LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 10: A weak girl
As the carriage moved away from the castle, Alice's thoughts were entangled in the strange events that had occurred. Sebastian's words echoed in her mind, the mysterious vial and his enigmatic promise of protection. She held the box tightly in her hands, her gaze fixed ahead, trying to push away the anxiety that had taken hold of her since the storm. She wanted to believe that nothing, nothing would happen. But something deep inside her told her that the terrifying events were not over yet.
As the cart moved through the cobblestone streets towards the village, the familiar sights of her home brought a small sense of comfort. The small thatched-roof cottages, the chirping of birds, and the smell of fresh bread wafting from the bakery reminded her of simpler times. However, the shadows that seemed to be chasing her still loomed on the horizon, darkening every step she took.
She decided to stop thinking about it, at least for the time being. Maybe returning to normal life will help her clear her mind.
But when the carriage stopped at Alice's sweet home and the carriage left, and she was completely alone, she felt a strange tingling sensation at the back of her neck. She stopped, her eyes scanning the horizon. Far away, on the horizon, behind the village and at the edge of the dense forest, there was a figure standing, watching her. The figure was shrouded in shadows, although the sunlight outlined its features, giving it a semi-ethereal quality.
Alice hesitated, and her heart rate increased. There was something wrong with the figure, but she couldn't take her eyes off it. The figure remained still, watching her intently, sending a cold shiver down her spine.
The silence stretched for what felt like an eternity before the figure spoke in a low, grating voice, almost like a growl. "Here it is," he muttered, as if talking to himself. "Whose soul must be kept away from the reaper."
The figure advanced slowly, revealing more of its grotesque appearance. His hair was short, cut unevenly, as if it had been chopped randomly. The crimson strands fell in jagged clumps, some longer than others, giving her a wild and disheveled appearance. His skin was a strange pale color, and two massive curved horns protruded from his head, dark as night and smooth as polished obsidian.
His eyes gleamed silver in the twilight, cold and harsh, watching Alice with a gaze that was both calculating and predatory at the same time. But the face is the most disturbing a face marred by three deep, jagged scars, stretching across his cheek to the bridge of his nose. The wounds were disgusting and terrifying, but instead of detracting from its appearance, they only enhanced the creature's beauty in a disturbing way. The face of the creature was dark and dangerous, its beauty shrouded in malice.
Sharp, white fangs emerged from beneath the creature's lips, their unnatural gleam barely visible as it spoke again, its voice dripping with dark amusement. "You are lucky, girl," he muttered, "but I can't let you get away that easily."
The creature's form was closer to that of a beast than a human, even though it moved with an unsettling grace, its movements smooth and deliberate. There was a sense of danger with every step it took, a tangible threat hanging in the air. However, despite his menacing aura, he seemed strange... Charming, with a distorted allure that draws Alice towards it.
"I will let you rest this time," he continued, smiling a wicked smile. "BUT you must remember..."
"You are mine now."
Alice took a step back, her heart racing, fear flooding her veins. She felt a strange sense of anxiety, as if she were being pulled into a web from which she could not escape. The creature before her was not just a shadow it was something much older, and more terrifying than she had ever imagined.
With a final glance, the creature vanished into the shadows, its presence fading as quickly as it had appeared. Alice stood frozen, her heart pounding in her chest, the feeling of his gaze on her still lingering in the air.
It was clear to her now that this was not something ordinary. She seemed to believe that the strange vial would save her from confronting the mysterious figure or even something more dangerous than she had ever expected.
She entered her house barely able to walk normally, scared and shocked. She collapsed onto the familiar floor of her home, opening the box with her cold, trembling hands, took the vial, and placed a small drop on her amethyst.
"Did Sebastian expect this to happen?" She muttered in a trembling voice, "What could happen now?" She had so many questions about why..WHY when she decided to live a positive life until her time of death, all this happened. What a frustrating thing for a weak girl.
