to myself that I was human...and what the mirror was saying was a hurtful lie. I didn¡¯t even care about what was the cause ¨C scientific or magical, the reason behind that sick joke didn¡¯t have any right to get to my head. ¡°I am real.¡± I said. ¡°I am a real girl. I have a real body.¡± After that, I looked right out of the window. It was nighttime. Dinner was bound to come, and a maid would have entered this room very soon. I didn¡¯t want to cast any suspicions...so I turned the mirror back to how it was, feeling rather stupid for moving it in the first place. And it was right at that moment, in which I had the chance to look at myself bit more closely while I moved the huge, heavy mirror¡­ ...something was written on my neck, right under my jawline. It was so small that I had to squint my eyes to read. ¡®¡¯LILLYA¡¯¡¯ The text was of a faint gold, almost invisible. That¡¯s why I hadn¡¯t noticed it earlier. I touched that word with my finger, it was carved heavily inside my skin, so much that I could see the depth of every letter. However, I couldn¡¯t really feel the texture of the word...figuring out that this too was something I could only see, and only through a mirror. It didn¡¯t take too long ¨C I figured out what that word meant pretty quickly. I sat on the bed, waiting for my food. And then, eventually, someone came...but it wasn¡¯t dinner. Nelya. She walked inside the room giggling. Behind her a maid with a worried smile. ¡°Miss Nelya wanted to see you one last time before she went to dinner,¡± the maid bowed. ¡°I hope she is not disturbing you. Dinner will be ready soon.¡± ¡°O-Oh...not at all.¡± I shook my head, getting off the bed. ¡°Hi...Nelya.¡± ¡°Hi! How are you?¡± She asked me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t stay here for too long. But we¡¯ll play tomorrow, I promise!¡± ¡°...I...uhm¡­I actually had to tell you something.¡± I said, walking closer to her. ¡°So I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°...hmm¡­?¡± She tilted her head, wearing that constant smile. ¡°...I...I remembered my name.¡± I said, looking down. ¡°Really?! What is it!?¡± Nelya grabbed my hands, her eyes sparkling. I gazed inside her eyes, took a deep breath and pronounced my name to the world for the first time¡­ ¡°Lillya.¡±
A month had passed since I opened my eyes in front of those gates. Every day since then, the servants of this family searched information on me, my parents or whatever could help me. Nothing. I was a blank canvas...I had nowhere to be, nothing to accomplish and nobody to seek. And that was one of the main reasons the family decided to take me in. I was playing with Nelya in my own bedroom ¨C she had brought some of her stuffed toys, still convinced I had to like them at all costs. I looked outside, the servants came back¡­they used to come back after every search during late afternoon. Nelya¡¯s father greeted them. They had the same faces they always had...the faces of bad news. ¡°Don¡¯t worry...I told you! You¡¯re going to stay with us!¡± Nelya rubbed my back with her small hand as I gazed at her father outside. What I feared most at the time was being abandoned. During that lonely month, filled by Nelya¡¯s company and only hers, I envisioned this family kicking me out after a while. After all, who would want to have anything to do with a random, ragged girl? I was a foreigner too...or so they said. I was scared. I somehow feared abandonment. Was this too from my past? I couldn¡¯t know. And even if Nelya kept repeating it over and over ¨C ''''you¡¯re going to be adopted! We will be sisters! You are staying with us!''''...I couldn¡¯t believe any word. She was a stupid little girl, after all. She dreamed and hoped, just like every other child. I turned around, going back to the floor, picking up one of the stuffed toys. Nelya sat with me, giggling and trying to cheer me up as she picked up another one. I glanced over the mirror of the room, my left knee¡¯s joint glimmered under the room''s gas lamp, hissing silently. And this other thing...ugh¡­ Not only I had to worry about my imminent abandonment. I also wanted to discover why, for these mirrors, I was a puppet. They were wrong, and I started to get annoyed by their lies. As soon as I could start thinking about what to do against them once more, the door opened¡­ ...a maid looked at me with a smile, Nelya immediately got up and looked at her back with an even bigger smile. ¡°Miss Lillya, miss Nelya, The master wants you at the living room. Would you follow me, please?¡± ¡°Yes! Yes!!! Let¡¯s go!!!¡± Nelya grabbed my hand and pulled me out, running past the maid and leaving her behind. I was confused, almost scared. ¡°What is going on!?¡± I asked her. It appeared that she¡¯d already understood what was the matter, and that was making me even more anxious. ¡°You¡¯ll see!¡± She replied, giggling.
We reached the living room in a short time. The big doors were open wide. The couches were moved, everything was cleared. There was a whole family, standing in front of the chimney, on the other side of the room. Girls and boys all around Nelya¡¯s parents. They all smiled at me, their eyes gazing at my figure with delight. The father of them all cleared his throat, as Nelya clenched my hand with force. ¡°Lillya. I suppose you are aware of the fact that despite our efforts...we couldn¡¯t find your home, nor your parents. Alas, you have nowhere to go.¡± I nodded, a lump in my chest started forming as soon as he said that. Is he going to say I must go away? Is he going to say I¡¯m a burden? ¡°Hence, after discussing things with my wife and my children...we¡¯ve all decided to adopt you.¡± ¡°¡­!!!!¡± ¡°YES!¡± Nelya hugged me from the side as my eyes almost fell out from the surprise. I couldn¡¯t believe it ¨C they actually had decided to take me in. "From now on, your last name will be Rondart, and you will be part of this family.¡± The mother...no...mom then walked closer, leaving the group. Her delicate, caring hand rested on my head as she smiled at me. ¡°Welcome to our family, little Lillya.¡± And so, my new life began. Volume 1 | Chapter III - Eclipse Chapter III - Eclipse ¡°Lillya!!¡± Nelya¡¯s voice came from behind me as I watched the huge tree while hugging my book. The backyard of the mansion was quiet. No one ever came here, except the servants that maintained the garden. Hence, that beautiful garden placed behind the mansion has always been our spot. Nelya and I had played there since throughout the six years I¡¯ve spent there. Nelya was fourteen, and because I didn¡¯t have a known age...I was fourteen too, being that we were the same height. I turned around¡­ ...she looked beautiful, as always. Her blue dress matched her eyes, which made her pout. ¡°Oh, come on. Today as well?¡± She asked, hugging my arm. ¡°Come on! I want to play!¡± ¡°Nelya...I have to keep up with my studies.¡± I sighed, shaking her hands off my arm. ¡°We¡¯ll play later, okay?¡± Despite her now almost mature age, Nelya never really abandoned the habit to play and having fun. No matter what was the activity ¨C as long as it was fun and it was with me, she would do anything. I, on the contrary, started growing an interest towards the world during these six years. I wanted to know about myself, the world and everything that surrounded me. I tried to join all my siblings, and I asked mom and dad if they could send me to the school they were all attending to in the city. However, something weird happened the first day I tried to leave the mansion. It was my first day at school. My father, with his power and money, convinced the owner and put me in the same class as Nelya. However, right when I was about to hop on our carriage...I fainted. Whenever I tried to walk past the gates, I fainted. All my family was worried, and wondered why. I was confused from this weird phenomenon as well. We asked to the same doctor, and he said that it¡¯s probably for the same reason I lost my memories¡­ ...something bad may have happened out there, in the outside world. And my mind never wanted to leave the mansion. Another mystery piled up. How did I get to the mansion in the first place? Did this phenomenon start only after they took me in? I didn¡¯t know...and I thought I would have probably never known. I tried to fight against this ¡®¡¯illness¡¯¡¯...that¡¯s how I personally viewed this issue. Nothing. After six whole years...my mind and body couldn¡¯t leave that home. Luckily, mom and dad were the understanding type ¨C I was home-schooled, and my siblings brought countless books every week from the city¡¯s library. I started reading roughly after a year I was adopted...both fictions and ¡®¡¯serious¡¯¡¯ books. That day too I wanted to immerse myself into the newest book I got. ¡®¡¯The meaning of our mind ¨C written my Nikolaj Kriks.¡¯¡¯ It was a book about psychology, the branch I was mostly interested in. But alas, Nelya shook my whole body with her hands. ¡°Come on! You¡¯ll read later! Come on!¡± She had just arrived from school...and instead of being tired, she was energetic. I didn¡¯t quite get her...because I had heard from the others that school is hard and demanding. ¡°Don¡¯t you have to study or do any homework?¡± I asked her, sighing. ¡°...you really don¡¯t want me around, do you?¡± She suddenly stopped nagging me, putting her hands behind her back. Her eyes looked down while she frowned. ¡°It¡¯s...it¡¯s not that.¡± I sighed, putting my hand on her shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s just...Nelya, I-I want to study.¡± ¡°Fine. I understand.¡± She smiled at me, cheering up. ¡°But can we hang out after dinner? In your room?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± I nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± She left in a hurry, going back inside from the rear entrance. I was left alone once more. I sighed peacefully and smiled, sitting under the tree and opening the book. It was spring ¨C April, to be exact. There was a very cool breeze outside. And so I sat there, enjoying my book¡­ ...at the time I did not know that day would be one of the last peaceful days of my life.
Evening came, and everyone was back home from their respective day. Everything was done and finished...and it was time for the whole family to relax. I went to the living room, in search of Nelya. I wanted to hang out with her before dinner was ready. Throughout those six years, the living room didn¡¯t change much. Everything was in its usual place. I didn¡¯t find Nelya there. However, I found my three sisters of the five I had ¨C Annaliese, Katherine and Rosie. Rosie was the oldest sister I had. She was a gentle, caring girl, blooming into a fine and mature woman. She was twenty-one at the time, and she worked at a local shop. Her hair were black and long, and her eyes were deep green. We were close, but she was too old, and I didn¡¯t really understand her mind...but she did care about me even if every time we had the chance to talk, I¡¯d naturally come out a little cold and silent. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Katherine was nineteen. She was a bit more cold and selfish. She had shorter, but still black hair and her eyes were brown. We didn¡¯t talk much...but not because I didn¡¯t want to. It was because she was a quiet, grumpy girl, and she never really talked to anyone if not necessary. She was still studying at an academy around the city. Annaliese was eighteen. She had golden, beautiful hair and a pair of great blue eyes. She was...a pain in the butt. She was cocky, sarcastic and she always looked at me with a condescending, almost mocking smirk. I didn''t like her one bit. It didn¡¯t matter that she was my sister ¨C I just could never respect her in any way. She was mean, rude and arrogant to me any time she could¡­ ...I didn¡¯t know why, but that¡¯s what she was and, no matter how much of a dumb child I was at the time...I just couldn¡¯t be fooled by her smirks. She studied at the same academy Katherine did. Despite Annaliese being the only one of these three that I kind of hated, I actually never loved Rosie and Katherine as well...at least not as much as I loved Nelya. They definitely felt more distant. The gap of maturity grew too wide with time, and Nelya¡¯s childishness didn¡¯t do me any favor because I was constantly being affected by it. ¡°Oh, hi Lillya!¡± Rosie greeted me with a smile. ¡°Hi Rosie.¡± I saluted her. Annaliese waved at me smiling, while Katherine nodded briefly before she lowered her head and kept reading her book on the couch. ¡°Where are the others?¡± I asked them. ¡°Nelya is in your room. She is surprisingly studying, hahah!¡± Rosie replied. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask about Nelya precisely¡­¡± I blushed, sighing. They knew I had a soft spot for Nelya. We even shared our bedroom together. However, I actually wanted to greet everyone, so I asked them again ¨C ¡°Where are the guys?¡± ¡°Gale and Vance are still in the city. They are doing what they always do.¡± Rosie shook her head and sighed. ¡°And Will?¡± I asked. ¡°He¡¯s training outside.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I¡¯ll go say hi to William first, then I¡¯ll reach Nelya and hang out with her.
I went back outside, the darkness of the backyard felt a bit intimidating, even if I left it not too long ago. I saw William there, doing a set of push-ups. I figured that he probably had just started training because I was near that tree just a few minutes ago. ¡°Hey Will!¡± I reached him, interrupting his streak. ¡°Hey girl, how is it going?¡± He brushed his hair and smiled at me while sitting on the ground, his legs crossed. William was part of the royal guards of the kingdom, and he rarely was at home. He recently came back from a year-long trip to another continent...he had to guard one of the kingdom¡¯s diplomats from assassination attempts. He was given time to rest, but he¡¯d have to go back after the end of this summer. He was a very active guy. He never rested, and kept his skills and body sharp. When he was on break, he worked with Rosie at the local shop I talked about...because he wanted to provide for our already wealthy family. And then, after work, he would always train until evening was ready. He was also my oldest sibling...as he was twenty-eight. He had a weird condition...which made his hair look white. We probably had the same ¡®¡¯problem¡¯¡¯, even if his eyes were azure and not red like mine. ¡°I¡¯m doing good, thanks. Today I read this!¡± I replied, showing him the book I had in my arms. I really liked him ¨C he was a strong and dutiful man with great care for his family. He always swore to protect me from any danger¡­ ...he also was the only one who knew about the joints. ¡°Oh, nice. Still on the psychological route, eh?¡± He giggled. ¡°You really do like studying the human mind.¡± ¡°Yes, I do.¡± I smiled, ¡°While you are all physical!¡± I added, pouting. ¡°You should really rest, brother.¡± ¡°Nah, I shouldn¡¯t¡­¡± he grunted, standing up and petting my head. ¡°...I have to work hard and provide for you all.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have too...¡± He sighed, ¡°...please, can we not go through this again? I don¡¯t want to spend my free time arguing with you.¡± ¡°S-Sorry.¡± I looked down. ¡°No problem. Now...you should go back inside.¡± He said. ¡°I gotta focus here.¡± ¡°Okay, see you at dinner!¡± I turned around and ran back inside, a smile on my face. I adored William. He made me feel the safest girl in the world...and he also helped me go through the issues I had because of those doll joints. I ran upstairs and walked towards my bedroom, opening the door. Nelya was there, reading a book at the desk. ¡°Hey...sorry to keep you waiting.¡± I giggled, placing the book on the bed. ¡°Ah! Finally!!!!!¡± She immediately jumped off the chair, hugging me tightly. I embraced her and laughed. It was joyful, seeing how excited she was everytime we had the chance to spend some time together...even after six whole years. ¡°There, there, I¡¯m here now.¡± I cooed, mocking her. ¡°Oh, come on! I¡¯m just happy that we can finally hang out.¡± She pushed me slightly. ¡°So? What did you do while your heart was aching for playtime?¡± I asked her, sitting at the desk and checking the book she was reading¡­ ¡°Give me that!¡± ¡°Oh-!¡± ...it wasn¡¯t a book, it was her secret diary. She snatched it very quickly, breathing a sigh of relief. There was only one thing Nelya kept from me, even if we were as close as we ever could be ¨C her diary. She¡¯d been writing it even before we met, and nobody but her knew its contents. She described it to me as the deepest spot of her heart, where everything that hurt her was kept locked and in place...and everything that made her happy was recorded for her to cherish the memories. She swore to herself to never let anyone read it, and for all those six years...she always kept the key which opened it hanging on her neck. The key was a golden, small one...and despite my respect for her desire to never let me read it, my eyes would always gaze at it with curiosity. I was a girl with no memories, after all. My brain ached to gain information, constantly. I never really understood why she had such a thing. We were twin sisters, tied by a bond that surpassed even the fact that we weren¡¯t of the same blood. I loved her so much, yet she felt this...need of secrecy I sometimes was a bit angry of. ¡°Whops, sorry. Didn¡¯t mean to. I thought it was a normal book.¡± I raised my hands, standing up and sitting on the bed. I removed my shoes and stretched. ¡°Let me have a bath first, I sat outside all day, my clothes are dirty.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± She shrugged, going out of the room. ¡°¡­¡± I went in front of the mirror of our bedroom and stared at myself. Despite my thoughts about her diary, I was no less. I kept this curse hidden ¨C the curse I¡¯ve been bearing for six whole years. My naked shoulders¡¯ joints moved as I unbuttoned my dress slowly, making it slide down. My whole body shone by the light of the gas lantern hissing peacefully. I took a deep breath and stared at myself, doing what I¡¯ve been doing for all this time...following my dear brother William¡¯s advice. ¡°I am real.¡± I stated, nodding. ¡°I am real. I am real. I am real. I am-¡± And right at that moment, I saw someone behind me. I turned around as soon as I could, slamming my own body against the mirror, my heart beating out of my chest. I saw someone, I was sure of it. It was someone blonde, with a smile...it was a brief second but I did see it. I looked around...she wasn¡¯t there anymore. Though an eerie, chilling sensation remained. Volume 1 | Chapter IV - Hidden shadows Chapter IV - Hidden shadows ¡°Okay...so what did she look like exactly?¡± William brushed my back slowly, up and down, up and down...calming me. It was the middle of the night of the same day, and after I made sure Nelya was asleep, I went knocking on William¡¯s door. That thing I saw in the mirror...could have been related to my joints, and I had to tell him about it. ¡°She...I don¡¯t really remember, it was a brief instant.¡± I shook my head, grasping his strong, big hand with mine. ¡°But I saw a big, evil smile and blonde hair...just like mom¡¯s.¡± ¡°Okay, and what did you feel after turning around?¡± ¡°S-Scared. I thought she was still around, but invisible.¡± ¡°Okay, so you immediately went to the ¡®¡¯it¡¯s real¡¯¡¯ route, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No, no it¡¯s okay.¡± He reassured me, taking a deep breath. ¡°I just need to know how to approach this.¡± Since my brother is honest...he¡¯s been telling me the truth since the start ¨C all of this was probably mental. He didn¡¯t call me crazy, but he didn¡¯t doubt that the puppet joints...and then that random woman I saw...it was all in my head. Surprisingly, my emotions took that very well...it was reasonable. After all, who could know what the hell happened to me before I lost my memories and ended up in front of that mansion? Maybe my mother was a blonde, abusive woman that hit me and made me cry all the times...and that was why I saw her that night. William suggested many times therapy, but I couldn¡¯t leave the mansion because of that other condition...and neither of us wanted our family to ever know a thing about this...so we couldn¡¯t make a therapist sneak inside our home. My best bet...was to study psychology and try to fix myself. That was the truth behind my studies. Though I had made some progress throughout those six years...I never came close to a solution. ¡°W-What do I do?¡± I asked him. ¡°If this woman is a sign of my...mental condition worsening, that means everything I did was vain.¡± I mewled through my whisper, a lump in my throat forming as I felt despair. ¡°Hey, hey. Nothing we¡¯ve been doing has ever been vain, okay Lillya?¡± He grasped my shoulders, putting his forehead against mine. ¡°Jesus, I wish I could be here with you for a full year...I could help you more.¡± ¡°N-No...there¡¯s no need.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I have to be by myself...or I¡¯ll never get out it.¡± ¡°Listen, here¡¯s what you should do.¡± William said, staring in my eyes with a determined, strong expression. ¡°The next time you see that woman...just pretend she is not there. Tell yourself over and over that she isn¡¯t real, and that you are not a puppet. Okay? Can you do that for me?¡± ¡°I...y-yes. I will do it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk to her, don¡¯t look at her. Keep going...keep going towards that direction. Don''t let whatever is eating your mind win, okay? As soon as you interact with such visions, you are enforcing them.¡± I nodded, keeping my tears inside my chest. It wasn¡¯t going to be easy...but William was right. The very fact that I went in his room, telling him about it...made that hallucination win, because I acknowledged its presence. I stood up and took a deep breath, smiling at him. ¡°Thank you Will...I feel a little better.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no problem, really.¡± He shook his head, a warm smile. ¡°Anything for my little sister.¡± I went back after that. My gaze fell to Nelya¡¯s sleeping body. I took another deep breath, my sleepiness slowly taking over my fuzzy mind. That vision scared me, but I was calmer after talking with my dear brother. I sat on the bed, caressing Nelya¡¯s arm with a smile. Then I laid down and closed my eyes¡­ ...and that day was over.
We were having breakfast together at the dining hall. I was sitting next to Nelya at the left end of the table, as always. All my siblings were going to leave for school and work that morning. Vance and Gale were there, my other two brothers. Vance was twenty four and was an artist. His black, short hair paired with his blue eyes made him look quite ¡®¡¯plain¡¯¡¯, compared to our other siblings. He wasn¡¯t a bad-looking guy though...I just think that the fourteen-year old me simply preferred more peculiar guys, such as William. He painted, painted and painted. It was his whole life. He also made a portrait for me, which hanged in my room. And then Gale...he was Vance¡¯s best friend and best brother he could ask for. They were so close to each other that they almost forgot they had a whole family sometimes. He had studied at the same academy my sisters and Vance attended, and despite his high results...he wasn¡¯t serious at all. His blonde, long hair always was a subject of debate with my mother...who wasn¡¯t very proud of that hairstyle. But he kept them nonetheless...saying they helped him expressing himself more. He was twenty-five. Those two always went having fun around the city...they had a whole friend group in town and sometimes, being that they both were of legal age and ¡®¡¯mature¡¯¡¯, they wouldn¡¯t even come back home after school. They both didn''t have a job, as they wanted to enjoy my father''s wealth. We all loved them though, and they loved us...especially me. They found me ¡®¡¯cute¡¯¡¯...and after anything I would say, they would ¡®¡¯aww¡¯¡¯ me and squeeze my tiny body. I¡¯ve always been happy to have them around, because they were the brightness of that otherwise calm family. ¡°So? What did you do last night? You didn¡¯t come back.¡± Mom asked them. ¡°Ah! Yeah, we went to drink a few at Billy¡¯s and we...were too drunk to reach home.¡± Vance nodded. ¡°Sorry mom, should''ve warned you, I know.¡± She sighed while my dad giggled. He was proud of their freedom. Gale gulped down his glass of water and chuckled. ¡°Yeah, we were actually planning to come home but then one of our friends asked us to sleep over the booze.¡± ¡°He did well.¡± Dad replied, nodding solemnly. ¡°Since you got your own horses, you are all by yourselves while traveling. You can¡¯t risk getting robbed.¡± The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°I can throw punches while drunk, dad.¡± Vance shrugged. ¡°With those artist¡¯s weak arms? I don¡¯t think so.¡± Gale teased him. ¡°Shut up!¡± Everyone laughed, except Katherine...who was reading her book as always. Breakfast was soon over and everyone started grabbing their stuff and head out. It was part of my routine watching Nelya hop on the carriage together with everyone else and leave. That day wasn¡¯t an exception. I watched Kruz as he closed the gates, Nelya¡¯s hand waving at me from the rear little window of the carriage. Kruz was the only male servant of the mansion, and he was the man who opened the gates for me six years ago, making me join that beautiful family. He was fifty-two, but he didn¡¯t look spent or weak. He wore his years well. He was gentle, caring and always on duty. He left no stone unturned and always knew everything that was going on at the mansion. ¡°Are you okay, miss Lillya?¡± He asked me, his tone delicate and concerned. ¡°Huh? U-Uhm...yes, I¡¯m okay. Why?¡± I asked him, tilting my head. ¡°You look tired. Did you get enough sleep last night?¡± We started walking back to the mansion, through the beautiful courtyard. ¡°Ah, yes, I did.¡± I replied chuckling, ¡°It¡¯s just that I went to bed a bit later than usual.¡± ¡°You should have slept in, then. You do not have any obligations of waking up early.¡± ¡°No¡­I want to see off Nelya.¡± He laughed dearly, caressing my shoulder in a friendly manner. ¡°You really are attached to her, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± I nodded, looking down. I felt embarrassed...every time I had to admit that. I didn¡¯t really know why. ¡°Nothing changed between you two since that day.¡± He said, looking up in the sky. ¡°It was a sunny day, just like this one.¡± We reached the entrance, I stopped and started heading right. I wanted to reach my spot under the tree, as always. Kruz waved at me smiling, and then got back inside. As I walked, I saw Steelia. ¡°Oh, hi Lillya!¡± She was one of the four maids we had. She was in charge of the outdoor maintenance. She was a great gardener. Every flower one saw at the mansion, was a product of her hard, well-paid work...along with everything else. Throughout those six years, I never really bonded with any of the servants...but they were all very nice and caring, and I paid them back with courtesy, respect and smiles. The family loved them and my father, the one who ¡®¡¯owned¡¯¡¯ them, was grateful of their presence.
I reached the backyard like every other morning, ready to immerse myself into the book I started yesterday. However, before I even could breathe in the fresh air and smile...I saw someone right under the tree. Arms crosses, looking up at the leaves. I walked closer, reaching her. She turned around and scanned me...her dead eyes always rubbed me wrong. She was, I dare to say it, the worst thing that could ever have been in that otherwise beautiful mansion. Erika. Erika was...she was my fifth sister. She was just one year older than Nelya and me...fifteen. Yet, she didn¡¯t go to school¡­ ...not because she didn¡¯t want to, or because she suffered and impairment that didn¡¯t let her¡­ ...it was because she was a prodigy girl. She was adopted just one year before I was, and she was given a second chance at life. It turned out that she had a powerful mind, a talentful soul and a high reputation. It was a habit of hers to tie her hair always in the same way - she had two long twin tails, and she always would put two strands of hair in front of her shoulders. I had never seen her in any other hairstyle. She had dark blue eyes, they were deep and full of judgement. She had studied at the royal academy at the capital, instead of attending the normal (yet prestigious) one with all my other siblings. She finished all the courses in one single year, came back and started waiting for her age to go up enough to let her leave the mansion and start a rich, powerful life. At that moment in time, in fact, we were both living the same life...bound to this mansion, waiting for our lives to make a change. She was FAR worse than Annaliese. How? Well...Annaliese picked up on me, because I was weak and ¡®¡¯weird¡¯¡¯ to her eyes. While this girl was a cocky, sarcastic, annoying and gigantic pain in the butt to only me...but for a different reason. She didn¡¯t want to make fun of me, or belittle me...like Annaliese did. She wasn¡¯t the typical girl with an issue with her own personality, that went around and projected her issues onto others. No. Erika didn¡¯t have any issues with herself. She was perfect to her own eyes. She hated me because she considered me someone ¡®¡¯suspect¡¯¡¯ and thought I had a bad aura. Through all those six years, she had always made me feel bad for existing. She had called me ¡®¡¯cursed¡¯¡¯ since the day we met, and she was still doing it at that present time. William, as I said, was the only one who was aware of the joints...and my whole mental problem. But she knew. Somehow...she knew I was going through something cursed and weird, and she tried to warn my whole family about it many times. Every single sibling, servant and even my parents luckily never listened to her, and after the first years...they kind of gave up on making us get along. Mom and dad advised me to simply ¡¯¡¯ignore¡¯¡¯ her like I did with Annaliese. Nelya was currently the only one who tried to make us get along at the time, and it still wasn¡¯t working of course. The reason I was surprised seeing her at my spot was because she usually shut herself in her room, writing her dear mystery novel. That morning, though, fate had another plan for the poor me. ¡°What...what are you doing here?¡± I asked her. ¡°What do you mean? This is not your bedroom. I can be here if I want.¡± She replied, shrugging. ¡°Okay¡­¡± I nodded. ¡°...sorry, I just thought it was strange because I never saw you here.¡± Despite the spiteful way I¡¯m describing her...I was weak at the time, and I couldn¡¯t really fight back properly. ¡°¡­¡± She glared at me as I sat down against the tree, opening my book. I tried to ignore her presence, but then I sighed and closed the book merely after a minute, staring at the sky. ¡°...do you need something?¡± She ignored me, looking at the trees that surrounded our backyard. I was on edge, very much. I had seen a terrifying thing the night before, and that following morning she was there at my dear tree. I didn¡¯t know what to do. Then, she suddenly started speaking. ¡°Lillya. I have a question. Please refrain from feeling attacked from me...at least this time. I have no intention on berating you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I slowly nodded, hugging my book closely. She turned around, staring at me. ¡°Did you perhaps see anything strange around the mansion yesterday?¡± That question made me lose my own words for a while, a chilling wave all through my bones made me freeze. How could she know? My head started spinning. ¡°What do you mean by strange?¡± I mustered all the strength I could find, taking a hidden, deep breath and trying to calm myself down. ¡°Like, anything.¡± She gestured with her hand. ¡°Anything at all. A flash of light, a figure, something moving on its own...anything.¡± ¡°Do you mean...if I saw a ghost?¡± I giggled nervously, trying to get her off track. But she was relentless. She shook her head and sighed. ¡°Just answer me.¡± She demanded. ¡°No.¡± I immediately responded, shaking my head profusely. Erika stared at me. A chilling silence between us. And then...after a couple of seconds... ¡°...alright. Thanks.¡± ...she turned around and walked back inside the mansion. After I made sure she wasn¡¯t watching me, my breath grew heavier. I held my dress at the level of the chest, trying to calm my heart. A few more seconds, and I would have passed out. What does this mean?! Was that woman real? I remembered William¡¯s words after my thoughts. But they clashed against Erika¡¯s question. Was it a coincidence? Was it not? Confusion took over, and I couldn¡¯t read anything of that book for the rest of the day. Volume 1 | Chapter V – Awakening Chapter V - Shattered Delusion I didn¡¯t sleep much ¨C I kept thinking about Erika¡¯s words. What could they have meant? Why did she ask me, and only when we were alone? I didn¡¯t dare to talk to William about it, since he was going to see me reinforce that vision¡¯s existence. However, despite all my efforts, I couldn¡¯t really keep repeating that nothing was happening, and that it was all in my head. It was Saturday that morning, and Nelya was home, along with everyone else. Weekends weren¡¯t a big thing to me, since I was home-schooled and completely free to choose how and when I invested my time in education. But Nelya...Nelya was ecstatic. She couldn¡¯t wait for weekends to arrive so that we could hang out all day. ¡°Good morning, miss Lillya.¡± Satomi was another one of the four maids. She was in charge of the ¡®¡¯well-being¡¯¡¯ of everyone there, meaning that she took care of whoever was troubled and needed assistance. She was the one who brought all my siblings to school, since she was really good with carriages. She also was in charge of any business that had to be carried out in town. In fact, she had been one of the most active during the search of my parents. She took telegraphs, letters, anything...she had every business in the house in her own hands. She was very trusted indeed. That morning, I saw her talking with my mom in the corridor where some of our bedrooms were. ¡°Ah, good morning, Lillya.¡± Mom saluted me as well, caressing my head. ¡°Is Nelya still asleep?¡± Mom¡­ ...she had one of the purest souls. She was a sweet woman, who married my father because of who he was, and not what he had. Her name was Victoire Gindre...and she came from a faraway kingdom. Her hair were of a beautiful gold, signature of most of the children she had. Her eyes deep and blue. I...think we should move on. I can''t take it. After I passed through the two, I ran downstairs and reached the dining hall. There, I met Katherine, William and Annaliese, eating their breakfast. ¡°Good morning, miss Lillya. Breakfast will be served. Please sit.¡± She was Cl¨¦a. She was the oldest maid, and she came from the same kingdom mom came from...they were best friends, in fact. They had a lot in common, since they shared the same culture. She was our cook. She only did that because she was very, very good at it. Every plate she cooked...was a work of art. I sat at the table, sighing. Breakfast arrived very soon and I started eating it slowly. ¡°How are you this morning, Lillya?¡± William asked me. ¡°H-Huh? Why?¡± I looked at him confused. ¡°You look a little worn out. Is everything okay?¡± ¡°Oh, come on. Can I eat without seeing this sappy garbage?¡± Annaliese rolled her eyes. ¡°She is fine! I can tell.¡± ¡°Will you shut up for once?¡± William retorted. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask anything to you.¡± ¡°Can you both shut up? I¡¯m trying to read.¡± Katherine sighed. ¡°I¡¯m bringing food to my room if you keep going.¡± ¡°Go in your room, then?¡± Annaliese replied, annoyed. ¡°The table is made to converse, not to read!¡± ¡°Come on, children. Do not fight¡­¡± Dad entered the room and sighed, shaking his head. ¡°...it always makes me sad to see your angry faces! Come on, smile!¡± Dad...was dad. He was gentle, caring, way too permissive. He literally loved each one of us, and we were all constantly pampered by his wealth and attention. He didn¡¯t work, so he was always, always around. I couldn¡¯t recall one time he was mad at us. Mom was the same...but she couldn¡¯t compete with him. He was the one who was responsible for the children who had black hair. He was the best dad I could ask for¡­ ¡°Sorry, dad.¡± William bowed, as we all looked at him sit at his place, the head of the table. ¡°A-Anyway...I¡¯m fine, Will. Thanks.¡± I nodded briefly, standing up and stretching. ¡°You all have a nice day.¡± ¡°Have a nice day too!¡± Annaliese giggled as she replied to me. I ignored her and set out. ¡°Good morning, Ferya.¡± Last but not least...we had Ferya. A maid who paired PERFECTLY with Katherine. She was gloomy, silent and had probably never smiled in her whole life. She was the opposite of Steelia ¨C she took care of the indoors. We never spoke much, and I didn¡¯t really know anything about her. She was the youngest maid, that I knew. We were about the same height. She nodded at my salute, and then kept walking. And with her, the whole family is complete. Fifteen people¡­ ...and no one who would have been able to guess that a shadow was hiding, ready to claim the souls of everyone.
