章 16: 16- The awakened blackwink
"Arrghh!" Alexandra groaned as she slammed her foot on a rock. Sprinting from home at night wasn't a good idea, but she had to, Karina was one of her few friends. She didn't even understand how she got past the guards, departing the Mansion unnoticed wasn't common. She held her gown up to prevent it from mud, she didn't bring any additional with her.
The distance between her house and Karina's wasn't little, but she remembers the way through the backyard, and the backyard was the easiest footpath to get there quickly.
Before she left she had noticed the maid from earlier fretting, and she was acting strangely. Her quivering fingers held something which she didn't know what it was since she was in a haste.
To make her situation worse, she forgot the lantern she had said to haul with her. Everywhere was dark, well except the moon. She was sure the moon wouldn't shine the next day.
After wandering for an extent, she finally caught sight of Karina's house. Lamps were lit everywhere and soft music was heard. Her face brightened when she saw that she finally made it. She caught sight of Karina and another man in a dark robe or whatever since she couldn't tell precisely due to the range. But one thing she was sure of was that they both were looking for someone, maybe someone important who they had invited.
She waves at them, but their scrutiny was at the front. With her gown still in her hands, she made her way toward them.
"Don't!" A voice proclaimed behind her, startling her. Alexandra turned around to meet a scared young girl in a maid outfit. Her fingers were trembling.
"Do I…do I know you?" Lexi with uncertainty. She was worried the young girl was a maid from her Mansion.
"Don't go! You can't attend the party, it isn't safe." The anxiousness in her voice made Alexandra frown. Why would she be in danger? Or were Tyler's family in danger? Oh my goodness, Is Karina...
"You'll be the one in danger if you don't leave here this instant." Her tone became cold, her eyes became dark, weren't they brown just now?
Alexandra moved back a little, "Who are you?" She asked, she was certain she would faint if she figured out she was talking to a ghost, Or a night creature, please not a night creature. God, please!!
"Karina." Well…
"Karina, as in Karina Tyler or Karina…"
"Karina Tyler." Yelp! Definitely a night creature!!
"You're not Karina, I Know Karina, why are you lying?" Her voice was still stable, despite her trembling legs. She shifts further away from the girl who claimed to be Karina Tyler.
"Leave this instance, before it's too late." Her voice wasn't frightening but it still made Alexandra gulp in fear. Without waiting a second Alexandra began running, further away from the weird girl and toward Tyler's Mansion.
_______
[Western kingdom]
"She wouldn't listen to me." The young girl pouted and sat with her butt on the ground somewhat harshly.
The elderly man in front of her snorted.
"Of course, she wouldn't, Why would you choose your name to be Karina Tyler?" His eyes were glaring at the seventeen years ago girl on the ground.
The girl rolled her eyes and stared at the man, accusingly, "You said she listened to her best friend -sort of- but still, you gave me the wrong information." She folded her hands and looked away from the man.
Seeing how hardheaded the girl was the man decided to use a gentle approach. "Ok, I was wrong." To which the girl glowed.
"But she needs to leave the Tyler's Mansion, like now."
The girl stared at her hands, "Dominus will be there, don't worry." She mumbled. "But why is Karina still supporting them, she already understands where the rest of Tyler's folks stand, so why?" Her curious eyes peered directly at her father's eyes.
The man sighed. "Rather than assisting them, they are the ones helping her."
"What do you mean?"
"Karina needs Dominus's files, which are already on the way, and Tylers needs Alexandra. And if Dominus finds his files missing, his target would be Tyler's household while she at that time would be halfway across the Kingdom." He explained.
The young girl stared at him in awe.
"I would love to be like you one day, father, a great seer that's appreciated by all."
"The first step to becoming a true seer is by believing in one's self, Mildred. Telling the truth and following the right path is the gateway to becoming a great seer."
The harsh knocking on the door deflected their notoriety. After a series of knocks the door opened.
"You need to hide, Mildred, there are coming." An anxious woman said the minute the door opened. Her hands were trembling as she strolled toward them.
"Who are they?" Mildred asked, she wanted to know what she was hiding from and why. She looked at her father, and his face was calm. Too calm for such a situation.
"The Priests of the Southern Kingdom. They were summoned by the councilmen to take you away." Mildred didn't know what they were talking about. Why would the councilmen ask for help from Galerien's kingdom just to take her away?
"Mama I think you're mistaken. Why would they take me away? I don't remember committing a crime or an offense."
"When did your seeing ability surface?" Her father asked. By his tone, Mildred understood he already saw this coming.
"Six days ago, why?"
"You're seventeen, a seer's ability only surfaces in his early twenties. What happened to you six days ago?"
[Six days ago]
Mildred walked along a bush path towards the boundary between The kingdom and Verian, her footsteps were fast as she wanted to get there on time. She was thankful the weather was friendly since it had been raining nonstop for quite a few days now.
She stumbled upon a rock, her body and everything in her hand were knocked over to the ground. However, before she could slam the ground everywhere became still. Her body didn't crash to the ground as she had reckoned, it halted a few inches away from the ground. Her eyes widened with surprise. She tugged her up immediately and prepared to run. But a force stopped her, the force hauled her in another direction which she followed since she had no control over her strength.
The force pulled her closer to a sculpture, a small sculpture of a raven. She almost knock over when the force vanished. She muttered a curse and brushed her body. She glanced around but no one was there, her gaze then shifted to the small statue.
