[P] The Skarlet Rose

Cold: If there was anything that the young girl truly felt, it was the icy coldness that was slowly starting to creep throughout her body almost as if it were encasing her in a tomb of ice. Confusion would slowly spread as the coldness was a feeling distinctly opposite of what she had experienced only moments prior. Warmth was one thing she remembered but also the feeling she was rapidly beginning to forget. Still, she did her best to cling to the sliver of warmth she had shared back in her home. The aristocrat would close her eyes shut as she desperately searched her mind for the memories she held dear. They were the last she had shared right before succumbing to the shallow pits of darkness. It was the day her Father had finally seemed to accept her. How did she know this? Well, he had treated her better than he had ever done during the years she had been placed under his care. She had been wary at first but she had taken the initiative to place trust in him. After all, the General had seemed impressed with her rebellious feat and brought it upon himself to finally bring about a celebration just for her. It was the first he had ever done since her Mother had gone which the youngling readily took as an opportunity to make peace with him. After sharing drinks and telling tales of old, she would suddenly remember nothing else. It was an abrupt end to a seemingly wonderful night. Still, try as she might, she could only remember the end of the warmth and the arms of the void welcoming her to it. It would be then that her mind would freeze in realization as the chill would simultaneously become stronger and harsher. It could only mean one thing… she was dead.

Death: At this, the young girl would feel her heart rate increase tenfold as her mind whirled in an attempt to process what had seemed to have just occurred moments prior. Yet, ironically, she could not feel the hammering of her heart as it beat drastically against her chest. Even more-so, she had come to the realization that her body registered no movement nor perceive even a fiber of her being. Her body was unresponsive and nothing she did would cause movement to flow. Panic would strike and it would, in time, morph into something she couldn't so easily escape. It had taken ahold of her and it would not let her go. At least, not anytime soon. As this all transpired, she would no longer feel the iciness of the world around her as disbelief turned into a dread-filled shock. Alarm would soon spread its wings as she tried to, once again, process what had happened. Had her Father been plotting this all along and killed her? Or, had something else been placed into motion that had caused her untimely death? Surely her Father had not committed this terrible sin, had he? He had to at least have loved her in his own way, right? Denial would open its floodgates but, deep inside, she knew all her whirling thoughts and overflowing emotions were all simply excuses. There was no doubting that her trust in him had been misplaced and she had paid dearly for it. There was no denying that the young aristocrat was no stranger to her Father’s heinous crimes and infamous deeds yet, to bring about the experience of Death to his own flesh and blood, it proved truly that he was a monster.

Sorrow: As her mind began to slow and take in her situation, the question would then turn to the how and why. Perhaps even greater still did she question the happenstance of it all and how she, at her current state, was still conscious of it all. Had she mistaken this ominous feeling for Death and, in a strange turn of events, was merely having a lucid dream? Surely her conscious nature was a way to let her know that she was alive and well. That it was all just a misunderstanding and the worst that could have happened was her being in a coma. Of course, the blame would still go to her Father for putting her there but she knew she would forgive him just like she always did. Yet, regardless of her optimism, she knew the answer. For, try as she might, Death was something she had been close to seeing but not truly living. Now, she was gone from the plane of Life and there was no getting it back. Grief would make its way to her and, surprisingly, she readily welcomed its warm, enveloping wings. There were no tears to be shed but her unbeating heart still wept at the cold, hard truth. It was hard for her to believe that her Father had been the one responsible for it all yet, deep inside, she knew that it had been bound to happen sooner or later. He was a murderer and, perhaps, the cold reality of things had awoken her to the fact that he would never change. She feared that not even Death would be able to stop him and the torment he had caused. If anything, the young one could only blame herself. The young aristocrat had trusted him and, in truth, she had hoped that he would have one day accepted her. She had been blind to it all but the trust she had given him had betrayed her.

Acceptance: Perhaps, after all was said and done, the situation she now found herself in had been a blessing in disguise. If anything, the young aristocrat now knew that her Father had never loved her and he never would. That, no matter how hard she tried, her Father would never be proud of her nor would he ever accept her. It was Ivan he had chosen and that, in itself, was enough to rip her heart to shreds. The act he had taken up against her had awoken her and, despite all of the young aristrocrat’s sorrow and grief, she could now say that she was free. She was free from his reign of terror and she was free from the horrors he had caused her to experience. It wasn’t what she had hoped for but it was a start. Acceptance would soon play its part and a peaceful calm would envelop her. It was no longer the void she felt but a haven of sorts. She would soon close her eyes and await Death and yet, for some reason, it never came. She had no clue what to expect but she knew that this was all wrong. She felt it. Not to mention that the light at the end of the tunnel never showed. Unsure of what to do, she opened her eyes only to come face to face with a being made up of darkness itself. The being radiated enormous amounts of energy from the plane of nothingness which she could only see upon in obvious dismay. Had she been assigned to Hell? It was true that her Father had been the source of torment for many but did it have to include her in with him as well? Would this be revenge towards the man who had taken everything from her? Or perhaps, even worse still, would this be further agony she was destined to experience even after Death?