I closed the door of my room slowly, darkness still shrouded every inch. Nelya wasn¡¯t in the bed though, I heard water running in the bathroom. I opened the curtains, bathing everything with light. I took a deep breath and glanced at the mirror...rigorously at the side of the bed. Erika¡¯s words rang in my head. There must have been a reason for her to ask me such a thing. I just knew something was up. ¡°¡­¡± For once, I didn¡¯t want to stay put and let things happen to me. No. I wanted to take action. ¡°Ah, Lillya! Did you have breakfast? I¡¯m...hey! Where are you going?¡± I stormed out of the room, my fists clenched. I was going to receive answers from her, no matter what. I knocked on her door, multiple times. ¡°Erika! Erika open the door!¡± I called her out, taking deep breaths. What I was doing was new...throughout those six years, I had never called her name so fiercely. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Nelya walked out of the room, her frilly dress already on. She tilted her head. I shooed away with my hand, she shrugged and went downstairs, letting her hunger win over her curiosity. ¡°...ngh! Open the door I tell you!¡± I started yelling, banging on the door. And then, I yelped. She was at my right...arms crossed. ¡°A-Ah...hi.¡± I scratched the back of my head, smiling. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°¡­¡± she sighed, opening her door. ¡°...you could have just opened it.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not that rude!¡± ¡°What if I was in danger? Hm? What if I was about to die in my own bed? You would never be the one who¡¯d save me, just because ¡®¡¯it would be rude¡¯¡¯?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I looked at her go inside her room after that dark sentence. I followed her inside. Her room was neat and tidy ¨C it smelled exactly like her. Countless books on the desk, some opened, some closed shut. ¡°So? What did you want?¡± Erika asked, sitting on the chair. ¡°I have little time, make haste.¡± ¡°I...I am worried about what you told me yesterday.¡± I confessed. ¡°And why would you be?¡± ¡°Because you wouldn¡¯t search for a ghost if you weren¡¯t sure about their existence.¡± I replied, fidgeting with my hands. ¡°...so...i-is there any ghost?¡± She chuckled, opening a book on the desk. ¡°Your na?vet¨¦ is charming, truly.¡± I sighed, ¡°please, just answer me.¡± "Are you perhaps afraid of ghosts?¡± ¡°...yes.¡± I nodded. ¡°Hm.¡± Erika looked at me again, regaining her interest in the conversation. ¡°Well...no. I saw no ghost. But I could sense something was wrong yesterday.¡± ¡°Something was wrong?¡± I asked her. ¡°Yes. See...I have a special ability. I probably was born with it. I can sense...people¡¯s auras, or to be more specific, I can sense the energy within every single thing that is in this world.¡± I tiled my head and grimaced. What the hell is she saying¡­? ¡°Last night, I sensed something even stronger than your wretched aura.¡± She said, looking down at her nails. ¡°At first, I thought it was you. But no...I am sure it was something else. The feeling peaked right before dinner.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Right before dinner...I was about to take a shower...then I saw that figure. It couldn¡¯t be any clearer. What I saw was real. ¡°Lillya? You look rather pale.¡± Erika pointed out. ¡°Eh? Y-Yeah...uh...this is scaring me.¡± I chuckled, sitting down on her bed to regain strength. ¡°What do you mean by...stronger aura? Are we in danger?¡± ¡°...perhaps.¡± She sighed and shrugged. ¡°Nobody listened to me when I told them about you...nobody is going to listen to me when I¡¯ll tell them about this.¡± ¡°But I do care¡­!¡± I stood up fiercely, making her widen her eyes. ¡°Erika, please. I know you hate me but¡­I want to know if something is wrong!¡± Erika stared at my very soul. She felt alarmed, she wasn¡¯t expecting such a behavior. ¡°...okay. Listen to me.¡± She stood up and walked closer, her arms crossed. ¡°Just tell me if you see anything. That¡¯s all. We can¡¯t do much. Maybe it¡¯s just my brain malfunctioning. I doubt it...but it¡¯s possible. Will you calm down now?¡± I took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°Perfect. Now leave at once, you¡¯re filling my sacred room with your stench.¡± ...she didn¡¯t last one minute of being nice to me. Her door closed right behind me. I held my chest, squeezing my eyes. What do I do? What do I do?! This is absurd! I should really tell William about it. Yes. First thing tonight...I¡¯ll talk to him! ¡°Lillyaaa!!!¡± All my agitation vanished as soon as she hugged me from behind. ¡°What happened with Erika?! Did you have another fight¡­?¡± ¡°Nothing, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She nodded, shrugging. ¡°Let¡¯s do something.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I sighed, going back into my room with her.
Nelya was finally asleep. After a whole day of going around the mansion, playing the usual games...she finally gave in at around midnight. I stared at her, as she slept calmly, her chest rising and falling slowly. I got up from the bed, looked at the moonlight outside¡­ ...everything is going to be okay. ...I left the room slowly and silently. Then I started walking through the corridor. William¡¯s bedroom was at the other side of the floor, so I would have had to walk for a while. Everyone was asleep ¨C he was as well...and I was already feeling guilty about waking him up as I approached the first turn. But I needed him...I needed his guidance. Erika was searching for something we both tried to say wasn¡¯t real. It couldn¡¯t have been a coincidence. I was scared and I knew I couldn¡¯t have went through it alone. And so I turned...his room was right at the end of that corridor. My bare feet walked, first slowly...then with a faster pace. Then I started skipping without even realizing it. I yearned his calming voice, his soothing touch...the darkness around me was too much to bear- And then, I saw her. She was on the big balcony of the second floor. There were tables and chairs there. We used to eat there when summer came, as it was too hot inside. She wore a smirk of satisfaction, as she sipped a glass of wine...slowly. Her posture relaxed. Her eyes weren¡¯t directed at me...no, she was looking afar, almost ignoring me. I froze at that sight ¨C it was too sudden, too absurd. The woman I saw in the mirror was in front of me...and with no shame. She looked young and beautiful...her eyes were two glimmering rubies. After what felt like an eternity, her gaze fell on my hopeless figure. She tilted her head and smiled more. ¡°Why don¡¯t you have a seat?¡± Her voice was soft and sweet...almost as if she was chanting to me. She raised her glass of wine, beckoning me. ¡°¡­!¡± I took a few steps back, I was about to scream, to call for help. But then...something changed my intentions. ¡°Please, have a seat.¡± Her voice was suddenly a pulling force. I felt like my own body was moving on its own. My throat blocked, all my emotions suppressed. I walked out, reaching the table she was sitting. She patted on it, pointing the chair on the opposite side with her slender finger. ¡°¡­¡± My heart was almost jumping out of my mouth, my head spun and my ears throbbed. What I was experiencing was unreal and terrifying. But I did what she asked. I had a seat. I looked in her deep, red eyes. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± She asked. I shook my head, holding my trembling hands together on the table. Although it was a cool night, my whole body was shaking like never before. The woman nodded solemnly, sipping more wine and clearing her throat. ¡°I am Yunya. I am your creator.¡± ¡°...c-creator¡­?¡± I finally mustered the courage to speak, asking for clarity. ¡°Yes. I created you¡± She smiled sweetly, closing her eyes happily. ¡°...you...you¡¯re my mom?¡± I suddenly felt, although very temporary, more warmth. Was she really my mother? ¡°...no...you look too young.¡± I shook my head again. ¡°Y-You¡¯re lying.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I am a witch.¡± She replied chuckling, her smirk growing wider. ¡°I am not human, nor are you.¡± ¡°...w-what¡­? What do you mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that difficult to understand, Lillya. You are not human.¡± My heart started racing even more. I knew. I already knew what she was going to say. Every piece was coming together, slowly but steadily. I tried to stand up, I tried to run. But it was as if I was glued to that chair. I took a deep breath, clenching my fists. Her eyes met mine. I opened my mouth once more, asking her one more question. ¡°What am I¡­then¡­?¡± ¡°A tool.¡± Her answer was clear, simple and frank. ¡°...a tool¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. A tool. A mere tool I will use to vanquish this whole family.¡± At that point, her smirk wasn¡¯t pleased, and her expression wasn¡¯t one of a relaxed, delighted girl. Her whole face suddenly oozed hatred, pure hatred and violence. ¡°You will kill every single one of them, and you will do it exactly how I demand it. Go to bed now. We¡¯ll talk more tomorrow night, at this same spot.¡± ¡°N-No...I¡­¡± My heart was at its limit. I was about to faint right there. Then, the witch who called herself Yunya snapped her fingers¡­ ¡­I regained the control of my own body, I fell off the chair, mewling and trembling as I looked at her powerful figure. I dragged myself away, still lying on the floor hopelessly. ¡°You are a puppet. You are my puppet¡­¡± She got up, walking away and leaning against the balcony¡¯s banister. ¡°...no matter what you do¡­¡± ¡°...no matter what you say¡­¡± ¡°...no matter what you feel¡­¡± ¡°...no matter what you think¡­¡± Volume 2 | Chapter I - Not a doll ¡°William! William!!!!¡± ¡°Woah! H-Hey! What¡¯s going on?!¡± ¡°William! William...William¡­¡± I sobbed hopelessly in his arms. My breath heavy, my whole body shaking, tears streaming down my pale cheeks. I kept mumbling his name, crying and mewling. He hugged me with his strong arms, caressing the back of my head. Ever since I told him about my curse, he has always been there for me. I foolishly thought he was going to help me get out of that nightmare as well. ¡°Take a deep breath for me.¡± He whispered. I obeyed, nodding and taking a deep, long breath. My sobbing stopped, even if just a little. I stared him in the eyes, the darkness shrouding our figures. ¡°Okay. Tell me...what¡¯s going on¡­?¡± ¡°I-¡­¡± And then, my throat closed shut. I couldn¡¯t talk. I couldn¡¯t tell him what was happening. And after a couple of seconds, I realized. I swallowed loudly, my lips trembling as I opened them. My gaze fixed into his. ¡°I had a bad dream. That¡¯s all.¡± Chapter I ¨C Not a doll ¡°Hey¡­wake up¡­¡± I felt her delicate hand on my shoulder. After a quick groan, I opened my eyes. Rays of sunlight bathing our bedroom. I rolled, lying on my back. Nelya was kneeling beside me, her side of the covers completely thrown aside. She was still wearing her blue nightgown, her face a mix of concern and happiness of seeing me awake. ¡°It¡¯s ten. We missed breakfast.¡± She sighed. ¡°Why did you sleep in?¡± I stared at her with a dazed face. I still had to turn on all the lights in my head. However, I knew what she was talking about. Sleeping in was rare from me. I just wouldn¡¯t, and it was my duty to wake her up for breakfast during week ends. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± I mumbled, clearing my throat after hearing my hoarse voice. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m just worried. Are you sick?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I just couldn¡¯t sleep well last night.¡± ¡°Alrighty.¡± She patted my chest lightly, smiling at me dearly. ¡°I¡¯m gonna ask Cl¨¦a if she still has something for us.¡± The door closed shut. I stared at our canopy¡¯s roof, my hands tightened their grip on the sheets. I started sweating, my heart beating faster as I remembered every single detail of the previous night. I wanted it to be a dream. But I couldn¡¯t have been. My eyes stung. I wanted to cry, but somehow I couldn¡¯t let it out. After rising, my bare feet touched the cold, creaky floor. The cool air brushed my whole body. The sweat attached to my skin began to annoy me. Walking across the room, I reached the bathroom. The chirping of the always open window of the bathroom filled my ears. The cool morning air made me shiver. ¡°Mhck-!¡± The contents of my stomach suddenly poured out of my mouth. My arms trembled as I held on to the sink. If Nelya had come back right at that moment, I would not have had a ready excuse. I wiped my mouth after I was done, coughing and squeezing my eyes, more tears running down messed up my face. I quickly washed it with clean water, rinsing everything that was on the sink. A nauseous odor started filling my nostrils, making me almost want to throw up again. I didn¡¯t dare to look at the mirror again, because seeing my joints was probably what made me puke in the first place.
This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°No, I¡¯m actually not hungry.¡± I hugged myself as I watched her eat her breakfast. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± She chimed, Cl¨¦a smiling upon us as she waited for her to finish, so that she could clean up. ¡°I¡¯ll be in the backyard.¡± I quickly mumbled, leaving the dining hall. I wandered through my home¡¯s corridors, my hand brushing along the countless windows as I reached the back doors. The beautiful, tall tree greeted me. The sunlight shining all over its leaves. I walked to it slowly, still hugging my frail body. Everything looked so tranquil, yet my emotions were in a turmoil. ¡°Ah-!¡± My whole body suddenly jumped. I turned around and shrieked, Nelya¡¯s hand stood there, up in the air¡­ ¡°Since when you¡¯re such a scaredy cat?¡± She asked. She was smiling, but her face clearly showed concern. ¡°I was immersed in my own thoughts.¡± I shook my head, giggling. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Alright then. What do you want to do?¡± She asked, her eyes glimmering with excitement. I couldn¡¯t tell her. I couldn¡¯t tell anyone. Somehow, that witch made it that way. ¡°Tag! You¡¯re it!¡± ¡°Ah! Hey! That¡¯s not fair!¡± I brushed her arm with my fingers, dodging her counterattack. I ran around the tree, looking at her hand trying to catch me. Smiling through was all I could do. I had to find a different way to fix everything, and it couldn¡¯t involve any of my loved ones. Nelya finally reached me, giggling excitedly as she started running away from me after touching my shoulders from behind the tree¡¯s trunk. I chuckled as I tried to catch up with her ¨C she was very fast, and the one with most wins at that game. She unexpectedly went inside the mansion, opening the doors frantically. I followed her inside. I could barely keep my breath, yet I kept being right behind her. She looked like she was having the time of her life, laughing and turning around too see if I was near, her golden hair bouncing behind her. We ran up the first stairs we could find, going up to the second floor. She disappeared, dashing to the right. I immediately followed her tracks when I reached the top of the stairs. Competitiveness suddenly filling my heart. ¡°Ah!¡± I almost fell, bumping into someone. It was Erika, who held both our bodies by gripping the wall¡¯s edge before it was too late. I backed off, Nelya was at my left, laughing her butt off as she looked at us...Erika grunted, fixing her precious dress. ¡°Can you two act your age, for once?¡± She asked, sighing. ¡°Sorry Erika.¡± I nodded. ¡°Y-You...c-come here!!!¡± ¡°It seems that your fear of ghosts vanished, hm?¡± ¡°E-Eh?¡± I suddenly stopped. Nelya kept running instead, thinking I was after her once more. ¡°You looked all pale when I told you about it. You even tried to barge in my room.¡± She said, going down the stairs slowly. ¡°I¡¯m glad you are so carefree. I wish it was the same for me.¡± ¡°W-Wait, what do you mean? Did something else happen?¡± I asked her. She stopped, turned around and glared at me. ¡°Huh, so you suddenly care about it again?¡± ¡°C-Come on, stop being such a jerk!¡± I stomped my foot on the floor. ¡°I do care about it. It¡¯s just that I can¡¯t have a frown all day! I¡¯m not you.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± she leaned against the wall, standing on one of the steps. ¡°...last night, I felt that bad aura again. It was even stronger.¡± ¡°R-Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Did you go check?!¡± I feigned shock, going down the stairs closer to her. ¡°Like, around the house?¡± ¡°No. I didn¡¯t bother...this time. I checked everyone¡¯s behavior this morning, though. We were all fine. Expect William¡­¡± she held her own chin, looking down. ¡°...he somehow looked distressed.¡± William was worrying about me. Erika wasn¡¯t stupid though ¨C she always saw right through most of the lies. ¡°Maybe William heard the ghost and didn¡¯t tell you because he thought he¡¯d sound silly¡­¡± I shrugged. ¡°...but really, this thing is...scary.¡± ¡°It is concerning, yes.¡± She nodded, sighing deeply. ¡°Well, I suppose that you do care after all. I¡¯ll tell you if something else comes up.¡± ¡°O-Okay...thank you, Erika.¡± I walked backwards up the stairs, glancing at the direction Nelya ran off. ¡°I have to go now. See you!¡± I started running again, hoping I¡¯d find Nelya before she could suspect anything.
¡°Ah! No!!¡± Nelya suddenly started tripping. She had to brace herself from falling, and that gave me a huge advantage. ¡°Come here! Finally!!!!¡± I didn¡¯t hesitate...I jumped right at her and threw her on the ground. She laughed audibly as I tickled her, grunting out of frustration. After running around the mansion for almost an hour...we were back under the tree. I held Nelya down, grass caressing her body as she giggled. I was out of breath, my face burned. ¡°Why...why are you so fast?!¡± I asked her, shaking her shoulders as she giggled. ¡°Because I do P.E at school...while you do nothing!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t our play sessions enough¡­?!¡± I asked, sighing and falling right beside her. ¡°Apparently, they aren¡¯t!¡± She chuckled, rising and looking down at me. Lying down again, her head rested on my chest. I stared at her. Her beautiful and constant smile, her gorgeous locks of golden hair. My hand suddenly went for them...making the strands go through my fingers gently. They were silky, delicate and soft. ¡°What are you doing?¡± She asked, giggling. Her head rose, her gaze fixing on mine. I let her hair go, looking away. My ears started burning. ¡°Nothing¡­¡± I mumbled. ¡°...I just like your hair.¡± ¡°Yours are way better.¡± She shook her head, her hand grabbing a strand of my white hair. She brought them to her cheek, rubbing them all over it. ¡°They are so smooth. Like the hair of a doll.¡± I suddenly froze. My whole body stiffened. Nelya felt that, and she immediately let my hair fall down. ¡°What¡¯s wrong¡­?¡± She asked, tilting her head. ¡°I¡¯m not a doll.¡± I muttered. ¡°I know, dummy.¡± She chuckled nervously, clearly unnerved by my dead stare. ¡°But your hair-¡± ¡°I am not a doll!¡± I repeated, grabbing her shoulders. ¡°Please don¡¯t say that!¡± ¡°O-Okay! Jeez! I¡¯m sorry Lillya...don¡¯t be mad¡­¡± She suddenly panicked. My heart sunk upon realizing what I just did. I hugged her immediately. ¡°I¡¯m...I¡¯m sorry.¡± I muttered. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± she whispered, her heart beating together with mine as she clung to my body. ¡°You¡¯re not a doll, alright? You¡¯re my dear sister.¡± Volume 2 | Chapter II - Ensared Chapter II - Ensnared "Checkmate.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too good¡­¡± Nelya pouts, dropping her king off the chess board. ¡°I¡¯m bored!¡± ¡°You¡¯re bored because you¡¯re not winning.¡± I sighed, getting up from the ground and cleaning my butt. ¡°Chess is too hard.¡± It was almost time for dinner. We spent the whole day playing the usual, various games. I didn¡¯t study one bit, but that was okay ¨C the next day, Nelya would have gone to school and I could always have caught up. Also, it was time for her to do her homework. ¡°Alright...I guess I should leave you alone now.¡± I stretched my body, looking at her sitting at the desk. ¡°Yup. But beware¡­¡± she turned around, smirking at me. ¡°...I¡¯m not going to be tamed for long. We¡¯re playing hide and seek in the dark after I¡¯m finished.¡± ¡°Okay, okay. See you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not...studying?¡± She asked, looking at me as I grabbed the doorknob. ¡°Yeah, I am.¡± I nodded. ¡°I just need to ask William about something I found in the book I¡¯m reading.¡± ¡°Oh, alright.¡± She shrugged. I closed the door right behind me. The warmly lit, silent corridor welcomed me. I took a deep breath, leaning against the door. I couldn¡¯t ignore the matter forever. That witch was real, and that night I would have had to talk to her again. Despite my sheer shock, I could recall quite well what she wanted from me. She wanted me to kill my own family. I had to do something. I couldn¡¯t let her command me as she pleased. Despite everything, I will always obey you, huh? I recalled her last words, right before she disappeared. I didn¡¯t want to stand by them. She was nothing to me. Despite my nature as her puppet, I wasn¡¯t tied to her in any way. I had a life, I had a family, I had feelings. All those things...I had to protect them. Somehow, I had to fight back. I wasn¡¯t going to stand still, to let her do as she pleased. And so, I ran towards William¡¯s bedroom. He probably was outside doing his usual training. Since I couldn¡¯t tell him what was going on, I decided to write him a letter about it and leave it on his bed. So that the witch¡¯s spell wouldn¡¯t work. His room looked and smelled like it was untouched, he didn¡¯t spend much time in it ¨C either he was on duty or around town to help Satomi running her errands and Rosie. I quickly opened his drawer, finding a notebook he used to schedule stuff when he helped Rosie at the local shop. I grabbed the last page and tore it, placing the pencil right over it on the desk. Several seconds passed. Then several minutes. My fingers wouldn¡¯t move. They trembled as sweat droplets fell down from my nose, ending on the paper sheet. I couldn¡¯t do it. I couldn¡¯t write the truth down. That witch was smart...she had thought of everything. ¡°Ngh¡­!¡± In a fit of rage, I crumpled the sheet and threw it out of the open window, slamming the drawer shut after putting everything back. My breath became ragged, my heart beating faster. What do I do now?! How can I tell everyone about her?! I stormed out of the room, and then I saw Vance. He smiled at me as he held some painting tools under his arm. ¡°Hey. You searching for Will?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Where is he?¡± I replied. I obviously couldn¡¯t tell him I wasn¡¯t, because I came right out of his room. I must have had something on my face, because he clearly was alarmed as soon as I replied. He tilted his head and furrowed his brows. ¡°He¡¯s in the backyard, as always. But...are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes, I am.¡± I replied quickly. I walked right past him with an unnatural pace, looking straight ahead.
