"Beautiful…"
They stood somewhere in the middle of a forest, on a large, open field blanketed with small grass and a few flowers—mostly jasmines, and surrounded by a ring of cherry blossom trees that continuously bloomed. In the middle stood a mansion, dressed in light golden hues and dark brown roofs. It looked clean, well-looked after, and new.
"This is our home," said Emily, smiling brightly. "And where you will be living from now on."
"I didn't expect that you'd live in such beauty!" Viola exclaimed in joy and shock. "And how are those cherry blossom trees blooming? It's not the season yet, is it?"
"Those are of a special kind made by our Master's magic. They bloom all year long to conceal this place, and keep the Void away."
In the distance, to the right of the mansion's front, a path seemed to lead somewhere, lined by the special trees on either side. Near it, a girl was hopping and playing around with some butterflies. She was joyfully laughing, and Viola couldn't help but mutter the word 'cute' at the sight. The girl eventually saw them and smiled even wider as she ran towards them.
"Blue!" she called out, tackling Emily with a hug. "You're back, I missed you!"
"I was only gone for a few hours." Emily chuckled, patting the girl's head. "Also, I've brought a new friend!" Pulling away from the embrace, the blue-haired pointed at Viola. "Meet—"
"Violet!" she interrupted, "w-we've met before! Do you…remember me?"
Having a closer look, the girl stood about as tall as Viola, had short white hair that reached her shoulders, purple eyes, and wore a blue scarf exactly like Emily's. Seeing her again, Viola began recalling bits and pieces of the blocked-out memory of their meeting, enough to recognise the girl.
"Oh!" She snapped her fingers, as if a light bulb had switched on inside her head. "It's you! I remember!"
Both smiled at each other. But a second later, they looked away nervously, recalling two specific moments from their previous meeting. Closing their eyes, they lowered their heads and spoke in unison. "I'm sorry!"
"What?" Emily muttered in the background.
"You first!" They said in unison again, pointing at each other.
"Looks like you guys already have history." Emily giggled lightly. "You go first, Viola." The white-haired nodded frantically in agreement.
"Okay," Viola started, "that day, when you approached me, my response was a bit…rude. I wanted to apologise for that. There was too much going on in my mind back then…I'm sorry."
"Me too," the girl followed, "you came looking for me, and protected me that day. And I'm thankful for that. I felt guilty for what I said to you, so I wanted to say sorry for that."
I protected her?
"I say we leave the past behind and start new!" Viola stretched out her hand towards the girl. "I'm Viola Caulfield. Although I suppose, calling me by the colour works too." She chuckled. "And you are?"
"I-I'm Luna…just Luna!" The girl took Viola's hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you!" They both smiled warmly at each other before retracting.
"Well then," Emily spoke up, "now that the greetings are over with, why don't we head inside and show you around?"
"Yes!" Luna smiled widely in agreement. "Let's give you a tour of the place!" Before Viola could say anything, the white-haired girl took her hand and rushed to the front door. Emily chuckled, swiftly following behind.
I have never been inside such a luxurious household before, let alone live in one! So many things have happened back-to-back, my heart didn't even bother going back down!
As soon as they reached the large double door and Luna placed her hand on the doorknob, it opened inward on its own. The three stepped back, and Luna quickly retracted her hand. A girl, about Viola's height, walked out. She had red hair tied to a short ponytail, and light-red eyes that seemed to ignore their presence. Rose gold earpieces and a pendant with a purple gem sparkled into view.
This is it, someone I haven't already seen! Should I say hello? Or let Emily do the introductions again? No, I'll do it this time!
"Hi! I'm—"
"You must be new," she growled, pointing her finger at Viola's neck, the tip of the nail slightly pressing on the skin, threatening to stab through. A shiver crept up Viola's spine, and she chose against making a move. "Then allow me to inform you. Do not talk to me, do not try to befriend me." The red girl continued, giving Viola a death glare. "I don't care about building relationships here, and neither should you."
"Hey, Cervena!" Emily spoke up, a hint of anger in her voice, slapping away the hand that was threatening Viola. "Leave her alone. She's our ally, you can't just kill her!"
"Then you better hope she doesn't give me a reason to," the red-haired huffed, before pacing away from the mansion. She left the same way Viola and Emily entered—through a cherry blossom tree.
"That was scarier than any creeper…" Viola let out a breath she had been holding in as soon as the girl vanished from view.
