Dec 10, year 230
“…se! …se!”
Someone was calling her. A voice, soft and sweet, was gently blowing past her ears This voice… She’d heard it somewhere before… But whose was it? Whose...?
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t pinpoint the memory of it. However, her heart seemed to remember.
A mix of emotions welled up in her chest. On one hand, she felt the warm fire of happiness embracing her body. On the other hand, the chilly winds of sadness blew over her, immediately turning that heat into a freezing cold. The sudden mix of emotions confused her, but of one thing she was sure: whoever this voice belonged to, she was sure that this person was dear to her.
So why? Why? Why couldn’t she remember?
“ose…!”
There it was again. That same, sweet voice. Filled with kindness, this soothing voice felt like a bed of feathers. One sound and all of your worries float away with the soft breeze of tranquility. Many times she had listened to the stories this voice had told her. Stories about adventure, about friends, about family, about love… She knew all of the words that voice had once told her were hidden inside her memory, locked behind a heavy door. But no matter how hard she pulled, the door wouldn’t budge. Rose would do anything to open that door, just to listen her talk one more time. If only she knew how to find the key…
“Rose!”
As if the voice had heard her wish, it called her name once more. This time, more voices joined the fray.
“Rose!”
A loud, excited male voice.
“R-rose…”
A weak, shy female voice.
“Roro!”
Another girl’s voice, calling her with a pet name.
“…”
These voices… They were so nostalgic… Each of those voices made her heartbeat raise through the roof.
But whose? Whose voices were those?
…
“Rose… Look at me.”
The soft voice again. Suddenly, Rose realized her eyes had been open all this time. Yet, despite the fact she was looking straight forward with open eyes, she couldn't see anything. It was as if there was nothing around her, except for an dark, empty space.
…
But then, she saw them. Like specters, shifting away in the darkness as soon as her gaze met them. They were dancing in the space around her, always keeping the same distance. They could not go away, yet they weren’t able to get closer either. Trapped in a circle of melancholy.
“Rose… Look at me.”
This voice… It came from behind her back, whispering in her ear. This voice… It was hers! While the other voices had stayed away from her, the one she needed the most had broken through the invisible wall somehow.
She needed to know whose voice it was. Maybe, if she saw her, the key to unlock the door of the past would finally show itself. Rose quickly turned her head around, and looked straight into the specter’s eyes. Deep, azure eyes stared back at her.
Of course! How could she ever forget her! These eyes, this voice! She knew her name... Her name… Her name was...
*crack*
The world suddenly cracked in two, splitting everything apart.
*crack*
More cracks showed up, like a mirror that was breaking in slow-motion. The specters disappeared, leaving no trace behind of their existence. The last specter to disappear, was the one who sat behind her, smiling sadly because she knew her fate in this doomed world. She stretched her arms and leaned forward to give Rose a warm embrace. The specter dissipated before Rose could feel her touch, taking all the answers and memories with her.
The whole place started to crumble down. The voices, the words, the tiny moment of happiness she’d found… All slowly faded away, along with her mind.
“N… No… P-Please give… Give her back…”
Her prayers got lost in the void. There was no one there to hear them, no one there to answer them. It was an empty space, just like it was before.
Once she woke up, she couldn’t remember her dream anymore. The only thing that was left of it, was an inexplicable lingering in her chest.
Far away, a girl closed her azure eyes. Her mind was made up. There was no longer a way back. No, there never had been another way. Despite all her struggles, this was the only path that remained. She had to sacrifice all that she had, to save everyone.
The girl only had one regret. She had wished to see her once more, as her dear friend. If only to say her it’ll be fine. If only to hug her and let her cry away all her pain. If only to let her see that there’s always a tomorrow, no matter what kind of day was today. But if she had to choose one thing she wanted to tell her the most… Then it could only be those words:
“I love you.”
But it was too late for that. The things she had done and the things she would do, there was no forgiveness for either of them. She had to save her. And for that she had to make sacrifices.
"Is it ready?"
A knight clad in pure black armor kneeled before her and answered to her question faithfully. "Yes, my lady, all the preparations are done. We will begin constructing the tests as soon as tomorrow."