I crouched behind a bush in silence as Nelya searched for me. Hugging my own knees, I stared into the void. I felt hopeless. I couldn¡¯t openly tell anyone in any way, and that was like having a huge weight crashing my whole body. It was ten, darkness shrouded our home. Nelya loved playing hide and seek in the dark, but when I was younger I used to be scared of darkness. Through the years, I started to fear it less and less, until she finally convinced me to enjoy this harder version of hide and seek. But at that moment darkness was terrifying once more. It symbolized her, a dark witch hiding inside the walls of that abode. Nobody knew about her, and those who knew had to keep their mouths shut. How long had we lived with her? How long did those red, spiteful eyes stare at our human figures as we went about our days? Was I ever alone inside my own home? My guts wrenched at the thought. Nausea kicked in ¨C I swallowed hard and felt my own skin crawl. At that exact moment, I realized how terrifying and brutal my situation was. I had never felt such a great amount of discomfort until then. Was I going to feel like this for a long time? Maybe my whole life? My eyes stung, and nausea grew stronger. I rose from my sitting position and I kneeled, ready to throw up like I did in the morning. ¡°Aha! Found you!¡± But then Nelya giggled, hugging me from behind. I swallowed hard and put up a smile, chuckling. ¡°Y-You took so long!¡± I told her, rising from my hiding spot. ¡°Well, yeah! I thought you were at the front.¡± She huffed. ¡°Okay, start counting. I¡¯ll get my reven-¡± ¡°N-Nelya...can we stop playing?¡± I cut her off, grabbing her shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t feel well.¡± ¡°Oh, what?¡± She looked disappointed and concerned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I have a tummy ache.¡± I mumble, rubbing my stomach. ¡°Can I go lie down in our room?¡± ¡°Well, sure! I¡¯ll tell Satomi you don¡¯t feel well, okay? She-¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± I shook my head, heading towards the back entrance. ¡°Just...I just need some rest.¡±
I flushed the vomit down the toilet. My whole body trembling as I envisioned the witch¡¯s face. Nelya was right outside the bathroom, I turned on the faucet to avoid her hearing me throw up. I leaned against the sink, taking deep breaths. ¡°Ah, finally!¡± Nelya sighed and stormed inside the bathroom right after I opened the door, closing it shut. I looked out of the window. The darkness outside pushed against the glass, begging to pour itself inside our room. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. I will not go. I will not go talk to her. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m all set.¡± Nelya hummed happily, stretching her body. ¡°Bedtime.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I replied, lying on my side of the bed, tucking my body inside the covers. ¡°Oh? No study?¡± Usually, when Nelya had to go to sleep early for school, I would stay up and study at the desk with a candle. ¡°Yeah, I am a bit sleepy.¡± ¡°Hey...since when you became such a drowsy girl?¡± She turned off the lights and jumped right into bed, whispering at my hear as she hugged my arm. ¡°Sleeping in, going to bed early. Are you finally giving in and stopping being a smarty?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just the tummy ache.¡± I groaned, shaking my head. ¡°Why do you have to point out whenever I do something unusual?¡± She giggled and hugged my arm tighter. ¡°Not that I mind. I can fall asleep with you here. I love it.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± ¡°Can I sing the-¡± ¡°No...please, it¡¯s embarrassing.¡± ¡°Come on! I never do it. It¡¯s a special occasion.¡± ¡°What special occasion?¡± ¡°You have a bad, bad tummy ache...and you¡¯re sleepy! Mommy Nelya must bring you to the land of sleep.¡± She cooed. ¡°Nelya¡­¡± ¡°Please? Pretty please? Pretty please with cherry on top?¡± ¡°Okay, fine!¡± ¡°Yay!¡± She spooned my body, putting her hand over my tummy and rubbing it slowly. Her voice started flowing inside my ear, beautiful notes of a beautiful song. ???? Sleep, sleep and sleep. Sleep in the sea of the flower. And when you wake up, you will have me by your side, you will not cower. You will have no pain, no fears. Just sleep in the flowery sea, and you will shed no tears. ???? "Come to me." A shock woke me up, my eyes opening wide. I was drenched in sweat and my breath was ragged. Nelya was sound asleep beside me. It was when I saw the clock on our wall that I realized what was going on. ¡°Ngh...no...no¡­!¡± I whispered to myself. Suddenly, my whole body started moving on its own, my limbs moved weirdly towards the door as I fought back my own movements. I wanted to scream, I wanted to call for Nelya, I wanted to be saved from that nightmare. Alas, my body moved, moved and moved...I moved like a stupid, unconscious puppet, my strings pulled my someone else¡¯s will. Tears ran down my face as my bare, cold feet stomped on the red carpet of the corridor, that cursed balcony getting closer and closer. And then, inevitably... ¡°My, why such a scared face?¡± She chuckled. ¡°Please, sit down.¡± I swallowed hard, my legs started trembling as I looked at her. She sat at the same chair of the same table. Her foot dangling up and down as she crossed her legs. Her dark, beautiful dress bathed by the moonlight. There were two glasses that time, a big bottle of red wine opened standing between the two. I shook my head slowly, but I gave in thereafter sitting down by myself. I didn¡¯t want to feel my body moving by itself again, I felt way too uncomfortable. ¡°What a good girl. I see that you grew very obedient since last night.¡± She giggled, pouring wine inside both glasses. ¡°If we could only stop that trembling...you¡¯d be the perfect, little puppet.¡± I stared at the glass of wine, clenching my trembling hands. ¡°Stop. Trembling.¡± I felt a shock running through my whole body in an instant. My muscles paralyzing...unable to tremble freely. It was at that point that I lost all my hope. She really had full control of me, and I could have never fought her. ¡°Ah, better.¡± She nodded solemnly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you sip some wine, to relax a little more? Then we can start having our chat.¡± ¡°I...I don¡¯t think I can drink alcohol.¡± I shook my head again, spewing my first words. ¡°But of course you can.¡± She nodded. ¡°I made you, I know everything of your body. Go! Drink away.¡± I knew that if I refused, she would have forced me to drink it anyway. I was at her mercy. I delicately gripped the frail shaft of the glass, bringing it to my lips. After a sip, I realized how sweet and enjoyable the beverage actually was ¨C she was right, my heart started slowing down. I took a second, deeper sip and put the glass down, looking straight in her eyes. ¡°Good girl.¡± She joyfully praised me, drinking some herself. ¡°Now, Lillya. I wanted to clear some things up.¡± She started, putting the glass down and glaring at me. ¡°I noticed what you did yesterday night. Instead of going to your room like I ordered, you ran inside William Rondart¡¯s room and cried in front of him. And this evening, you tried to write a letter for him.¡± I hung my head, drinking more wine. It tasted even sweeter, I needed more. ¡°At that point, I trust that you noticed your inability to convey your feelings to him.¡± I nodded after another sip. ¡°And that is because I forbid you to tell anyone about me or about what¡¯s going on. Your programming stops you from doing or saying anything that might cause them to discover about me.¡± I finished the whole glass in another gulp, slamming it on the table and standing up. At that point, I couldn¡¯t resist anymore. Every trace of fear I had transformed into frustration and anger. ¡°You...wretched witch!¡± I shouted, standing up. ¡°What do you want from me!? Why are you doing this to me?!¡± My whole body trembled again, my eyes started to swell up. ¡°I would advise you to choose both your words and manners.¡± She said. ¡°Do you know what you just drank, my dear? I see that you enjoyed it very much.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I looked down, the empty glass shone under the light of the clear moon. She was right - without even realizing, I started gulping down the whole thing without a worry in the world. ¡°Did you poison me?¡± I asked her, looking up at her again. ¡°Are you perhaps stupid? Why would I kill my dear puppet?¡± She chuckled. ¡°No. But now, inside your body, there is something that will make you even more obedient.¡± ¡°What...what do you mean?¡± She then snapped her fingers. It started from my feet. I collapsed on the ground right after a sharp pain generated from my toes. It immediately went up my legs, spreading across my whole pelvis. Then, after a quick jolt, it went up my chest, my shoulders, my throat...and then my head. After mere seconds, my whole body suffered a constant, burning pain. It attacked every fiber of my being. I felt as if my blood was boiling, my brain frying and my muscles burning. My trembling hands clutched the floor of the balcony, desperately dragging my body in a random direction. My throat was closed shut, yet I could still breathe...although my voice was muted. My mind started to get hazy, but just before I could pass out...something awoke me instantly. I couldn¡¯t faint, I couldn¡¯t die, I couldn¡¯t stop the pain that was violating every inch of my body. And then, everything abruptly stopped. I coughed and shook on the floor, tears streaming down my face. I looked up¡­ "Kyahahahah!" She was cackling delightfully, staring at my squirming figure. ¡°This is a little gift I had to give you. Since your bad behavior had to be corrected.¡± I immediately knew it was the wine. I put two fingers inside my throat and gagged. After another attempt I coughed loudly, throwing up on the floor. It was a dark, reddish liquid. I successfully threw up her stupid poison...that I thought. I shakily stood back up, cleaning the corner of my mouth. ¡°I am...I am going to-¡± She snapped her fingers again. My whole body jerked. The pain started again. I almost fell on my own vomit, trembling again. Luckily, that time lasted only a couple of seconds. ¡°I really suggest that you sit back on that chair and shut your mouth, you impertinent, disobedient puppet!¡± She shouted, slamming her hand on the table. I whimpered silently, my chest compressed by strong feelings of sorrow and fear. I sniffled and mewled as I sat back on the chair, my eyes fixed at the center of the table, staring at the void. ¡°As I was saying. If you do decide to act against me...trying to circumvent your programming, this pain will start¡­¡± She leaned forward, lifting my head with two fingers under my chin. She smiled again, her red eyes piercing mine. ¡°...and the next time, it will not stop.¡± I cried quietly as she held my face in an almost motherly way. ¡°If you will appear distressed, sad or will show any type of emotion that could stir up some trouble...such as your family worrying about you and your mental health...I will punish you.¡± ¡°Ah...I...I can¡¯t-¡± ¡°Yes. You can.¡± She gripped hard my chin with her two fingers. ¡°You are a puppet. Not a human. You can mimic any emotion you want. Disobey my order, and I will punish you. Do you understand? Answer me.¡± I immediately nodded. My mind was a mess. I was basically forced to stay awake and lucid. If it wasn¡¯t for her, in fact, I would have fainted out of fear way earlier. ¡°Good. We can move onto the next topic. Your mission here.¡± She sat back again, changing her crossed leg. ¡°You are going to kill every single person that lives here.¡± I kept crying silently, but she didn¡¯t seem to care. At that point, as long as I could hear her words, she was satisfied. ¡°Since I want to win this game neatly and without fail, we are going to approach a silent, slow and steady method. You will kill each person following my instructions, thoroughly. If you get caught, hint at the danger and make any of your family members leave this place, I will withdraw your soul and put you in that suffering you just experienced for eternity. If you try to kill yourself, I will do the same. If you don¡¯t follow my instructions or take too long to carry them out, I will do the same.¡± She explained it to me as if I was going to plant some flowers in her garden. Her calm voice was instructing me on how to kill my own family. ¡°Now. There is one person you should be careful of, and you shall kill her only when I say so. Erika. She has a sharp mind...as you might have noticed. She can sense me, and she is sensing me right now.¡± I widened my eyes. Then...maybe she¡¯s coming here! If she sees us, it wouldn¡¯t be my fault, right? The witch wouldn¡¯t blame me, right? I wanted to buy some time, so I started asking a couple of questions. ¡°W-Why do you want to kill my family¡­?¡± I asked. ¡°You sly scoundrel.¡± She chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re not going to keep me here and let Erika see us.¡± A shiver of sheer fear traversed my body. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t do anyway, she cannot see me. She would see you here, all alone. A puddle of puke on the ground. So the quicker we are, the less time you stay here...hence, the chances of your body going through that pain again getting slimmer.¡± I gave up. Volume 2 | Chapter III – Broken harmony Chapter III ¨C Broken harmony ¡°If you¡¯re going to live like this, you better watch your manners around the house! I do not want this kind of behavior here. Understood?!¡± Mom thought it was either Vance or Gale who threw up on the balcony, since it reeked of wine. It surely couldn¡¯t have been me or any of the sweet, innocent girls. I peeked inside the living room. They were both hanging their heads in silence, clenching their fists. They knew mom wasn¡¯t going to listen to them, despite their repeated ¡®¡¯it wasn¡¯t us!¡¯¡¯. I really wished I could clean up, but Erika could have been there any minute after we finished talking, since it would have been the second time she sensed the ¡®¡¯bad aura¡¯¡¯. I had to hurry. Ferya felt very bad because she couldn¡¯t clean it in time, letting my mom see it. ¡°Yes, mom. We¡¯re sorry. We won¡¯t get drunk around the house again.¡± Gale said, his long, blonde hair swaying as he stood up with his shorter brother. ¡°Can we go now?¡± ¡°Yes. Go.¡± She shooed them with her hand, going back at her book on the couch. They both came out of the living room. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. I bet it was Kruz! Fuck!¡± Vance said. But then he bumped into me and gasped. ¡°Oh! Lillya!¡± ¡°Sorry for the bad word, princess.¡± Gale chuckled, petting my head. ¡°I am sorry.¡± I smiled faintly. ¡°Mom really got angry, huh?¡± ¡°Yes, she did.¡± Gale sighed, crouching and smiling at me. ¡°Thou shan¡¯t worry, though. We will make up for her tonight! We¡¯ll bring her some new perfume and she¡¯ll be happy again!¡± He brushed my arms with his warm, big hand. ¡°Yeah, she loves those.¡± Vance giggled quietly as Gale stood back up. ¡°My gosh though. How can you be THIS cute!? Worrying about two idiots like us!¡± He ruffled my hair, making me giggle. ¡°I just don¡¯t like seeing you being scolded! You two are the best brothers!¡± I pouted. We started walking along the corridor, I stayed between the two. ¡°Ah? Is that so? Lost your crush on William?¡± Gale asked, Vance laughing audibly. ¡°E-Eh!? I don¡¯t have a crush on him! We¡¯re siblings! Gross!¡± I felt my whole face burning. I crossed my arms, puffing my cheeks. ¡°Hahah! But we¡¯re not blood related. It might be normal for you to be attracted to one of us, no?¡± Vance said. Gale immediately smacked his arms from the side. ¡°Vance? What the hell? She¡¯s a little girl! Come on!¡± ¡°Okay! Okay! But she hit puberty, didn¡¯t she?¡± Vance shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m telling her secret stuff.¡± I giggled nervously and started going upstairs at the next chance I got. ¡°We¡¯re going out, then.¡± Gale told Vance. I heard their voices fading away. I took a deep breath, my lips started quivering. She was right. It wasn¡¯t hard to feign calmness and happiness. But it was killing me ¨C my heart ached, my chest burned so much. A lump on my throat was getting heavier and heavier. It was only eleven in the morning. I still had to go through the whole day with Nelya. And so, I ran towards our room as fast as I could. I closed the bathroom''s door shut and opened the faucet. Tears started running down profusely. I cried, moaned and hit my own head with slaps, trying to make the pain I was feeling go away. I was a puppet, yes. But I was human too - my heart could ache, love and hate. My feelings weren¡¯t erased just because of a smile...they were just suppressed. I wondered why that witch made me this way. Why couldn¡¯t she just make me a lifeless killing machine with no real feelings? Why did I have a heart? Why did I have a damned real, beating heart? The answer to that question was still far at that point. But I would have discovered it.
¡°No! No! Don¡¯t tickle me there, pleasee!! Hahahah!¡± Nelya giggled as I tickled her under our tree. That day too was joyful. Her homework were few and she had no worries about them. I was smiling at her as she laughed, seeing her so happy. My heart was beating loudly as I tickled, tickled and tickled. My brain had this itchy thought every second that passed. At some point, I will have to kill her. I could not make it go away. Not matter how hard I tried to smile and have fun with her. I was hopeless. The punishment that the witch showed me couldn¡¯t even make me a martyr. At that point, I was that desperate that I could have agreed upon killing myself to stop her plans...but both my body and mind refused. They refused to go through that pain for as long as that witch lived. She was an ethereal being bound by no law of the nature. Who knew for how much time I¡¯d have had to endure that constant pain? And who knew if it would have even stopped when she met her demise? I could not. I could have never chosen that path. I ¡®¡¯preferred¡¯¡¯ seeing my family die instead. And so smiled as I tickled my dear sister, whom I loved with all my heart and flesh. My fingers run up and down her sides, her armpits, and then on her neck- ¡°Lillya! Stop!!!¡± She suddenly grabbed my wrists, her breathing ragged and her face red. I looked at her with a dazed expression, swallowing awkwardly. She then pushed me to the side, sitting up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? I couldn¡¯t breathe! Tickling is funny but at some point...you have to stop!¡± I stared at the sky, then I looked at my pale hands. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I sat up with her and scratched my head, chuckling nervously. ¡°I just loved seeing y0u squirm like that. I didn¡¯t realize I was hurting you.¡± ¡°Do you really tickle fight at your age? Gross.¡± Annaliese suddenly appeared, walking out of the doors. A pencil and a sketch book in her hands. ¡°What are you even doing here?¡± Nelya asked, getting up and cleaning her butt. ¡°This is our spot!¡± She suddenly forgot what I did to her, taking our defenses. ¡°Your spot? Lady I live here with you two. Do you know that or not?¡± She retorted, staring at the tree. ¡°Move! I gotta do a sketch of this tree for an art project. I don¡¯t want to see your ugly faces as I draw.¡± ¡°You are ugly! Bleeh!¡± Nelya wasn¡¯t giving up. She even looked at me with determination. ¡°Right, Lillya? We¡¯re beautiful and she is ugly! Tell her!!¡± ¡°My God, how old are you again?¡± Annaliese rolled her eyes, ¡°Move the hell out! I want to do this as quickly as I can! Come. On!¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Steelia suddenly came out from the mansion¡¯s left corner, a pair of big scissors in her hand. Her uniform had leaves and grass on the apron, her white gloves blackened and worn out. ¡°Ah! Thank you!¡± Annelise pointed at us. ¡°Steelia, I order you to move these two little pests someplace else!¡± ¡°I...I don¡¯t know if I-¡± ¡°Obey me! You¡¯re my servant, right?!¡± She exclaimed. ¡°Come on, Nelya...let¡¯s just go.¡± I stood up and grabbed her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s not make things difficult for Steelia. She doesn¡¯t deserve it.¡± ¡°But...but¡­!¡± Nelya glared at me. ¡°This is our spot! We can¡¯t let her win! She-¡± ¡°Nelya! Quit acting like a child! Let it go!¡± I suddenly froze. The three of them looked at me, shocked in their own way. An awkward silence making my body shiver. That was the first time I¡¯ve ever shouted angrily. At anyone. I grew ashamed quickly, hanging my head and walking past Annaliese, towards the doors. Nelya quickly ran inside with me, keeping my fast pace as she looked at me worriedly. I looked at her face, and then my heart sunk. I couldn¡¯t let her notice something was wrong¡­or that pain would have came back. ¡°I am sorry, Nelya.¡± I sighed, giggling as I stopped walking. ¡°I was faking.¡± ¡°Oh? Really?!¡± She widened her eyes. ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded, sighing and shaking my head. ¡°You know how Annaliese is. I talked to you like that so that she stopped teasing us.¡± ¡°Wow, that was so realistic!¡± She laughed audibly, gripping my shoulders excitedly. ¡°Then...you¡¯re with me, right?¡± ¡°Of course! She is a meanie!¡± I crossed my arms and pouted. ¡°Then we should get our revenge! Let¡¯s pour cold water down her head from the second story! I¡¯ll go to search the perfect spot, you go searching a bucket! Ask Ferya for one!¡± She ran up the near stairs, giggling. I took a deep breath and leaned against the window. Looking out and watching my older sister''s sitting figure. She quietly sketched, probably still surprised by my behavior. I had to make sure she too didn¡¯t think anything weird of me. So, I followed Nelya¡¯s instructions.
¡°Kya-! Y-YOU STUPID BRATS! My sketchbook! Ahhh! Noo!¡± Annaliese stood up and ran back inside whining after her whole body became drenched with cold water. We held each other from falling on our knees because of how hard we were laughing. Nelya put the bucket on the floor and put her hands on her hips, smiling triumphantly. ¡°Hm! She deserved that! She is too mean!¡± ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡± I nodded and sighed, looking out of the window once more. I actually felt bad for her. After what the witch commanded me to do, I started caring about everyone that lived there. Seeing them suffer and experience bad things was heartbreaking for me at that point. ¡°Let¡¯s go back at the tree now.¡± Nelya suggested. ¡°No, we shouldn¡¯t.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Annaliese will probably come back to scold us...and she also has to re-draw the whole thing. Let¡¯s go play somewhere else.¡± Nelya shrugged and nodded. That¡¯s the least I can do, Annaliese. I am very sorry. ¡°Ah! Look at who I found scurrying around.¡± ¡°Daddyyyy!¡± ¡°Dad, hi.¡± We both hugged him. He chuckled dearly as he embraced our tiny bodies with his strong arms. ¡°How come are you out of your study today?¡± I asked him. Even if he didn¡¯t need or have a job, he still spent most of his time in his study. He studied, just like me. He bought tons and tons of books and studied many things. He was very knowledgeable. His objective was to become one of those wise old men, who knew everything and had their mind sharp. He wanted to avoid dementia...and the best way was to keep studying. ¡°Ah, why such a question?¡± He sighed, faking a sad expression. ¡°Can¡¯t your humble father just walk around his own house and see his beautiful flowers?¡± ¡°Aw, am I a flower daddy?¡± Nelya clung to his shirt even more. Nelya adored dad. She literally became a little baby when he was around. ¡°But of course you are. You all are flowers. Rosie, Kath, Anna, Erika, Nelya and Lillya. You are all beautiful!¡± He chuckled, looking out of his window. ¡°I will never be able to tell you enough times.¡± ¡°Ah, here you are.¡± We all heard her voice appearing out of nowhere. Erika stood in front of us, her eyes on me. ¡°Can you please follow me for a second? I have to show you something.¡± ¡°Ah...uh¡­¡± I looked at Nelya. Then I chose to shrug and act confused...even if I knew what we were going to talk about. ¡°...okay, Erika. But be quick, I have to play with Nelya.¡± ¡°I¡¯m coming too!¡± Nelya protested. ¡°No. You aren¡¯t.¡± Erika shook her head. ¡°Come on, Erika.¡± Dad intervened. ¡°Why don¡¯t you all play together and be good girls?¡± ¡°I am not playing, dad.¡± Erika retorted. ¡°I just have to talk to Lillya. In private.¡± "What? Lillya...do you have secrets with her?!" Nelya widened her eyes, dumbfounded. "W-What? No...I-" "Lillya, please I want this to be quick." Erika urged me. Dad scratched his head, confused. Then he grabbed Nelya¡¯s hand and smiled at her. ¡°Why don¡¯t we have a walk, Nelya?¡± ¡°Fine!¡± She glared at me. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this from you, Lillya!¡± They both left, leaving the two of us alone. ¡°Why are you so attached to such a stupid moron?¡± Erika asked me. ¡°She is problematic.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t get it.¡± I brushed her question off. ¡°What¡¯s up, anyway?¡± ¡°Follow me. I¡¯ll show you something.¡±
We soon found ourselves at the balcony. She looked at me, her arms crossed. ¡°Do you know the recent story behind this place?¡± Erika asked me. ¡°Y-Yeah. Mom blames Gale or Vance because she found a vomit stain this morning.¡± I replied. ¡°I felt it last night too.¡± ¡°The bad aura? Again?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded, sitting on one of the chairs. ¡°And what are you trying to say? That whatever ghost there is...it puked on the balcony?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but look at her weirdly. I had to pretend I was a clueless girl...and she would have looked weird in front of anyone else. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t say that!¡± She got mad for some reason. ¡°I¡¯m just saying that...usually, Vance and Gale would pull out their tongues and scratch their heads whenever they did mistakes. This time, they got really mad at the situation and started going around blaming everyone...even dad.¡± I didn¡¯t want to stir up such a heated situation just for some vomit. I felt guilty and really wished I didn¡¯t try to get rid of whatever was still in my body anyway. ¡°So? Either it was someone else for real or the ghost.¡± I shrugged. ¡°But what do you want to do with this information?¡± ¡°Nothing, actually.¡± Erika sighed. ¡°But, this strange occurrence might have happened right when I felt the bad aura. At around midnight.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go check around?¡± I asked her. ¡°What if this ghost gets physical? Do you want to see my dead corpse around the corridors?¡± She stood back up, stretching her back. ¡°No. I must approach this in a calmer way.¡± ¡°Listen, Erika¡­¡± I looked on the ground, clasping my hands together. ¡°I think you¡¯re overthinking. Really. ¡°What?¡± She widened her eyes. ¡°Weren¡¯t you...interested in what was going on?¡± ¡°Yes, but...I think you are just having bad dreams.¡± She looked outraged. ¡°Hmpf! Such a turn of opinion. Why is everyone so fickle in this damn house!?¡± ¡°I am no ghost expert, but I do think they are not real. You shouldn¡¯t be scared. Just get more sleep.¡± ¡°I am not even scared, you stupid brat!¡± She replied. ¡°Alright then. I thought you cared, but it looks like you don¡¯t after all. Don¡¯t come crying to me if something happens!¡± She walked back inside, leaving the two windowed doors open. It was hurtful to ¡®¡¯betray¡¯¡¯ her like this. But the witch had been very clear. I couldn¡¯t risk helping Erika in any way. I didn¡¯t want to suffer that pain. Then, William suddenly appeared. He was wearing a simple tank top and comfortable pants. He sat at the table near me, smiling. I sat with him instinctively. ¡°Since when do you talk with Erika?¡± He chuckled, looking afar. ¡°Since...some days.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Hey, how are you?¡± He asked me, putting his hand on mine. ¡°Are you alright? Any more bad dreams?¡± ¡°No.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Everything is fine. Not even the joints have been bothering me lately.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s good.¡± He nodded slowly. ¡°By the way. I saw Nelya...she is in your room. She is angry at you.¡± ¡°I know. Just because I went somewhere off with Erika.¡± I sighed, standing back up. ¡°I should go to her now.¡± ¡°Alright. See you.¡± I finally also fixed William''s worry for me. The witch didn''t have any excuse to make me suffer. I reached our bedroom, but... ¡°Go away!¡± Nelya did her homework. Angry at me. ¡°Hmpf!¡± Then Annaliese walked right past me. Her extra sketchbook under her arm. I walked towards the tree, slowly. Not matter how much I tried to act normally, that day was ruined since its start. Volume 2 | Chapter IV - The kings checkmate Chapter IV ¨C The king''s checkmate Dinner was delicious as always. Cl¨¦a was always at her best. We all chatted that evening. Mom cooled down after Vance and Gale brought her the gift. Annaliese didn¡¯t complain about our behavior. Erika and Nelya didn¡¯t look at me once in the eyes. Rosie and Katherine chatted with the rest of the family. And I sat there. My dinner finished. ¡°Well, it sure is something I would look forward to. What to you think, Victoire?¡± Dad asked mom. ¡°Well...I would feel bad for Lillya.¡± Mom looked at me. ¡°If we brought everyone at the party out of town, she¡¯d remain here, wouldn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Oh, shoot. That¡¯s right.¡± Vance looked at me and sighed. ¡°Sorry, Lillya. Didn¡¯t mean to leave you out.¡± ¡°N-No! It¡¯s okay!¡± I raised my hands. ¡°If you all want to go out, then do so. It¡¯s completely fine, really.¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s not like she can¡¯t fucking take care of herself for one evening.¡± Annaliese said, clicking her tongue. ¡°I am going with them.¡± ¡°Annaliese! Words!¡± Mom shouted. ¡°Lillya, I''m sorry.¡± ¡°No worries.¡± I shrugged and sighed, shaking my head. Everyone got up and started helping Cl¨¦a and Brya cleaning up. We did that every single night, because we loved our servants very much and we were grateful for her services. As soon as everything was clean, we all departed. Some went to their rooms, some went to the living. I went to my own room with Nelya. ¡°I am going to bed now.¡± Nelya said, pulling the covers and snuggling herself inside them thereafter. ¡°Listen. I am sorry...for getting mad. I should be the first rooting for you and Erika be friends. But...she looked like she wanted to tell you some secret and I got offended. Really, I should have not...acted like that. Sometimes I¡¯m very childish and I know it.¡± I sat at the edge of her bed, right beside her. I put a hand on her arm and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay Nelya. I love you for what you are.¡± She widened her eyes, her cheeks deep red. I had never told her ¡®¡¯I love you¡¯¡¯ until that moment, after all. Her reaction was natural. ¡°I-I love you too¡­¡± she replied. ¡°...that sounds really weird, hahah.¡± ¡°Love comes in many ways, silly.¡± I giggled, brushing her arm with my hand. ¡°Y-Yeah. Sorry.¡± She stuffed her face in her pillow, chuckling softly. ¡°Well? Do you want to study or...maybe you come to bed?" ¡°I''m going to sleep with you. I just need to give a book back to William. I¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± I reached the desk, pulled out a book with an azure cover. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. I stared at it. ¡®¡¯Open it and you¡¯re dead. Understood?¡¯¡¯ I shook my head, making her face and voice fade away. I pressed the two sides of the cover, keeping it shut tightly.
"Did you really stayed up waiting for me?" I chuckled, pushing myself against her under the covers. "Heheh, yeah." She giggled, her warm embrace filling me whole. "Sorry." "No need to be sorry." I replied, poking her nose. "It''s cute." It was a calming night, one of the many soothing nights I used to spend to my dearest sister¡¯s side. We shared a bedroom together, because we loved each other to an almost obsessive extent. The rest of our siblings didn¡¯t complain much about it...since they knew our bond was too strong to be torn apart. I turned around and let her press herself against my back, her sweet voice filling my ear. "You know. I was glad hearing you say you loved me. You never said that to me." "Come on. I didn''t do anything special." "It''s true! It was...it was the way you said it. It...it felt good." "Hm? Really?" I sighed contentedly. "Then do I not deserve a reward?" "What do you mean?" She asked, chuckling slightly. "Sing for me, Nelya." "Ehh...? Since when you openly ask for it?" "Please. Do it." "...okay." She caressed my hair, singing that little lullaby in my ear, clinging to my resting body. She loved to pet me like this, as if I was her little doll. ¡°Sleep, sleep and sleep...sleep in the sea of the flower¡­¡± ¡°...and when you wake up, you will have me by your side, you will not cower.¡± She loved me so much. And I loved her so much. As she caressed me so gently, whispering those words to me, I laid on our bed motionless, giving her my back¡­ ...my right hand, tainted with sin, grasped hers tightly. I looked at the corner of our dear bedroom and I saw her smiling, a smile on the verge of laughter. I closed my eyes, clenching my dear sister¡¯s hand tighter and tighter, wishing that the bad dream would end. But no matter how much I waited. No matter how much I prayed¡­ ...she was always there.
The first thing I heard that morning was mom crying. I immediately rushed out of my room, looking at William trying to comfort her as she screamed in despair. It was raining outside, and that didn¡¯t really help with my mood. I approached the two, my heart beating faster as I saw my own mother crying in such a sorrowful way. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked William, knowing perfectly that mom wouldn¡¯t have answered me anyway. ¡°Erika!" He shouted my name, his eyes quivering. They were swollen. I couldn¡¯t see it until he turned around to face me, still hugging our mother. "D-Dad¡­!" He stammered. "Dad is dead! He...he killed himself, Erika!¡± My heart sunk. ¡°Where is he now?¡± ¡°He¡¯s still in his study. The servants are trying to...clean up.¡± William replied, swallowing hard. ¡°Where are the others?¡± ¡°They¡¯re all out. Nobody heard the news yet...not even Lillya, she¡¯s still asleep.¡± He added.
My legs were almost giving up as I ran towards the study. All the servants of this mansion were right outside the door, Kruz walked inside slowly, pulling his right glove and taking a deep breath. ¡°WAIT!¡± I screamed, pushing the poor butler out of the way, storming right inside the room. It was true. His lifeless body swayed back and fort, a rope tied to his neck and hung to the gas lantern¡¯s hook on the ceiling. His eyes were wide open, a terrified expression. I recognized that look too well. I immediately became sure. It wasn¡¯t suicide at all. ¡°...tch.¡± I muttered, my nails digging in my own palms. I failed! I failed! I FAILED!!!! THAT WRETCHED WITCH KILLED HIM! Volume 2 | Chapter V – Die Detektivin Chapter V ¨C Die Detektivin I knocked at his door gently, looking around constantly to see if there was anyone around. Not a single soul. ¡°Who is it?¡± He asked. ¡°It¡¯s me, dad.¡± ¡°Ah, come in, sweetie!¡± I opened his study¡¯s doors gently. It smelled like old books. The windows were always closed shut, even in summer. It didn¡¯t reek, though...the air was just stale. He was sure that an air flow ruined the quality of the paper. He stared at me while smiling warmly, his hands together as he sat behind his big desk at the end of the room. A faint light coming out from the dimmed gas lantern. He liked to challenge himself by reading in the dark...he believed it sharpened his vision. ¡°Do you need anything, Lillya?¡± He asked. ¡°It¡¯s very late, you should be sleeping!¡± He added jokingly. ¡°Can we talk, dad?¡± I asked him, walking closer. ¡°But of course! Be quick though...I have to read this book before bed.¡± He chuckled. I went around his desk, my hands behind my back. He moved the chair back and faced me. I wanted to get it over with, since I couldn¡¯t keep myself composed for much longer. I didn¡¯t know what I was even showing him, since the witch demanded me to never discover its contents. She told me where to find this book...it was hidden right inside that office, under a hidden compartment of the left drawer. I took it and brought it back to my room. I was tempted many times to open it but I actually never did...since I feared that torturous pain. The witch didn¡¯t make me do all this for nothing though. No. She did it so that I could hurt him. She didn¡¯t want to just end his life...she wanted him to feel emotional pain before dying. I simply pulled the book out from behind my back, showing it to him. His face grew white, his eyes wandered around. My curiosity was so strong at that point that I almost asked him what was inside. However, I couldn¡¯t break the act. ¡°L-Lillya...I...I can explain.¡± I shook my head. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to explain dad.¡± I took a deep breath, looked at him right in the eyes...and I followed the witch¡¯s instructions. ¡°I hate you. I already told mom and everyone else. Everyone hates you.¡± His mouth was agape. His eyes started swelling up, he was about to cry in front of his own daughter. ¡°Lillya...I¡¯m so sorry¡­! I just...it¡¯s just that-¡± ¡°No.¡± I whispered to him, placing the book right on the desk. I walked right behind his chair, and caressed his shoulder. ¡°I am sorry.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± The sinister essence that bind me to my existence started swirling around my head. Yet, a part of me rebelled against the darkness within my very core, a flicker of humanity struggling to break free from the witch''s spell. As he tried to get up, I seized the moment. With a deft movement, I reached behind the window¡¯s curtains, my delicate fingers grabbing the deadly instrument hidden beneath them since that very morning. My pulse quickened, adrenaline coursing through my veins as I raised the weapon with my eyes shut. Then, with a swift, decisive motion, I struck. Firstly, I threw the rope over him in an arch, making his heavy body fall back on the chair after I pulled. He groaned as he grabbed the edges, trying to understand what was going on. Before he could even start screaming, I pulled harder, putting my small foot against the back of the chair...letting my whole weight fall back. He squirmed as his life began to fade away through wheezes. The thick rope crushing his throat without mercy. A rude, slow way of killing someone. I could hear the witch¡¯s laughter across the room. She was enjoying the spectacle alright. I squeezed my eyes even more, crying silently as I heard my father''s moans of panic and pain. ¡°Li...llya¡­¡± He voiced my name for the last time. And then, everything was suddenly over. Any type of force that was fighting against my deadly trap ceased. I leaned against the windowsill, letting the rope fall on the ground. I finally opened my eyes. His head was down, his arm swayed back and forth slowly, his finger twitched weirdly after death. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry...I¡¯m sorry...I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± I cried suddenly hugging his body from behind. I prayed that God somehow made him live again. The Irreversibility of my actions made me truly realize the extent of the corruption that befell my whole being. There was no turning back. I screamed silently, my sobs bringing me almost to suffocation. After a while, I mustered the courage to go around the chair and look at him. His eyes opened wide, a terrified look. My brain tickled. It was being repeatedly stabbed refreshing, gratifying needles. My mind was feeling a rush of sorrow, mixed with a perverse sense of satisfaction. Killing was so wrong and evil. Yet, my whole body would shiver in pleasure every, single, time. It was definitely the witch¡¯s doing ¨C I would have never felt like this by my own. I swallowed hard and dragged dad¡¯s body towards the center of the room. I tied the rope around his neck tightly and then moved the whole desk under the gas lantern. I climbed on top of it, hurled the rope and grabbed the other end as it fell down, hanging from the hook. I pulled, praying the whole thing didn¡¯t tear from the ceiling. Dad started going up, up and up...like he was being carried by a pulley. He reached the desk¡¯s height. On the tip of my toes, I tied a big knot near the hook. When my grip was no more, dad fell down a little, but the big knot was too big to pass between the hook and the ceiling. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. I jumped down, pushed the desk back where it was...and it was done. Dad hung himself.
