《The Scarlet Maiden.》 Chapter 1: The Awakening. Valerie Sinclair sits on a chair in the spacious lounge room, tapping her foot at a steady pace on the marble floor; arms crossed. The chatter of all the family members gathered can be heard from the room itself, despite the distance. It''s the least bothersome thing with what''s going to happen in just a few minutes from now. A sigh escapes her lips, closing her eyes to get a moment to calm her racing mind, but its short lived as she hears quick footsteps cascading down the hall outside from the right. The footsteps slow down as they approach the door, coming to a halt in front of it. The person on the other side of the door knocks softly before entering shortly after. "Valerie, I''ve been searching left and right for you." Her maid, Rosaline, says softly while panting, a woman with hazel eyes and hair, and a rather tall figure. Valerie turns her head to look at whoever entered, fixing her curly brown hair in the process. "Clearly..." She replies in a nonchalant tone. She stands up from her seat, spreading her black, red accent dress well for a few seconds. She takes a soft breath to steady herself before looking up at Rosaline. "It''s time, isn''t it?" Valerie inquires with a raised eyebrow. Rosaline nods her head with an excited smile, almost as if she was the one in Valerie''s position, "Indeed it is! Aren''t you excited?" She says, her voice brimming with energy. "Excited would be overstating," Valerie replies, then pauses for a short moment and sighs. "It''s irritating how the hot topic is me being titled the Scarlet Maiden, something that''s not even guaranteed. It feels like anything other than Scarlet Maiden would be the end of my life. Very stressful." She says with a tired voice. Rosaline smiles reassuringly and tilts her head slightly, "Don''t worry so much Valerie, the stress will surely not do you well in aging. It''s like you said; not guaranteed, it''s not you to choose whether or not you become the Scarlet Maiden. And whatever happens, I''ll still view you the same, as Valerie Sinclair." She says in a warm voice. "Just Valerie Sinclair won''t be enough to find out what happened to my mother." She says with a cold tone, looking down at the ground. Silence envelopes the room. "Well then, shall we be on our way to the ceremony? It is time for your Awakening." Rosaline says, "Very well." Valerie replies quietly. They walk through the halls in silence, the chatter of the ceremony chamber serving as ambience. Valerie glances out the window. In a few moments, her whole life was going to change. As she peers through the window, she notices something that catches her eye, what seems like people hiding and planning. Not only that; they don''t look like any family member she''s seen, and they are not dressed for the occasion either. Her eyes narrow at the sight. Dark figures in the night that she cannot make out, like predators waiting for the right moment to pounce. That''s... Odd. "Time passes quickly, doesn''t it? You were just a little child the other day, and now there''s this." She says while looking forward with a pleased smile, Valerie turns away from the sight to look at Rosaline. "You sound like an old lady, Rosaline." Valerie replies bluntly, offering no empathy. Rosaline laughs quietly. "You would be surprised that your words are true," She says before she puts a hand to her chest, "I''m simply blessed with youth." she adds with a smug, matter of fact tone. They near the entrance of the ceremony chamber, "I shall not go past this point, but all the best to you, Valerie." Rosaline says, giving a bow with hands together in front of her. Valerie watches her and nods, "Very well, and thank you." She replies, and turns around with a clenched fist. Valerie walks in the dim long hallway, the sounds of chatter get louder and louder. She sighs, glancing through the window again seeing more mysterious figures outside, unmoving.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Should I be concerned about that? She thinks, but her heart skips a beat as she remembers what situation she''s in. So instead she fixes her dress, her hair, any imperfections she could find. As she does she thinks, Scarlet Maiden, hm? If I do end up as the Scarlet Maiden, could I find out what really happened to Mama? There''s no way she just... Left, like they say, right? She stops in front of the entrance door and waits looking up at the ceiling with a blank expression. So many questions, with no answers. Her fingers curl even tighter into her palm, and she takes a deep breath. Scarlet Maiden, Scarlet Maiden, your title carries so much power, so much authority, but will it be enough? The door opens startling Valerie from her thoughts, and a lady with purple eyes and long, black hair comes through. A smirk appears on her face, "Valerie, what a long time apart, yes?" She drags her words slightly with amusement. "Aunt, Lilith..." Valerie says in a fake excitement, her lips curving into a forced smile over her clenched jaw; trying to hide her distaste towards her. "How times pass so quick... Everybody''s talking about you being the next Scarlet Maiden, thrilling, isn''t it!?" She pauses, putting her weight on one foot as her smirk widens. "But let''s not anchor on expectations before the actual Awakening ritual, I wouldn''t want to stay... Disappointed, would I?" She says with a passive aggressive tone, threatening in its nature. Valerie glares at her slightly, "Well! Shall we now?" Lilith adds. "We shall..." Valerie replies. She walks beside Lilith on a dedicated walk path, the chatter of the crowd looks like it''s all fixed on Valerie from how every pair of eyes track her path. For Valerie, this could be the start, or the end of her life. Valerie looks around the place, scanning everything with her red eyes. Many people gathered just for this one thing, each step she took was one moment less to awakening her power. In front of her, a few stairs lead to the family prism placed on its pedestal in all its glory, the object that will decide and awaken her power, a relic passed down in family history. She went up the stairs. Around 2 meters behind the prism, is her father, Orion