"Don't mind her," said Emily, smiling nervously. "This one is Cervena Rosenberg. She distances herself from everyone and always works alone. Why? I wouldn't know, because we'd never talk. And I don't think anyone else does either. Aside from the Master, I guess."
I thought the Hunters would be full of righteous and friendly people. But no matter where I go, I can't escape the strange and hostile ones. Would that be my luck, or the world we live in? Maybe both?
"Anyway!" Luna said, trying to sound joyous to lighten up the mood. "Let's head inside!" She took her hand again and walked through the open door, while Emily followed along.
"I present to you, the Golden Mansion!"
Viola's eyes darted around in awe as they basked in the view of her new surroundings. It was a large living room in hues of gold and white, with neatly kept couches, tables, and other decorative items, including some beautiful white flowers in pots, and a large golden chandelier hanging in the middle. There was also a staircase leading to the floor above, and a door on either side connecting to different rooms. And the floor was made of flower-patterned white tiles.
"Such beauty!" Viola exclaimed, with sparkling eyes. "I could never imagine living in a place like this!"
"You won't have to." Emily chuckled.
"So, she's the one?"
A voice came from atop the stairs. Viola looked to see two boys walking down and towards them, only one of whom was waving. The one who waved and spoke was a tall boy with curly white hair and sapphire-blue eyes. The other was slightly shorter, with straight brown hair and faded blue eyes.
"This the one Emily wouldn't stop gushing about?" he added.
"W-What?! I was not!" Emily sputtered as her face flushed bright red.
"You were…gushing about me?" Viola asked, slightly blushing.
"I-I wasn't gushing! I was just…telling everyone how cool you were!"
"That sounds like gushing—"
"IT'S NOT!"
"For the past few days," Luna added, "the violet girl is all she talked about, to everyone."
"Luna! You're supposed to be on my side!" She whined. "And that's not even accurate! I only talked to a handful few…and one of them is away on a mission, so she can't even defend me!"
"Are you sure she will?"
"Of course! I recruited her—"
"Well, I'm flattered." Viola laughed softly. "I didn't know I was that interesting. At least, compared to the rest of you."
"Hmm…let's see if Emily's hunch was right," the white-haired boy said, standing before Viola. Placing a hand on his chin, eyes narrowed in thought, he lowered his head and moved his face a little too close to Viola's. She reeled back in response, a slight blush forming on her cheeks. It seemed like he was inspecting her. And a few seconds later, he stepped back. "You're right, she's got potential!"
"T-Thanks?" she mumbled.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Zane Barnett!" The boy grinned widely, stretching out his hand towards her, which she gingerly took. She opened her mouth to introduce herself, but he interrupted. "Viola, was it? I heard that your fighting style is punching. I'm a bit of a puncher myself, so you could take some lessons from me!" He gave her a thumbs-up upon finishing his sentence.
"Hey, that's not up to you to decide!" Emily stepped in between the two, frowning at Zane. "The Master is already done assigning her trainers, so stick to that!" She crossed her arms before continuing, "Besides, when it comes to hand-to-hand combat, I am the best at it. So I am more suited to teach her about punching!"
"Is that true?" Viola eyed her skeptically. "Knowing you, I find it hard to believe…"
"It's true!" She stared back at her, but then lowered her face. "O-Or at least…that's what the Master told me…I myself wouldn't know for sure..."
"Don't doubt yourself, Blue!" Luna said, a slight hint of concern in her voice. "You're strong!"
"Anyway!" Emily flashed a smile at Luna before continuing, "Let's take you to the Master of this mansion!" She quickly took Viola's hand and walked to the stairs.
"Wait!" Luna shouted, stopping the blue-haired. "Aren't you forgetting something?" She then turned to Zane, her eyes switching back and forth with him and the brown-haired boy, hinting at something.
"Is that a new vision-related exercise you're doing?" Zane responded, mimicking her eye movements.
"Your brother!" Luna face-palmed herself. "How could you forget to introduce him?!"
"W-What? No, I didn't! I was waiting for him to do it himself this time!"
Emily giggled softly on her own.
"Don't laugh, Blue!" Luna crossed her arms and pouted at her. "Not only did you forget, too, but you were ready to walk away!"
"I apologise," said Emily, still giggling.
"Alright, I guess I'll do it again," Zane said, placing his hand on the brown-haired's shoulder. "This is my little brother, Ray Barnett. He's a bit quiet, so don't mind him."
"A bit?" Emily muttered under her breath.