As Alice sat on the floor, her back pressed against the wall, she cradled the pendant in her hands, the amethyst glinting faintly in the dim light of her home. The single drop of the strange liquid had spread evenly across its surface, shimmering faintly as if alive. It was oddly comforting, but it did little to ease the storm raging in her mind.
Her breathing slowed as she forced herself to think clearly. The creature's words echoed in her ears, "You are mine now." The phrase sent chills through her, but it also filled her with a strange resolve. Whatever was happening to her, she couldn't let herself be consumed by fear.
The faint patter of raindrops began to echo against the roof of her home. At first, it was gentle, like a soothing lullaby. But as the minutes passed, the rain intensified, drumming steadily against the windows and filling the room with its rhythmic cadence.
The fading light of the sun bathed the village in hues of deep amber and soft purple, blending with the gray overcast of the storm. Through her window, Alice could see the world transforming. The cobblestone streets shimmered as the rainwater created tiny rivers that snaked their way toward the gutters. The dense forest at the edge of the village appeared almost black, its treetops swaying against the darkening sky.
Despite the storm's ferocity, the sight was breathtaking. The golden glow of the setting sun breaking through the clouds created a surreal halo over the village, casting long, distorted shadows across the ground. The droplets on the glass caught the light, refracting it into tiny rainbows that danced across her walls.
For a fleeting moment, Alice forgot her fear. She stood and approached the window, placing her trembling hand against the cold glass. The storm was fierce, but it was also mesmerizing an untamed force of nature that mirrored the chaos in her heart.
As she stared into the storm, she noticed something unusual. The rain seemed to be falling harder on the forest's edge, where the figure had stood earlier. The shadows there writhed unnaturally, as if alive, twisting and stretching under the weight of the downpour. A flicker of movement caught her eye, and she felt her pulse quicken.
In the distance, faint but unmistakable, a pair of silver eyes glinted through the rain. They didn't move, didn't blink just watched her, glowing like two pale moons against the gloom.
Alice gasped and stumbled back from the window, clutching the pendant around her neck. The amethyst pulsed faintly in response, as if sensing her fear.
The storm outside roared louder, the rain hammering down as thunder rumbled in the distance. But even as the world seemed to come alive with chaos, Alice couldn't tear her mind away from those piercing silver eyes and the shadows that had begun to creep closer to the village.
Somewhere, deep in her chest, she knew: the storm wasn't just nature's fury. It was a harbinger of something far darker. And it was coming for her.
The storm continued to rage outside as Alice clung to the amethyst, the faint glow of its surface pulsating as if responding to the tension in the air. Unbeknownst to her, far away, deep within a cavern surrounded by roaring flames, a group of shadowy figures convened. The cave walls shimmered with the reflection of the fire, their jagged edges framing the ominous gathering like a gateway to another world.
The figures were cloaked in heavy, dark fabrics that seemed to writhe as if alive, hiding their faces and features. They spoke in hushed but venomous tones, their words laced with contempt and malice. In the center of the cavern, a pool of molten rock bubbled and spat, its light casting grotesque shadows across their forms.
One of the figures, taller than the others and radiating an aura of authority, spoke in a voice that echoed with fury. "The Rainblay family dares to play with forces they do not understand. Throwing away lives as if they are nothing more than pawns on a board." His hand gestured to the flames, and for a moment, the fire seemed to surge in response.
Another figure, their voice sharp and laced with bitterness, snarled, "They discarded her, just as they discarded the others before her. A girl with that pendant." The figure spat on the ground, the sound echoing unnaturally. "Fools. They have no idea what they've set in motion."
A third figure, smaller but no less intimidating, hissed, "Do they think their noble blood will shield them? Do they think their titles matter in the face of this power? If I were them, I wouldn't have given up the necklace." A low, humorless laugh followed. "Let them believe their lies. Let them bask in their ignorance while the darkness creeps ever closer."
The group fell silent for a moment, as if the weight of their collective anger had thickened the very air around them. The fire flickered violently, casting fleeting glimpses of their hidden faces. Beneath the hoods, some bore scars, others grotesque, otherworldly features each more twisted than the last.