Sinclair, looking at her with his purple eyes blankly despite the occasion. It''s no surprise to her though with how absent he was in her life. She stands in front of the prism, around a meter away, the awakening was about to start, and the whole crowd goes silent. Orion extended his hand towards the prism, "The light guides our path, and brings us to our ultimate destination, whatever it may be, may it be well with you." He says, before shooting out a shining white light into the prism, it''s glow intensifying gradually. And then, five rays of light, shoot out of the prism, all going different directions, spreading across the room. Five rays, one of red, the others green, blue, indigo and violet. But Valerie''s focus was fixed on the red ray. All the rays came to focus on Valerie that made her body feel like it was on fire, and she felt a rush of energy that was almost sickening, but she has to endure it. Her body absorbs the rays and then after a while, the violet ray reflects off her, then the green, if she is to become the Scarlet Maiden she needs only the red ray to be the ray being absorbed by her. The indigo ray reflects off her, there are only two rays left now, the blue and the red. And then finally, the blue ray reflected leaving only the red ray, she has done it, she is The Scarlet Maiden. Everyone watching went into applaud, some faces of joy, others of envy and mockery, Valerie had to hide her brewing excitement. She turns around and Lilith, walks up to her. She smirks faintly at Valerie, and gives her a curtsy. Valerie face shifts a bit in unease at her smirk but does the same, but deeper as per the custom. She takes two steps back, and looks around the place in slight disgust. Why is it that you applaud, would you do the same if I wasn''t the Scarlet Maiden now? She takes a breath and waits for the crowd to quiet down before she speaks her oath. "I... As Valerie Sinclair, and now the Scarlet Maiden, Swear my loyalty to the Sinclair family, that I will uphold the family name and serve to the best of my capacity." She says in a firm tone. The crowd applauds again even louder this time. Valerie gets distracted from her excitement, she glances out the window and sees the same mysterious figures looming around in the distance in the manor''s premises, she looks over at her father who turns to look at her too. She walks over to her father; Orion, and says at his side while looking forward. "Father, I''ve come to notice some mysterious figures looming outside within the premises of the house." Valerie says quietly. "Indeed..." He says with a relaxed tone, crossing his arms with a faint smile that doesn''t reach his eyes. Valerie upon hearing this, gets a little irritated and looks over at her father with the corner of her eye. "Is that... Not a concerning matter...?" Orion chuckles slightly, uncrossing his arms, "No, not at all... Anyways, I suppose you would rather skip talking to everyone?" "Yes please..." Valerie replies. Orion stays silent for a while before walking off. "Very well then..." Valerie walks out of the ceremony chamber and walks through the dim hallway at a slow pace. I''m now the Scarlet Maiden... The Scarlet Maiden. Valerie stops as she reaches an open lounge space that''s empty. She looks at her hand and moves it a bit, she feels powerful, superhuman. She leans on a wall and puts her hand to her chest. I might have a chance to figure out what happened to Mama now. "You''re going to do it, aren''t you?" Rosaline says while standing across the room, slowly approaching Valerie. Valerie, who was too deep in thought, didn''t even realize Rosaline, she flinches as she hears Rosaline and looks at her. There both silent, Rosaline tilts her head with a blank expression, awaiting an answer. "Don''t try and stop me, Rosaline." She says coldly; staring daggers at Rosaline with her tired, deep red eyes. Rosaline smiles and nods. "Very well then," She pauses for a while, "you know the consequences if you are caught, don''t you?" She asks. Valerie stays silent while looking away. Rosaline nods again and sighs, her eyes also drifting away to the side. "I see," She pauses. "You are dismissed, Rosaline." Valerie says before Rosaline can say anything. She smiles and bows with her hands together in front of her. "Yes... Do be careful then." Valerie nods while looking away. As Valerie is all alone, she finally has a moment to think, or so she thought, she feels a vibration move through the floor below her and then. A loud explosion shakes the earth; shattering the lights. The sound of it cutting through the silence like a hot knife. The sound of things falling and breaking all around the place, and the dust that rose into the air. Valerie jumps at the sudden occurrence and looks up at the ceiling then around the now dark room, she walks over to the window as pieces of glass crack beneath her feet; glancing outside. Oh no. Her eyebrows furrow in irritation, "Not a problem, he said, and now there''s whatever this is..." Chapter 2: Hellscape Valerie Sinclair stands still for a bit, to process the situation at hand, while submerged in the darkness of the room. Explosions of smaller scales go off in the distance, glass shattering, and the sound of fire. How a normal event turned into what could only be described as a hellscape. Valerie tilts her head and looks around now that her eyes have adapted to the change in light. She starts running through a hallway, still plunged in darkness. The shattered glass from the lights crack beneath Valerie''s feet with each step like firecrackers. She takes a turn, then another, and sees an opening to the natural light of the moon. She approaches the opening and reaches an open loggia connecting two sections of the house and stops running, and walks over to the rails of the long walkway while panting. Her eyes receive a sight only in nightmares... Fire coming from multiple areas of the house. Thick, black smoke hindering sight of other places, and an acrid smell that could burn nose hairs. Valerie''s eyes drift, looking down at the garden connected to the loggia, untouched by the chaos unravelling, an unquestionable contrast to it all. The fountains went on, the water ejected