Calm: Tears would well up in her crystal blue eyes but they never fell. They were an illusion after all but it did not make the situation any better. It felt worse as nothing she did would serve a purpose. The aristocrat felt helpless and it was a feeling she had never wanted to experience again. Her eyes would train on the being, trying to make sense of what she was seeing. Nothing would ever made sense, though, but she tried. If she were to be asked, she could only say it to be otherworldly but the details of what made up the situation could only be narrowed down to one word -indescribable. After all, she could only feel its aura although its form was clearly manifested in that plane. Its energy was great but there was no telling what it was nor what it wanted. Was it a god of some sorts or was this divine punishment that had descended upon her? Regardless of the answer, she felt it would be the same. She had wanted nothing more than peace but was this not destined to be? The aristocrat closed her eyes and breathed in and out. It would take her a moment to compose herself but when she did, she would feel nothing more besides calm. The youngling looked upon the being once more and, this time, it felt familiar. She felt its gaze soften but she did not understand why. She could not see it but she felt it. The aristocrat felt comfort in it and so she closed her eyes once more to rest. She felt exhausted yet she figured herself to be safe. Time seemed to pass until, out of the blue, a voice would call to her. The girl would rouse from her comatose state and flutter her eyes open in confusion. This time, the world around her was pitch darkness but the voice remained prominent. Her focus would shift to it and, as she did so, she discovered she could move.

Warmth: First, she flexed her fingers, bringing them up to her face. Although she could not see them, she felt them as she would feel the muscles contract. They would incorporate movement and the young girl’s heart would glow in newfound happiness. Although it had been a simple thing to most, it meant the world to her that she was no longer confined to the nothingness that her powerless had felt. Now, her senses were heightened beyond reason although, perhaps, it could have been a cause of the perpetual silence that followed after the voice had gone. She breathed in the freshness of the unending void but, as she had come to figure out, she had no need to follow through with the breath. There was no pulse just as there were no movements to her lungs. There was no denying she was dead but she was no ghost either. She rose and looked about. Where was she and what was there to do next? Her lips would part and her voice would echo for miles on out. ”Hello?” Her voice echoed which caused her to startle. There was no answer. ”Where am I? she would try again; this time prepared for the echo. Silence ensued but she would not give up. ”What do you want from me? It would be then that the voice would return. [color:6f23=000000]”Everything and nothing at all,” it would say. ”A deal, perhaps.” She would furrow her brown in confusion, ”A deal?” She could feel a shift from the void almost as if something had accelerated before her. ”A new life. Immortality,” It would claim. ”All for a sliver of your soul. Not much but enough to grant you new life.”

The Deal: Maria would blink. She was unsure of what to think but it sounded strange to hear this offer. In truth, had she been in this type of situation back at her Manor, she would have dismissed it as talk from a lunatic. Yet, having awakened within the void and having been surrounded by nothingness made her question to legitimacy of it all. Was this being a god so that it may be able to offer her such a thing? Or was it the devil she would be giving her soul to? There were pros and cons to this whole ordeal and the aristocrat was swaying. After all, there was one thing that enticed her to take it. It was the offer of Life. It was a chance for her to be able to take her life back and live it to the fullest. It would be her getaway from her the General as she would voyage through life anew. Had she only to give something she didn’t truly believe in? ”Would I be reborn?” she would ask. ”Begin from the womb again?” The being would give a hearty chuckle and the aura around it would give the sense that it was amused. ”No,” It would say almost as if she had said something absurd. ”You will be reborn as a new vessel. Your memories will be yours to keep.” The girl nodded as she gazed down at her lap. Her fingers intertwined as her mind pondered. Truly she had nothing to lose. The General had taken everything from her so she would start at nothing. It seemed fitting and the drawback was virtually nothing at all. Having her memories would prove useful and, perhaps at some point, she could overshadow her Father’s deeds. Mind now firm, she would nod firmly. There would be no hesitations and hopefully no regrets.