The sculpture was grey and its eyes seemed alive.
Strange.
She peeked closely at the sculpture and realized its eyes were moving deliberately. A slash suddenly appeared on the sculpture at the back side, then the front side, and all over. She moved back subconsciously as she observed the scene before her. The cracks on the sculpture became bigger and wider until the cracks erupted.
Mildred watched in awe as a live Raven emerged from under the cracks, the raven was black with Goldish-grey eyes. Its eyes snapped at hers and she screamed in terror. Picking her bag from the ground she ran away.
What was a sculpture of a raven doing in a place like this? And alive?
[End of six days ago]
"I was so scared that day." She whispered.
She watched as her mother nods at her father, she was sure they were keeping something away from her.
"The raven that cracked open is a soul that has been sealed for hundreds of years, it can't be opened by mere touching or observing. It cannot be explained but it is said to only be opened by the sealer. And in turn, the soul would destroy everything around the sealer, including the sealer." She gawked at her father as he explained. An explanation that only made her more confused.
The strong push on their door alerted them.
"They are here." The disquietude in her mother's voice only made her shrink in terror. She didn't even understand what was going on, she did nothing wrong nor did she touch any sculpture.
"Take this, Mildred," Her father handed her a chain, a chain given to the succeeding seer. It's usually sorted for between siblings but she had none, "Run through the back door, there's a horse tied to the avocado tree, take it and flee. I've arranged money and some food for you, there are tied to the horse." Her father's words felt like final words, she didn't like that.
"Look at me, Mildred, you're a strong girl, keep yourself safe." Her father's kiss lingered on her head as she made her way toward the back door. The back door was slightly hidden, so it wasn't known to many people. Her eyes looked around and fell on the horse tied. She ran softly towards it and untied its rein, she climbed into it and mounted it away.
She looked back and stared at her house, the people there weren't priest as her mother had said. They were different, with vein lines on their faces.
She mounted the horse as fast as she could, tears streamed down her face as she felt the heat of her burning house and the screams from her mother.
__________
Verian Kingdom
"W-where am I?" A half-conscious Alexandra asked, her head spinning as duplicates filled her eyesight. From what her spinning head could rationalize was that her hands were currently tied, including her legs.
"I'm-I'm I tied? Because it feels like I'm tied." She mumbled like a drunkard and giggled at herself. Her eyes were heavy and her head hurt. Her hands and legs were aching, probably from the position they were in.
The coldness of water poured on her and jolted her back to full consciousness. Her eyes snapped open and she looked around in alarm. She tried to think about how she got tied up inside a…dark building with no light, but her head hurts each time she does so. Her mouth wasn't tied, which she was grateful for.
"Who's there? Anyone? Help! I think- I think I'm tied or something." Her words only echoed back at her.
"Whoever you are, I demand to be released at once!" She raised her chin, even in such a situation, "Don't worry, your punishment won't be harsh, maybe just a little…Shit! I'm late for the party!" If Robert was here he'd probably rolled his eyes at her.
Soon enough she heard footsteps, two figures emerged from the door and walked towards her.
"We should probably begin." The voice of a male said.
"What about Karina?" Wait…she recognized that voice. Mrs. Tyler? Shouldn't she be at her party?
"She's for later. There's no time, let's begin." The male said again.
Out of nowhere, lights filled the room. The room was very big, but on closer notice, she realized it had no window.
Before her was a crock filled with brown liquid.
"Mrs. Ty-mhmm." Her mouth was tied as she tried to call her name.
"All the ingredients?" She noticed the male was the same man that came to her house. Julian, yes Julian.
"Are in it, just waiting for the last one."
"Are you sure she told the right portions? You know I don't trust that girl one beat." Julian's eyes were cold, a little like evil-punisher Dominic's own.
"She wouldn't lie even if her life depends on it." Mrs. Tyler earned a snort from Julian. She peered as Mrs. Tyler steered the crock of brown liquid and smiled shrewdly at herself, her eye then snapped at Julian's palm which held a knife.
"I thought you were using the needles? Why the knife?" Mrs. Tyler asked as her gaze shifted from the liquid-filled crock.
"We have no time." Julian's stern voice didn't even make Mrs. Tyler flinch.
"The knife is poisonous, we only agreed to take her blood directly from her heart, using a knife would kill her."
Hearing this, Alexandra began praying in her heart. Who In his right sense would use a knife to extract blood from a human? Well, they weren't in their right senses.
"It will make the process faster." Alexandra stared at the knife with fright. If it was a straight knife it would have been bearable to the eyes, but a curve knife? Hell no!
Her heart missed a beat as Julian walked closer to her, she didn't want to die, especially not now when her mind was set to get back at Dominic.
It seemed her prayers didn't want to be answered to how much of a sinner she was and she had no idea of. what she was because the next thing she realized was her hair forcefully pulled by a pair of undoubtedly Julian's hands. She was then brought closer to the crock of liquid. She didn't know how possible it was but she felt like being raised upward and lying vertically on top of the crock. She could see the liquid boiling profusely.
She closed her eyes as she felt the knife on her chest, then as it lowered down her stomach, she could feel the sharpness of it.
Bang!
The noise snapped their attention as their heads swiveled to the door.
"You have no idea how deep of trouble you are in, pussycat," The voice came from outside the door and Alexandra recognized who he was at once.
Her eyes met with Julian's and she begged him silently to quicken the process. She didn't want to die torturously in that evil devil's hand!
-- 贈り物
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