from them glittering in the orange light of the flames, and the gazebo in the middle was calm, and ever still. Valerie watches in disbelief, "Unbelievable..." She says to herself. Her heart beats fast in her chest, there was a good possibility this was because of her, taking advantage of a new Scarlet Maiden that had just awakened. It''s all because of me, isn''t it? But all of her thoughts fade, as her head went blank, before she could even react to it. Valerie was frozen, unfeeling of everything, she could hear the flames burning, see the explosion in the distance go off, smell the smoke, but could not comprehend, was not aware of it all. Someone''s arms wrap loosely around Valerie''s neck, their body close enough that she would feel their breath. The arms were weightless. The figure glows faintly in white, with pale; cool skin. It starts to play with her hair from behind, spinning it round it''s fingers. "It''s fascinating, right? To just see it all burn, see it all fall. A shame it won''t last long, your father will take care of this quickly. But the fall of our family is not to happen now, the situation does not benefit us. So what will you do, darling? My Scarlet Maiden?" the figure says in a harmonic tone; A female voice, before seeming to fade away. Footsteps approach Valerie, and it turns out to be Rosaline, "Valerie, we have to get somewhere safe!" she says worried, a tone laced with urgency. Valerie didn''t reply, she remains frozen with blank eyes; lips parted slightly. "V-Valerie! We have to get going!" she says with a trembling voice, with even more urgency as she reaches out to grab Valerie''s shoulder. She flinches as she feels Rosaline grab her shoulder and looks at her with the corner of her eye, with a face that wasn''t frightened, not shocked, just blank. "Oh... Right," Valerie finally replies blankly. "Are you, ok?" Rosaline asks, worried about what she saw just now. "Yes... Yes I am," Valerie says, seemingly unknowong of what happened to her. "Well, we have to get somewhere safe quickly," Rosaline says, her voice a bit more firm now.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Valerie nods and they both start moving quickly, but carefully. As they walk through the dark space, it''s silent except for the sound of flames and things breaking here and there. "It''s surprising how a normal ceremony became such a... Nightmare," Rosaline says quietly as they walk slowly through the place, avoiding any assailants. Valerie tilts her head, "Before this, when you were walking me to the ceremony chamber. I saw some odd figures outside, they looked like they were planning something, then this happened," she says in a weirdly calm voice, like she wasn''t experiencing the same situation as Rosaline. They continued moving, step after step and turn after turn until they reached a door, and opened it leading into a spacious lounge room, with a door on the other side. The lounge room was a victim of one of the explosions, with a quarter of it destroyed and burnt on the right of the room, a few flames burning on the floor. Valerie looks at the destruction on the right and sees what looks like a sofa that was completely burnt. If a normal person was sitting on that sofa during the explosion, they would have... Valerie cuts off that thought, not wanting to think about it. She follows Rosaline from behind, looking around her as she does. A part of the roof starts to creak and descends lower to the ground, Valerie looks up and notices it, when it suddenly comes falling, right where Rosaline is. "Rosaline!" she shouts, reaching out to pull her out of the impact area. The material of the roof comes crashing down on Rosaline''s left leg, and she lets out a pained scream. "Rosaline!" Valerie yells in panic, "Don''t worry, I''ll get you out right now." she says with an unsteady voice before she immediately gets to task. She starts removing the heavy debris, each lift being a physical endeavor, her hands being filthied with light and shallow lacerations from the debris. Finally, after a good amount of time and effort, she groans as she takes the last piece off. Taking a look at Rosaline''s left leg, it was injured with multiple lacerations and was fractured in more than one area. "You definitely cannot walk on that, I''ll- I''ll help you up." Valerie says before helping Rosaline walk, supporting most of her weight so she doesn''t have to put weight on her injured leg. Valerie looks at Rosaline in pain, "You''ll be ok Rosaline, just try and endure for now." Valerie says to Rosaline in an attempt to comfort her. Rosaline smiles and nods, "Right.." Just as Valerie is about to move, she hears voices outside the door. "Maxwell, I heard some noise coming from somewhere here," what sounds to be the voice of a man speaks up. "And why does that matter? We''re here for the Scarlet Maiden, she would probably be safe guarded by the Amethyst," another man says in a deeper, much older voice. "Not just any noise, it was a literal scream," the first man to speak replies back. Valerie stayed still in the room, completely frozen; while holding Rosaline. Her heart beating at lightning speed, her body shaking and cold sweat trickling down her face. Just why, why does this have to happen to me, to us? She felt like she was going to cry. She couldn''t move, not at that moment, not in the current environment, so she stayed in an exposed position, where she would be seen the moment someone opens the door. "You''re being stupid Daniel, this is the eighth time you told me you had a person make a noise and each time we checked we found nothing!" the man replies back in frustration. "Maxwell, trust me on this one!" the other man says in desperation. "No such thing, let''s go, time is of the essence," he replies back while walking away, his voice becoming more distant. "You know sometimes I wish you didn''t neglect me!" the other guy shouts as he follows. Valerie sighs in relief, the tension in her muscles disappears, she is on the verge of tears with everything that is happening. "Valerie, why didn''t you hide? Wasn''t that risky?" Rosaline inquires. "No, it was the safest option, the floor is covered in shattered glass and other