"That's okay." Viola chuckled. "I've dealt with a quiet one before." An image of Bonn flashed in her mind before she gave out her hand towards him. "Nice to meet you, Ray." However, the boy only bowed slightly in return. Viola retracted her hand and simply smiled.
"Happy now?" Emily said to Luna, who nodded, but kept her pout.
"Oh!" Zane said, his face perking up, as if a light bulb switched on inside his head. "I forgot to tell you, the Master is eagerly waiting to see the violet girl in person. Better take her to the Master's room first thing, Emily. Don't keep Her waiting!"
"Yes, I was already on it before you decided to interfere!" Emily huffed before continuing to walk with Viola. They swiftly went up the stairs, and Luna followed behind. Viola caught a quick glance of the two brothers and saw them moving towards the front door, most probably heading out as the red-haired girl had done a moment ago.
"Hey," Viola asked nervously, as her heart began to race, "is your Master...scary?"
"Oh, she—"
"Spoilers, Luna!" Emily chuckled, interrupting the white-haired. "Let her find it out herself~" Luna nodded, giggling mischievously, leaving the violet girl in suspense and a bit of fear.
The three walked through a hallway after another that both looked the same, consisting of several doors spread out evenly, leading to what she assumed were the rooms they stayed in. There were windows on the outer walls where the dusk light shone through, and a few decorative items and flower pots were kept on tables beside every door and window. The tiled floor had a large patch of black rug forming a path over it. And not once did she see any electrical device. The only things that would light up the place at night were the chandeliers and fire lamps, which seemed to light on their own as it got darker.
Oh dear, I'd definitely get lost here…
"Here we are!" Emily said, stopping in front of a double door. It looked grand, painted in black hues with pretty golden flower patterns—mostly jasmines. It was a miniature version of the mansion's front door. The blue-haired gently knocked, and it opened ajar on its own.
"That's your signal, go in."
"M-Me alone?!" Viola's voice shivered. "W-Won't you accompany me?"
"It's best if we don't interfere!" Emily smiled before patting her shoulder. "Don't be afraid. She won't bite you~"
"As long as you don't give her a reason to!" Luna teased, giggling silently.
"That's very helpful of you." Viola side-eyed her.
"It'll be fine! Just go!"
Emily pushed Viola inside through the open door. She turned around, but before she could retaliate, the door closed shut behind her. She tried to pull it open, but it wouldn't budge.
Emily…you…!
Defeated, Viola slowly turned around. The room came into view. It was quite large and filled with several bookshelves, making her think she had entered a library. The shelves contained all kinds of books, ranging from the old, torn and ancient, to the neat, new and modern. Apart from that was a bed, a balcony adorned with jasmine flowers overlooking the front side of the mansion, and a desk and chair in the middle of the room.
Am I going to be tested? Or has the test already started? Will I get kicked out if I fail? But that'd mean I could leave this all behind and return home, right? Wait, no! I can't go back; I would endanger my family! I must stay…even if I don't like it…
The Master was seated on the chair, calmly reading a novel titled The Witch's Forest—a book that was released in the late summer of 2001, a little over a year ago. And yet, it had already taken the world by storm.
Is that the one written by the anonymous author with cryptic flowers for a signature? I've read it…it's horror fiction…and it does not help my view of the Master!
Her face was concealed by the book, but Viola could see long, wavy, and majestic-looking golden hair that was so bright it could light up the night. She slowly walked towards the desk and stood in front of it, the royal attire and skin as fair as a goddess coming into view. Taking a shaky deep breath, she bowed a little before speaking up.
Please don't be scary like that Witch in the book, or even the red-haired girl! Please be friendly like Emily…well, maybe not as dumb though…
"Hello, I'm—"
"Viola Caulfield," the Master interrupted. "You don't have to introduce yourself; I already know you." Viola gulped. "What I would like to know is," the cold, feminine voice continued, "are you acquainted with Him?"
"W-Who?"
"Draven. The one born of the Void. The one who seeks chaos and eternal darkness in this world. The one behind the existence of creepers. The one who threatened your family and forced you to come here."
That sounds even more horrifying than the Witch!
"And the one you met earlier in a dream. If He allowed you to remember, that is."
Viola pondered for a moment, trying to recall her recent nightmare.
"I-I don't know much…aside from being in a dark place…and in extreme sadness…"
"Have you suffered a great loss?"
Viola paused for a moment, recalling her whole life. What great loss could she be talking about? The time when she lost Bonn right before her eyes? The time when she had to leave Eliana behind in Deepshade, a farewell she still regrets to this day? Or the time when the silver-haired girl abandoned her mysteriously? Perhaps even the most recent one, where she was forced to quit her ordinary life?