"Good. Proceed as instructed. You can tell Dorian he can start experimenting with the weapons. Tell him I expect good results from him."
"Of course, my lady. I will let him know straight away." The knight hesitated for a second. "One more thing if I may, my lady." The girl nodded in response. "Dorian... He asked what we should do with the empty shells."
"Hmmm, tell him to dump them somewhere. They are insignificant. He can use them however he likes, as long as it doesn’t interfere with our plan."
"Understood, my lady"
The girl signaled the knight he was free to go, after which the knight left the room. The footsteps of the knight echoed through the halls, leaving behind a trace of the emptiness that filled the whole building. Occupying an abandoned fort with only a few people definitely elevated the feeling of loneliness.
She stood up and went to a door in the back of the room. After she opened and entered it, she found herself inside a small chamber. The girl sat down before an old desk and picked up the book that she had shoved into one of the drawers. One by one she turned the pages, each one as empty as the next. Despite that, her eyes were going over the invisible lines, as if she was reading a hidden text. She slowed down at a page in the middle of the book and pinched her eyes as if she was thoroughly examining the contents.
"December 230. Vinclum, the impenetrable fortress. A strange series of mysterious disappearings, followed by humans turning into lifeless zombies. Note: Rose's first trial." She closed the book and put it back in the desk. She smiled softly. "I know you can do it. You do your job, and I do mine. And in the end, we will finally all be happy... Right, Rose?" She put her hand before her face and started laughing hysterically, letting out an almost inhuman voice.
"Rose, you and I... After all this is over... We will finally be together!"
Dec 17, year 230
A girl was locked in a small storage room in the boat. Her golden hair was messy, her clothes were ripped and her feet were blistered. There was a single loaf of bread and a cup of water in front of the door, left there by one of the crew members while she was asleep. The arms of the girl were red, clearly displaying marks of force. She was chained to a pillar with iron shackles. On one arm, she wore a wristband with a water mark engraved on it. Around it there were clear scratch marks, indicating that the girl had desperately tried to force it off.
After a little while, a crew member knocked on the door. "Oy, girlie, ya still awake?"
No response. "Well ya ain't gonna die on meh are ya? That'd be bad business, y'know. You are worth a hell'o a fortune!"
Still no response. "If ya awake, I can tell you a lil' secret. We almost there! Your fated place! You'll get off this boat and we'll get a sack o' gold. Ain't that a great deal for both of us, girlie?" He chuckled.
She still didn't respond. The crew member got tired of talking to a door, so he banged the door a few times.
No reaction.
Finally, he gave up and walked away while cursing everything in existence in the process. He was clearly drunk and looking for trouble. However, there seemed to be a clear order to not enter the room of the girl. Even while drunk, the pirate was smart enough not to risk his head.
The girl's eyes were wide open. She'd heard everything. If that man was right, soon she would be able to leave this place, escape, go back to the castle and finally ask her daddy to detain these men who had forced her to go through all this. But since this was one big misunderstanding, she would be merciful.
Just before their heads would be lopped off, she would come to the rescue and personally forgive them for their deeds. However, as a condition, she would make them submit to her, basically making them her underlings. She'd use them as a means to get to the Dark Sea Archipelago, where some of the most beautiful islands existed. When they got their on one of their ships, she'd lay on one of the crystal sand filled beaches, while her underlings massaged her and wave huge leaves to blow some refreshing wind... Oh, maybe she would let one do some tricks with some water magic for some entertainment. Or maybe she could make it a contest, in which the loser would have to stay on the island and survive until they came back. It would be just like the survival novels she read, but then in real life!
Despite her situation, her imagination was still as vivid as ever. Even this situation felt like a dream to her. She was not aware of the reality of her predicament, nor the imminent danger that was looming over her. Unbeknownst to her, it was a nightmare she could not control. And it was going to change her life forever.
The first old banners of Vinclum came into sight of the ship. They were almost at their destination. Soon, she would leave the protection of the captain who had still been showing signs of kindness towards her. And that’s where her story would start. Where all that she had known would be turned on its head. A fantasy world, overwritten by reality.
Their arrival would mark the beginning of a fateful adventure for the captured princess. One that would change her life, forever.