materials, taking a step with the floor in such condition while also carrying you," She pauses. She takes a step forward and the materials beneath her wedges break under pressure, cracking and snapping. "That loud sound would most definitely catch their attention," Valerie says as she starts moving again. "Hm, isn''t that smart? But you''ve always been so observant even when you were young." Rosaline says with a smile. "Rosaline, no, I told you, you sound like an old lady." Valerie replies with disinterest and a bit of embarrassment. Valerie opens the door on the other side of the lounge room and peeks outside. Seeing no one, she exits the room, while adjusting Rosaline. "Now, now, Valerie, I''ve raised you for 13 years, I can''t help it." She says. Valerie sighs, "Those things happened a long time ago, Rosaline, and I''m eighteen now. Can we just focus on what''s actually happening?" She says with slight irritation. "Right." Rosaline replies. "How''s your leg doing?" Valerie asks. "It''s painful, but I seem to manage." Rosaline replies. "That''s good." Valerie says. She continues walking them until an explosion goes off to the right of them, Valerie''s eyes widen realizing there might be assailants near. Before she can even make a move, seven men, looking nothing like family members come from the right turn in the distance, one man, with a long beard, speaks up. "There! The Scarlet Maiden!" the man shouts, making the rest of them turn towards Valerie. "No..." Valerie whispers quietly, her voice trembling. They were in danger, true danger. Chapter 3: With all she has. Valerie grabs Rosaline tighter on her right side; holding her lower hip and hoists her higher up so she doesn''t drag down, she turns back with explosive speed. Just why, why, does this all have to happen tonight? She thought to herself, tears filled her eyes as she tried to run, each step became a greater effort than the last; she was drenched in sweat, from the heat of the flames, and the physical movement. She runs down the hallway illuminated by flames at its end. Using all she can to move faster; even though it felt useless, she pushed on. Her heartbeat thumped, she could feel it in her neck. The worst sound was the footsteps of the seven men chasing behind her, the sound of their footsteps getting too close for comfort. Her feet tangle in Rosaline''s dress, making her trip; and she fails to regain her balance. They both fall. Valerie maneuvers to absorb most of the impact; she stays on the ground for a moment, It felt better to just lay down on the ground and give up. But she struggles up, even with her muscles in protest. Tears flow down her eyes. No, not like this. She gets back up and tries to run again, but her time is up, as she feels a hand grab her shoulder. "No!" another hand grabs her arm, pulling her back. "Let me go!" she roars in pure anger, as two other men grab Rosaline. "Rosaline!" "Valerie!" Rosaline shouts back, with a tone of panic. "Ok, we have The Scarlet Maiden. leave the maid lady; she''s useless," one of the three men just standing, says dismissively. "No, she''s with The Scarlet Maiden, she could be a good source of intel, we keep the woman," another one says, lighting himself a cigarette. The man holding Rosaline on her left proceeds to strike Rosaline''s neck, knocking her out. Valerie''s world slows down as she sees this, there was just too much happening too fast. Valerie grits her teeth, turning back to look at her arm being held. She jerks it back and forth abruptly, loosening his grip, and breaks free. She elbows the man in the face, and uses her leg to sweep his own, making him plummet to the ground. She wiggles free from the other man''s grip and knees him in his family jewels. She dashes towards Rosaline but gets plunged onto the floor by two other men. The air in her lungs escapes from the force of the plummet. "No way she just did that, I''m gonna kill this bitch!" the man who got kneed says. He reaches for his knife, while keeping Valerie on the ground. "What the hell do you think you''re doing!? We need her alive, so control yourself! Stupid!" a man says to him. "Guys, can you not? We have to get moving, we don''t have time to be in one place for too long, we need to leave before... You know, the Amethyst arrives?" a guy with his arms crossed says. Valerie''s vision blurs, her body felt exhausted, to the point even the ground felt restful. She couldn''t move, her body refuses to do so. Her chest felt like it would burst from being choked. As Valerie slowly loses consciousness, she looks up in front of her. What looks like a woman, sitting cross legged on the ground. She has brown hair and her pale skin glows a warm white, covered in a pure white gown.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. A finger on her lower lip and was smiling; Valerie couldn''t make out her face. Although she did look around her twenties. There was a woman right in front of her, yet no one seemed to notice her presence. Valerie didn''t linger on the thought for much longer, as she passed out. "Great! She''s passed out," the guy spits on Valerie, and gets off her. They all stay in silence for a bit bemused, the man smoking the cigarette exhales a small cloud of smoke. They then start carrying Rosaline and Valerie. "We head to where the assault leader is in the south, and he''ll take us from there until we leave this place." They walk over to the required location. As they walk the man carrying Rosaline, also the one who was angry at Valerie and the man smoking a cigarette, creep behind a bit. "This woman''s heavy!" he says in irritation. "You''re probably just weak," "Well, the only thing I see you holding is that cancer stick between your fingers. You might as well be the strongest one here with how you carry your way to cancer," he says with the marks of a fragile ego. They both go silent. He takes a puff of his cigarette, "The quicker we reach the assault leader and get out of here, the better, he''s our best bet against the Amethyst." "Please, it''s not like he could beat him," he says with arrogance. "Exactly, it''s just a stall game; to keep him busy. There''s only so much you can do against a force you can''t