Chapter Eight: Peace

I couldn't shed a single tear at the funeral. I thought I could at least act but it didn't feel fair to mourn for a disgusting being such as that man.

I feel pity to have gave him such a nice name. He definitely wasn't worthy of it. You know what, I think I shall mourn for the name.

That day that he mysteriously burned, there was not even a single spec of him left. It burned and vanished rather than being turned to ashes. Even though so many people witnessed it, it was still hard to believe for them. The celestial priestess was also helpless and clueless about the matter. The plan to poison him and bring Michael in just went down the hill.

At least he still died and Michael is in the palace now but just not how I wanted it. Maybe I wanted to see him dead by my own hands. It didn't rain even though I thought it would.

I quickly went back in the palace to the guest room to find Michael. Now that I'm here, I kind of feel weird. What do I talk to him about anyway? I knock on the door. "Michael? It's Liliane.." I wait for his response.

He opens the door and steps aside, "Come in."

"Are you going somewhere?" I asked seeing as to he was holding some clothes. He nodded, "The maid told me to return these later."

"You know where to find her?"

"Kind of", he avoided my eyes. I guess I won't hold him any longer.

"Be quick then. I will be waiting here. I have something to say", I get inside the room. He doesn't respond back and closes the door before leaving. Okay, now I have a little more time to think about what to say to him.

My mind was blank. I didn't want to be killed off by him and now the situation is like this. What am I supposed to say to him. It's not like he knows what's happened or was supposed to happen. I let out a big sigh. Suddenly a noise takes my attention. A bird seemed to be peaking on the window. I look to It's direction.

The window's open and yet It's kind of doing it on purpose. Rather than finding it strange, I found it cute.

"It's a birb, they be strange and weird whenever they want", I said to myself chuckling. I instinctively went near it even though there was a 99% chance of it flying away but it didn't. Making me get more greedy.

Upon closer inspection, I first thought it was a crow. But as I got more closer to it, I could see the difference. It's a raven. It has to be a raven. I have never been good at spoting a crow and a raven. I remember finding ravens more beautiful and this one is majestic in my eyes. The raven tilted it's head and didn't fly away even though I was so close to it. I stretched out my hand towards it in greed. I had to pat it. It looks so shiny! The birdy didn't even get startled when I approached it.

I could feel my heart melting as it let me pat It's head slowly. Seemed like the birdy was liking it too. As I was pulling my hand back from it, it instantly flew and rested on my arm, making me startled. "God! You frightened me there."

I stared at it for a while before touching It's beak. "You're making me wanna keep you with me, little birb. Your the first birb to let me pat it willingly," I kept talking to it as if it could answer me. Crow and ravens are known for their intelligence so a part of me believed it understood what I was saying. Since it was so close, I suddenly noticed something strange. It's eyes were a shade of pink and violet. Aren't their eyes usually a shade of black? Or am I trying to overthink stuff in a fantasy world. I let it slide since there are more things that don't make sense than the eye color of a raven.

A sudden knock on the door startled us both and the raven flew away. With disappointment I answered the door. I thought it was Michael trying to be polite but it wasn't. The person I least expected to see was standing in front of me that I almost called her by her name. "Ah.. Mother."

She looks like she has aged a lot since the last time I saw her. I thought she took care of herself but I guess things has been hard for her too. She finally talked, "Liliane..."

She didn't come in and just stood by the door without closing it. She was wearing a maid outfit. I guess she has been working as a maid all these years. Mathel had avoided talking about her so I also stopped asking after a certain point.

I started to pity her. Maybe I shouldn't have brought her in the palace? I approached her and she pushed me away, making me fall down.

"What.." I looked at her face. I just couldn't see any life in her for some reason. Scaring me what was about to happen. I felt a sudden throb of pain and looked down to see my dress getting wet. Since the dress was black, I didn't think of it as blood right away until I had placed my hand on it. I looked at her again and saw the knife in her hand. Blood was dripping from it. My mind finally registered what was happening.

"You fucking bitch!" she shouted. I could only press my hand against the wound and tried my best to look for a way to get past her but my body had given up before my mind did. My legs didn't move. I couldn't move them. The signals from the neurons weren't working. I breathed heavily.

She came closer and started to strangle my neck. "IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF YOU! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT HE'S DEAD! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT THAT HE DIDN'T LOOK AT ME THE SAME WAY AS HE USED TO.."

I just failed to understand this woman's action let alone even justify it. Why did I even feel pity for her? I should have known. I tried to push her back with the last bit of strength that I could gather and succeeded. "HOW DARE YOU EVEN!!" She kept talking so loudly that my head started to ring. I didn't talk back. I needed to preserve any energy that I could and what would be even the point of accidently provoking her.

She picks up the knife she had dropped before and charges at me again. By reflex I put my hand forward and the knife slides in through my hand in a second. "AGHH!" I scream in agony and tears begin to fall.

She still went on, "DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE YOU DESERVE TO DIE! I SHOULD HAVE KILLED YOU THEN AND THERE!"

She managed to stab me in the belly again, twice. "YOU INSOLENT BITCH! HOW DARE YOU SEDUCE HIM WITH YOUR-" She is pulled away from me by brute force from Michael. There were some other maids too to witness the scene. I wanted to think about what she was trying to say but my brain was slowly shutting off making it hard to even breathe anymore.

Ashley fleds the scene pushing the maids away. Michael doesn't chase after her and gets on his knees to pick me up, "THE PRIEST! CALL HER HERE, DON'T JUST STAND!" He ordered them and the maids soon left. Then in a gentle voice, "Hey, keep breathing. You're not supposed to die like this."

Somehow I could see him beijg genuinely worried about me. I placed my bleeding hand on his cheek and managed to get some words out my mouth, "You weren't... supposed to be like this either Michael... Though... I don't hate seeing you like.. This.."

I cough after trying hard to speak. He widened his eyes in surprise and it seemed to sparkle. He smiled and I reflexively traced his lips with my fingers, leaving blood stains on his beautiful face. I remember struggling to draw his face just the way I imagined it and one day I managed to get it right. It was one of the best days of my life.

"If I die this time, I wonder if you would be here for me again. This version of you." His words failed to make sense in my head. I didn't bother thinking. I couldn't feel pain anymore either. The blood that kept pouring out had somewhat starting to feel peaceful. I never thought I would find death peaceful.

Beneath me was a poodle of blood. A mesmerizing shade of blood. He closed my eyes gently.

"Come for me a little sooner then, would you?"