The next day, it was raining. After everyone came back home from their respective days, it didn¡¯t take long before the whole mansion turned into a place filled with cries. We were outside, it was late afternoon. Some men were putting our father inside a coffin. Mom chose to host a private funeral and to bury him in our own garden. Everyone was there, crying and hugging each other. I will never forget Nelya¡¯s expression. She was the only one that didn¡¯t have an umbrella, her whole body was drenched. She didn''t care...she was just too sad for her father''s death. Guilt ate me from inside as I stared at the priest reciting the prayers. ¡°Why?! Why did he fucking kill himself?!¡± Annaliese screamed. ¡°What the heck was wrong with him? W-Why didn¡¯t he reach out to us?! Oh my God...oh my God! Dad!¡± She then fell on her knees, crying louder than the rain. Mom, in agony, was being comforted by William and Rosie, while Vance, Gale and Katherine wept silently, staring at the ground. And then¡­there was Erika. She didn¡¯t look sad, nor happy. Her expression was one of pure, utter rage. Her eyes were fixed on the coffin. She didn¡¯t move, her teeth gritted and her nails dug in her own palms, while the handle of her umbrella was being choked, trembling slightly. I walked towards her, leaving Nelya for a while. ¡°A-Are you okay?¡± I asked her. Her eyes immediately darted at me, piercing my very soul. She took a concealed, deep breath and softened her expression. She hugged me, burying her face in my shoulder. I silently patted her back, sighing. Then, she left my embrace and walked over mom. Nelya approached from behind and put her hand on my shoulder. I turned around and looked at her face ¨C it was a mess. ¡°You don¡¯t have to hold back, Lillya.¡± She said while sniffling. Probably because I haven¡¯t cried until that moment. I desperately threw myself in her arms, weeping silently. I killed my own father, and I wasn¡¯t going to come back from that. I erased the Lillya I was completely. I became a murderer, a dangerous puppet that could only kill.
After the funeral, I went straight to his study against mom¡¯s will. She didn¡¯t want to even see it, but I had to discover the truth. I closed the study¡¯s doors and took a deep breath. The room was exactly as it was when I barged in during the morning. After Kruz and the servants brought dad down and out of the room, the study''s key was given to mom. Luckily, I managed to learn lock-picking during my childhood and the lock was fairly simple, letting me pick it with only my hairpin. I was sure. She wouldn''t have stopped at one death. I had to do something. My investigation started from the desk. I quickly hurried over and checked behind it. When they cut the rope from the gas lantern¡¯s hook, I got a hold of it and inspected it. It was one of the ropes we keep in the basement for various uses, something anyone could have acquired. The knot was rudimentary though ¨C whoever made it, wasn¡¯t really capable. My father used to be a lumberjack before going towards to the path of nobility and business. He lived most of his life in the woods...so he certainly knew how to tie knots. Hence, he didn¡¯t make the knot. I inspected the corpse before it was covered, and he didn¡¯t present any wounds or signs of struggle and his neck''s bones were intact. That meant that he was conscious while he was simply choked to death. After asking for witnesses, I established that he disappeared right after dinner and wasn¡¯t seen anywhere until the next morning by the maid Ferya, who then reported the corpse to Kruz. Mom asked her to go check on dad after everyone left for school and work, since he usually slept in his study when he was very absorbed, but never missed breakfast. He was killed during the night while he was studying. And if all this wasn¡¯t enough. There is one very clear reason that makes it obvious that we¡¯re talking about murder and not suicide. The position of the corpse and the room¡¯s conditions. The chair or the desk were at least one meter far from where dad was hanging. How could he have reached the center off the room without aiding himself with the chair? If he had really killed himself, he would have had needed to knock off the chair while using it to get high and ready. If that was the case, then we would have found the chair on the floor. However, it¡¯s still behind his desk. After all those considerations, I just had to figure out how the murderer acted. I immediately noticed something very important. The chair was slightly moved back and it was not perpendicular to the desk, as if he was taking a break or¡­ ¡°...or he was making room for someone else in front of him.¡± I mumble. ¡°They joined him behind the desk.¡± That meant that he had a reason for doing so. Otherwise, he would have been startled and the chair would have ended up somewhere more erratic. At that point, I was sure...even if I suspected it already. ¡°Shit!¡± I slammed my fist against the desk, gritting my teeth. I felt sick and disgusted by that situation, and by the fact that I was forced to think and solve this ¨C if I didn¡¯t, I would have ended up dead myself. And my family would have suffered the same fate. The witch was controlling someone that he trusted. One of us here was a murderer. But which one? A family member? The servants? A close friend in town that broke in during the night? My heart was pumping even more blood, the rain outside didn''t help my nerves. I hated its sound. I started thinking again. If the chair has this natural position and wasn¡¯t put back inside the desk, it could mean that¡­ I looked up the ceiling staring at the hook. ...the murderer reached the hook and tied the rope using something else. Any average perpetrator would have placed the body using the chair and then put the chair back under the desk. Nobody would have ever remembered to put it in such a natural way. Maybe the witch told them to do so...but for the sake of the argument, I had pretend it wasn''t the case. But what was used, then? I went around the desk immediately, spotting the solution. There were dust marks from the desk to the center of the room. The murderer used the desk to climb up and tie dad¡¯s body to the ceiling...leaving dust marks since it¡¯s been a while since it was lastly moved. It was someone short. The chair was a comfortable one, half the height. The murderer needed something higher ¨C the desk. Not William, not Gale and not Kruz. But wait, what if it¡¯s a red herring? I¡¯m playing with a witch, after all. I had to be careful. I couldn¡¯t jump to conclusions too fast. First of all, I had to think about something even more important than height ¨C the murderer had to be capable of killing a built man with medium muscles that probably tried to fight back with zero success. That would include William and Gale again. They¡¯re very fit. Damnit! I clenched my fists and took a deep breath. No, calm down, Erika. This isn''t the time to panic. I have to be rational. I couldn¡¯t be sure that the killer was fit. What if it was a surprise attack? Since dad was so open to the murderer that he let them cross his personal space behind the desk, nothing denies that they could have choked him with the rope by going behind him. The chair was heavy, after all...it would have kept him firm as he died slowly, unable to get up or do anything at all. So maybe it was someone short, after all. Someone who had to use both the desk and a surprise attack. Someone short and weak. Yes, I was more convinced when I added that additional point. I concluded the desk wasn¡¯t a red herring. ¡°Okay, someone short.¡± I nodded. Sadly, almost everyone at the house was short, except the three men I mentioned. Even mom would have needed the desk to reach the ceiling...and she is the tallest one if I remove those three men from the suspects. I still had a long way to go. It was time to check for some motive. The witch probably convinced the culprit to kill. I had to find something that could stir up a homicidal intent towards dad. I hardly believed she was capable of controlling any of them physically, since from what I remembered only her creations, who had her blood, could respond to her will. I opened all the drawers and checked under the desk. Just in case I found something valuable in dad¡¯s personal storage. Books, diaries that contained his whole life. I skimmed through a lot of things. Then, I grabbed a book that was weirdly placed at the left of the otherwise neat and tidy desk. A book with an azure cover. I opened it casually, having no hopes left. And then, I found something truly shocking. Volume 2 | Chapter VI - Aftermath Chapter VI - Aftermath My chest felt heavy. My head had this constant buzzing that wouldn¡¯t leave me alone. I stared at Nelya as she silently did her homework. I was sitting on the bed, looking outside. The rain wouldn¡¯t stop, it kept pouring all day long. I killed my father, I told him everyone hated him right before his death. What was in that book? Why did the contents make him look so shocked...and especially sorry? The witch was hiding a lot from me. And I could but listen to her and shut up. I was a mere puppet, and I could only await her orders. I was nothing more than that. I was nothing. I held my head, squeezing it tight. I wanted my brain to just melt. Oh, how beautiful would it be if I just could kill myself without repercussions. ¡°...llya.¡± I just wish I could disappear. Sleep forever. I can¡¯t do this anymore already. ¡°Lillya!¡± Her sweet, tender voice filled my head as she grabbed my arm. Nelya sat right beside me, her eyes showing concern. ¡°N-Nelya¡­?¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± She asked me, holding my hand. I stared at her, swallowing hard. I wanted to tell her everything. I wished someone would just help me. But I could only nod, the buzzing in my head incessant. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± She hugged me tight, sniffling. ¡°I know it¡¯s hard. But we have to be strong for mom, okay? She only has her children now.¡± I would have never expected such wise words from a simpleton like her. Dad¡¯s death really took a toll on her childlike personality. I don¡¯t really know why, but then somehow...I linked this thought of hers with adulthood and realized she wasn¡¯t a little girl anymore. And so I did something that I regret to this day. I left her embrace and looked at her again, she smiled at me faintly, trying to suppress her own pain while taking care of mine. Then, my eyes looked at her lips. I grabbed her shoulders and tried to push myself on her, dragging my lips against hers. ¡°W-What are you doing!?¡± She pushed me away, squealing. I stared at myself looking at our left at the mirror. I was shocked. Then my fearful eyes met hers once more. She stood up, backing off with a disgusted face as she cleaned her lips with the sleeve of her dress. ¡°D-Did you just try to kiss me? W-What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± My brain wasn¡¯t working. No. I didn¡¯t even have a brain. I was a stupid, brainless puppet. What I did was trying to make that buzzing go away with the first thing I could find ¨C Nelya. I stood up, the corners of my face felt cold while my ears burned. I wasn¡¯t even processing the meaning behind my actions clearly, feeling completely lost. I walked out of the room, not spewing another word. The witch chuckled right behind my head as my heavy feet dragged my numb body across the corridor. Wet, cold darkness shrouding me. And then I saw her. Erika. She walked right past me, the book right in her arms. I carefully froze in fear without her noticing me, staring at her back as she entered her room, locking it shut. She found it...and it was clear that she knew it had to do with dad¡¯s death. I immediately started trembling right then and there, being almost certain that the witch would have punished me. I should have hid it! I¡¯m an idiot! An idiot! Now Erika is probably suspecting someone killed him...yes! She found out! ¡°It¡¯s all over...it¡¯s over...it¡¯s over¡­¡± I muttered, holding my head, darkness covering the edges of my eyes, horror clouding my reason. ¡°Hey Lillya.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. It was William. His eyes were still red and swollen, but he was smiling. He crouched and brushed my arm slowly, sighing deeply. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°You okay there?¡± He asked me. ¡°N-No...Will...I¡¯m not okay¡­¡± I started crying again, his arm wrapping my cold, frail body. ¡°...I¡¯m not! I¡¯m not!¡± ¡°Shh¡­¡± he held me as my knees gave up. ¡°...don¡¯t cry, girl. I¡¯m here.¡± I sobbed in his strong arms. How wonderful it would have been if he just punched the witch in the face, or wounded her with his spear. Sadly, she wasn¡¯t an enemy soldier, nor was she human.
The rain finally stopped. I was hugging myself as I watched Nelya¡¯s sleeping body. She didn¡¯t look at me for the whole evening, as the other family members quietly ate supper without uttering a word. Mom even skipped dinner. That day was awful, and it wasn¡¯t certainly going to end there. I was terrifyingly waiting for her call, for her punishment. I was sure that Erika had bashed her head against that book for a long time, trying to figure out who was the culprit of a clear murder. "Lillya, come." And so, she called. My whole body jerked, as it felt a whole tingle that was both fastidious and pleasuring. My joints creaked as I moved towards my mistress once more.
¡°Kyahahahah! What a good puppet you are! You carried it out perfectly!¡± Despite all my fears...she cackled audibly, clapping her hands. The the air around had a wet, cold breeze that made me shiver. I sat at the table, looking at her with surprise. ¡°Why don¡¯t you celebrate your victory with a sweet, sweet glass of wine?¡± She said cheerfully, pouring down the wine inside the single glass. ¡°It¡¯s not poisoned this time, I promise.¡± She added with a soft chuckle. ¡°You¡¯re...not mad?¡± I asked her, swallowing hard. ¡°No? Why would I?¡± She asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°E-Erika...she found the book.¡± ¡°Oh! Yes, I know. My eyes are everywhere, after all.¡± She closed her eyes, moving her hair gracefully with her soft hand, her long, pointy and red nails shining brightly with the moonlight. ¡°And...i-isn¡¯t that bad? She probably realized dad was killed.¡± ¡°Oh, yes she did. In fact, I can show you what she¡¯s doing right now.¡± She suddenly moved her hand around the table, forming a sphere imbued with thick, dark substance. I could see Erika in her room, as if there were eyes attached on her ceiling.
¡°Hm¡­¡± I examined again the contents of the book. They were real. Dad¡¯s writing is not easy to imitate, and only he could know such private, deep stuff about himself. The witch probably controlled the culprit with this...and I found it in his study because that same person confronted him about it.
¡°She¡¯s...examining the book?¡± I muttered. ¡°Why? W-What¡¯s in there?¡± ¡°Oh, right. I did tell you not to peek.¡± She suddenly remembers. ¡°I only hid it from your cute eyes because I couldn¡¯t risk your poor heart to fail by checking the contents before you did what you had to do.¡± She explained. ¡°But well...now that¡¯s all done and finished, you can know the truth.¡± ¡°What¡¯s in that book?!¡± I asked her, trying to put my face closer to the sphere...but it was all blurry, and the candle Erika was using didn¡¯t produce much light. ¡°Your father¡¯s lover letters.¡± ¡°W-What? Lover?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± The witch looked far in the woods, sipping a little bit of the wine she offered me, since I wasn¡¯t going to drink it any soon. ¡°Your father has been betraying your mother since he retired from business. He had a lover he exchanged letters with...and that book was the hiding place. When you showed it to him, he realized he got caught. He looked sorry and shocked for that reason.¡± I couldn¡¯t think straight. I wanted to get up and beat her up, but I feared punishment...so I only glared at her. ¡°How dare you...to tell such lies?¡± I gritted my teeth. ¡°D-Dad would never!¡± ¡°Hoh? He would never, hm?¡± She asked. ¡°And what was that expression, then? Can you explain to me why he had such a pale face, you stupid, ignorant puppet!?¡± She slammed her fist on the table. I was making her angry. I immediately cowered, shivering in fear. She had to be right, though. He said ¡®¡¯he could explain¡¯¡¯. He looked in utter despair. She, unfortunately, was probably right. ¡°S-Sorry.¡± ¡°You better be. I, for what it¡¯s worth, do not lie. Never.¡± She sighed, absorbing the black sphere in her hand. The black magic she used looked so surreal¡­but at the same time, I somehow felt ¡®¡¯used¡¯¡¯ to it. She stood up and walked across the balcony, leaving her red wine at the table, she beckoned me with her hand, leaning against the railing. I was then beside her, looking right down at the deep, dark woods. ¡°Anyway. Erika will probably think it was your mother.¡± She plainly says. ¡°W-What? Really?¡± I looked at her with worry. ¡°Yes. She¡¯ll connect the dots and realize that your mother may have killed your father because of infidelity.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± my gaze fell down again. ¡°But...but what if she thinks its me?¡± ¡°Why would she, dear puppet?¡± She asked, running her pointy, red nails along my scalp. My whole body shivered comfortably, even if her touch should have been cursed. ¡°Because...well, she has always said that I have a bad aura!¡± I replied. ¡°I don¡¯t think it takes a genius to realize that as soon as something cursed starts happening...the culprit probably is me.¡± ¡°Hmpf, you are very na?ve, dear puppet.¡± She chuckled. ¡°Erika doesn¡¯t deem your ¡®¡¯aura¡¯¡¯ as bad. Did she perhaps connect the ¡®¡¯bad presence¡¯¡¯ she has been feeling with yours?¡± I shook my head. She was right. When Erika told me about the ¡®¡¯ghost¡¯¡¯ she was sensing, which was the witch, she didn¡¯t even mention a possible connection between that and me. ¡°That¡¯s right. Because Erika, while she may be rude and call you a curse, nourishes a great envy towards you.¡± ¡°Envy¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She nods. ¡°But it is nothing of your concern!¡± She immediately changes tone, smiling at me. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about your next move instead, shall we?¡± What was really going on? The witch, while treating me as her reliable pawn, was choosing what to tell me and what to hide. There had to be a reason. Anyway, I squeezed my eyes and nodded. I was bound to kill again. All I was waiting was for her to choose the next victim.
That was it. I read the last letter, analyzed orthography, manner of speech, stated facts. ¡°The letters were authentic. Dad clearly did what he did and there¡¯s no mistake in that.¡± I muttered. I stood up, taking a deep breath as I put the book in my drawer, finally unclasping my dress. I searched for my nightgown, as thoughts in my head swirled around, making me furious. The witch could have only manipulated ONE person to kill by using that book. And that person was mom. Volume 2 | Chapter VII: Erika’s move Chapter VII: Erika¡¯s move ¡°Good morning, Lillya.¡± Satomi, Cl¨¦a and mom were at the table, staring at me as I entered the dining hall. I slept in that morning, since talking to the witch and hearing her sick plan made me lose any trace of sleep I cold have had. ¡°Where¡¯s William?¡± I asked them, since it was usual to see him having breakfast with mom during morning. ¡°He went to Rosie¡¯s shop with her.¡± Satomi replied. ¡°And...Gale and Vance?¡± I also asked, sitting right beside mom. ¡°They¡¯ve been out since the funeral. They are probably...sorting out their emotions in their own way.¡± Satomi says, looking disappointed ¡°I just hope they¡¯ll be careful with booze.¡± Cl¨¦a adds. ¡°We don¡¯t want any more bad news, right, Madame Rondart?¡± Mom looked at her cup of tea, staring into it. I haven''t talked to her since I killed dad. I didn¡¯t even know what was in her mind. I wanted to spend my last time with her as much as possible. ¡°Cl¨¦a, Satomi, can you leave us alone for a while?¡± I asked the two maids, which immediately bowed. One went straight to the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯ll go prepare something for you too then.¡± She said. While the other left the room hurriedly. Mom looked up, her sad eyes meeting mine. ¡°Mommy¡­¡± I muttered, getting up and hugging her. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± ¡°Oh...my sweet baby¡­¡± she immediately broke down crying, holding my body with her warm arms. ¡°...I-I¡¯m so sorry too, baby. I should have...I should have helped him.¡± No. it¡¯s not your fault, mom. I wanted to tell her. I ached to tell her the truth. But that witch had my entire soul on her hand, and she could have crushed it whenever she wanted. Between sobs and moans of pain, mom held me tight, making it hard for me to not apologize for killing her husband...who apparently had a secret lover. ¡°I know you loved him so much. We all loved him.¡± I muttered, caressing her hair. ¡°He was such a good man...such a good...oh god¡­¡± her cries became even louder. ¡°...I¡¯m so sorry baby, you shouldn¡¯t see mommy like this. Why did he do this to himself? He didn¡¯t deserve this pain! Why did he kill himself!? W-Why!?¡± Then, the doors of the dining hall opened slowly. Mom didn¡¯t hear nor see, but I did. Erika stared at us, her expression was...cold. Erika, right as the witch planned, was showing that she was against mom. I will never forget that cold gaze. To me, it meant the final proof that the witch was going to win at that game, and that she could foresee everything. Her shoes clicked on the marble floor as she stepped slowly towards us, sitting on one of the chairs. Mom noticed her and put her hand on hers. ¡°Erika...sweetie. I¡¯m sorry you have to see me like this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay mom.¡± She calmly said, putting on a beautiful, fake smile. ¡°I know it¡¯s hitting harder on you than anyone else here.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t say that.¡± She shook her head, looking at the both of us. ¡°I just need some time but, I will take care of this family. I will never leave you alone, my babies. Everyone will smile again. He¡¯d want to see us smiling, right?¡± ¡°Yes, mom. He would.¡± I nodded, looking at Erika. She stared back at me with half-closed eyes. Thinking back to it now, I think she was trying to tell me what she was convinced of. Cl¨¦a came back with a new plate, gasping as she noticed Erika. ¡°Miss Erika! I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t notice you. I¡¯ll prepare your breakfast in a moment.¡± Breakfast went smoothly from that point. I was glad Erika didn¡¯t accuse mom directly. She probably was going to take the route the witch foresaw, and I had to just wait and see. Mom ended up having to go to her room and Erika headed to the library. It was ten in the morning and I really didn¡¯t know what to do. I couldn¡¯t sleep, read, study or talk to anyone. I felt like an empty, abandoned doll.
I reached the backyard. I stared at the leaves of the big tree. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. I sighed and sat on the other side of the tree, so that I didn¡¯t have to look at dad¡¯s grave, which was right beside it. I hung my head and...basically turned off. I wanted to die. I wanted that situation I was in to stop. But neither could happen, not in a million years. Time passed by as I kept staring at the ground. It was getting colder, but I didn¡¯t care. My mind started wandering off, the twitching hands of my suffocating father flashed in my eyes...then his red, boiled face came next. Then I reminisced the happiness of the past six years, prior to the arrival of the witch. Even though those joints were there with me since the start, I would have never imagined that their were the prelude of a never ending nightmare. I could only wait. Wait for my entire mind to rot to a point that my consciousness would be no more. Then, suddenly, something caught my attention. A white, twinkling shadow, a little sound following it. I raised my head. It was a cat. A white cat, pure as snow. It jumped across the fence that separated our garden from the forest, meowing at me as it brushed his head against my leg. It had a collar with a bell, so it was probably someone''s pet. But our mansion was very far from civilisation...so I was immediately impressed by the ability of this cat to walk so far from his home, being that cats really liked houses, from what I knew about them. It kept meowing at me, staring into my eyes. ¡°Hi there¡­¡± I cooed, rubbing its little head with my hand. ¡°...what are you doing here?¡± Then I scratched its little chin, and purrs started coming out. I grabbed it carefully and put it on my lap, running my hands around the soft, clean fur. After some positioning, it lied down comfortably, purring constantly as I petted it carefully. I had never seen one, yet my body and mind were immediately ready to interact with it...it somehow felt like I was familiar with such a gesture. And that made me feel somewhat at ease, even if I was a broken, lifeless puppet. I looked up at the sky. It was so blue. I stared at the white clouds and then at the green tress. I realized the world was still so bright ¨C yet I couldn¡¯t enjoy its colors like I used to. In no time, I started sobbing, hugging that cat between my arms. It kept rubbing its wet nose against my cheek as I wept, trying to comfort me.
¡°Is that a cat¡­?¡± Nelya put her school suitcase down as she stared at Milo. He was a male, and apparently decided to live with me from that moment on. I nodded and stood up, leaving the chair empty. Nelya approached Milo with a smile, which was lying right beside the open book I was trying to study. In a way, his presence made it all easier, for what it was worth. Milo ignored her approaching hand and closed his eyes, trying to sleep, she giggled and pet him anyway, and he responded by flicking his tail violently and perking up his ears. She sighed as she unclasped her uniform. ¡°Nelya¡­¡± I muttered. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°About yesterday, uhm...¡± "I don''t want you to even mention it." She sighed. "Let¡¯s just pretend you never did it, okay?¡± I felt something inside me twist. Despite her words being very wise, kind and coherent...I felt mad. I wanted to talk about it, because deep down I still ached for a positive response from her. Milo looked at me and immediately jumped down the desk and up again on the bed I was sitting on, brushing his body against me. Suddenly, all my anger vanished. I watched Nelya grab one of her dresses and go in the bathroom. I figured that from then on, she would have avoided showing herself to me...so although she said she wanted to forget, she had already changed her habits around me.
I walked back and forth in the small, silent library. I needed to think about my next move against the witch, since she was probably going for another kill very soon. The first thing I had to take care of was trying to expose the murderer without fail. I couldn''t just accuse them, because that would have made them go on a killing spree and I would have never had the chance to progress against the real enemy. One thing was clear - the witch was trying to make me believe the culprit was my mother. Though, many facts proved wrong that conclusion already: First. Mom is a weak woman, physically and mentally. It was impossible for her to carry out such a murder, and even more, it was unlikely that she could accept the existence of the witch without losing her frail mind. During those six years, I¡¯ve collected enough information about her to be sure of that. Second. If the witch really chose mom to murder dad, she would have never done it in such a bad moment that gave mom no alibi at all. Nighttime is the moment where a couple join in bed, after all. Third. Mom was a very emotional woman, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to conceal her anger towards dad until the right moment, even if manipulated by the words of a supernatural being. She would have told him right away and would have even made a scene in front of the whole family. Fourth. Mom was too pure. I knew she loved dad very much...and that there was no way she could kill him because he cheated on her. It was very likely she would have forgiven him after a while instead. This may have been a bias of mine, but the rest of the points reinforced it¡¯s truthfulness. Hence, mom was not the murderer. I mumbled as I rubbed my chin, trying to figure out what was the witch¡¯s real plan. I figured that she wanted the real culprit to act undisturbed as they both bought time with me aiming towards the wrong person. Also, I realized that they were probably going for a silent approach, since the witch didn¡¯t send her pawn to do a genocide in the middle of one night. That meant the witch couldn¡¯t afford the family members to get scared and leave the house. So, I was right. She was doing it for that, and she needed all the blood she could gather. I could have tried to make everyone move out, but the odds were too low, and I couldn¡¯t risk alarming the witch ¨C while she could probably see me all the times, she still couldn¡¯t hear my thoughts. So, as long as I planned inside my own mind, making her believe falsehoods, I was fine¡­but when would lay down my cards by taking action, I¡¯d have to face her next turn. Thus, I needed to be very careful. If making the family move out isn¡¯t an option, what can I do¡­? But how could I deceive her? I bit my lips as I looked out of the window. There was only one way to deceive the witch. It was very risky...but if I succeeded, victory was going to be mine. Volume 2 | Chapter VIII: Queen’s gambit Chapter VIII: Queen¡¯s gambit Wednesday. Three days after dad¡¯s death. I sat on my bed cross-legged as I played with Milo, an activity that was far easier than studying. My hand waved over the covers as he followed it with his head. Then, he suddenly leaped and grabbed it, hugging it with his paws and gently biting it. I giggled, caressing his belly with my other hand. Then, Nelya got our of the bathroom, smiling at him as she finished buttoning her dress. ¡°He really just chose to live with us, hm?¡± ¡°Yeah...Satomi will buy some food for him after she brings you at school.¡± I replied, rubbing under his chin. ¡°I wonder who his owners are. I guess they miss him.¡± ¡°Well, if he ran away, he wasn¡¯t happy with them.¡± She casually replied, grabbing her suitcase and heading out of her room. ¡°See you this afternoon, bye.¡± Life around the house was already calmer. Everyone was certainly still mourning, but they had responsibilities to take care of. I didn¡¯t even go to see Nelya off. Things between me and her became very awkward since that stupid thing I tried to do. I got up from bed and sat on the desk, trying to study a little more. Milo sat right beside me, encouraging me. As much as I liked feigning normalcy, it was clear that all I was waiting was Erika¡¯s move, and soon sorrow, chaos and violence would have been smeared all over our home once more. Someone knocked at the door just before I could start reading. I turned around...it was William. ¡°Hey. Just checking on you.¡± He said. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s the cat Satomi told me about. What a nice surprise he is!¡± His hand traveled across Milo¡¯s back slowly, while he replied with a soft trill. ¡°How cute.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I nodded, smiling faintly. ¡°I noticed that things between you an Nelya are a little...cold.¡± He said. ¡°I hope that you can smile to each other again, just like the old days.¡± I stayed silent. I knew that those days weren¡¯t coming back. Be it what I did to her or the witch¡¯s plan to vanquish this beautiful family. ¡°Mom is getting better already, by the way.¡± William added. ¡°I was trying to plan something, and I wanted to ask you if you wanted to do something nice for mom.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± I looked up at him, Milo kept getting petted by his warm hand. ¡°I want to do something nice for her, I want to gather you, Nelya, Rosie, Anna and Kath and have lunch out in the balcony, since it''s very warm outside now. What do you say, Lillya? Do you want to help me organize this little thing for her?" ¡°What about Gale and Vance?¡± I looked at him with sad eyes. ¡°They...they still aren¡¯t back.¡± He reluctantly replied. ¡°I guess they¡¯re trying to get over their emotions before coming back. They don¡¯t want you or Nelya to get influenced.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not stupid, they should be back already.¡± I puffed my cheeks, huffing. ¡°Alright, but what would a lunch out in the balcony accomplish?¡± William smiled confidently, looking right into my eyes. "Well, it''s simple. Mom needs support and affection to go back to her feet, so we will show her that we''re still together, as a family." "And why can''t we do that at the dining hall?" "Because the dining hall has bad memories now." He replied. "Just imagine how mom feels when she looks at the chair your father used to sit on." ¡°Right.¡± I nodded. ¡°Very well then, why not?¡± It was all useless. All pointless. But he looked so innocently hopeful that I smiled without a second thought.
The ones who stayed at home finished lunch as usual and parted ways. Mom in her own room again, William at Rosie¡¯s shop...while Erika was at the tree in the backyard. I approached her and she turned around immediately, looking at me with half closed eyes. ¡°Hi Erika. How are you doing?¡± I asked her, sighing deeply. ¡°Any news on the...ghost problem?¡± ¡°Huh, as if you cared about it.¡± She scoffed. ¡°No, not at all.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I noticed she gave up on asking for my help, even if she was blatantly still feeling the witch¡¯s presence and had dad¡¯s murder on her mind. I felt bad for her. ¡°What do you think about dad?¡± I asked her casually. ¡°If I told you about my thoughts, would you even believe me? Or would you go tell mom and make me look like the bad guy here?¡± ¡°H-Huh? W-What are you talking about?¡± I feigned ignorance. ¡°You know Lillya, I hate your guts. And I know you don''t care about dad as much as I do. Your eyes are just as cold as I expected them to be. I was right about you since the start." ¡°E-Erika!¡± I pushed her against the trunk. ¡°Take that back! Now!¡± She widened her eyes. She¡¯d have never expected such a reaction from me. Her words were true, but they made me mad as hell. Because that coldness was imbued in my body by the witch, I didn¡¯t nourish them by myself. ¡°I-If you really cared, YOU would have talked to mom. You would have given her a shoulder to cry on...instead you decided to stay all alone in your room. Doing what? Huh?!¡± She gazed into my soul with frustration, staying silent. ¡°You stare at her so coldly¡­!¡± I added, my lips trembling. She finally unfroze and pushed me aside, walking towards the mansion with forceful steps. ¡°You stupid fool!¡± She grunted. After she left, I took a deep breath. I just needed to hurt her a bit more, to make her realize how much I loved our mother¡­
I slammed my door shut. ¡°Lillya...that stupid girl. She really thinks she knows it all, huh? Little did she know that there is a damn murderer around the house...and that is mom!¡± I shouted, kicking my own chair, slamming my foot against it multiple times. ¡°Shit! Shit! Shit!¡± I started furiously walking around my own room, trembling and breathing heavily on purpose. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Look at me, Yunya. Look at my rage.