comprehend." Valerie opens her eyes slowly and finds herself submerged in water. It''s Cold... She thinks in her head, looking around her with her eyes, since she can''t move. It looks like she was in an infinite expanse of water and was slowly sinking. The place was dim, with a small amount of light coming from the surface. Where, is this? Am I... Dead? She thinks, she couldn''t feel her body but she could see it; she was wearing a white gown. She didn''t breath, but she didn''t choke on the water, it was like she didn''t need air. "It''s about time I take over, so we can get to work, my Scarlet Maiden." a female voice says coming from all directions. Scarlet... Maiden? Right... I am, The Scarlet Maiden. She starts to get her strength back, the cold water around her starts to heat up and boil, and the water gradually becomes red. Orion Sinclair, is on top of the rooftop surveying the area of the house, with his hands in the pocket of his suit; looking down blankly with his purple eyes at the sight of the house. Hm, Me, Lilith and the rest did a good job cleaning up this infestation. He looks towards the front entrance of the house. All the Sinclairs who were not needed for this event have left, good. And they''re no more energy signals left from the assailants. He glances over to a specific direction as his expression darkens slightly. ...Except, for one. One hallway was splattered and splashed with red like a canvas, from the blood of the seven people that took Valerie and Rosaline; there bodies limp on the ground. It is safe to say they never made it to the assault leader. Rosaline was on the floor, still unconscious. Next to Rosaline was Valerie, on her knees. Her black dress covered in blood. She was also unconscious, with her head down and arms relaxed on her sides. The assault leader walks through the halls, looking through the now empty house. It was silent and relaxed, almost like there was no whole invasion that happened. But of course, the environment gave it away, the shattered windows and lights, blasted walls, and floors and flames burning left and right. "Hm, all this time and I haven''t laid an eye on the Scarlet Maiden yet, what an interesting night this is, truly," he says with an amused smirk. The assault leader was a giant man, around 6''6. A diagonal scar was planted on his face, with a full black beard. He carried a big axe in his hand. He takes a left turn into a hallway that leads to a loggia, and back into another hallway on the other side of the loggia. In the middle of the other hallway he sees a sight that cancels out the words he just said. He grins and walks over to the other side, "Well, bloody hell... What do we have here?" He says approaching closer until he''s right in front of Valerie, looking at her. "So this is the Scarlet Maiden of the Sinclair family, I suppose she led to this gruesome sight through a rogue activation of her ability," he pauses, "the things that stress and fear can make one do," he smiles to himself as he realizes. "It makes someone shake uncontrollably, panic, want to look away from the sight, produce cold sweat, and overthink," he says to himself as his smile widens into a grin. "I can tell as a father, and the Amethyst of the Sinclair family, that you know that feeling all too well, don''t you, Orion?" He turns around to look at Orion standing behind him with a blank expression, and his hands in his pocket. The assault leader continues to grin and rests his axe on his shoulder, holding it with one hand. "No words unless necessary? Your just as they say. But yes, how rude of me, to not even greet, to welcome a new day, despite the circumstance of being night, I say now, Good morning." Orion continues to stare at him blankly, "I''m here for my daughter, you know you''re outmatched, so move over and your death will be instant, at the very least." he moves his head down while still looking at the assault leader. They both stay silent. Orion removes one hand out of his pocket and scratches his stubbled beard, "You choose foolishly, very well." "The knight in shining armor comes to save his princess!" he pauses, "But with your sins, your armor remains quite filthy." he grips his axe in a ready position as his grin fades, replaced by a more serious one, focusing on the impending fight. Chapter 4: Reciprocated Greeting. The assault leader stands with his body tense, adrenaline coursing through his veins. His knuckles white with his fingers wrapped around his axe. Orion keeps his purple eyes on the assault leader, his stature radiating no amount of tension. The chill of the wind hits him but he does not move. The sun peeks over the horizon, shooting it''s orange rays of lights onto the surface, allowing Orion a better look at the hunter in the hallway. Orion takes his hand out of his pocket, moving his head to allow better access to his itch on his skin, underneath his stubbled beard. "So... Tell me something, what''s your name?" he asks, his voice never shifting even a bit. The assault leader lowers his axe, his eyes still glued on Orion, "Matthew. That''s all you need to know," his voice trembles but still hits Orion''s ears clearly. "Hm... Right. Well tell me then, Matthew. Why do you fight, when you know you cannot win?" The assault leader''s eyes widen, and his shoulders slump. He grits his teeth, his eyebrows furrow together as he exhales. A sheepish smile appears on the frame of his face. "I- Well... I, am a born fighter. With all my years in the fight, it would only be humorous, pitiful even¡ªto die, or even flee from someone''s mercy, even from you... Amethyst," he says quietly. "You hesitate, why is that?" one of his eyebrows raise. Matthew raises his axe, the tension in his body returning as he grips his axe tightly. He sighs. "Amethyst, please just... Finish this quickly." He bends his knees, tensing his legs like a spring ready to explode. His eyebrows furrow, looking up at the Amethyst outside in the loggia, in the rays of the sun. "Very well..." Orion replies, taking both of his hands out of his pocket. The assault leader takes a deep breath, filling his lungs. He explodes forward, rushing towards Orion. In the palm of Orion''s left hand, scarlet energy