"I…" her voice quivered, "I suppose I have…"
"That's what He usually does." The cold voice turned to a low whisper. "He takes advantage of those in despair, manipulates them with the promise of salvation, and turns them into Slaves of the Void. The moment you would've uttered the word 'yes', you would be bound in an inescapable contract, where all you could do is obey His will…whilst losing your own."
Viola shivered, worried if she had unknowingly agreed to such an offer in her recent nightmare. She could not remember at all what her answer was. "D-Do you think I—"
"The Void doesn't reek in your aura."
The Master put the book down, revealing a bright face. Golden eyes, that have seemed to have lost their spark over the years, stared into violet. She appeared to be a tall woman in her late twenties, and she smiled warmly.
"Therefore, you are free from His shackles. You need not worry."
The moment the Master's tone of voice switched from cold to warm, all of Viola's worries, fears, doubts, and every negative feeling dissipated. Her voice was soothing, like a gentle, cool breeze on a summer night, the melodic singing of crickets in the wild, or a delicate flower gently caressing your cheek, its fragrance enchanting.
"I apologise if I intimidated you," the Master spoke with a worried face. "Please, don't weep, my dear child. I am your ally. You need not fear me."
"Oh." Viola hadn't noticed the tears falling down her face and quickly rubbed them off. "No, it's not you!" She smiled slightly. "So many things have happened recently that…I just haven't felt this light in a while."
"Please, have a seat." A slight movement of her hand and a chair, mirroring hers, manifested behind Viola. "You must be tired."
"T-Thank you." She gingerly took a seat as violet locked into golden. "You have…pretty eyes. I don't think I've seen such a hue my whole life."
"So are yours." The Master chuckled softly. "I couldn't believe Emily's words, thinking she had mistaken them for purple. But now that I've seen them for myself, your eyes, truly, are pure violet. A sight I haven't seen in several centuries."
"Right…" She smiled back, but then realised. "Wait…did you say…centuries?!"
"Oh! How impolite of me, I should've begun with a formal introduction!" The Master smiled. "My name is Aurelia. I look after the mansion and the Hunters. And I am a Celestial, an immortal being who has dwelled on this realm for a thousand years, perhaps. And it is a pleasure to finally meet you, Viola Caulfield."
"A thousand years?" Viola gasped out loud. "So you're…a God?!"
"You flatter me." Aurelia laughed softly. "That's too mighty a word for a lesser entity like me. I am nowhere near godlike." Her voice toned down. "I'm only someone who is given too much time with too little accomplishments."
"Sorry…"
"Don't be!" She chuckled. "I'm not disheartened. I find joy in what I do, and I think that's all that should matter."
"Like…reading books?"
"Guiding the gifted ones." Golden eyes glittered. "To make sure they have a place to go to when all is taken away, to make sure they don't lose their way, and to make sure they can defend themselves when the Void comes for them." Golden eyes darkened. "Unfortunately, some give in to the temptation of false hope and end up saying the forbidden word. Some of which are still, to this day, bound by His contract. Whether or not willingly..."
She smiled proudly.
"I'm glad that you didn't fall for the same."
"And…what if I had fallen?" Viola dared to ask, followed by Aurelia's startled face and a few seconds of silence.
"Then we would've had to put you down," she replied with a straight face. "Before you caused too much trouble."
"Is that what you do with the others, too? The ones who work under Him?" The golden one nodded. "Even if they were forced into it?"
"Regrettably so, yes."
"That's not a very moral thing to do, is it?" Viola frowned. "If they are forced, shouldn't you rescue them?"
"We rescue them," Aurelia spoke in a saddened tone, "by putting an end to their misery. The moment someone is bound by His contract, there is nothing we can do to sever their ties. Only He can end His own contract. Which usually concludes in…death."
"But…"
"Viola." She looked her in the eyes. "If you continue down this path, you will eventually meet one of them. And no matter the reason, you will be forced into a clash to the death. So, when that fated day arrives, what will you do? Draw your blade through their heart and save them? Or choose to flee, so they can continue suffering? Both options are immoral, I know. But you must make a choice."
"I…" Her voice faltered. "I-I wouldn't know…"
"Choose what you'll feel in the moment." She smiled slightly. "But more often than not, the other person will make the choice for you."
Her smile faded.
"And it will be the former."
"O-Okay…but did you say drawing a blade?" Viola spoke after a few seconds of silence. "Does that mean…I get to have my own weapon?!"