It was afternoon. William asked everyone else about the lunch, and we all agreed. We were sitting at that same balcony after asking Ferya and Satomi to try to keep mom far from us. ¡°Okay, if we are doing this, we¡¯re doing this big. Not just a lunch...something more.¡± Annaliese suggested excitedly. ¡°Like, we buy a cake or something.¡± ¡°That would be really good.¡± Rosie chimed. ¡°I know a pastry shop across the street near my shop, they make good cakes.¡± ¡°If we¡¯re going for a cake, then¡­¡± Annaliese quietly muttered. "...the, uhm, we should also decorate the balcony nicely...like, with flowers and stuff. I heard a classmate saying her dad has a flower shop. Maybe we can take some of those." ¡°Yeah, that¡¯d work too.¡± William wrote it down. ¡°Flowers, cake...what else?¡± Nelya raised her hand, we all nodded. ¡°We could also buy her something nice. It can¡¯t be dad¡¯s money though...it has to come from Rosie¡¯s revenue!¡± She said, looking at Rosie. ¡°Hahah...alright, alright. I don¡¯t need to save money anyway...¡± She smiled bitterly. ¡°What do we buy though?¡± Annaliese asked. ¡°Hm...maybe another perfume?¡± William suggested. ¡°Yeah, that sounds like the safest thing.¡± Rosie nodded. Erika wasn¡¯t there with us. She shrugged and deemed the idea as ¡°stupid¡±, even if she promised to be there during lunch. She really was absorbed in her own plans. ¡°Lillya, say something too!¡± Nelya nudged me. ¡°Any ideas?¡± I looked at everyone. I knew it was all going to be useless, and that didn¡¯t motivate me much. But I had to pretend...or the witch would have punished me. So I smiled and rubbed my chin, trying to think. Then, Milo suddenly hopped on the table. Everyone immediately started going crazy about his appearance, overwhelming him with pets as he tried to reach my side of the table. ¡°He really is attached to you huh?¡± Annaliese smiled at me. ¡°How did you even find him?¡± ¡°He walked on my lap as I was at the backyard tree.¡± I replied, caressing his back slowly. ¡°His white fur is just like your hair.¡± Rosie said. ¡°And William¡¯s.¡± Katherine stared at it silently...she was the only one who didn¡¯t react. ¡°What? Scared of cats?¡± Annaliese teased her. ¡°No. It¡¯s just...that cat feels weird.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know, he doesn¡¯t give me good vibes.¡± ¡°What are you even saying!¡± Annaliese slapped her arm softly. ¡°Don¡¯t be mean to such a nice fluff ball!¡± But then, she pointed at me, her gaze gaining a little coldness. I couldn''t understand what Katherine was trying to imply. Milo was such a calm and nice cat, I never saw him scratch someone. ¡°It¡¯s just that he reminds me of Lillya.¡± She explained. ¡°A random, white cat arrived at our home with no explanation. They are both without past, and they¡¯re both living here.¡± ¡°Woah, woah, easy there.¡± William said, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. ¡°What was that just now?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to be rude. Sorry.¡± She looked down, falling silent. The awkward air got to everyone quickly, so William cleared his throat and stood up. ¡°Alright. Rosie, let¡¯s go buy what we need. You all, keep silent and don¡¯t spoil the surprise!¡± We all nodded and quickly scattered. I walked down the corridor, trying to reach my room, but then I heard someone touching my shoulder. It was Katherine. She held her head down and blushed. She was taller than me, though she looked pretty small figuratively. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She muttered. Milo appeared right behind her, brushing his body against our legs. ¡°I just...I¡¯m just a bit confused after dad¡¯s death. I didn¡¯t mean to say that. I''m-¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Katherine.¡± I hugged her. ¡°We¡¯re all a bit mad.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± She hugged me back. She was right, though. Her guts were telling her the truth. She was the one who was closer to the truth amongst them all.
Another night filled with rain. I sat at my desk, taking deep breaths as I grasped the knife in my hand with courage. I had to do it. It could have meant losing the trust of my family members...but I had to do it. Then, someone knocked at my door. ¡°Who is it?¡± I asked, putting the knife inside my drawer and standing up. William and Rosie appeared, closing the door right behind them, they both stared at me intently. ¡°It¡¯s eleven in the night, what do you want?¡± I asked them, sighing. ¡°I wanted to understand why you refused to plan the lunch with today.¡± He calmly replied, shrugging. ¡°I just think it¡¯s pointless, it¡¯s not what we should focus on now.¡± I sat on my bed, crossing my arms. ¡°And what should we focus on, hm?¡± He glared at me, sitting at my desk. ¡°Should we focus on the reason dad killed himself? And for what?¡± I stood silent, shaking my head. ¡°I¡¯ve seen war. Not the large scale type, thank God ¨C but I¡¯ve seen it.¡± He told me. ¡°People¡¯s minds are frailer than we think, Erika.¡± I knew that very well. The thing I was focus on didn¡¯t have anything to do with what he was implying. However, I couldn¡¯t really tell him anything, so I played along. ¡°I know...it¡¯s just¡­!¡± I gritted my teeth. ¡°How could he do it so randomly? N-Not even a sign!¡± Rosie sighed, grabbing my hands, making me stand up. She embraced me warmly, kissing my head. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Erika. You act all tough, but I know that you are as soft as Lillya and Nelya...and any other girl in this house.¡± I faked a sniffle, grabbing her dress. ¡°Yes, if there¡¯s anything on your mind...just speak with us, okay?¡± He got up and reached us. ¡°We are reliable!¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sorry.¡± I nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll apologize to everyone tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay. Thank you.¡± He nodded back, heading out of my room. Rosie waved at me, following him. ¡°Goodnight.¡± The door closed. I rushed to my drawer and pulled the knife back out. ¡°Time to move.¡± I said out loud.
I approached my mother¡¯s bedroom. The blade pointed downwards as I walked, slowly and steadily. The plan was simple. The witch needed all the family members to stick around the mansion despite all the deaths that were going to occur. To do that, the deaths had to be separated and calculated. So what if I, under a fit of rage, tried to kill mom and broke the beautiful cycle the witch and her pawn created? The killer would have been forced to come out of the shadows and stop me by themselves to preserve everything and avoid panic. After all, if one of the servants found mom stabbed on the floor, they wouldn¡¯t deduce suicide as the cause of death. And so I walked, my light feet hitting the carpet, making faint sounds. Cold sweat dribbled down my forehead. The more I got close to mom¡¯s room, the more I feared getting attacked from anywhere. If my theory was right the witch was omniscient. I was convinced she had seen me and warned her pawn to do something. I could fight alright...my past experiences let me learn a lot. I hoped for the best and prayed that her pawn was easy to take down. Yet, as I finally reached the doorknob...nothing happened. The silence of death, filled with the droplets of rain hitting against the cold glass of the windows. I swallowed, my throat dry as paper. My heart beating faster, I could hear it in my ears. I rubbed my thumb against the handle of the knife nervously, my eyes darting around the darkness, searching for her pawn. Did she foresee my move? Am I doing this for nothing? Should I go back? I took a deep breath, calmness washed my whole body. No. She was probably testing her limits. She was surely holding her pawn until the last moment, to see if she had to escalate things and stop me. And so I opened the door wide, rushing inside with the fake intent of murdering my mother. Silence persisted. I closed the door behind me and approached the bed, running my hand across the sheets to feel my steps. Nobody was stopping me. I had a knife in my right hand, and I could have killed her. There was no pawn. Then, my fingers reached a sticky, liquid substance. Immediately brought it to my nose and smelled it. Blood¡­! I heard a groan thereafter. I dropped the knife on the ground and turned the bedside lamp on. ¡°M-Mom¡­!¡± I whispered, holding her arm in my hands. Her eyes slowly searched for mine. A knife was implanted in her chest, both her hands wrapped around the handle. Another staged suicide. I immediately reached it to pull it out...but then I stopped. What if she screams in pain? I will be caught in this situation, and I would be accused of doing this. My thoughts swirled as I heard my dying mother¡¯s moans. ¡°Help...me¡­¡± she whispered, a low, faint voice. ¡°Mom¡­¡± I shook my head, leaving her as she was. She was going to die anyway, there was no hope. Only one thing was left to be done. ¡°Who did this?!¡± I asked her, shaking her awake before it was too late. ¡°She...she was crying¡­¡± she muttered. As soon as she spoke, her throat started gargling blood out. I blocked the noise with my hands while trying to shake her awake again. ¡°She? Who? Tell me!¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t...want¡­¡± She was going to die soon, so I yelled louder. ¡°Mom! You have to tell me who it was!¡± I shook her again. Mom stared at me with her weak eyes for the last time. Her lips moved slowly, saying inaudible sounds. Then, her head dropped to the side, blood staining the white pillow. I took a few steps back, falling on my knees. ¡°I lost.¡± Volume 2 | Chapter IX: Mourning for the queen Chapter IX: Mourning of the queen I heard the screams of Annaliese first thing as I rushed at mom¡¯s bedroom. Everyone took the day off that day, skipping both work and school. Gale and Vance were back as well, staring at the utter horror in front of them. We were all gathered around the big bed as Kruz, together with Satomi, tried to figure out how to clean up. ¡°Mom! Mom! Oh my God! No! No!¡± Annaliese cried desperately, hugging her own mother¡¯s dead body. I stared at the knife I used to stab her with remorse as I cried silently. Nelya was at my side, staring at her in utter shock, not making a single sound. ¡°THIS IS BULLSHIT!¡± Gale screamed, punching the wall. Vance trembled in fear, comforted by William, who was staring at mom as he wept. ¡°I can¡¯t do this...I can¡¯t¡­!¡± ¡°Hey! Hey!¡± Katherine suddenly grabbed the knife and tried to stab her own throat, she was miraculously stopped by Rosie, who was pale and in a state similar to Nelya¡¯s...silent shock. Satomi quickly helped her out, hugging Katherine as she screamed and cried. Annaliese squeezed her body, trying to wake her up while repeating her name. Kruz waited patiently for her to step away and let him do his job. I looked at my family as it fell apart. I was the cause of all this. My heart rotting, my soul shattering. I held the urge to vomit right then and there. ¡°Is this the end of our family?¡± Nelya asked me, slowly turning around. Yes. It was.
Ten minutes later, Kruz went to contact the funeral parlor with Satomi. I wondered what they would have thought after seeing us five days later. We were all in the living room, sitting on the couches around the small table as Ferya served tea very quietly. William was the only one standing, walking back a forth with a hand on his chin. ¡°In one week, we lost both our parents. They both killed themselves.¡± Vance muttered, clenching at his black, elegant and expensive pants. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can take this any more.¡± ¡°Vance.¡± William glance at him sternly. ¡°We can¡¯t fall apart.¡± ¡°What do you even mean?!¡± Gale retorted. ¡°Mom and Dad are fucking dead! What are we going to do now?!¡± ¡°Is this about money?! Really!?¡± Annaliese exclaimed. ¡°You fucking bastard!¡± ¡°Who said it was about money?! I just-¡± ¡°Stop! Everyone!¡± William yelled. ¡°Stop right NOW!¡± I flinched, Milo appeared from under the couch and jumped on my lap. He brushed his head against me as I hugged him. William took a deep breath. ¡°Look. This is very, very hard. Believe me when I say I¡¯m suffering as much as you all are.¡± He said, swallowing down a chunk of tears. ¡°T-They...both didn¡¯t deserve such an end. Dad had something tormenting him, and mom couldn¡¯t hold the grief. But as the eldest son, it is my duty to protect everyone here...and I can¡¯t afford to lose any more people I love because of suicide.¡± We all looked at Katherine. She whimpered, hiding her face with her hands. ¡°I just wanted to say...please, trust me when I say that the best thing we can do now is to stick together. Look out for each other, constantly...and none of you should give in to weird thoughts. At all.¡± Erika sighed, shaking her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think we can afford sticking together. We all have different lives and goals...the warmth of this house was the only thing keeping us united, William. Now that it¡¯s gone, we can barely be here anymore. You will leave us after this summer as well.¡± Erika was trying to make them leave home, because she knew that whoever was the killer didn¡¯t want that. The witch really had it planned thoroughly. She even predicted this. The more I lived inside her plans, the more I realized that everyone here was a puppet, after all. ¡°I will figure out something.¡± William replied. ¡°I don¡¯t want to have any of you out of the house, am I clear? Also, please...Vance, Gale...do not disappear like you did again.¡± Vance nodded. ¡°Yeah, we gotta stick around for the little ladies.¡± Gale said, forcing a clear, fake smile while looking at me, Nelya and Erika. Erika sighed. Leaving this place was out of question, she knew that. I also knew that both her ego and expectations crumbled last night, seeing how well I played my own turn.
Nelya was already sound asleep even if the next day she would have skipped school for being at mom¡¯s lunch. I was sitting at the desk, doing nothing. Milo was purring on my lap as I petted him. Then, all of a sudden, I heard her voice. ¡°Lillya, come. It¡¯s urgent.¡± I was there in no time. She wasn¡¯t sitting like usual, she was standing and looked in a hurry. ¡°Let¡¯s make it quick. Erika is already going to try to lure you out as I predicted.¡± She said. ¡°You have to kill your mother right now.¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°I-I...what? No, I-¡± ¡°Quick! She¡¯s in her room right now, she¡¯s trying to muster the courage. She cannot see you!¡± She walked closer, menacingly. ¡°Be a good puppet! Obey.¡± I shook my head, clenching my fists. I wasn¡¯t ready, at all. I wasn¡¯t expecting to kill her so soon and so abruptly. ¡°Lillya, kill your mother.¡± But then all my muscles tightened at her words. My body turned around and started walking slowly. ¡°Good. Fail and I will punish you.¡± She said before vanishing behind my back. And so I went back to my room, grabbed the knife I had hidden since that same morning under the bed...and went to my mother¡¯s bedroom. I opened the door slowly. ¡°Oh! Lillya?¡± She was reading a book, her lamp shining bright her side of the bed. The moment I saw her loving, caring expression despite her sorrow, I started crying. Ugly, loud sobs as I hid the knife behind my back. ¡°Oh my God¡­! Is something wrong, baby?¡± She immediately wanted to get up and hold me in her arms, but I stopped her with my hand, pressing her body against the bed. ¡°Mom¡­¡± I muttered, swallowing down my sorrow. ¡°...mommy¡­¡± ¡°W-What is it baby? What are you doing?¡± She grabbed my wrist with her hands as she tried to get up again. ¡°I just...want to tell you that I love you, okay? I love you...and this...this is not me. This is the witch.¡± ¡°The...witch?¡± She widened her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± I leaned over and kissed her cheek. ¡°Ack!¡± And then the knife was in her chest. The blade went in smoothly at first, blood gushed out immediately, followed by a moan of shock and pain from her throat. Then, I had to push it deeper. Sounds of flesh and bones breaking leaked from the wound, filling my ears. My brain started feeling that tingle of pleasure again, encouraging me to push even deeper. Don¡¯t look at me with those eyes...mom¡­ Mom¡¯s grip on my arm weakened, an ugly death rattle coming out of her throat as she struggled for her life. I grabbed her hands and wrapped them around the knife¡¯s blade, to make it look like she stabbed herself. Erika wasn¡¯t going to buy it, but the rest of the family would have. I kissed her forehead again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry...I¡¯m so, so sorry¡­¡± I muttered, my tears falling all over her nightgown as her eyes stared at me in shock. Then, I heard a sound outside. It had to be Erika. I immediately turned the lamp off and hid under the bed, panicking.
I looked down as I reminisced. She could have told Erika I was under the bed...yet...she chose to lament about how I was crying. I will never understand why she did that. And I will also never forget the look she gave me. Erika was desperately trying to find the next counterattack, since after two deaths she could only figure out the culprit was a female. ¡°No matter what, I will keep this family together.¡± William stated, denying Erika¡¯s suggestion once more. ¡°We all will do our best.¡± Rosie corrected him, walking to his side. ¡°Right?¡± We all nodded, getting up from our seats. Milo started scurrying around us, bringing the whole mood up. ¡°This cat...he doesn¡¯t have a clue.¡± Vance bitterly smiled. ¡°He¡¯s so cute.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I picked him up, he brushed his little nose against my chin. ¡°It¡¯s like he came here to support us.¡± Annaliese sighed and tapped his nose with her finger. ¡°I¡¯d give anything to be a cat.¡± She sighed. Milo meowed at her. I looked at Katherine as she passed behind me. She looked broken, lost. I had never expected such an act from a quiet and detached girl like her. She nearly got that knife in her throat right in front of us.
The funeral of her dear mother had just finished. Everyone paid their respects and went back into the house. A haunting silence lured all across the room, as Katherine sat on her bed, hugging her own knees, all alone. Her mind was empty and full of thoughts at the same time. She wished to cry, scream...but all that came out was silence. They were all wrong. It wasn¡¯t suicide, nor anything else. Katherine saw the real reason, Katherine could feel it ooze out of both her parent¡¯s corpses. The reason she tried to stab herself wasn¡¯t out of sorrow, but out of terror. Many nights before all this she saw her, after all.
Nelya and I sat under the tree, right beside our parent¡¯s graves. I stared at her, her mind blank. Milo resting on my lap. She hadn''t spoken a word since that question. ¡®¡¯Is this the end our this family?¡¯¡¯ I wanted to hold her and tell her that everything was going to be okay...but I was the reason our parents died, after all. It would have been so hypocritical of me to do such a thing. Yet, it looked like it was what she needed. ¡°Nelya.¡± She slowly turned around, staring in my eyes. Her deep, blue eyes looked beautiful. My whole body felt something I was disgusted of, and I was forced to swallow it back down. ¡°Can I hug you?¡± I asked her. She nodded. I slowly embraced her in my arms, as she let her weight fall against me. I put my face in her golden hair, tightening my grip around her. I inhaled deeply. ¡°Lillya¡­¡± she finally spoke, saying my name. ¡°Yes?¡± I chimed. She looked up in the sky and muttered three words I will never, ever forget. ¡°I love you.¡± Her voice sounded like heaven. My heart melted and I hugged her tighter. ¡°Why?¡± The sane part of me asked. Why would she say such a thing now? ¡°Because I realized how quickly our loved ones fade away.¡± She replied simply. ¡°I don¡¯t want to live with regrets. I love you.¡± I began to weep. ¡°We will be always together, right?¡± She asked. I cried louder and louder, holding her against me as much as I could.
I tapped my fingers against the side of the typewriter, trying to make my brain work. ¡®¡¯She¡¯¡¯ could have been anyone. Katherine, Annaliese, Rosie, Lillya, Nelya, Satomi, Steelia, Ferya, Cl¨¦a. I had a lot work to do, and no more room of error. Another death, and the family would have crumbled apart. My heart was already twisting...I couldn¡¯t possibly withstand losing anything else without making my emotions gain the control of my actions. I had to think. I had to think fast while I still could be lucid and rational. Given the circumstances, this is all I had: The culprit was a girl, a girl that couldn''t tie knots properly, which excluded Satomi, Ferya and Steelia. Cl¨¦a was still on the list, since she was just a cook. All this would have been true if the witch wasn¡¯t playing with red herrings. Maybe those three were the culprit and tied the knot badly on purpose. But for the sake of my sanity, I temporarily excluded them. Cl¨¦a, Nelya, Lillya, Annaliese, Katherine and Rosie. Rosie was also out, because during the murder, she was lecturing me with William about my negativity towards the lunch we were preparing for mom. Cl¨¦a, Nelya, Lillya, Annaliese and Katherine. Who, among these five girls, is the witch¡¯s pawn? Then, I realized something. Katherine tried to kill herself randomly while in front of mom. Did she...succumb to the remorse and regret killing her? That made way too much sense. I couldn¡¯t discard the theory. Katherine was a quiet, mysterious girl. We rarely talked to each other even if we had been sharing the same home for six years. She was a suspect. Volume 2 | Chapter X: Visions Chapter X: Visions After dinner, everyone scattered. The dining hall felt empty without our parents. Nelya was trying to focus on her studies, since she still had a life ahead and couldn¡¯t succumb. Thinking about it now, the strength of that girl was incredible. I was playing with Milo on my bed when she stood up and closed her notebook, sighing. ¡°Can¡¯t focus?¡± I asked her. ¡°How can I focus on those stupid numbers?¡± She replied, sitting beside me and increasing Milo¡¯s amusement by adding her hand. ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood at all.¡± ¡°It will all pass, Nelya.¡± I said. ¡°Actually, you¡¯re being very strong.¡± ¡°You are as well. That moment when we were under the tree...was one of the first times I saw you crying that hard.¡± She smiled bitterly. I shook my head. ¡°No. I¡¯m not as strong as you. Trust me.¡± Nelya suddenly hugged me. My heart thumped as I looked at Milo, which was rolling around the sheets. Then, he suddenly stopped and looked at us, almost as if he understood what was happening. Then, Nelya released me and cleared her throat, staring in my eyes. ¡°Lillya, can I ask you something?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± I chimed with a soft tone. ¡°Why did you try to kiss me?¡± My heart almost fell out of my mouth, I swallowed and took a deep breath. ¡°Why are you asking me this?¡± I muttered. ¡°Because I want to know. That¡¯s all. Many things happened and I want this one to get off my head. Please, just tell me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I am so sorry...I...I just wasn¡¯t thinking straight. I was trying to stop that-¡± I held my head, looking straight in her eyes. That buzzing in my head. It was still going. It was haunting me even more after I killed my own mother. ¡°That what?¡± She grabbed my hands, putting them down. ¡°That...pain.¡± I said. Something random I could come up with in mere seconds. ¡°I just was trying to do something that could distract me from dad¡¯s death.¡± Which was true, in a sense. ¡°Hm.¡± She sighed, rubbing her thumb on the back of my hands. ¡°I understand. So...you won¡¯t do it again, right?¡± ¡°No. No. I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± I shook my head, my eyes started burning as I held back my tears. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I forgive you.¡±
¡®¡¯Come to me¡¯¡¯ She called for me again. I carefully slipped out of the covers, trying to avoid waking up Milo. I arrived at the balcony and saw her sitting at the usual chair. She smiled at me as she sipped her usual wine. Everything was getting way too familiar and usual. I hated that. ¡°Oh! My, my. We have a guest.¡± She suddenly said, looking behind me. I turned around and widened my eyes. Milo was staring at the witch, his fur then hissing loudly...his fur bristling profusely. I looked back at the witch, which started to grow less amused and more annoyed by the creature. ¡°Hmpf, what a stupid creature. What is that thing angry for?¡± I looked at the two of them, confused. Did Milo really see her as a threat? If he was, he was really smart. I tried to walk towards her at the table, but Milo walked in front of me and meowed, blocking my way. I crouched and petted his head, sighing. ¡°Milo, please be good. I have to talk to her...or she¡¯ll hurt me.¡± Then, he looked at the witch once more, before hissing one last time and running behind the corner of the balcony¡¯s entrance, peeking at us. ¡°Good. Now, sit. We have to talk.¡± She said, tapping her hand on the table. I obeyed. ¡°I must say that while I liked your performance, I didn¡¯t like how you made it out of there by the skin of your teeth. If your mother had told her you were under the bed...you would be undergoing eternal suffering right now.¡± I held my head and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I told you to be quick, yet you hesitated even in your own bedroom while grabbing the knife. You almost got caught.¡± She added. ¡°I will not tolerate further, risky behavior. Do you understand that?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Okay. Good.¡± She placed the empty glass on the table and cleared her throat. ¡°Erika is going to target Katherine. She probably thinks her attempted suicide was my pawn trying to escape from me and guilt.¡± I widened my eyes. Did I really have to kill Katherine next? ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± I asked her. ¡°Do not talk until I¡¯m finished, you stupid insolent!¡± She retorted, glaring at me. ¡°I¡¯m so sure because I am perfect and I never fail! Also, I know Erika way too well.¡± This again. She seems to know Erika a bit too well. First, she said Erika envies me for a reason which is none of my concern...and now this. Who was Erika, really? She seemed too perfectly matched with the witch¡¯s predictions. Sadly, I wasn¡¯t in the position to discover truths or make questions at all. I could but theorize as my family¡¯s demise slowly approached. ¡°What you shall do is simple. Frame Katherine and make Erika discover her and think she¡¯s my pawn. At that point. I will observe her behavior and actions against Katherine...and when I will be done, you will kill Katherine several hours later, not staging a suicide.¡± The witch wanted to see what Erika was planning against the culprit anyway. It wasn¡¯t like she could tell the whole family about it, because it would have just made her look crazy. I was curious too, to be honest. Erika had been acting all determined to catch us but I didn¡¯t have a clue on what she was planning to do. ¡°How...how do I do it?¡± ¡°You will figure it out.¡± She plainly replied. ¡°N-No! I can¡¯t!¡± I shook my head desperately. ¡°Yes, you can, you stupid puppet!¡± She slammed her hand against the table. ¡°I can¡¯t always think by myself! You¡¯re in this too.¡± I flinched and mewled, nodding slowly. ¡°O-Okay.¡± Then, I tried to change subject. ¡°A-Also...isn¡¯t it a bit risky to keep talking here? Erika can sense you, right? Why don¡¯t you just tell me everything through my head, just like when you call me?¡± ¡°First of all, I would know if Erika was approaching this area of the mansion, and I would tell you to leave before she could see you. However, this isn¡¯t even necessary. Erika can¡¯t sense me anymore, trust me. See it as if I changed my perfume. Moreover, I can¡¯t talk to you through your head because you would literally explode. All I can do is send you commands. What you hear is not my speech, but an inner voice commanding you.¡± ¡°A-Alright.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Then we¡¯re safe, I guess. I just don¡¯t...want to be found out because we talk here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not an idiot, unlike you.¡± After getting up, she walked towards the railing, staring at the moonlight. ¡°Also, Lillya...you should embrace that feeling you have for Nelya. It¡¯s normal, since I created you. It¡¯s nothing like you think.¡± ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡± I muttered. ¡°I mean that you shouldn¡¯t hold back...¡± ¡°She¡¯s going to die, after all. Why don¡¯t you just rape her before it¡¯s too late?¡± My stomach churned as I repeated her words in my head. It was too much ¨C I couldn¡¯t just stand there and listen to what she had just said. ¡°You...you wretched witch!¡± I got up, grabbed the glass of wine and threw it at her, feeling pure rage. ¡°Oh wow¡­¡± she looked at the glass pieces, which shattered right beneath her feet. ¡°...that was unexpected. And so pathetic. You better sleep now, Lillya. Tomorrow you have a lot to do. And please, do it right this time. I wouldn''t want to torture you for eternity because of your incompetence, would I?" And then she disappeared. ¡°Ngh¡­!!!¡± I stomped at the ground, holding back my tears. Milo finally got out of his corner and rubbed his body against my legs, purring and meowing softly.
I had never seen a gloomier Friday. Nelya used to be so happy when school was off, and we could play all day without a worry in the world. But after what happened, everything changed. And so she was studying even that afternoon. I realized it was my best chance to act. I left my room silently, Milo coming after me as always. I had to think of a way to make Erika blame Katherine for a murder. So I started pondering as I walked. I had to frame her in such a way that pointed the culprit of the first official murder towards her, but in a subtle way. Erika was good at seeing false evidence, after all. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Then, I suddenly heard noises from William¡¯s room. God wanted me to hear those noises, apparently. Because what I heard next, made me picture my whole plan. Moans. My young, innocent ear heard moans coming out from William¡¯s room. They were muffled and confusing, but they were the moans of a woman. My blood pressure immediately rose up, and my mind started to frantically wander. Was it a woman she brought at home after helping out Rosie at the shop? Or worse, was it a maid? I completely forgot about what I had to do and listened. I felt curious, honestly...but also crept out. My dear, older brother, indulging in such acts despite being one of the most faithful followers of the church made me uneasy. After a while, all the noise stopped. I heard William muttering something...and then footsteps. Footsteps towards me. I quickly jerked away from the door, taking a few steps back and readying a fake pass-by walk. The door opened, and my heart shattered. ¡°Ah! Lillya...hi!¡± Rosie buttoned her dress, her face colored by a faint red. My mind went blank. How could it be? Why? It didn¡¯t make any sense. I was disgusted by myself already, even if I wasn¡¯t related by blood to Nelya. And then...this happened. ¡°Are you okay?¡± She asked me, kneeling and brushing her filthy hand across my arm. ¡°You don¡¯t look so good.¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± I nodded, forcing a smile. ¡°Good.¡± She chimed, standing up and going about her day...as if nothing had happened. I stared out of the window, my heart raced as I processed the truth. What did our family become? I asked myself. Something I had to erase, apparently. Something filthy, cursed. Something with no future.
I knocked at Katherine¡¯s door gently. It was afternoon and Katherine hadn¡¯t come out of her room all day. I know that for a fact, since our rooms were adjacent, and I kept my ears opened for any sound of her leaving. I figured she was taking a break from action...if she was the culprit, that is. Nobody answered. And so I knocked again insistently¡­ ¡°Kath. Everyone is worried about you. Why don¡¯t you come out?¡± I asked her. ¡°Please.¡± At that point, the door opened. Katherine had a gloomy expression on her face, her lips trembling slightly. ¡°What do you want, Erika?¡± She asked me, hugging herself. Her short, black hair was dirty, messy and unkempt. ¡°I want to understand what¡¯s going on.¡± I replied, trying to get in her room. The stench was awful...how many days had passed since she opened that window? ¡°What do you even mean?!¡± She replied, pushing me out. ¡°Mom and dad died!¡± ¡°Is that really the reason you¡¯re acting like this?¡± If she was the culprit, hence the witch¡¯s pawn...then she was going crazy and couldn¡¯t hold her composure. These kinds of questions were safe at that point. ¡°W-What do you mean¡­?!¡± ¡°I mean if there¡¯s something else bothering you.¡± ¡°N-No!¡± She yelled. ¡°Go away!¡± The door almost closed, but my hand stopped it. ¡°Stop acting like you¡¯re mad!¡± I exclaimed. ¡°Just talk to me!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the last person I want to talk to.¡± She muttered through her clenched teeth. ¡°You¡¯re selfish. You¡¯ve been always selfish! Why do you care so much!?¡± ¡°Because we¡¯re¡­¡± I stopped myself. I had to keep my mouth shut. The witch probably knew I was aware of her...but her pawn probably didn¡¯t. ¡°Fuck you!¡± She pushed me away, closing the door and locking it. It wasn¡¯t good. At all. It meant that she was forced to stay silent. I knew the witch¡¯s modus operandi, after all. Moreover, that was the final proof...she really had another reason to be this freaked out and traumatized. It couldn¡¯t have been anything else but...the witch. But how can I extract more from her? I stood in front of her room, thinking. Then, I heard some footsteps. I turned around and saw Lillya, marching past me. She looked angry and disappointed. Did she have a fight? ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked her. She looked at me and stopped. ¡°Nothing. Why?¡± ¡°You look angry.¡± ¡°Well, how would I not be?¡± I stayed silent and furrowed my brows. That sentence rubbed me wrong. She didn¡¯t sound sad, or actually disappointed. She sounded furious. Her expression was eerily blank. At the time, I thought it was her own way to bear the pain, so I didn¡¯t give it much thought. What an ugly mistake.