begins to gather and concentrate, an energy that moves like the plasma of the sun, volatile and destructive, spewing out in every direction and tinting the environment pink, his hand glows from the extreme heat. The assault leader plunges into the loggia, the warm rays of sun hitting his skin. He holds his axe with only his right hand. "Ah yes, and I did not return your greeting. So to you, I also say, Good morning, and farewell." Orion says. The hunter reaches just in front of Orion, but he didn''t swing, he continued rushing forward, like a blind animal. Orion quickly takes the moment of no offense, and slides a foot forward, his torso turning to the side as naturally as human body mechanics. He strikes the assault leader gently with his left hand, the assault leader can feel the heat of the energy already incinerating his clothing and skin. The energy explodes like a firework, it''s light blinding the assault leader and dimming the area. The sound ripples through the air and he flies back into the wall at the end of the hallway from the force of the explosion, leaving a trail of glittering, crackling scarlet energy particles behind. He looks over at the hole in the wall, where the leader broke through. You never meant to swing, didn''t you? You just needed to look like you had put a great effort, you didn''t want to die purely under the name of mercy. Pitiful, more pitiful than dying at the hands of mercy when you knew you couldn''t win. Orion walks over to Valerie, on her knees, covered in blood from head to toe. He glances over at Rosaline for just a moment, then turning over to the seven dead men, all on the ground different positions, one even having his head taken off. "Seems Valerie did some quick sweeping of the place here," he says. He bends over and puts his hands under her pits and lifts her up until she''s standing, then quickly wraps his left hand around her chest level. He takes his right hand down and lifts her legs up, carrying Valerie in his arms.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. He looks back at Rosaline, still unconscious on the ground, covered in blood like Valerie, with the corner of his eyes, before looking back ahead and starts walking. He walks out of the house, seeing a crowd of people outside, a group of many family members gathered and discussing, a variety of cars parked in the front of the big parking lot of the house. Orion walks over to a man wearing a black, high quality, black suit talking to one of the maids of the house. "Mr. Winslow," Orion says, interrupting their conversation. The maid walks off to a group of maids, and the man looks towards Orion. He was a tall man, around an inch taller than Orion, Orion himself being 5''11, dark brown hair parted neatly in the middle, and a thick moustache framing high cheekbones. "Yes, Sir?" the man asks, his eyebrow raising slightly with hands behind his back. "I have some orders for you..." he says, and then begins to go over what he wants. "...And lastly, my daughter. I put her under your care, reach out to one of the family doctors and have them treat her, as well as any other injured person during this event," he finishes. "Very well, Sir," he takes Valerie in his arms as Orion walks off. Orion walks around, looking around the place at the people gathered in groups talking and discussing in the parking lot. He looks behind him, seeing Lilith, standing with crossed arms looking around, her eyes catch Orion''s looking at her, and Orion walks over. "Any attention from the police, news or firefighters?" Orion asks, walking over to Lilith in her empty standing spot. Lilith looks at her black painted nails on her left hand, her right hand supporting her elbow, "No, not at all," she replies. "That''s good, we don''t need any attention from the public," he comes to a stop around in front of Lilith. He puts his hands in his pockets, looking off to the side. Lilith smiles, "So... What happened?" she looks over at Orion, crossing her arms, tilting her head. "She used her ability. Seems like she killed seven people while she was at it, then passed out." Her eyes widen a bit, her smile turning into a slight grin. "Hah! Well, isn''t that interesting? Not only that, but she somehow ended up knowing how it''s used? That''s potential, Orion, it''s like she''s made for The Scarlet Maiden''s ability, even her personality. Fierce and sharp, she''s just like her mother, perhaps-" "I don''t like where you''re going with that, and I told you before, not to bring Seraphina up, Lilith." he looks at Lilith, his eyebrows furrowed slightly, fists clenched gently. Lilith raises an eyebrow, "What? It''s simply fascinating... Come on Orion! She''s clearly blessed with potential just like her, she could be a lovely asset for us, don''t you think?" Orion tilts his head, his fingers sinking into his palms a bit more, "No such thing, she''ll break under the pressure, and what''s the use of your plan if she won''t last?" "Then she''s simply waste, and oh I know she''ll last, She''s a strong lady, she''ll definitely last the mile," she looks Orion up and down. "But then again, how would you know... When you can''t even remember to see her on her birthday?" she moves closer to Orion, leaning into him to whisper. Orion''s jaw clenches, visible from the outside visually, "She would deteriorate slowly, if that was the case, we need to think long term to a solution that doesn''t have to be breaking her, she needs time, Lilith, what you suggest is reckless." "Oh I would go to great extents, Orion, to have a Scarlet Maiden is one thing, but to have one with such potential is even more, let''s try something new for a chance, your way didn''t work after all," she smirks, "So let''s not waste this, not like last time." Orion grits his teeth, his eyebrows furrow even more. "Potential doesn''t mean she''ll get it all at once, this is why I''m telling you, she needs time, time to grow into her power and status as the Scarlet Maiden." he says, his voice a bit louder than before. "Something we only have so much of. Families won''t wait for her to grow into her power, if what happened tonight wasn''t already obvious on that," she says looking over at the