"Of course!" Aurelia chuckled. "If you so wish~"
"I've always wanted to use a sword! A katana even—"
"But will you have what it takes to wield one?"
Viola was interrupted by a cold voice piercing through from behind. And before she could even turn around to find the source, a figure towered beside her and lightly tapped on the back of her head. She jumped off her seat and veered away.
Who is this now? And how did my sensitive hearing not register any footsteps?!
The voice came from a tall girl who appeared to be in her early twenties, with black hair tied to a long ponytail, hazel eyes, and a black katana sheathed at her waist, mimicking a Japanese samurai. She glared at Viola, lightly grimacing.
"How will you survive in this occupation if you were startled by that?" She sighed.
"W-Well, maybe don't sneak up behind me next time!"
"Don't mind her, Viola." Aurelia laughed. "This is Yukari. The oldest Hunter currently, if you exclude me, that is. And the one to make sure you're eligible to be a Hunter."
"Go rest for today while you still can," said Yukari, still keeping her glare and her arms crossed. "Your training begins tomorrow. We cannot delay any further."
"And y-you will be training me?"
"You will duel me for your final test." Viola gasped. "So you better prepare yourself. Because if you fail, you will be sent back whence you came."
What?! No, that can't happen! It's tempting but…I can't return this soon!
"That won't happen!" Viola stated sternly, pointing at Yukari. "I will beat you, mark my words!"
"Then I look forward to seeing if you can walk the talk," she said, turning to face the golden-haired. "Now, if you'll excuse us, I have some important things to relay to Aurelia."
"The Master will decide that!" Viola huffed. "Speaking of, we haven't even gone over the reason why she called me here!"
"Oh, nothing of importance actually." Aurelia smiled nervously. "I just wanted to see you in person and properly introduce myself, that's all." Viola stared at her, dumbfounded. "You are now dismissed."
"You heard your so-called 'Master', now leave." Yukari placed a hand on the hilt of her sword, seemingly threatening Viola. Seeing this, she hastily walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.
"Uh…hello?"
She expected to see Emily and Luna outside waiting for her, but she was instead greeted by a spirit-like humanoid figure in golden hues from top to bottom. Its features resembled Emily, and it stared at Viola despite having a blank face.
"And you're supposed to be…?"
The golden figure gently took her hand and began leading her through the hallway. Viola couldn't sense any malicious intent, so she didn't protest. The distance between them and the Master's room gradually increased, but she overheard a bit of what Yukari said.
"…yes…another abnormal one…"
She didn't give it much thought, and the figure soon stopped in front of a door. It was the second last room in the farthest corner of the mansion. The golden figure faded away from reality, as if it had never existed, leaving her all alone. But Viola understood that this was her room. Taking a deep breath, she placed her hand on the doorknob and pushed it open.
The room was small but spacious. It had a window closed and curtained, some lamps that lit up the place the moment she stepped in, a cupboard on one corner, a comfy bed on the other, and a table and chair in the middle, in front of the window.
"Looks just enough."
Closing the door behind her, she walked towards the window and opened the curtains, revealing some flower pots hung on the outside. The sun had already set, and the night began to settle in. Turning around, she placed her bag on the chair, while she herself sat on the bed. It was soft and warm to the touch.
"This is the fourth time moving into a new home. Except...it's just me."
Recollecting all the moments and memories she's made ever since her encounter with the first creeper up to the present, she pondered her thoughts, trying to make sense of the situation, what went wrong to lead her here, and if she could've avoided this fate.
"It's so isolating not having you two here…"
Tears stung her eyes as she remembered her parents and how she may never get to see them again, at least, not in a long while. The future never terrified her before, but it was starting to.
"Emily is the only trustworthy one here. Luna is good, too, but I can sense something odd in her. The two brothers seemed nice enough. Aurelia is mysterious and could be hiding things. As for the red-haired, and especially the one with the katana…I'd rather keep my distance for now." She gazed out the window. "The stranger who rescued me back then is nowhere to be seen. But I assume he lives here too. And there's also the one Emily mentioned earlier, who's out on a mission." She paused for a moment.
"I wonder if he's out on one too…"
No matter how much she hated it, this was the new reality she must accept and live in. She was gifted for a purpose, and this Fate is inescapable. As her gaze travelled to the few stars that had already begun shimmering in the far distance, she clutched the pendant in her hand and thought of her childhood friend.
"Maybe I'd be a little braver if you were here by my side."