#1 Everything That's Left

"Lady of the House of Valor, the Lady from the Kingdom of Sapphire."

It was just a whisper, but it send me down chills that penetrated down to the bones.

Not because of pleasure, but because of fear.

It's dark and my hands are bound. I cannot use enchantments. I'm useless.

"Lady Vera Wisteria of Valor. Hahaha. What a beautiful name right? You also have a high value on your head."

I flinched as a knife was pointed at my throat.

But I was feeling daring enough to meet death, I even looked directly at my captor's eyes.

Those emerald eyes met mine, it has a malicious intent.

Even if I die, I won't ever forget my captor's eyes, since that's the only clue that I have. I will have revenge in my next life and find this mysterious man.

"What do you think we should do with her, Lord Vandel?" a curious subordinate, of my captor, asked—as if it was just a casual conversation.

Wait.. Lord Vandel? Why is it…familiar?

"If the Mistress House of Valor won't come for this useless sorceress they got, leave her to me to finish." Lord Vandel, as what they called him, replied nonchalantly to the question of his subordinate.

Lord Vandel. Lord Vandel..

Lord Vandel?!

Realization dawned on me.

It couldn't be him! It couldn't be!

"Darling. Was it a pleasant surprise?" he darkly chuckled.

My eyes widened and welled up as he finished chuckling like a madman.

"Why are you doing this, Van?" I asked in a whisper.

"Just like what you said before we part ways. Dreams. And my dream is to take down the Mistress of the House of Valor. She took everything away from me. If she won't come, you'll pay instead of her."

I could hear pain in his words but it wasn't enough to make me pity him.

I came up with a hard decision, but I swore to keep safe the Mistress and the House of Valor when I joined and decided to be a sorceress.

"I'm willing to pay anyways. After all, the Mistress is our valuable Lady in the House of Valor. As one of her subordinates, I am willing to die for her." I bravely declared.

To my surprise, Vandel, looked irritated at my statement.

Surely, he may be still the Vandel I knew before. But all I can do is hope.

"Such a foolish woman! Well then.. Let's see how you want to embrace death?"

He then acted like he's playing a guessing game, touching his chin and pacing back and forth, while his subordinates roared with laughter.

"Ah! Why don't I call Martha to bathe you, and send you somewhere where punishment is inevitable?" he suggested, then his subordinates still roared with laughter—as if it was an inside joke I'm not aware of.

"Or.. how about I send her to Legion's lair? That would be fun right?" he turned to his minions and they gave out a loud laugh—as if it was their last laugh.

"Anyways, we'll think about your punishment if the Mistress doesn't come here." His heart turned hard I guess. There's no point of denying that.

"Lord Vandel, speaking of, our messenger sent to the House of Valor hasn't come back yet." One of his mates quipped

"Doesn't matter." He huffed as he sat down right in front of me, guarding me with hawk like eyes.

I guess this is it.

Everything that's left is my life. If I die today, someday I will cast a misfortune on the next generations of the royal blood from the Kingdom of Nightshade, starting from the descendants of Hel Vandel Vaughn.