Milo sat on my desk, refusing to follow me. I held yet another kitchen knife in my right hand as I stared at him. ¡°She deserves it.¡± Yet, he meowed sadly, moving his little paw toward me, trying to stop me again. ¡°She¡¯s filthy.¡± But he turned around, looking out of the window, at the moon. ¡°She needs to die.¡± I told him. He stood still. And so I left my dear sister alone in her room, walking through the darkness. I felt sick, absolutely sick. How could they do such a disgusting thing right after our parent¡¯s death? I wanted to kill William too, but he wasn¡¯t going to go down so easily. He was a soldier, after all. I banged on her door with the knife¡¯s handle. She was located next to Ferya¡¯s room, on the other side of the mansion and on a completely separate floor. She chose that room by herself, since she was the only girl that was around the house at the time...she wanted to stay away from males because she felt uncomfortable. So uncomfortable she fornicated with her own brother. I banged on the door again, and it finally opened. She looked at me with a drowsy face, rubbing her left eye. ¡°Lillya? What are you doing here?¡± She asked me. ¡°Rosie...I-I had a bad dream. Can I talk to you about it?¡± I asked her. ¡°S-Sure! Come in, sweetie! Come in!¡± She stepped aside and let me in, rushing at the switch to turn the lights on. ''''Calm down, Lillya! Calm down! Don''t do it!'''' I hid the knife behind my back as I sat beside her at the edge of the bed. She rubbed my shoulder, looking at my face so intensely she wasn¡¯t noticing the cause of her death. ¡°What did you dream about? Tell your big sister¡­¡± she smiled at me reassuringly. ¡°I dreamed of a really disgusting, vile thing.¡± I started, gripping my knife. ¡°You and William were naked. And you were committing a sin.¡± She immediately went pale. I was happy about that. ¡°L-Lillya...what¡­?¡± She muttered. ¡°How¡­¡± ¡°I heard your disgusting voice, sister.¡± I smiled at her bitterly. ¡°And then you came out of that room, and touched my arm with this filthy hand!¡± I added, slapping her hand on my shoulder. ¡°Lillya¡­¡± she repeated my name. ¡°...I-I can explain, okay? We were very stressed out and while we were talking about the family he-¡± ''''LILLYA! STOP!'''' My blade sunk in her stomach. She spat blood all over herself, her pupils stretched. She stopped talking, freezing in place. And so I slid the knife out, pushing her on the ground. I looked at her squirming, out of breath because of the shock. She stared at me in the eyes as I crouched, hovering my knife near her throat. ¡°Die, sister.¡± I muttered. ¡°May God punish your sin.¡± But right before I could end her life, her survival instincts kicked in. She kicked my stomach with force, making my body fold as I fell back on my butt. She tried to get up, moaning and mewling, falling on her knees barely after one step. The door of her room was so close, yet so far. I immediately rushed over her, straddling her body and pushing my knife inside her back. She tried to scream, but I shut her mouth with my hand as I pushed the knife down. She angrily rolled on her back, with the knife still deep in it, I fell to the side and got overpowered by her bigger body. She held my neck, squeezing it...crying as she kept pinned and choked me. But soon, the life in her eyes faded. She had two fatal wounds, after all. Her body collapsed over mine, her weak breath tickling my ear as she strove for her life. Then, it stopped. Finally free from her weight, I pushed her aside and got up, rushing out of her room after turning the lights off.
After having a quick bath and changing my clothes, which were just a new pair of underwear and a different nightgown, I opened Katherine¡¯s door using the master key that Kruz carefully had in his own room. To my surprise, she was awake. She was hugging her own knees on the bed, looking down. ¡°Lillya¡­?¡± She muttered, widening her eyes as she looked up. ¡°Katherine. This is how things have to go.¡± I immediately said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°N-No¡­¡± she shook her head, staring at me and then my knife¡­its blade shining under the moonlight. ¡°...please...don¡¯t hurt me!¡± She exclaimed, crawling backward, ending with her back pressed against the windowsill just above her bed. I walked towards Katherine with deep breaths. I was used to kill...I just had to do it once more. "LILLYA! NO!!!!" ¡°Please...I¡¯m sorry! I shouldn¡¯t have looked at you! I know! I¡¯m sorry!¡± She whispered, tears falling down her cheeks all of a sudden. ¡°Hm?¡± I stopped. What was she talking about? ¡°You...you¡¯re the girl in white. I thought you were her but...I felt stupid! I thought she was just in my head but...a-ah...I¡¯m so sorry! I¡¯m sorry! You are real! Don¡¯t kill me...don¡¯t kill our family!¡± ¡°The...girl in white? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°You smiled at me...and said that thing. I didn¡¯t understand and ignored you! Please...tell me! What did I do wrong? Why did you kill my parents?¡± ¡°What¡­what are you talking about?!¡± I asked again. ¡®¡¯Lillya...! Answer my commands! OBEY!" The witch¡¯s commands were harder and harder to suppress. But I resisted. I needed to know. ¡°You told me that thing...and then mom and dad died! Why?! Why are you doing this?!¡± ¡°What did I tell you!?¡± I asked her, trying to keep my voice down. ¡®¡¯KILL HER, LILLYA!¡¯¡¯ Then, Katherine recited some words. Some words I wish I had never heard. ¡°Ngh¡­!!!¡± A sudden, piercing pain stung the back of my head. REMEMBER OUR PROMISE. REMEMBER ME. WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME?
¡°Why? Why did you do this!?¡± ¡°Because I want you to be happy.¡± ¡°How can I be happy after *** ****** ** ******?!¡± ¡°You will understand.¡± ¡°W-What?!¡±
ONE DAY. YOU WILL UNDERSTAND. THIS, IS HELL.
I opened my eyes. Katherine¡¯s dead body lied there. The knife in her hand, as if she slit her own throat. Blood all over her clothes. I was breathing heavily, my heart raced. ¡®¡¯Get out of there, Erika is going to check this room!¡¯¡¯ I quickly got up, almost tripping. I left Katherine¡¯s room in a hurry, rushing inside my own before Erika could notice me. I held my forehead, sliding down the door. Milo looked at the moon, just like he was doing before I left. What did I just see¡­? Volume 3 | Chapter I - Numbing ¡°The sea is beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes...it truly is.¡± The deep, red sea washed upon the shore rhythmically, brushing my bare feet. My eyes bled, an endless flame dancing up in the black sky. I looked at my right, admiring my beloved spouse. My hand warmed by hers, her hand warmed by mine. She turned around, her smile filling me with love. Her blue, beautiful eyes pierced my soul, while her golden hair danced with the wind. She placed her hand on my cheek, as her sweet, soft lips met mine. I touched her body, exploring her flesh as we deepened our kiss. The flames danced more vigorously, the waves started to wet more land. We pulled away from each other, our hands joined for eternity. ¡°The day that man allows true love to appear, those things which are well made will fall into confusion and will overturn everything we believe to be right and true.¡± She recited, her voice a sweet nectar. I kissed her hand gently, smiling. I knew what that meant. We both knew it. And so we burned together, in hell.
Chapter I ¨C Numbing I woke up with tears all over my face that day. After going into a frenzy a killing two of my dear sisters, I slept like an innocent baby...the tears weren¡¯t for that. I had a weird dream. I was in a shore with someone at my side. I didn¡¯t really remember anything more than that. The tears probably came from that dream. I turned around and saw Nelya¡¯s spot. Empty. I knew where they all were. I didn¡¯t have the courage to show up.
¡°This is...this is just crazy!¡± Annaliese held Katherine''s body in her arms, crying as always. ¡°She was killed...b-by Katherine.¡± William muttered, horrified. ¡°Why?! Why would she do such a thing?!¡± Gale and Vance were out before the could receive any of these news. So it was just me, Nelya, Annaliese and William. Lillya was still asleep. Last night, I heard Katherine¡¯s door getting opened. I knew she wanted to do something really bad, so I immediately rushed out to stop her. But I didn¡¯t see anyone. I searched for a while on the first floor...and then I realized that the door opening could have meant her going back in her room. So I went back in her room, and saw her body right against the wall. She slit her own throat. Then, I closed the door gently and prayed for her all night. The next morning, Rosie was also found dead by William, which was going to head to her shop with her. And so, our family shrank even more. I walked out of the room as Kruz helped my two siblings to clean and carry Rosie out of her room. I was desperate. I was so close to go crazy. It was all my fault. I didn¡¯t have nor the strength, nor the courage to stop the witch...even thought I was the only one that knew about her. I should have done more, I sh0uld have thought more. I let everything happen while faking confidence and braveness. ¡°FUCK!¡± I screamed, hitting the wall with my foot, hurting myself. I looked out of the window, I stared at Ferya, Satomi and Steelia, as they examined Katherine¡¯s body. She had to be the witch¡¯s pawn...yet, I felt sad. After seeing my enemy die, I realized how much I wanted to help that enemy, not defeat it. Because the real enemy was that witch. ¡°Erika¡­¡± I looked at my left. Nelya stood there, tears on her face as she sniffled. ¡°Nelya.¡± I pronounced her name with soft tone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Why? Why is this happening to us?¡± She muttered, hugging me suddenly. ¡°You¡¯re so smart and calm...please! Tell me! Why is this happening?!¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. I hugged her back. I wanted to cry too. I was as lost as she was. Despite the death of her pawn, I knew it wasn¡¯t over.
The funeral of our two sisters was brief. The funeral parlor made it clear that they were starting to be wary of our family, and that rumors started spreading. So many deaths, one a clear murder. Police was eventually going to get involved if we kept declaring deaths like this. They told us that it was better for them and us to bury bodies by ourselves from then on. William almost broke the nose of the man that said these things, because he was very religious and wanted every family member to be blessed after passing. It was raining, and the whole family gathered in the living room once more. Annaliese, William, Gale, Vance, Erika, me and Nelya. ¡°I¡¯m sorry William, but this is too much.¡± Gale said suddenly. ¡°I talked about it with Vance...and we want to leave. I can find a job in the city and he can live with me.¡± ¡°Do you really want to leave this family?! After all that has happened?¡± ¡°Why, yes!¡± He shouted. ¡°There are fucking murderers in this house!¡± ¡°Katherine wasn¡¯t a murderer! She...she just was¡­!¡± William swallowed tears. ¡°FUCK! FUCK!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do this anymore¡­¡± Annaliese broke down crying again. We were so few that she could sit with me and Nelya on the same couch. ¡°I can¡¯t! How am I supposed to live like this?!¡± William roared, hitting the wall with his fist, making everyone flinch. Nelya sobbed, her mind a broken mess. I sighed and leaned back, deep into the couch. At that point, I didn¡¯t even care. Still, I silently trembled, feeling a lump in my chest. What I feared was what the witch was going to tell me that night. I killed Rosie and Katherine on my own, completely changing the plans and what the witch wanted to happen. I also resisted her commands. It was either going to be my demise or theirs. A flip of a coin. ¡°You can¡¯t hold us back.¡± Gale muttered. ¡°What about these three?! They¡¯re fucking little girls!¡± William looked at me, Nelya and Erika. They both looked away in shame, standing up. ¡°We¡¯re sorry, girls.¡± Gale said, looking at us with a sad face. ¡°We are not strong enough.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to pick up a single dime from dad¡¯s funds, you hear me?!¡± ¡°We won¡¯t.¡± Vance muttered, standing up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, William.¡± They both left the living room...and the family shrunk even more. William breathed loudly, sitting on the couch. He cried silently, slowly giving up. I hated him for what he did with Rosie, but that image of my strong, dear brother made me realize how weak people really are, when faced with the right amount of suffering. Annaliese stood up and looked at us. She smiled weakly. ¡°W-When...when William goes back to the capital, I will be the last one remaining.¡± She said, holding her sobs. ¡°I won¡¯t abandon you. I promise.¡± I looked in her eyes. My despotic, mean sister was now trying to give us hope and joy. Erika sighed, shaking her head and leaving the room. Nelya rose, hugging her. I sat there. Motionless.
Night. She cried in my arms bef0re falling asleep. I looked at her, breathing softly as I ran my hand over her body slowly. I realized that the witch was right ¨C it didn¡¯t make any sense anyway, all of it. And I was going to be punished. So, why not indulge and enjoy the rest of my time with her? I leaned my face over her neck ¨C And then it struck. Everything I saw before killing Katherine. I somehow had forgot it during my sleep, but as I smelled Nelya¡¯s scent...everything came back. I immediately jerked away, slapping my face. What the hell was I doing? Katherine saw someone similar to me at some point, and that person told her ¡®¡¯you won¡¯t have to suffer anymore¡¯¡¯. What were those visions? What was that ache I felt in my heart? Were they memories from my past? Were they another person¡¯s memories? It was then that I saw Milo, staring at the rain-coated window like last night. He didn¡¯t move an inch since I gave in and killed by my own will. I closed in to him, caressing his head. Though, he didn¡¯t purr, nor meow. He just ignored me. I needed to talk to the witch.
¡°I knew you¡¯d come.¡± The wet air around us pierced my nose as I walked forward, ignoring the cold. She sat at the same table, with two glasses full of wine. I sat on my chair and tossed the glassed on the floor, making their liquid spread across the tiles. ¡°What is going on!?¡± I asked her. ¡°I am the one who should ask such a question.¡± She replied, sighing. ¡°Why did you kill your sister Rosie? Didn¡¯t I say you had to kill only Katherine? And didn¡¯t I also order you to do it after Erika observed her behavior?¡± I swallowed hard and replied. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I didn¡¯t really know. Rosie and William, doing such a vile thing...provoked my very core. ¡°They just made me so mad that...I killed them. Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m so used to kill that I didn¡¯t think anything of it.¡± I explained. ¡°Hm.¡± She looked at her hand, her pointy nails shining despite the clouded moon. Then, she raised her head, locking her gaze with mine. She was different. Her face wasn¡¯t the same anymore. She didn¡¯t smirk, nor she acted angry. She was...calm. Her cold hand suddenly grabbed mine, resting on the table. Her thumb moved slowly on its back, a sweet smile forming on her lips. ¡°What did you see last night? When Katherine said those things to you?¡± She asked me. ¡°Be truthful to me, puppet.¡± ¡°I saw...a white-haired woman, and heard some voices. I don¡¯t remember much.¡± A single tear then fell down her cheek as she smiled more. Then, after rising...she made me stand up. Despite her authority, we were the same height. She held my face, caressing it with pure love. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to come back so quickly.¡± ¡°W-What?¡± I muttered, pushing her away. ¡°What¡¯s going on?! I want answers!¡± ¡°You will have them.¡± She nodded. ¡°You will understand. Just keep following my orders...and we will achieve happiness.¡± I stared at her smile, confused. Was she insane? What did she mean with me coming back? Why was she acting so weird? But most importantly¡­ Why wasn¡¯t I afraid? Volume 3 | Chapter II - Brotherly departure Chapter II ¨C Brotherly departure I couldn¡¯t really sleep that night. Too many thoughts twirled and danced in my head. Nelya was studying at her desk, her will to go on unwavering. ¡°Good morning.¡± I muttered, getting out of bed myself. Then, I looked around...Milo wasn¡¯t anywhere. ¡°Where¡¯s Milo?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. He wasn¡¯t here when I woke up.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve already had breakfast. Help yourself.¡± The dining hall was empty, but at the same time it had 2/3rds of the remaining people that lived there. Annaliese and Erika ate their breakfasts silently. Cl¨¦a looked at me and smiled bitterly, my plate already on the table. A soft, fresh cake with fruits on top. Delicious. ¡°Hey, Lillya.¡± Annaliese suddenly said after I sat in front of my food. She smiled at me. ¡°Where¡¯s the others?¡± I asked her. The witch, after her puzzling behavior of yesterday, asked me to take care of Vance and Gale, making it look like they left the house. As soon as I didn¡¯t see them around, I started to worry. ¡°William is in his room. Gale and Vance are packing up...they¡¯re leaving tomorrow morning. William doesn¡¯t know it...but I gave them enough money to start fresh. Don¡¯t tell him, please.¡± ¡°Why do you have access to dad¡¯s money? Isn¡¯t William the eldest?¡± ¡°Yes, he is. But he¡¯s going to leave us after summer. There¡¯s no point in making him hold the money¡± She replied. ¡°Without him, I have the inheritance. "So now you''re basically our mom." ¡°Well¡­¡± she hesitated, an anxious sigh as she adverted her gaze. ¡°I-I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Cl¨¦a rubbed her shoulders with her hands, her dark hair making a contrast with Annaliese¡¯s golden ones. ¡°You still have us. Your faithful servants. I do not doubt that most of us are here for money, but I know that some of us are here because we are also all grateful to this family, and we want to keep it together as much as we can.¡± Annaliese smiled at her, nodding. ¡°Thank you.¡±
Gale and Vance didn¡¯t eat with us that evening, mainly because William was still furious about their decision. I didn¡¯t blame them, honestly. They probably were the two that were the most sane in the whole family, since they were trying to escape. As usual, late in the night after Nelya fell asleep, I got out to carry out my duty. I wasn¡¯t scared or sad anymore. I was used to it. I walked to Gale¡¯s room first, knocking gently. He opened the door right away, a book in his hand as her stared down at me. His golden hair shone with the soft lamp on the bedside table. I could hear the shower running inside his bathroom. Someone was there with him. ¡°Lillya? Do you need something?¡± He asked me, puzzled. ¡°Can I come in? I need to talk to you.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± he looked back with his eyes. ¡°No. Sorry. I¡¯m a bit tired.¡± ¡°Gale...come on. I¡¯m not stupid.¡± I giggled, ¡°I already know someone is in the shower. And I know it¡¯s a maid.¡± He blushed immediately. The witch was right once more...Gale was having a relationship with one of the maids. Though she didn¡¯t tell me who she was. I wasn¡¯t against that. It was better than incest. Way better. A bit scandalous...but fair. ¡°Alright, you little detective.¡± He chuckled, ruffling my hair. ¡°Come in.¡± He closed the door behind us and sat on his bed with a curious look, placing the book away. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± He asked, fixing his long hair. I sat beside him on the bed, just like I did with Rosie. I grabbed the book and read a random line. ¡°What is life? a tale that is told; What is life? a frenzy extreme, A shadow of things that seem; And the greatest good is but small, That all life is a dream to all, And that dreams themselves are a dream.¡± As soon as I read those lines, I felt...pain. Pain, sadness...anger. Somehow, I knew what they meant, and I wanted to read more. ¡°It¡¯s a complicate book for someone like you.¡± He giggled, grabbing it back. ¡°So, what were you saying?¡± I looked at him again. A nice man, loved by women, loved by people. He had such a bright future ahead of him...being the perfect person he was. ¡°I wanted to show you something before you go.¡± I muttered. I had to bring him away from the maid. She would have seen or heard me killing him. I couldn¡¯t afford that. It had to look like he left with Vance and he was still alive. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s out in the backyard. A secret I had been keeping for a long time. I wanted to tell everyone when I was older but, since you¡¯re leaving forever...I want to show you now.¡± Stolen novel; please report. ¡°Lillya, it¡¯s almost midnight. I¡¯ll see it tomorrow morning, okay?¡± He sighed. ¡°No! I won¡¯t wake up in time!¡± I tugged his sleeve.
She tugged my sleeve insistently. Why was she so stubborn? I didn¡¯t want to leave Lillya and Nelya alone with William, but I also didn¡¯t want to die. Vance and I decided to leave that place as soon as possible, as it was cursed. And then, as soon as death came to my mind, something inside me clicked. I suddenly understood. I suddenly saw death in those ruby-red, innocent eyes.
His expression changed abruptly. He stood up, walking backward towards the door...locking it. "Lillya...can you tell me what are you going to show me?" "I..." ¡®¡¯Prepare to fight.¡¯¡¯ Adrenaline immediately kicked in, flowing through my blood. I stood up and grabbed the lamp, turning it off to avoid fires before throwing it. The moonlight was my only ally. Unfortunately, Gale was tall and strong. He charged at me before I could even swing my arm, slamming my body against the window hard, cracking the glass. He pinned me tightly, looking at the bathroom door. ¡°STEELIA! HELP! STEELIAAA!¡± He screamed. ¡°You fucking psychopath! I KNEW THEY WEREN¡¯T SUICIDES! YOU KILLED THEM!¡± ¡°Ngh¡­!¡± I grabbed his face with my small hand, pushing my thumb in his eye. ¡°FUCK! AAGHH!!!¡± He screamed, letting me go and wailing. I rushed to the floor and grabbed the gas lamp again, ready to hit his head. But then, the bathroom¡¯s door opened. Steelia looked at the scene horrified, only in her underwear. The bathroom¡¯s light illuminating me and Gale. ¡°SHE MURDERED THEM ALL! She tried to kill me!¡± He shouted, pointing his finger at me. ¡°Help me! Call the police, tell everyone!¡± I grabbed Steelias arm right before she could unlock the door and run out. ¡°No!¡± I pulled her away, hitting her face with the lamp. She fell on the floor, moaning in pain. Gale tried to grasp my arm, but I dodged towards the door, blocking his path. We breathed heavily as he held Steelia in his arm, unconscious. He pressed his back against the window, unsure of what to do. He was far from the rest of the members of this house. The servants were all on the other side, in a totally different floor. Nelya, Annaliese and Erika were right below us...but the pavement was made of pure, hard marble. His voice would have never reached anyone. The only chance was Vance ¨C who slept right in the next room. ¡°VANCE!¡± He screamed. ¡°VANCE! WAKE UP!" Cold air brushed my skin as I pushed the two out of the window. The glass was already broken, so I just had to give them a nice, fierce push.
It happened in an instant. As soon as I blinked, I found myself flying without a foothold. I looked at my dear, cute sister as she smiled triumphantly. Why? Why did she do all this? I will never know, for I have reached death before discovering the truth. One thing I will never forget, though...is that smile. She looked relieved, not happy. She wasn¡¯t glad we were all dying. She was relieved...as if we were harming her. Where did we go wrong? Did we go wrong at all in the first place? Questions, questions, questions. As I reached the end with my beloved clung to my arms, I asked questions to God. ¡°Why?¡± I moved my mouth in silence, before hitting the cold, hard ground below.
His body made an ugly sound as he hit the ground. Dead on impact. Luckily, no blood gushed out. The door behind me moved abruptly, the lock keeping it in place. I carefully turned the knob, Vance stormed in as soon as he could, breathing heavily. I locked the door again, and the sound made him turn around. ¡°L-Lillya? What the heck?¡± He widened his eyes. ¡°No...don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± I shrugged, hugging him dearly. ¡°I''m sorry, dear brother.¡± ¡°W-Where is Gale?! Where the fuck is he!?¡± He pushed me away, panic kicking in. I plainly pointed towards the window. He rushed over, freezing in place as soon as he saw his body. And then...with a gentle push¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He fell as well, hitting the hard ground right beside him. He didn¡¯t even scream...he was too shocked.
Steelia moaned in pain, trying to stand up and failing. A small wheeze came out instead of a clean breath, since her lungs were crushed by the fall even though she was protected by Gale¡¯s body. We looked at each other for some time. Then, she spoke. ¡°You are a...monster¡­!¡± Her words...stung. I looked at my own hands, drenched by the rain as I stood there, in front of the three people I have murdered without batting an eye, with a peaceful smile on my face. Before I could realize it...pain, sadness, anger and everything else that came with that book I''ve read was gone. ¡°Yes. You¡¯re right.¡± I muttered, my hands falling to my sides. ¡°I became a monster.¡± ¡°Y-You were such a...*cough*! Such a sweet, little girl¡­¡± she cried quietly, unable to scream for help. ¡°Why? What did this family do to you? Why did you kill them?¡± As her answer got into my brain, the answer started to form. ¡®¡¯Because I had no choice¡¯¡¯? ¡®¡¯Because I feared punishment¡¯¡¯? ¡®¡¯Because the witch forced me¡¯¡¯? No. Somehow, I couldn¡¯t find these answers fitting. I simply crouched, caressing Steelia¡¯s wet hair gently. She looked in my eyes with loath. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I said. ¡°You won¡¯t have to suffer anymore.¡± And so, I broke her neck with a swift movements of both my arms seamlessly...as if I was born with a talent for killing.
After a long time, I managed to pull all the bodies far in the woods. Apparently, the witch removed that weird spell that made me faint after crossing the gates. I didn¡¯t even dig holes of any sort. I just dragged them far enough. I stared at the pile one last time. I was wet, my whole body soaked with filth. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± Then, I saw something moving from the corner of my eye. I looked up immediately, fearing that someone may have seen me. It was Milo. ¡°Milo¡­!¡± I exclaimed, stretching my hand towards him. ¡°Here you are! We¡¯re have you been, hm?¡± I smiled at him. But he sat there, in the mud. A faint glow wrapping his white fur, untouched by the rain. He didn¡¯t meow happily, nor he walked towards me. I immediately realize and stopped longing for him with my hand, as my smile became a bitter one. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t save you.¡± A faint voice came out from his position, the young voice of a little boy. Before I could speak back, he stood up and turned around, disappearing through the darkness of the night. Volume 3 | Chapter III - Final frenzy Chapter III ¨C Final frenzy Rain went on even the morning after. Me, Lillya, Nelya and Annaliese were sitting at the table, eating breakfast. William left to take care of Rosie¡¯s shop. He couldn¡¯t take the ownership, and none of us could have it either. So he was going to sell it and give us the money of the property when bought. ¡°Did you hear that Steelia left last night?¡± Annaliese sighed, shaking her head. Cl¨¦a bowed with sad expression, sighing right after her. ¡°I¡¯m mortified. I would have never expected her to flee like this...it was in the middle of the night even.¡± ¡°Yeah...she was probably having some business with one of those two.¡± Nelya added. ¡°They left with her without even saying goodbye.¡± ¡°Rest assured, Kruz and Satomi will find another gardener. Ferya will take care of the outdoors in the meantime.¡± ¡°Tell her that I¡¯ll pay her more.¡± Annaliese replied. ¡°She¡¯s doing two maids'' job all alone.¡± ¡°I definitely will.¡± Cl¨¦a bowed again, smiling. I leaned back on my chair, looking outside. It wasn¡¯t right ¨C the witch really let our two brothers escape. Why didn¡¯t she stop them? She didn¡¯t have Katherine anymore, that was true...but I thought that she was going to at least find someone else...someone easy to manipulate like Annaliese. To achieve that twisted dream...she had to draw a lot of blood, right? I sighed and shook my head to myself. My memories of those days were too blurry. I probably wasn¡¯t remembering things right. Maybe she didn¡¯t have to kill anyone else after Rosie and Katherine...maybe she did order Katherine to kill herself. So that was it, right? I lost, the witch won. Lillya, Nelya and Annaliese were still alive, at least...three girls that would have accompanied me until the day I set off and have the success in life I always wanted. I looked at my own hands, shaking my head again. No. I was never going to live a normal life...I knew that. The purpose I was born with was one, and I failed fulfilling it. Did I have to kill myself, then? No. I didn¡¯t want to give more pain to my sisters, who were oblivious of my origins. So...I didn¡¯t want to die. But after reaching this point...I didn¡¯t feel any need to go on. My life was void. I looked at Nelya as she chatted with Annaliese. Then I glanced towards Lillya, who was silently finishing her cake. I stood up and thanked Cl¨¦a for the breakfast, leaving abruptly.
What do I want, then? What am I going to do with my existence? I brushed my hand across the windows, slowly reaching my room. Finish my novel? No. That novel didn¡¯t make sense anyway. Live lazily the rest of my years at this mansion, using my father¡¯s wealth? No. That would have bored me quick. Start a business and become a noble just like this family did...hence, following my original plan before all this happened? No. No. No. No. Though, death didn¡¯t sound right either. ¡°Oh...what am I to do?¡± I whined, sighing deeply. I reached my bedroom and grabbed the knob, hiding inside my safe space.
Rain was endless at that point. Almost twenty-four hours and it wasn¡¯t showing any will to stop. I sat with the witch at the usual spot, staring at her as she smiled at me sweetly. ¡°Who do I kill next?¡± I asked her. ¡°Either Annaliese or William. You choose. Then, Nelya and Erika in this order.¡± She listed. ¡°We¡¯re almost done, my dear puppet.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I sighed and looked down. A faint smile painted on my lips. ¡°Finally.¡± She grabbed my hand and squeezed it gently. I rose my head and smiled at her. ¡°What happens next?¡± I asked her. ¡°We live here together? We travel across the world as I serve you for eternity?¡± Anything was good. I just wanted to leave that place. ¡°What happens next...is up to you.¡± Her answer was puzzling. I tilted my head and furrowed my brows. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean what I said. After this family is erased...it¡¯s up to you.¡± She stood up and walked over the railing once more, rain falling on it as it slid down its roof. ¡°I can¡¯t wait.¡± She talked through the sounds of the rain. And so, she disappeared. I walked back inside. I looked right ¨C William. Then, I looked left ¨C Annaliese. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Who do I kill first?
Katherine. She was manipulated and traumatized by the witch...and forced to kill. A sudden instinct befell me ¨C the instinct I was born with. I lock-picked her room, locked by Annaliese herself after the funeral, and closed the door behind me. The rain fell hard against the windows as I took a deep breath, scanning the room. I emptied all the drawers, scraped everything inside her huge wardrobe, checked every nook and cranny of that room thoroughly. I didn¡¯t feel the witch¡¯s presence...yet, I wanted to do something more. I still wanted to act. A brainless instinct. I didn¡¯t have any purpose left, after all. Alas, I didn¡¯t find anything worth. ¡°Why did I even expect anything in the first place?¡± I sighed, shaking my head. ¡°You gotta get yourself together, Erika.¡± I told myself. I looked at my figure in the mirror of the bathroom, sighing. It was then that my eyes locked onto something. The frame of that same mirror. As far as I remembered, our mirrors didn¡¯t have a hidden compartment behind them. However, the frame of that mirror was misplaced...a bit crooked. I was convinced that I was going crazy and laughed at myself as my hand grasped the misplaced corner, pulling on it. ¡°What the¡­?¡± To my surprise, I could remove the frame with little effort. I was shocked. Behind it, there was a narrow opening...in which there lied a small journal that fit perfectly. The hole was dug very badly, and it didn¡¯t look like it was made by those who built that mansion...thermite''s work, maybe? I didn''t know. My trembling hand grabbed the journal. I rushed outside the bathroom and sat on the desk, opening it. It was a standard journal...with many, many pages. I immediately noticed it was old and that it started a long time ago, since the first page had a very old date, from when she was very little. I skimmed through the pages. She didn¡¯t write every single day...she wrote only when something important happened. At some point, I found a recent one ¨C I started from there, the journey towards something I would have never erase from my mind.