destroyed house with the corner of her eyes. Orion''s expression darkens as he keeps his eyes on Lilith, "I invite them with open arms to come and try." Lilith chuckles quietly, "You amuse me little brother, you''ve always been such a softie, a protector. Even mother said it. It''s always been a surprise how you became the Amethyst. You hide under that hard shell of yours, hoping it will keep you safe, but it won''t. If you don''t toughen up, you too will break. And when you do, no one will help you. You''ll just be one big liability..." Lilith turns around and takes a few steps, she comes to a halt while still looking forward, her back facing Orion. "And just so you remember, it took both of us to make the monster Seraphina ended up being," she adds, before walking off. Orion stands, looking at Lilith''s fleeting figure, he looks down at the ground, the fabric of his black suit tightens around his arms. Valerie opens her eyes abruptly, to the sight of a roof above her, her vision blurry. She lets out a breath. She sits up on whatever she was laying on and rubs her eyes. As her vision clears, she looks towards the source of light which was the glass door to a balcony, overlooking a grass field with familiar white curtains. The light was bright and yellow, hinting at it being around the afternoon. The place was quiet, almost too quiet. Where, am I? She looks down, noticing she was laying on her queen sized bed at home, full of different pillows and plushies of animals. Her usual house if there was nothing special going on. "I''m... Ok..." she looks at her hand for a bit. She sighs and lays back down on her bed, letting gravity take her down. She rests her right palm on her chest, the other on the mattress, feeling her heart beat quicken, she closes her eyes for a minute, thinking back at what happened to her however long ago from currently. I''m alive... Her eyes open abruptly and widen, she springs back up into a sitting position as her heart skips a beat. "Rosaline..." Chapter 4.5: The Regular Valerie quickly gets to her feet, and gets changed into a simple, loose, white dress with pastel blue accents from her clothing room, that went well with her brown hair and contrasted with her deep red eyes. She tied her hair in a neat bun at her desk''s oval mirror and put on some slippers before pacing out the room, she didn''t run but walked at a swift pace through the silent, red carpeted hallways, brightly illuminated by the afternoon sun. "Good afternoon, Young Miss," a maid with black hair and eyes, and a short stature said as she bowed slightly, with hands in front of her. Valerie turned towards the maid quickly, she nodded her head, "Good afternoon, Melissa," she said, before continuing her path hastily. Her butler, was walking the same direction as her, surveying the place and watching the rear field of the house from the right windows of the hallway. Valerie speeds up a bit more, approaching his figure, "Mr. Aldridge, do you happen to know where Rosaline is?" she asks with a raised eyebrow, standing around two meters from him. The butler turns to look at Valerie, a man with thick eyebrows and a compact build with average height, "Well yes, Young Miss, she should be in her chamber resting as we speak, though I would not worry, she is in good health." Valerie starts to start to walk again, slowly increasing her pace, "Thank you," she looks back to the direction she''s heading and starts pacing. "My pleasure, Young Miss." She reaches Rosaline''s room, and knocks gently on her door. "Yes?" a voice says from inside. Valerie opens the split door on the left gently and peers inside. Rosaline laid down in bed with her leg raised higher than the rest of her body by few small pillows, her leg was wrapped fully in bandages. She opens the door into Rosaline''s room, a medium sized room that wasn''t the biggest, but functional. White painted walls and a collection of pictures on the black shelves, drawers and desk she had in the room. One picture in particular on her desk always catches her eye, a younger Rosaline smiling at a camera with a baby in her hands, a picture Rosaline never elaborates on. "Valerie, glad to see you!" Rosaline says with a smile, as she turns to look at Valerie. Valerie sighs, walking over to Rosaline''s bed on the left side of the room, "Thank goodness you''re ok..." Valerie says, kneeling beside Rosaline''s bed. "Well, yes, it''s just a few fractures here and there, the doctor''s healing acceleration ability comes in handy," Rosaline replies, she looks up at the ceiling. Valerie looks over at Rosaline''s leg, her eyebrows drooping slightly, "Your leg... Does it hurt?" she asks, raising an eyebrow. Rosaline looks over at her leg for a moment. She closes her eyes and hums softly in a decisive manner, "A tiny bit, but it''s mostly ok," she says, smiling faintly as she looks over at Valerie. "Your wounds have healed quickly, it''s almost as if you had no wounds to begin with. Even though they were not as severe, it''s still amazing," she sighs with a smile, "the benefits of being young." "No, Rosaline, not again..." Valerie replies, shaking her head gently, "I''d rather not here you talk about age." Rosaline laughs, "And am I just so predictable?" she asks as she looks off to the window. Valerie also looks off to the window of Rosaline''s room, as silence takes dominance of the room. "Well... I think I''ll take my leave now, and let you rest," Valerie says, slowly rising from her knees. Rosaline looks back at Valerie and nods her head, "Very well, have a good day then, Valerie," she says. Valerie looks back at Rosaline at the door, "A good day to you too," Valerie opens the door and leaves Rosaline alone, closing the door behind her. Valerie looks at the door of Rosaline, a palm on it gently, taking a breath in the silence. "Ah, Young Miss! What a surprise," a woman behind Valerie suddenly says.