"Hiccc..."
Sophia started to burst into tears once again holding onto her mouth. She kneeled sobbing harder towards the old woman's body.
"Moooooomm... Daaaaad...."
She trembled and held her bowed head mumbling, crying over in desperation for her absent parents.
Arianna's heart trembled and unable to see her breakdown like this and hugged the old woman once more and placed her softly on top of the ground.
Arianna quietly grabbed onto Sophia and embraced her, mumbling.
"Don't worry, everything will be fine... Let's just..."
She tried to think of a place they can escape to even if it means risking her life just to save Sophia. Before she could even think deeply, she heard the noise become even more clear.
Tap Tap
Footsteps were heard behind her. Her face wrinkled at the thought of the person that was brought to her mind. She turned her head to find herself wrong and sighed in relief.
"Ma'am!"
A messed-up-looking girl with a maid outfit hurried to Arianna's side tearfully staring at her.
"Ugh... I'm so glad you are okay!"
Before she could reveal her happiness towards their well-being, she hurriedly shook her head, her face twisted.
"He's here, he's at the place we didn't expect he would go yet did."
The young maid pointed in a direction she immediately knew at a glance.
"How could he...!"
Arianna trembled in anger yet felt shivers upon her spine. She forgot the thought to ask how just a young girl herself survived and come to her rather than escaping this devastating situation that is happening.
Still, she could guess but was still in disbelief, in admitting to the possible culprit. Her eyes shook with anger as if a blaze was gushing out from her eyes.
The young maid stared at her master who is in an unstable state, her eyes glowing brightly like gems, in horror.
It shone a bright orange yet like the flames that have been alighted from its slumber.
Arianna quickly snapped at her sudden fit of anger that was growing within her chest and hugged onto the now quiet Sophia to calm her emotions.
"Sister..."
Sophia grabbed Arianna's clothes tightly. She stared at her sister's youthful that have already faded in the decades she became in charge of their family.
Arianna turned her head once again towards the young girl and asked.
"You... What's your name?"
"Uhhh, umm... it's Ilya..."
The young maid, no, Ilya hesitated as she gave out her name. She nervously fiddled with her finger with her head bowed.
"Ilya..."
Arianna ignored Ilya's secretly peaking towards her and tried to recognize the name "Ilya."
"You are... Her granddaughter..."
She looked up to the young girl in surprise yet sympathetically. After all, she was blood-related to the person who takes care of herself and her younger siblings.
Ilya looked down in embarrassment. She wasn't particularly close to her grandmother so she didn't feel much seeing her corpse.
She blinked her eyes and looked up at Arianna.
"Grandma had told me if something were to happen like this, you were to go to that door..."
Ilya immediately pointed toward the door outside of the area they are in. It was the other hallway was an ordinary door you see in your everyday life. Nothing special.
But to Arianna, it meant even grander than anyone would think.
"You. How..?"
She looked towards the door intently before thinking deeply.
'But isn't that place...'
"Isn't that place that is forbidden to be near it by the former masters..."
She stared at it blankly letting loose of her thoughts without knowing. Ilya didn't say anything but continued to stare at her unnaturally. Arianna felt uncomfortable at that gaze.
"Even though you're in your late 30's... you act like a clueless child..."
Ilya couldn't help but let a small sneer. She quickly covered her face and pinched her cheeks. Arianna stared at her with wide and shocked eyes.
Ilya stayed in that position without moving. Small sobs could be heard once again. Arianna held tightly and grabbed onto Sophia's waist after she got up from the ground.
While holding her into her arms, she gazed at the unmoved Ilya who is now removing her hands from her face.
"S-sorry... That was unnatural of me and unbefitting sight in front of you, ma'am..."
Ilya clumsily bowed toward the woman in front of her. She frowned but then smiled foolishly at Arianna.
"Right..."
Arianna removed her negative feelings toward her and nodded in understanding. She returned to her calm posture and walked towards the door while carrying Sophia.
"Sophia... calm down... hush..."
She whispered softly towards her ears which had been flushed due to the tears that continually stained her face.
Before she stands in front of that door, she hesitated. She was curious but also afraid. In her decades of being the successor of this house, she dared not to go near it even when her parents are now gone.
She unintentionally turned her head towards that place...
Gasp
Arianna's breathing stopped in disbelief. Even if that figure's face was covering half their face with a dark mask, she recognise them. She saw something she had wanted to ignore all those years.
Her already wrapped arms around Sophia got even tighter. Her mind was in a mess not hearing the suspicious small laughter from behind her.
She pursed her lips and bit them tasting the metal-like taste within her mouth as her eyes narrowed towards the familiar figure that was nearing her.
"No..."
She mumbled in denial. She couldn't pay attention to her surroundings and only stared at that person in her view.
"Long time no see."
A young man with blonde hair walked towards her with soft and steady steps. His deep voice rang against her ears as he drags the blood-looking sword.
His eyes glowed in a red hue, smiling. The silence grew around the hall. His footsteps suddenly came to a halt.
"...Eldest sister."
Lifting his mask, he stared toward Arianna silently then towards the shivering Sophia within her arms with surprised eyes.
"Hoh! It seems Fourth Sister isn't doing so well."
He smiled mockingly towards Sophia who is now looking at him with bloodshed eyes.
"Monster... Monster!"
She screamed menacingly towards the young man then continued mumbling like crazy, burning herself into Arianna's chest, trembling.
"Mooooom! Daaaad..."
Hearing her youngest sister continues crying, she trembled in anger and stared at the person who she cared for as her own child rather than her brother.
"Edward... How could you..?"
The young man, Edward, stared silently at the elder woman who could barely continue holding Sophia in her arms.
He smirked and spoke, chuckling.
"Ha... You think there was a reason I turned against you?"
He stepped forward and revealed a glee that spark within his eyes.
"You know what? Let me ask you this..."
He stepped closer to Arianna until he finally reached her side. He bowed his head whispering in her ear.
"Have you ever heard of 'Elaxian?'"
Arianna's eyes shrank in horror. She glared at him and stepped back, speaking, clearly shaken.
"You... you... Only the successors and heirs of the house and the elders know of this!"
'Elders...'
Right! Why didn't she think of it?! How come they haven't shown up until now?
"No way... Impossible!"
She yelled in frustration, her legs shaking in fear. Her calm facade crumbled at that thought.
"Ho~"
Edward looked at her expression in amusement. He grinned happily at her, spreading his arms.
"It seems you have figured it out~"
Pulling the dark mask down, he rises his sword towards Arianna. He tilted his head innocently and smiled.
"But it seems you need to go—"
"You shouldn't ruin the fun by cutting it short without me~"
A sweet, tender melody voice spoke out from behind Edward. He pouted towards her word and backed away.
A young woman with beautiful big round eyes stood there. Her eyes shone an emerald green like the fresh leaves that have begun to bloom in the spring. Her silky blonde hair swayed in the air, elegantly.
Enough with that though. She has the beauty that no woman can compare to in the whole kingdom.
Arianna stared at her with a spiteful look. She spirited out a name she had never wanted to say it in her whole life again through gritted teeth.
"Julia Lepanto..."