April 8th, 1923. Tonight, I saw something I¡¯d like to forget. I think it was a ghost. Everyone was sleeping, and I was taking my usual, nightly stroll. I was walking outside, since it¡¯s spring and nights are mildly fresh. When I reached the backyard, I saw someone standing under the tree. I froze, since it wasn¡¯t anyone I could recognize. It was a woman ¨C a woman with a black, beautiful dress. She had white hair, like snow. At first, I thought it was Lillya...but then I realized that she was way too tall. She was tall as mom, actually. Curiosity took over, so I walked closer and closer, until I was a few meters away from her. She was looking slightly up, right through the leaves and at the moon. The moon was as white as her, that was my thought. I asked her who she was, and what she was doing in our backyard. The more I realized a stranger broke in our house, the more I started feeling scared and uneasy. Right after my voice came out, I stepped back and became wary. She turned around and smiled. She had red, shiny eyes. Just like Lillya. Then, she said something that wasn¡¯t even close to an answer to my question. ¡°You won¡¯t have to suffer anymore¡± I don¡¯t know what it means, but at that point I just yelped and ran away. I want to forget her. She was scary.
April 9th, 1923. Dear diary. Please forget about what I wrote yesterday. I would rip the page off if this wasn¡¯t mom and dad¡¯s gift. I don¡¯t want to ruin it so just forget what I wrote, okay? I probably dreamed of Lillya and I thought I was awake.
April 18th, 1923. It¡¯s morning. I heard weird noises during the night. At some point, I even start to feel like something is clawing at my throat. What is going on? What is this bad feeling, dear diary? If only you could write back¡­
April 21st, 1923. Dad is dead. He killed himself, they say. I can¡¯t accept it. He would have never killed himself. The girl in white did it. That ghost is still here...I can hear her walking in the night. Every night is the same...I heard footsteps near my door last night and then dad was found dead today. She did it. A ghost is killing us. I want to tell everyone but deep down I think I¡¯m just going crazy.
April 24th Mom is dead too now. She got stabbed by her and then she made it look like mom killed herself. I saw white hair over the right side of the bed...they were right near mom¡¯s neck. She is real. She is killing us. I tried to die before it was too late, but Rosie stopped me. They don¡¯t understand. They don¡¯t get it. We are all going to die.
She is coming for me. She is trying to let herself in by making me think she is Erika. She can disguise. SHE IS NOT ERIKA SHE IS A MONSTER There is no way out. I am the only one who knows but I can''t tell anyone. They will just laugh and laugh.
That was the last page. I closed the journal, my heart beating hard and fast, my hands trembling. ¡°How...how could I be so fucking stupid?!¡± I yelled at myself, hitting my cheek hard. Lillya! It¡¯s Lillya! That shadow...that ghost Katherine saw¡­! It was who the witch is trying to bring back. And she was doing it through Lillya. How did I not see it sooner? How did I fly over the bad aura I had always felt inside her? I secretly knew why. And I blame myself every, single second for that. I immediately rushed out of my room. It was a matter of seconds. William was going to be next ¨C he was the only one capable of stopping her easily, after all. He was a trained soldier.
I calmly knocked at her door, a smile on my face. Peace was nearing, at last. I couldn¡¯t wait any longer. I wanted to kill everyone that same night, in a fierce and silent last move. Unlike Rosie, she immediately opened it. She looked at me with a confused expression, trying to figure out what I was standing there with a smile for. ¡°Lillya? Are you okay?¡± She asked me. ¡°What are you doing up this late?¡± She was very, very smart. She didn¡¯t let me in, or acted friendly at all. In fact, as soon as I stepped forward, she tried to close the door. I put my foot through the crack and pushed hard, making her fall on the floor. I immediately straddled her, wrapping my tiny hands over her neck and squeezing as hard as I could. I looked down at her, ignoring the kicks and scratches. I wanted to kill her as fast as I could. ¡°Die...die...die¡­¡± I muttered, my teeth gritted as her life poured out of every single inch of her being, refusing to fade away. ¡°...DIE, ANNALIESE!¡± I lost my temper and shouted at her, slamming my head against hers. Her consciousness slipped away. The back of my mind tingled. I felt danger right behind me. I dodged whatever was going after me, rolling away and backing off, deep inside my sister¡¯s bedroom. William stood there, his arm stretched out as he stared at me with pure horror. Erika was behind him, covering herself with his huge body. A mistake. I made a mistake. ¡°After all this time...you catch me now?!¡± I shouted at the two, grabbing the nearest thing on the desk. ¡°Right now? Right before I could finish?!¡± Erika ran over Annaliese, aiding her. William walked forward, covering distance. He knew I wasn¡¯t going to surrender. He had to stop me with force. On the other hand, I knew he was going to win. He was a soldier, he fought for the cross, he fought for the kingdom. But I wanted to win ¨C at all costs. It wasn¡¯t because the witch would have punished me if I didn¡¯t. No. It was because I wanted to see him dead. I wanted to kill him. Blood rushed in my veins as I calmly analyzed the situation. I had to kill him. I HAD TO KILL WILLIAM Volume 3 | Chapter IV - Do you remember? Chapter IV ¨C Do you remember? I threw the book I had in my hand at him. I looked at his dodge carefully, dashing to the opposite direction. He immediately braked, his legs moving swiftly. ¡°Ngh¡­!¡± He tired to grab my arm, but I scratched him with my nails, dodging his grasp. Then, he pushed me against the bathroom door, breaking it down. His body attempted to overpower mine, but I slipped away at the last second. I tried to stand back up, leaning against the bathtub edge. He dashed towards me again, but I swung my leg upwards, hitting his face and making his eyes close for a brief instant. I roared, immediately grabbing his face and punching him as hard as I could. ¡°Fuck!¡± He held his nose as he fell to the side. I grabbed the bathtub¡¯s shower, holding it firmly. I pulled the long, flexible tube and slammed it against his head repeatedly, pinning him down with my light body. The metal made an ugly sound as it met his skull. However, he took way harder hits than this during his duty. Merely seconds after, he grabbed my arm and punched my stomach. I folded on the ground, making him overpower me at last. I looked up at him as he held me down with one arm. He was furious...his eyes beaming hate towards mine. ¡°Why?! Why did you kill them?!¡± He screamed. ¡°Why did you ruin our family? Weren¡¯t we enough?! Huh!?¡± ¡°Ngh¡­!¡± I moaned in pain, scratching his arm as hard as I could. But he resisted the pain, his grip unwavering. ¡°YOU KILLED ROSIE!¡± He screamed again. ¡°Yes!¡± I replied trough the cracks of my teeth. ¡°Because she is a sinful, incestuous whore!¡± He widened his eyes in shock, his whole face said ¡®¡¯How could she know?¡¯¡¯ That moment of weakness let me grab his shirt and pull his face towards closer to mine. My teeth sunk down his flesh with anger, making him scream in pain, blood pouring out of his neck. I hit the side of his head with my elbow thereafter, standing back up as soon as his grip wavered. When I dashed out of the bathroom, Erika was there waiting for me. She tried to tackle me, but I bucked, pushing her on the ground...sadly towards the door, my only escape. I didn¡¯t now what to do ¨C William was going to get back up, and Erika was going to help him after aiding Annaliese, which was sat against the wall...unconscious, but still alive. ¡°HELP ME!¡± I screamed, talking to Yunya. I couldn¡¯t lose. Not like this. Erika rose, William stumbled out of the bathroom. They looked at each other and nodded. I wasn¡¯t going to be able to defend myself against the both of them. Panic took over ¨C I started mewling out of despair, my back pressed against the wall. I felt hopeless. "YUNYA! HELP ME!" I screamed again, looking above me. No response. It was over...it was over...I was going to die...I DIDN''T WANT TO DIE... "AAAAH!!!!" I screamed again in terror, tears rolling down my cheeks. All of a sudden, my ears rang. Four, loud bursts of sound echoed in the room. I squeezed my eyes, my muscles tightening as my entire body responded with confusion to that loud noise. After some seconds, I opened my eyes again. One of the windows was shattered, William was on the ground near it...blood pouring out of his head. Erika lied beside him. I rose my eyes just a little, looking at the entrance. Her arms extended and shaking. Tears rolling down her cheeks. Nelya held one of William¡¯s treasures in her hands, still pointed at William¡¯s head height...its muzzle fuming. My dear sister¡­she saved me. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. I dropped on my knees, a cough strangely coming out of my lungs. She immediately dropped the gun on the floor, rushing at me and crying hard, her arms wrapped around me. A painful sting appeared abruptly on my body. I touched it, warm blood poured out of my body. We both looked at it with shock. ¡°Lillya! Lillya¡­! Oh my God!¡± She immediately pressed her hand against it. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t mean to! I was trying to save you! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m so sorry!¡± I looked at her desperate eyes as she cried. "My dear, little Nelya..." I caressed her face, bringing her lips near mine. "At last, I can finally kiss you..." She cried as I tasted her lips for the first time. It was wonderful. A fire lit my whole being. It was like the wound wasn¡¯t even there. ¡°I love you so much.¡± I muttered, our breaths hitting our faces. ¡®¡¯Kill her.¡¯¡¯ I abruptly stood up, holding my wound. Nelya rose as well, puzzled as I walked away from her. ¡°Lillya, wait! You shouldn¡¯t move. I-¡± She froze in fear as soon as I grabbed the gun, pointing it at her. ¡°W-What¡­? Why?¡± Her sweet lips now trembled. ¡°Why?! Why are you pointing that at me? I saved you!¡± ¡°Why did you save me?¡± "Because...because I love you!¡± ¡°Even after what I did?¡± I asked her, tears rolling down my cheeks for the first time after so much numbness. ¡°Yes! I love you, Lillya! I told you...we are always going to be together! No matter who you kill, no matter who you are!¡± She pleaded. ¡°So please...don¡¯t kill me! I¡¯m on your side!¡± ¡®¡¯Please. Do it.¡¯¡¯ Yunya¡¯s command made me move my finger. Her head blew, blood gushing out of the back of her head, ending all over the wall. I turned around and shot once more towards Annaliese, killing her. I coughed blood, crying in despair. My beloved sister was dead. But...freedom was awaiting me. I won. I dropped the gun on the ground, the six bullets that it could contain emptied inside this room. ¡®¡¯Come, my dear Lillya.¡¯¡¯ I trudged out of the bedroom, blood continuously flowing out of my mouth and my wound. My breath was getting shorter.
¡°Finally¡­¡± Yunya was there, her arms spread wide, her eyes teary as she smiled out of joy. ¡°My mistress¡­¡± I moaned in pain. ¡°Please, cure this wound. I¡¯m dying.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be alright, my puppet.¡± She nodded. ¡°You just have to answer my final question now. Once you do that, we¡¯ll be together again.¡± A question? I could do that. I killed people for her, after all. ¡°Okay. Ask me¡­¡± I leaned against the table, my life slowly draining. I didn¡¯t want to die. ¡°A-Ask me the question, please!¡± She cleared her throat, our red eyes meeting each other... ¡°LILLYA, NO! DON¡¯T LISTEN TO HER!¡± I turned around, Erika was running at me, stretching her hand. She was unscathed...she dodged Nelya¡¯s bullets. I looked at Yunya again, she was calm despite the situation. And so, she finally spoke. "AFTER THIS TRAGIC TALE. DO YOU REMEMBER?" Time froze. Erika didn¡¯t grab me, the witch kept smiling. My brain hurt, my eyes bled. I grabbed my head as hard as I could, winching in pain. WHAT IS YOUR NAME? WHY ARE YOU HERE? WHO ARE YOU? WHAT ARE YOU? Memories flooded my mind, pieces of a forgotten past. ONE DAY. YOU WILL UNDERSTAND. THIS, IS HELL. REMEMBER ME. REMEMBER OUR PROMISE. I WON¡¯T LET YOU ESCAPE. I LOVE YOU, LILLYA. What is life? A madness. What is life? An illusion, a shadow, a story. And the greatest good is little enough; for all life is a dream, and dreams themselves are only dreams. Volume 4 | Chapter I - Birth Chapter I - Birth ¡°Nelya, be careful. The sun is starting to be hot outside.¡± Mom caressed my body before I could go play outside. Satomi stood by the door, waiting for me to head outside with a smile. ¡°Okay mommy! Don¡¯t worry, I will play by the tree, so the shadow will protect me, okay?¡± Mom giggled, patting my head. ¡°Sure, sure.¡± She replied, looking at Satomi. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a problem, Miss Rondart. I do this with much pleasure.¡± I was a very childish and reckless girl ¨C a maid always had to accompany me when I played outside, because I would venture out of the gates and get lost many times. Stupidity and braveness don¡¯t go well together. But that gave me even one more reason to play outside instead of getting bored in my room. The maids all played with me cheerfully, not minding my childish games. They all loved me very much. Ferya, my favorite maid, was also a precious friend to me. She never scolded me for anything, she always accompanied me, she never said no to my ideas. She was awfully quiet though...so it was very hard for me to have conversations. That time, though, it was Satomi¡¯s turn. She was way older, and she was basically my second mom. She grabbed my hand as I walked through the flowerbeds, looking at the beautiful outdoors of my home. It was spring, April. Everything was simply colorful and scented. Satomi giggled as I sniffed a flower happily, carrying on thereafter. We reached my favorite place. The tallest tree that was inside the fences of my home. It was in the backyard, placed perfectly at the edge of the mansion¡¯s land. I sat under it, the sun wasn¡¯t hitting my young body anymore. Satomi stood there beside me, her back straight. ¡°Sit down, Satomi!¡± I patted beside me. ¡°Don¡¯t be so serious!¡± ¡°As you wish, miss Nelya.¡± She knelt on the green, fresh grass, taking a deep breath. ¡°It truly is a beautiful day, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes! I just want to relax and sleep all day!¡± I exclaimed. I was ten at the time. School wasn¡¯t hard. Nothing was hard. All I did was play, play and play¡­occasionally sleeping and maybe doing what I had to do for school. Satomi and mom would always say that I was blessed ¨C I had a beautiful house, a big family, many servants that took care of me and a bright future ahead. But I honestly didn¡¯t care about any of that. All I thought about was having fun, my mind was in constant seek of elation. A normal thing for a young, little girl, right? And so I played and relaxed with Satomi, as she patiently followed every instruction I gave her during the games and trying to make me enjoy her company. Suddenly, we heard some noises. Satomi immediately stood up, alerted. I hid behind her legs, peeking towards the source of the sound. A little girl, just like me. She curiously looked at us with an unsure expression, her small hands grabbing the bars of the fence. She had white hair...and a beautiful pair of red eyes. ¡°May I ask who you are?¡± Satomi asked her, holding my little shoulder with her protective hand. ¡°She¡¯s a little girl like me! Hey! Hello!¡± Excitement got in the way, and I sprinted towards her to look at her more closely. However, Satomi grabbed my arm, stopping me. ¡°What is your purpose here?¡± She asked again, pulling me back. I groaned, whining in disappointment. ¡°She¡¯s just a girl, Satomi! Let me go!¡± I told her. ¡°Come on!¡± Alas, I didn¡¯t even had the chance to finish my sentence that Satomi widened her eyes, looking at behind me. I turned around. She wasn¡¯t there anymore. She disappeared among the trees, among the nature. ¡°We should go back inside.¡± She muttered. ¡°Come on, Nelya. Be a good girl.¡± ¡°But I wanna play more!¡± I couldn''t even start complaining that she lifted me up and walked back to the mansion. I didn¡¯t know why she was acting like that. Maybe she didn''t like other little girls...or something like that. That was my simple thought. Well, it was way more than that ¨C apparently, She was the only one who could feel that dreadful sensation every single other person didn''t feel.
Evening of that same day. I was eating with my family, while mom and dad talked with Satomi at the end of the dining hall, to the window...which faced towards the backyard. My ear were young and sharp. I could hear them despite their whispering. ¡°I don¡¯t know. She might just be a homeless child.¡± Dad sighed. ¡°What if she¡¯s lost? Maybe she¡¯s surviving out there in the woods.¡± Mom replied. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°I don¡¯t know. That girl didn¡¯t look right. I think she was a...¡± Satomi whispered even more...I couldn¡¯t her the last words. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t say with such scary stories.¡± Mom grabbed Satomi¡¯s arm, peeking at me. I adverted my gaze, trying to pretend I wasn¡¯t listening. ¡°Well, if she appears again, just seize her and ask her what she¡¯s up to.¡± Dad shrugged. ¡°What the heck is going on?¡± Annaliese looked at them. ¡°Language.¡± Rosie nudged her. ¡°Come on, heck is not a bad word.¡± Gale chuckled. ¡°And Nelya isn¡¯t a little girl anymore, is she?¡± ¡°No! I¡¯m big!¡± Everyone laughed at my reply, Rosie caressed my head. ¡°Yes. You¡¯re slowly becoming a young woman, just like us.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Anyway, my question holds!¡± Annaliese said. ¡°What are they talking about?¡± ¡°I heard there was a girl with white hair against the fence.¡± William cleared his throat. ¡°Oh? Another white-haired person like you?¡± Rosie asked, smiling at him. ¡°Yes, but her eyes were also red.¡± He nodded. ¡°A very foreign girl. Probably from overseas.¡± ¡°William doesn¡¯t have red eyes.¡± I said. ¡°Maybe that girl is from somewhere even more far?¡± ¡°Could be. I haven¡¯t traveled much besides going through battlefields.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s from a remote island or something like that.¡± Vance deduced. ¡°In any case, I¡¯d love to paint her. From the rumors, she sounds very beautiful.¡± ¡°Always onto art, aren''t you?¡± Annaliese mocked him. ¡°Yes. Art is the future.¡± He solemnly stated, crossing his arms. We all giggled as our parents sat at the table once more. ¡°Mom? Dad? So? Who is that girl?¡± ¡°We believe that she¡¯s a lost child.¡± Mom replied. ¡°If we ever see her again, we¡¯ll help her find her way home.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I asked them. ¡°I want to help her too! She looked nice.¡± Satomi walked out of the hall, sighing.
A few days passed. I was sitting at my desk, trying to do what my parents asked me to do...homework. But I didn¡¯t want to do homework. I just wanted to play and have fun. But everyone kept telling me I was going to regret not having discipline. So...I stared down at my paper. I had to write something about my family and I couldn¡¯t make mistakes. I was good at talking English but my grammar wasn¡¯t good. I sighed again, dropping the pen on the table and standing up. I walked to the window and looked outside. It was late in the evening, after dinner. Everyone was slowly going to bed...and I still had to do my homework. My parents never scolded me, but I knew that I wasn¡¯t doing good. I knew I wasn¡¯t being as good as my other siblings. I felt guilt. Suddenly, my eyes squeezed. I was seeing something shine under the moonlight. It was her. The white-haired girl! I immediately ran down all the stairs, opening my home¡¯s door wide before the maids could lock it. She was standing behind the fence, like the other day. She gripped the bars, staring at me curiously. ¡°Hi! I¡¯m Nelya!¡± I waved at her happily. ¡°Nelya?¡± She tilted her head. ¡°You have a cute name.¡± She added, smiling softly. ¡°Hehe, thanks!¡± I smiled at her, feeling rather elated. ¡°What¡¯s yours? I bet it¡¯s even more beautiful!¡± She giggled, covering her mouth. My heart skipped a beat ¨C she looked so, so cute. ¡°I am Lillya.¡± Her voice was soothing and soft. I didn¡¯t even notice at the time...how much her whole being was already grasping me with its claws. ¡°Lillya! Like a Lily? It¡¯s beautiful!¡± I smiled at her again. ¡°How are you, Lillya? Mom and Dad say that you¡¯re a lost child...is it true? They said they want to help you!¡± ¡°My, really?¡± Her big, red eyes widened. ¡°That would be very, very wonderful. Thank you...Nelya. However...my parents are dead. I¡¯m all alone.¡± I frowned sadly. ¡°Oh...I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s been a long, long time.¡± She sighed, looking up at the dark sky. ¡°Can you come closer?¡± I nodded. Stepping forward. Lillya stretched her hand through the bars, opening it wide. My hand move by itself, reaching hers. She entwined our fingers, smiling sweetly. Her hand was cold. Sheer cold, fighting against the warmth of my hand. I wasn¡¯t a cold night...so I was very surprised. ¡°Nelya.¡± ¡°Yes¡­?¡± DO YOU WANT TO BE MY FRIEND? My heart beat faster. I didn¡¯t know why. I profusely nodded, tightening my grip on her hand. ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s be friends! Finally someone my age!¡± She giggled, stretching her other hand through the bars. She grabbed my arm, pulling me even closer¡­ ¡°What are you doing, miss Nelya!?¡± Suddenly, I felt a strong pull from behind me. Satomi hugged me tightly, dragging me away from the fence. Lillya immediately let my hand go, walking backwards as well. Satomi checked my arm, rolling up my nightgown¡¯s sleeve, breathing out of relief after realizing Lillya didn¡¯t harm me. Her gaze fell upon Lillya, which was looking at us with a curious, wary expression. ¡°State your purpose.¡± She glared at her. ¡°Is Nelya that fragile¡­?¡± She asked, bringing her hands on her chest. A weird question. ¡°I¡¯m going to call the police if you don¡¯t answer my question!¡± She shouted. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m...*sob*¡­!¡± Tears. Out of nowhere. From a smile to tears in mere seconds. She ran away in the woods, her sobs fading away with her pristine figure. ¡°Satomi!¡± I pushed her away, pouting. ¡°Why are you mean to her?! She¡¯s my friend!¡± ¡°You should go to bed. Now.¡± She pointed towards the mansion, standing back up. ¡°Fine! You¡¯re not my friend anymore! Bleeh!¡± I stuck out my tongue at her and then walked away, stomping loudly.
The next day, Satomi came to pick me up from school with everyone else. The carriage moved unsteadily along the path, as my playtime came closer and closer. Every single time, going back to home from school was a real treat. ¡°Wait, is that¡­?¡± Suddenly, Vance pointed out of the carriage, leaning out of the small window of his side. I looked out as well¡­ ¡°Lillya!¡± She was standing in front of our closed gates, looking at the carriage which stopped in front of her. I hopped off and ran to her as fast as I could, hugging her. She gasped, hugging me back and chuckling softly. I held her arms, looking up and down. Under the daylight, she looked even more beautiful. Her only piece of cloth, a dirty white robe, didn¡¯t make her any less wonderful to look at. Her eyes wandered over me as well, making me want to look pretty to her as well. Satomi approached her, pulling me away gently. ¡°Hello.¡± Lillya gracefully bowed. ¡°I am still very sorry for yesterday night.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Satomi blushed a little, bowing back. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have been so rude to you either.¡± ¡°I need help.¡± Lillya said, looking at all my siblings, then at me. ¡°I¡¯m seeking another family. I...I need a new home.¡± Volume 4 | Chapter II - Bonding Chapter II - Bonding The day she appeared in front of that gate in broad daylight, my mother¡¯s heart melted. She basically forced my dad into an adoption. Lillya was happy, crying tears of joy and fitting into the family almost immediately. ¡°Lillya!¡± I hugged Lillya tightly, giggling happily. We had known each other for two months, but I already considered her my best sister ever. She always played with me, she always listened to my stories and she always respected me. She wasn¡¯t like the others ¨C forced by either pity or duty to spend time with me. Even Ferya was able to breathe since Lillya came into my life. We were sitting on my bed, as I was playing with my stuffed toys with her. She played along all the time, even though it was clear that she wasn¡¯t really interested. That made me like her even more...she really did want to see me happy. ¡°And the prince kissed the princess! And they lived happily ever after! The end!¡± I put the two teddy bears together. ¡°Did you like the story?¡± ¡°Yes. Truly romantic.¡± She nodded. ¡°You really like romance, don¡¯t you, Nelya?¡± She chuckled, caressing my arm slowly as her eyes were glued on mine. ¡°Yes! I wish that one day, a prince comes and makes me a princess.¡± I nodded happily. ¡°I like this boy at school but he¡¯s not a prince...and he doesn¡¯t even know me.¡± ¡°Hm? Who is he?¡± She asked me. Lillya and I attended the same class even. We both helped each other with homework. She was very smart for her age, and had always the best grades. ¡°It¡¯s a boy from another section and he¡¯s a year older.¡± I blushed, looking down. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna tell you! It¡¯s embarrassing.¡± She giggled happily, shrugging. ¡°Fine then. Just make sure to choose wisely.¡± She leaned closer to me, almost as if she was telling me a secret. ¡°Men can be very, very bad.¡± ¡°...huh? Why?¡± I looked at her with a puzzled expression. She opened her mouth to reply, but she immediately closed it thereafter, sighing. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Come on, tell me!¡± I grabbed her arm...its coldness never changed. ¡°Men can easily hurt you.¡± She plainly said. ¡°That¡¯s all. I want you to be happy.¡± Her hand ran down my hair, her eyes fixed on mine. I didn¡¯t understand anything of what she was saying, so I simply nodded and shrugged. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s play outside now.¡± I got up, holding her hand. ¡°I wanna play hide and seek!¡± ¡°Hide and seek it is, then!¡± She gracefully chuckled, letting herself be dragged by my energetic hand.
I woke up in the middle of the night. It happened really often, and I wasn¡¯t really bothered by it. I felt rather thirsty that time, and so I got up to drink some water directly from my bathroom¡¯s tap. I carefully closed the door like Satomi taught me to and I was heading over my bed. Then, I heard some knocks at my door. I turned towards it, feeling a little uneasy. ¡°Who is it?¡± I asked, holding my chest with my hands. ¡°It¡¯s me, Lillya.¡± I immediately opened the door, smiling at her. ¡°The door wasn¡¯t locked, silly.¡± I giggle. ¡°You can come in anytime?¡± ¡°Oh really?¡± She chuckled, walking inside right away. ¡°Why don¡¯t you lock it?¡± ¡°Well...I don¡¯t have to. I¡¯m safe here.¡± I replied simply, shrugging. My simple mind of the time merely thought she was just trying to know me better. But all those questions...they all were part of her big scheme of things. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. She sat on my bed, sighing. ¡°Nelya¡­I need to tell you something.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± I asked her, holding her hand after sitting beside her. ¡°I am afraid of sleeping alone. Can I sleep with you...just tonight?¡± She asked, making a very sad and ashamed expression. ¡°Of course! Yes!¡± I jumped on my side of the bed right away, pulling the covers and patting the empty, small space at my side. She quietly lied down putting the covers over us herself. We looked at each other in the dark. We both smiled. ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s nice.¡± I giggled. ¡°Yes. It is.¡± She nodded. Her cold hand rested on my cheek, her thumb caressing my skin slowly. I fell asleep to that touch, oblivious of the fact that I would have never been able to sleep again without it.
The following morning. We were having breakfast before school. ¡°Mommy, Lillya and I want to share one bedroom!¡± ¡°Eh? Why?¡± Mom was puzzled. We were a rich family, after all. A big mansion with all these bedrooms...and we wanted to cram ourselves into one? ¡°Because we like to sleep hugging!¡± I replied. ¡°And she is afraid of sleeping alone.¡± ¡°Awww! They¡¯re so cute!¡± Gale laughed. ¡°Mom, you can¡¯t say no. C¡¯mon!¡± My parents looked at each other as my siblings all reacted with a different, but loving reaction. ¡°We do have a canopy bed in a room we don¡¯t use.¡± Dad shrugged. ¡°Why not? They¡¯re both girls. Nothing harmful.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Won¡¯t you get a little distracted from school?¡± She asked us. ¡°No! We¡¯ll be good girls, right Lillya?¡± ¡°Of course, Lady Rondart.¡± ¡°Call me mom...sweetie. It¡¯s been months now.¡± She sighed, caressing her hair. ¡°Sorry, mom.¡± Lillya nodded, a blush on her face. ¡°So...can we?¡± "Well, okay. Okay.¡± She sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll have Satomi and Ferya clean that room up today. Make sure to study well and behave in school, alright? Both of you.¡±
¡°It¡¯s beautiful!¡± I yelped, jumping around our new room. It was ready for the evening. ¡°Thank you!¡± I hugged Satomi, Kruz and Ferya, squeezing them all between my small hands. ¡°Now Lillya won¡¯t be afraid anymore. Right?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Lillya trailed her hand across the beautiful canopy bed. ¡°Very well then. Have a good rest of the evening, and a good night.¡± The servants bowed and left. ¡°Ahh!¡± I laid down my big bed. ¡°It¡¯s huge! I can spread my arms and legs! Look!¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very big.¡± She chuckled. I scooted away a bit, making her lie down with me. She suddenly hugged me, burying her face in my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m so happy¡­¡± she muttered, squeezing my body with her cold arms. I felt weird. I felt like something weird was growing inside me. But I was way too young to understand what she was doing. I was way too innocent to realize that I was playing her game all along.
Many other months passed. My daily life with Lillya was stable, happy and normal. We both were doing great at school, I was thanks to her, and she was thanks to herself. I played with my stuffed toys as Lillya did something I was very against of at the time...reading a book. She sat on her side of the bed, reading through it slowly. Curiosity grew, and so I cut my stuffed toy¡¯s life by dropping him on the bed and crawling near her. ¡°What is this book?¡± I asked her. ¡°A beautiful book.¡± She simply replied. ¡°Wanna read it with me?¡± ¡°Uhm...sure.¡± I shrugged. ¡°I kinda hate books, but maybe I like this one because you like it!¡± She cleared her throat, reading a piece of it aloud.
¡°What is life? a tale that is told; What is life? a frenzy extreme, A shadow of things that seem; And the greatest good is but small, That all life is a dream to all, And that dreams themselves are a dream.¡±
¡°W-What? Hahah! It doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± I giggled at the stupidity of whoever wrote that scrambled piece of words. ¡°Really? It makes a lot of sense, actually.¡± ¡°Life is a tale...I understand that bit. But then...it becomes confusing.¡± I shrugged. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you. It wouldn¡¯t be right. You¡¯ll have to decipher it by yourself.¡± She closed the book, leaning against me. ¡°Let¡¯s play outside now.¡± She suddenly got up, running out of our bedroom while giggling. I grabbed the book and stared at the cover...feeling something in my heart. I placed it on her bedside table and rushed out with her. Volume 4 | Chapter III - Birthday Chapter III - Birthday ¡°Hey Nelya, how did it go?¡± ¡°Pretty badly...I left out a whole question.¡± ¡°Aww, but we studied so hard!¡± Six years. Six whole years with Lillya by my side. It was an average day. Lillya and I walked out of the school yard as I sighed. The math test I had that morning was too hard ¨C I felt really down. ¡°I know...but I just can¡¯t seem to get things done right since inequations came in.¡± I sighed again. ¡°I have to trace back and re-study them from the start, I suppose.¡± ¡°I¡¯m helping you, don¡¯t worry!¡± She patted my back, her smile encouraging me. ¡°Thank you, I guess.¡± I shrugged. ¡°You can help, but I still have to give the brains. If I can¡¯t be smart enough, your help will be nought.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll make your smart enough! Simple!¡± She giggled. ¡°Come on, Nelya. Don¡¯t beat yourself up.¡± ¡°Anyway...what did you tell Friedrick?¡± I asked her. Friedrick was this nice guy that attended our school in the next class. He was Lillya¡¯s most recent suitor. He even came to her with a letter and all. ¡°That I wasn¡¯t interested.¡± She shrugged. ¡°What? Why?¡± I widened my eyes. ¡°He looked like such a nice guy!¡± ¡°Eh...whatever.¡± She shrugged again. The more time passed, the more beautiful she became. She was one of the most popular girls at school, and she had many suitors kneeling before her feet. She refused them all...always. I didn¡¯t understand how and why, since I was desperate for some...girl to notice me and as messed up as I was. Some guys confessed to me during the latest years, but I always refused them because somehow I just couldn¡¯t feel attracted to them. I didn''t know why, or how. But for the past three years or so, I had been trying to live with my attraction to females. I felt disgusted and ashamed at first...but during this period, I was slowly accepting it and I was actively on the lookout of other girls that shared my own common idea. ¡°More importantly, do you want to hang out today? Or maybe you want to study?¡± ¡°Tomorrow is your birthday. Let¡¯s wait tomorrow, so we can have fun.¡± The next day would have been the day Lillya came to our house. Back then, she wanted it to be her new birthday, instead of using her old one. Nobody objected. ¡°Oh well, yes. It does make sense.¡± She nodded. ¡°Ah, there¡¯s Satomi, let¡¯s go.¡± We hopped on Satomi¡¯s carriage and went back home.