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Valerie flinches and turns around quickly at whoever was behind her, a petite woman with a bright face, of average height, slightly shorter than Valerie standing at 5''5. In her hands she had a tray with a tea pot and cup, and some pain relief medicine. "Oh... Anna, you startled me," she says, a hand on her chest, her other hand pressed on the door behind her. "Oh, my apologies! I was right on my way to see to Miss Rosaline just not to bring her this tea and pain relief, it was not in my intention to do so," she smiles. "It''s ok, I understand, but anyways, I''ll let you get back to your business," Valerie moves aside and takes a few steps backwards. "Thank you, Young Miss!" Valerie finds herself wandering her home. She walks through a loggia, taking view of the flourishing garden on the right and decides to take a walk over, cascading down the small, white concrete stairs into the garden. She walks on the white and grey bricked walkway, to the white gazebo built elegantly with artistically crafted blue stained glass on its roof, and under it was a brown swinging bench that could fit around five people and a round, black, marble table with brown wooden chairs surrounding it. Valerie takes a seat on the swinging bench, looking over at the medium sized pond to the left of the gazebo, watching the way the light from the sun reflects off the waves of water. People my age usually scroll on social media to pastime, It must be fun, for them to do it each time they get the chance to, but father always says it''s a safety hazard, so why do they use it if that''s the case? Her eyes move up from the pond to the trees marking the boundaries of the garden, swaying in the wind and their leaves rustle. Footsteps approach Valerie''s location, ones she cannot distinguish, "Well, isn''t it the Scarlet Maiden?" the voice says. Valerie turns to the right and back, looking at whoever spoke, she noticed the voice. Valerie sighs, looking back to the front, rolling her eyes, "Good afternoon, Selene, but I would prefer a greeting first if you were to talk to me," she crosses her arms and legs, and focuses back on the pond on the left. The woman sits down next to Valerie, she had brown hair, slightly darker than Valerie''s and the same red eyes. She smirks, leaning forward to try seeing Valerie''s face better, "Don''t you know you shouldn''t tell your elders what to do? Especially your older sister?" Valerie looks back at Selene, uncrossing her arms, "That doesn''t matter, where''ve you been all this time?" she asks with a raised eyebrow. Her smirk widens as she leans back on the bench, arms crossed, "With my fianc¨¦ of course, it''s proved to be way better than staying here." Valerie raises her eyebrow even more, "Right... And why''d you suddenly return? You''ve been gone for months now." She sighs, "Gosh Valerie, you sound like you want me gone already, I just wanted to know about the little awakening incident two days ago, come on spill the tea." The awakening happened two days, I was asleep for that long? Valerie looks at Selene for a while, before she looks to the side, resting her chin on her palm, "Well, a lot happened. I don''t want to talk about it." Selene''s eyebrows droop, "Hm, you''re so boring," she looks at her nails for a while before she glances at Valerie, "Then show me something interesting, let me see the refraction," she grins. Valerie glances at Selene with the corner of her eyes before looking back at the pond, "I don''t know how to use it. You know that''s not how it works, I still need an alteration before I can bring it out by will." Selene rolls her eyes, "Boring... That''s really disappointing," she stands up, "well then, I''ll leave before I catch your boredom," she walks off on the garden''s walkway. Valerie turns to look at Selene''s fleeting figure, holding her chin with her hand. You''re just jealous, aren''t you? You always have, after all. Valerie thinks. The darkness of the night has arrived, and the soft, white light of the moon shines on the surface of the land. Valerie was asleep on her bed in her room, resting soundly after the day, her room was dark, the room was lit by the faint ambient light piercing through the curtains of her room. A small stream of warm light appears in her room as her door slowly opens and someone comes in. Orion, took a step in Valerie''s room in a white button down shirt and black dress pants, a red tie in his hands. He closes the door behind him and walks over to Valerie sleeping on the right side of the room and observes her sleeping form for a bit. He takes her blanket and adjusts it just a slight bit. He takes the chair at her desk and brings it over to her bedside, watching her as he thinks. Am I really doing my best to protect you, doing my best to take care of you as a father? Orion thinks in his head. "But then again, how would you know... When you can''t even remember to see her on her birthday?" ".....You hide under that hard shell of yours, hoping it will keep you safe, but it won''t. If you don''t toughen up, you too will break. And when you do, no one will help you. You''ll just be one big liability..." He sighs, looking to the side at some of the pictures Valerie has on her shelf, pictures of herself, some with Rosaline, and other people. She smiles in most of them, but never the ones with him... I really did fail you, Valerie... I apologize. He rises back up to his feet, and drags the chair back over to where it was at the desk, and heads over to the door. He takes one last glance at Valerie. "And just so you remember, it took both of us to make the monster Seraphina ended up being," It''s not going to be the same way, I won''t allow it. He leaves the room. Orion starts to walk away from her room. "Mr. Sinclair, your departure for the Sinclair family house in the East is in the next hour," a man behind Orion says that he could only distinguish as the steward. Orion continues walking, "Yes, thank you. have my usual departure kit items prepared and have it taken to the car, I expect the usual while I''m gone." The steward nods, "Yes, Mr. Sinclair," he says. Orion walks a bit more before he comes to a halt, and looks back at the steward with the corner of his eyes, "And you do remember what Valerie is to do tomorrow, right?" He asks. "Yes, Mr. Sinclair, it has already been planned out and there are no interruptions that seem possible," the steward says. "Excellent," Orion replies, before continuing to walk away.