¡°Hm¡­¡± I read the first notions of inequations again. I had to start over and try to catch up. Lillya was there with me, reading a book. After a while, I decided to take a break and stretch, moving my eyes upon her. She was reading it again. ¡°Are you seriously reading it again?¡± I sighed, walking over her. ¡°How many times have you read it by now?¡± ¡°It never gets old.¡± She muttered with a sweet smile. ¡°I love it. It¡¯s a pity that this copy is worn.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± I took the book from her hands, checking its state. Yes, the pages indeed were a little yellow, and the cover was slowly coming off. I checked the page she was on...and coincidentally, it was the same quote of back then.
¡®¡¯What is life? a tale that is told; What is life? a frenzy extreme, A shadow of things that seem; And the greatest good is but small, That all life is a dream to all, And that dreams themselves are a dream.¡¯¡¯
¡°Yes, it is...a little worn.¡± I sighed, giving it back to her. ¡°What is that look, Nelya?¡± She immediately asked, noticing my expression. ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just that quote.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I still can¡¯t understand why you like a book with such confusing things inside. I already hate normal books.¡± ¡°Because it means everything to me. It explains why we¡¯re here.¡± She hugged it. I turned around and sighed through my nose. Talking with her was even more boring than studying...so I sat back at my chair. ¡°Tomorrow I¡¯ll be sixteen, Nelya.¡± She suddenly said. ¡°Same as you.¡± ¡°Yes, I know.¡± I looked over her again, raising my eyebrow. ¡°Why are you telling me?¡± She smiled, turning another page. ¡°Because we¡¯re finally reaching the end.¡± Her voice trailed off, her eyes fixed on the book. Her gaze seemed distant, admiring something past that book, something past this room. ¡°The end? What?¡± I was confused. She blurted that nonsense out of nowhere, and I haven no idea of what to make out of it. ¡°W-What do you mean?¡± I asked again. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Instead of a reply, she smiled and closed the book gently, her fingers caressing its spine with an irreverent touch. She turned to me after standing up, going over the window to look outside. ¡°Nelya, there are some things you still don¡¯t understand...like that quote in the book. There are forces...forces that guided us to meet, and to live together for these uneventful, boring six years.¡± She explained, playing with her own hair. ¡°But tomorrow...all will be revealed. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll show you true happiness.¡± I felt a shiver eating my bones. What was she talking about? The first thing that came to my mind was an elaborate joke ¨C maybe she felt a little silly and wanted to prank me. But that gaze...that gaze oozed something I felt both attracted to and repelled from. I couldn¡¯t convince myself she was kidding. ¡°If you say so¡­¡± I looked confused, giving her a final look that tried to make myself look untouched by those eerie words.
¡°Aren¡¯t you coming to school today?¡± Lillya was lying on our bed, humming happily as she read that same book. I grimaced as I looked at the cover. ¡°It¡¯s my birthday!¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°So I need to prepare everything for tonight!¡± She exclaimed happily. ¡°Mom and dad will take care of that with the servants.¡± ¡°I want to help!¡± She pouted. ¡°But what about your perfect scores?¡± I frowned. ¡°You didn¡¯t miss one day.¡± ¡°There won¡¯t be any reason to worry about school scores when this day is over.¡± I swallowed nervously. That look again. Her red eyes glimmered, something ominous hidden deep within their irises. I shook my head and sighed. ¡°Just make sure to not make mom angry because of this. Bye.¡± I closed the door and left in a hurry. I didn¡¯t want to spend one more minute with her looking at me like that. I was very worried of what she was up to.
We stopped at a library before going home. I asked Satomi to buy Lillya yet another present. I hopped off the carriage by myself, nodding to Satomi as to thank her. ¡°Isn¡¯t she going to have a dozen of presents already?!¡± Annaliese retorted. ¡°What¡¯s the point?¡± ¡°Come on, let her buy something. She¡¯s her best friend after all.¡± Rosie, which was picked up from her shop right after closing time, nudged her playfully. ¡°Go, Nelya!¡± I sighed and entered the library, and after some search I found the book I was searching for. I stared at it, swallowing my anxiety. Was I doing the right thing? Buying Lillya a fresh, new copy of this book would have meant bringing it up again, and her starting to talk about it. Come on, Nelya. Don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡± I muttered, clenching my fingers around the spine. ¡°She¡¯s just being a little playful.¡± I tried to relieve my nervousness by playing with the fresh paper of the book, opening a random one.
¡°What is life? a tale that is told; What is life? a frenzy extreme, A shadow of things that seem; And the greatest good is but small, That all life is a dream to all, And that dreams themselves are a dream.¡±
I widened my eyes and gasped. Everyone looked at me confused as the browsed through other books. Again. That quote again¡­it didn¡¯t want to get out of my head. I placed the book back and left in a hurry. I didn''t want to buy it. ¡°Nelya, are you okay?¡± Katherine asked as I sat right beside her. ¡°Y-Yes...I am.¡± I nodded, swallowing hard. ¡°They don''t have what I''m searching for here. We''re late...I''ll buy her the book another day.
We arrived at home while the sun was already setting. Satomi had to take so many detours that I didn¡¯t even have the chance to relax a little before the party. I hurried to my bedroom, opening the door wide. I hid the book in my school suitcase, so that she could receive in due time. I saw her on the bed, combing her hair as she wore one of her best dresses. ¡°Wow, you look so pretty!¡± I exclaimed. ¡°But of course, it¡¯s my birthday...after all.¡± She replied calmly. ¡°You should make yourself beautiful too, Nelya. Tonight will be very important.¡± ¡°Uhm jokes aside¡­¡± I sat beside her, looking her in the eyes through our mirror. ¡°What the heck did you mean yesterday night?¡± ¡°I meant what I said, my dear Nelya.¡± She stopped combing, putting her hand on mine. ¡°Tonight, all will be revealed.¡± ¡°Stop being so creepy!¡± I exclaimed, getting up from the bed and backing off. ¡°What¡¯s up with you?!¡± ¡°Hey, relax.¡± She stopped smiling, looking concerned instead. She hugged me softly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Let¡¯s just enjoy this night together, alright?¡± ¡°M-Mh¡­¡± I nodded slowly. ¡°I have to wash now, I¡¯ll see you later.¡± ¡°Sure thing.¡± She stepped back, smiling again. ¡°I¡¯ll be downstairs, dinner is almost ready.¡±
¡°And so our Lillya turns sixteen!¡± Gale exclaimed. Everyone clapped their hands as Lillya blew towards the candles. ¡°I¡¯m so happy! Finally I¡¯m sixteen like Nelya!¡± She hugged me tightly, giggling happily. ¡°Yes! My two babies are growing up so fast! Just like all the others¡­¡± mom looked at everyone with a bitter smile. ¡°Lillya, you¡¯ve been a great addition to our household.¡± Dad rose his glass of wine. ¡°I still remember the day you came to us, asking for help. You were so brave.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you think so, dad.¡± She nodded again. ¡°I love this family so much, these six years have been wonderful.¡± Suddenly, Kruz entered the dining hall, reaching dad¡¯s ear as he whispered something. ¡°Whatever. We¡¯ll look into it tomorrow morning. She¡¯s probably taking nap...let the poor thing rest.¡± Dad replied. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked Lillya. ¡°Ferya is nowhere to be found since this morning.¡± She giggled. ¡°I guess she really didn¡¯t want to celebrate my birthday.¡± Ferya was gone? That was odd. Even if she was very quiet, she always was around. Kruz left the dining hall and dinner went on normally, though Lillya had a weird smile from then on.
¡°Happy birthday again and goodnight.¡± Katherine smiled at us as we were all going to bed before disappearing inside her room. ¡°Ahhh! Finally, we¡¯re alone.¡± Lillya plopped herself on the bed, stretching wide. ¡°Did you like your party?¡± I asked her, removing my earrings and placing them on the desk. Suddenly, I felt her hand grabbing mine. She turned me around, bringing my body against hers...her hand on my back, firmly grasping the cloth of my dress. ¡°The night isn¡¯t over, Nelya.¡± She leaned closer, her breath cold against the sensitive skin of my neck. ¡°There¡¯s something you need to know about me, Nelya.¡± She whispered, her tone nothing more than a haunting murmur. ¡°Something dark, something I¡¯ve been hiding from you all this time, beneath the thin surface of our normal, ordinary lives.¡± ¡°W-What?¡± I pressed my hands against her shoulders, trying to push her away...but she held onto me, tightening her grip. Fear prickled at the edges of my mind. ¡°Shh...you just have to listen to me. Closely.¡± She muttered. Her wet lips planted themselves on my neck. I felt a jolt of pleasure mixed with fear, running all the way down to my toes. Why was she doing such a thing? Did she know my deep secret? ¡°The things I¡¯ve done, the things I¡¯ve said ¨C they¡¯re all connected...woven together in a tangled web of deception. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not who you think I am.¡± ¡°L-Lillya¡­¡± I moaned her name as she kept her lips against my neck, her teeth gently grazing the skin all of a sudden. ¡°...s-stop¡­!¡± ¡°I want to reveal myself to you.¡± She whispered. Her tongue ran up all the way to my cheek, her breath shaky. ¡°I need you to accept me...Nelya.¡± Volume 4 | Chapter IV - Death Chapter IV: Death ¡°I need you to accept me...Nelya.¡± At that moment, shadows danced with a life of their own around our room, twisting and contorting into grotesque shapes that seemed to whisper. The air grew heavy, a sense of impending doom making me realize I was getting entangled with something beyond my comprehension. Primal fear struck, though beneath it something else arose, something that ought to crawl out, tugging at the corners of my mind. I regained my consciousness and stared into my sister¡¯s eyes. Gorgeous. Two red gems with infinite possibilities. ¡°I...I want to accept you.¡± I said, nodding slowly. ¡°I¡¯ll accept you, Lillya.¡± I still was very confused by her sudden behavior. However, I was but an innocent, needy teenager with many things in my head. I felt good, so close to her. I couldn''t say otherwise...no matter what she really meant. Her expression became a haunting, yet beautiful smile. Abruptly, she grabbed my face with both her cold hands. My fingers entwined with her after I ran my hands up her arms, embracing a feeling I yearned for a long time. She looked at me with love-sick eyes, a deep, red blush all over her face. ¡°I love you.¡± She said, her soft hands trembling as they held me like a fragile treasure. ¡°I love you too.¡± I muttered, looking down shyly after realizing what was happening. I was happy. A smile grew on my face, wide. Lillya loves me, and she was a beautiful girl. After years of doubts, fears and self-loathing, I had found my lover. My brain was filled with a sugar I should have never, ever tasted. ¡°Now...are you ready to accept me?¡± She asked me, backing off and holding out her hand. I stared at it for a couple of seconds, grabbing it thereafter. "O-Of course! I accept you!" I thought she meant accepting her being attracted to women, just as I was. I was wrong. I was very, very wrong. We set out of our room, wandering through the corridors of our beautiful home. We reached a door, a door which lead into an unused room of our mansion. She pulled out a key, unlocking it. I was afraid, yet I was curious. What was she going to show me? She held my hand as the door creaked, opening wide for me to see what was inside. Ferya was at the farthest corner of the empty bed, on the bare mattress, hunched over, naked and crying I froze in shock. She was gagged, her arms behind her back tied against the bed¡¯s frame. The door closed, I immediately turned around, panic kicking in. ¡°Come on...Nelya. Let me show you the true meaning of this world.¡± A smile and words that both crawled deep under my skin. My smile wasn''t there anymore. She hummed happily, walking past me toward Ferya, which immediately started screaming in despair. I watched her grab a sharp blade from the bedside table, mounting and straddling her body gently as she squirmed right beneath her. I stood there, motionless. I couldn¡¯t fathom the horrible act that she was doing, I couldn¡¯t accept that who I was looking at, was my sister I¡¯ve been knowing and sharing my entire life for six years...the same sister that just made me her lover minutes earlier. Ferya¡¯s throat soon started to gush out blood all over her white, pure hair. She smiled maniacally towards the best maid I¡¯ve ever met in my life, digging the knife deep, deep inside her neck. ¡°Look, Nelya! Look!!¡± She moaned, throwing her head back and grinding her hips against Ferya¡¯s dying corpse. ¡°This! This is true elation!¡± ¡°N-No...no!!! NO!!¡± I suddenly woke up. I ran towards Lillya, grabbing her bloody arm and pulling her away, making her body hit the floor hard. ¡°Ferya! Ferya! SOMEONE HELP ME, PLEASE!¡± I pressed against her wound, looking at her straight in the eyes. They started losing their light gradually. I sobbed, sobbed in agony, fear, confusion and sadness. ¡°Hahah.¡± Lillya stood up weakly, rubbing her hip and hissing in pain. ¡°Nelya...you said you¡¯d accept me.¡± ¡°I...I don¡¯t get it¡­!¡± I turned towards her, climbing down Ferya and pushing her against the wall across the room. ¡°Why? Why would you do this? What did she ever do to you?!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand, Nelya!¡± She shook her head, grabbing my face. ¡°Nothing matters anymore! It¡¯s just us...and nothing else!¡± ¡°W-What¡­?¡± I was terrified. I was sobbing and she was smiling all the way through. She killed an innocent maid, and yet...she looked happy. ¡°The night is still young, Nelya¡­¡± she muttered, running her hands up my body. ¡°Let¡¯s kill everyone else...come on¡­¡± ¡°N-No!¡± I screamed, pushing her again and grabbing the knife from the ground. I started swinging its blade towards her. ¡°Y-You monster! You killed them!¡± ¡°Hmpf...why do you reject me, Nelya?!¡± She grabbed my arm nimbly, hurling it away with force and trying to kiss me as she pushed me. We both fell on the ground, the knife sliding far away from my hand. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°You won¡¯t understand...Nelya. This is the true meaning of life! We both are destined to be happy...forever!¡± ¡°W-What are you talking about?! SOMEONE HELP ME, PLEASE!¡± I screamed again, trying to push her again. ¡°It¡¯s all useless!¡± She hissed, her cold, pale hand wrapping itself around my neck. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my dear sister...you¡¯ll have to rest for now.¡± My eyes became heavy, my breath short. Soon, my brain lost its supply of oxygen and I lost my consciousness¡­
Why won¡¯t she understand?! Why does she refuse my love? Where did I go wrong? hUmAnS aRe sO cOmPLIcAte! I knocked on their door, my rage boiling my blood. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Mom, dad, it''s me.¡± ¡°Come in, sweetie! Is something wrong?¡±
When I came to, the smell of blood that filled my nostrils made me puke on the floor. I weakly got up, Lillya was gone. Same thing for the blade. I immediately rushed out of the room desperately, knowing exactly what she was doing while I was unconscious. The first thing that came to my mind was rushing over William¡¯s room. He could fight...and he could have stopped her easily. ¡°William! Will...iam¡­?¡± But as soon as I reached his door, it was wide open...nobody inside it. Did he hear my screams? Or the others''? I checked beneath his pillow. His gun was still there. I grabbed it just in case and tiptoed around the house. The rain outside was deafening. I checked every single dark spot of the corridor I was traversing, keeping my ears wide open to hear any type of sound. I held the cold gun in my trembling hands, not having the slightest idea on how to use it...and how lethal it was. ¡°LILLYA, STOP!¡± My heart jumped as soon as I heard William¡¯s voice upstairs...where Rosie had her room. I rushed over, crying with despair as I heard Rosie¡¯s screams and William¡¯s grunts of struggle. My vision narrowed, my footsteps became heavy, my hands gripped the gun hard, almost pulling the trigger. And when I turned the last corner, pointing it inside the room...I saw her. She was cornered, her blade inside Rosie¡¯s stomach. Annaliese on the ground right beside her, dead. She looked over me, her red, glowing eyes in utter despair. William noticed me too, widening his eyes with hope. ¡°NELYA, GIVE ME THE GUN!¡± He screamed. ¡°Nelya...shoot him!¡± Lillya desperately mewled for my help. ¡°Please! I¡¯m just trying to help you! This family...this whole world...is suffering! If you don¡¯t kill him, you¡¯ll suffer!¡± I stood frozen, caught between the chaos unfolding before me. The weight of the gun in my trembling hands felt heavier than ever, each heartbeat echoing louder in my ears. My gaze flickered between my sister and William, torn between loyalty and love. Despite everything, I loved her. I loved Lillya with all my heart. I felt ecstatic when she told me she loved me...when I realized how mutual our feelings were. I couldn''t shoot her. I could have never shot her. Despite her ugly actions¡­I was conflicted. Losing her would have meant losing my only, true love. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­!¡± I muttered through my tears. ¡°Nelya...just stop this madness! It doesn¡¯t have to end like this!¡± ¡°What the fuck are you doing, Nelya?!¡± William screamed at me. ¡°Your brother fornicated with our sister, Rosie! He is the sinner! I am not!¡± Lillya screamed, pointing her finger towards him. ¡°Kill him, Nelya!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let her get into your head, Nelya!¡± William grunted, walking towards me. ¡°Give me the gun, NOW!¡± Lillya¡¯s desperation was palpable, her worlds laced with twisted conviction. ¡°Nelya, please! We can be free from this cursed existence together! End it now...and we¡¯ll be together for all eternity!¡± She smiled at me, tears rolling down her eyes. ¡°NELYA! GIVE ME THE FUCKING GUN!¡± A loud sound. I never heard it in my life, so all I could process was a pop in my ears that almost made them bleed. I opened my teary eyes, staring at the consequences of my actions. William¡¯s corpse on the floor, his chest oozing blood. ¡°Y-YOU¡­!¡± Rosie rushed at me in a frenzy of fear and rage. I pressed that light, easy trigger over and over again, five more times, to be exact. Countless pops inside my small ears as I closed my eyes, aiming wildly wherever. When I opened them back, the window was shattered, Rosie was on top of William...and Lillya was on the ground, holding her own stomach as she coughed blood. ¡°L-Lillya!¡± I screamed with despair, throwing that stupid, deadly tool away and rushing over her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m so, so sorry! I tried to save you¡­! I...no! I don¡¯t want you to die!¡± She held my face, smiling weakly as I kept her in my arms, sobs starting to pour out together with tears. ¡°My dear little Nelya...at least...I can finally kiss you.¡± She brought her lips near mine. I tasted them for the first time...it was wonderful. I deepened our kiss as I cried...and after and endless time, I pulled back. ¡°Why? Why did you do this?!¡± ¡°Because I want you to be happy.¡± ¡°How can I be happy after you killed my family?!¡± ¡°You will understand.¡± ¡°W-What?!¡± ¡°One day...you will understand¡­that this...is hell.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to die! You¡¯re the only thing I have left!¡± I cried, hugging her desperately. ¡°We¡¯ll be together again, Nelya. I promise you.¡± She muttered, her last, cold breaths hitting my neck. ¡°Just wait for me by the tree after your death. I¡¯ll be there for you.¡± ¡°Do you promise!?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± And then, she exhaled for the last time.
The next morning, I checked the whole house. Everyone was dead, even if most of the servants were simply missing. Maybe they ran away through the night, maybe Lillya buried their corpses deep in the woods. I would have never known. I stood by our tree, with tears in my eyes. Despite everything, the fact that she was gone hurt more than the death of my whole family by her hand. Was it forgiveness? Was it na?vet¨¦? Or was it because she made me a monster while I didn¡¯t notice during all these years? That book, those words...I still didn''t understand them. All I knew was that I wanted to see her again. She took everything from me in only one night. The only way I could reattain happiness was by holding her in my arms once more. And so I tied the rope on one of the branches, climbed on it, tied the other end around my neck¡­ I needed her. I needed her warmth despite everything. I closed my eyes, and jumped. I wandered around that empty, haunted mansion for a long time, searching for her. She wasn¡¯t anywhere to be found. She didn¡¯t keep her promise. She lied to me. She killed everyone I loved and then ran away. She made me kill myself...and never came for me as she promised. I was trapped in my own, dead mansion. With no one to talk to, nothing to do. I was bored, sad and about to go mad. My corpse was still hanged. I stared at it with anger, suspicion, discouragement, hatred and desolation. Volume 4 | Chapter V - End Chapter V - End I opened my eyes again, blood kept dribbling down my body. Erika grabbed my arm, squeezing it as she cried silently. I looked over Yunya...no, Nelya. She stared at me with a peaceful, sad smile. ¡°I suppose you witnessed my memories.¡± She said. ¡°What you just saw...is my past.¡± ¡°And...you made me re-do it.¡± I nodded, leaning of the table as the wound got worse, and worse. ¡°I killed him, I helped you kill him even if you hurt me so badly.¡± She gripped her fists hard with rage. ¡°My love for you...surpassed the monstrosities you did! Just like the Nelya of this dream did for you!¡± I was in shock. I didn¡¯t remember one single thing of that bold, ominous Lillya. My void life as a puppet reigned with full conviction, and I wasn¡¯t going to believe that I was the same person as that girl any soon. ¡°Dream¡­?¡± I muttered. ¡°Yes. This is a dream.¡± Nelya confessed. ¡°In truth, everyone in this place is a ghost, a puppet...made for you to remember and come back to me. The only exceptions are you, Erika and that stupid white cat.¡± I looked back at Erika, she nodded at me while still sobbing. ¡°Erika is my first puppet. She was a failure. I tried to summon your soul...and failed. All I did was summoning a mixture of my emotions in a single person. Cold, serious, analytical and with a tendency to hate. I ditched her into the world after failing to make her remember...but she somehow made it back to this mansion, knowing I was going to hurt other people and she tried to defeat me. So, I was forced to make her believe she had a life on her own in this fictional world by partially erasing her memories. Yet...she somehow remembered me as soon as I manifested myself during your first murders...and she tried to stop us because she hates me.¡± ¡°All my studies...all my promised success in life...THEY¡¯RE ALL FAKE!¡± Erika screamed, pushing me aside and going towards Nelya. ¡°I knew it...I knew that you still had control on my life despite my freedom! I¡¯m nothing but a stupid toy, am I?! All those streets, friends at the academy...they were all a stupid dream!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Nelya sighed. ¡°You¡¯re sorry?!¡± She tried to go for her, but instinct took over. I grabbed her from behind and snapped her neck, putting her to rest forever. My last kill. ¡°W-What about me?¡± I asked her, making Erika''s body rest on the floor before unsteadily rising up. ¡°After Erika, I tried again. You were born. You look exactly like her...but you don¡¯t remember anything. I set up the dream for you too, and Erika didn¡¯t take your existence well since the start, because she could unconsciously smell me through you. My plan from then on was...trying to recreate everything as you did it. I have no idea of what you did to my family while I was unconscious, except for William¡¯s and Ferya¡¯s death.¡± Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°But I didn¡¯t touch Ferya.¡± I retorted. ¡°Because I couldn¡¯t bear the sight of her pure soul dying again.¡± She confessed, sighing and looking down shamefully. ¡°I don¡¯t think it matters, anyways. Even if I did make you kill every corpse I found that morning before hanging myself...you still wouldn¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember." I didn¡¯t remember anything. My motives...my desires. What did I mean when I told her that this was hell? Where was I gone when I died? Why didn¡¯t I come back for her? What was that book? That girl wasn''t me. ¡°I¡¯m starting to believe you¡¯re not even her. You¡¯re just my image of who she was.¡± She sniffled, holding back her tears. ¡°What...what about Milo?¡± I asked her, my wound starting to hurt more and more. "And Katherine seeing the woman in white?" ¡°Milo? I don¡¯t know.¡± She shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s probably a manifestation of the mild freedom of thought I gave you. This place is a warped reality...that cat could have been your own creation trying to stop yourself from killing. Katherine''s visions were...a decoy for her to reveal things to you that could have triggered your memories.¡± "Well...t-they did. But they were only small, short flashes." "Yes. I remember." She sighed. "But that is not enough. I need her back fully." I groaned, looking down at my bloody nightgown. ¡°Oh. Right. I¡¯m truly sorry¡­¡± she moved her hand, and the pain disappeared. I finally could stand up and walk to her. ¡°What now?¡± I asked her. ¡°I don¡¯t know. You won¡¯t remember...you won¡¯t come back to me...I don¡¯t know what to do anymore.¡± She muttered, hugging my body. For the first time, she started crying, burying her face into my shoulder. ¡°Nelya¡­¡± I muttered, hugging her back. ¡°...I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, dear. It¡¯s not your fault. I¡¯m so, so sorry for putting you through all this pain for no reason.¡± She whimpered through her sobs. I held her tightly, feeling her shuddering as she cried. The weight of everything she confessed fell heavily on me, but there was a strange comfort in the chaos. This dream world, filled with pain and uncertainty, had revealed the fragility of everyone in it. Nobody was at fault, nobody was bad. Lillya did what she did for purposes that are still a mystery to me, Nelya did what she did for love. I, as a void puppet with the mere scope of bringing back someone that probably would have never came back, could only thread something new...laying the first seeds of redemption. ¡°Nelya¡­¡± I pulled her face up with my fingers, pushing my forehead against hers. ¡°Let¡¯s end it. Together.¡± ¡°W-What¡­?¡± She muttered, still sobbing gently while trying to calm her soul for me. ¡°I may not be that Lillya. But I¡¯m still your faithful puppet. Also...I did sometimes dream of things you didn''t see in your memories. Somewhere...deep down...I know that she''s in here." I pressed my hand against my chest. It was a lie. I did dream of a shore...of someone blonde...but those were probably just hallucinations. Random things. But I wanted to give her hope. "I forgive you for all the sins you committed. I accept your love.¡± I said, smiling gently. ¡°Let us erase this cursed dream once and for all...and let us rest...together. In this mansion. You don¡¯t need to linger around this rotting place alone any longer. Remove all the bodies...remove all the illusions. It will be just us, forever...just like the old Lillya wanted.¡± ¡°Yes¡­you¡¯re right.¡± She nodded happily, drying her tears. ¡°I don¡¯t have to wait for her any longer. I have you now...and you¡¯re more than enough. I love you, Lillya.¡± ¡°I love you too, Nelya.¡± Everything swirled around us. Erika¡¯s form dissipated into nothingness, devoid of any other goal. Same thing for every other thing that had the purpose to make me remember. We closed our eyes, holding each other¡¯s warmth.
And so my story ends here. I''m currently living with her in this haunted, abandoned mansion, living uneventful days with someone I''m learning to love more day by day. I still don''t feel any trace of that Lillya coming back, but I think that''s for the better. Epilogue ¡°So...anything you can tell us, miss Saijo?¡± Satomi Saijo rested on her chair, looking out of her window with a pensive expression. She was almost fifty, not suitable for the job anymore. Luckily, the money from the Rondart family was more than enough to carry on for the rest of her years. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time.¡± She sighed, looking at the reporter. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you still care about such old stories.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s such a famous story of this city. The Rondart family and its end...it¡¯s still on everyone¡¯s mouth to this day!¡± He exclaimed excitedly. ¡°You¡¯re the only maid that worked there that we could contact.¡± ¡°All I know is that we had a demon in that house. And I¡¯ve always knew it.¡± She replies, clenching her fists. ¡°And that same demon sucked a wonderful, beautiful child deep into hell with her.¡± ¡°Demon? Who are you talking about?¡± ¡°Lillya. The demon that vanquished that family and brought Nelya to madness.¡± ¡°Lillya Rondart. Yes...she was one of the youngest daughters. What about her?¡± ¡°She wasn¡¯t human.¡± She replied, a nauseous sensation churning inside her. ¡°I¡¯m sure she comes from the depths of this earth. A monster that learned to crawl out.¡± ¡°How do you know that all these things are true about her, miss Saijo?¡± ¡°Because for all the six years I¡¯ve had the chance to work in that household...I could witness her. Strange occurrences plagued that house¡ªunexplained whispers in the dead of night, shadows that danced along the walls where she walked...Lillya...she was always at the center of all the creepy, strange things I saw. She had a darkness in her eyes...a dead darkness only few could notice and feel...only those who were sharp. Sadly, I was the only one of that kind, in that household.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell anyone about it?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t lose my job. Miss and lord Rondart loved her to death..." This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°But believe me, I beg of you.¡± Her hands trembled as she looked at the reporter straight in the eyes. ¡°I saw things...things that defy reason. She spoke to entities that others couldn''t see, made pacts with forces beyond mortal comprehension. It was as if she were possessed by something ancient and unfathomable. And Nelya slowly got sucked in. I could do nothing but watch until the night I had to flee, after hearing screams of pain and agony. Once, I had this weird dream...where I was her, a white haired girl...in a deep, red sea with a black sky and a scorching sun. I saw a golden haired woman beside me, and we started fornicating. This dream...I can¡¯t remove it from my head. She¡¯s the reason of it...I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°What did you learn from witnessing such a horrifying experience?¡± ¡°There are some things in this world¡­that defy any kind of explanation or logic. Lillya was one of them. We can only pray. Pray that they don¡¯t choose to play with us.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± The reporter stood up, closing his notebook. ¡°Interesting story, miss Saijo. I do believe you¡¯re telling the truth. You look sincere.¡± ¡°I wish I wasn¡¯t.¡± She chuckled bitterly. ¡°I¡¯m still trying to forget and to convince myself it was all a dream, a lie.¡± ¡°I wish you the best.¡± The reported bowed and left, leaving Satomi alone. She looked at her hands again, taking a deep breath. I let you go...so that you can tell the others that the end is near. ¡°S-Shut up! Shut up!¡± She screamed, hitting her head. ¡°You¡¯re dead now...they found your corpse...you must be dead!¡± She stood up, rushing to her kitchen and drinking a full glass of water before staring into the void, trying to forget. Some monsters are best left buried under the surface of our earth. Some memories are best left buried under the surface of our minds. Some loves are best left buried under the surface of hell.