The Madness of Zheilred Harlequin

It was a beautiful night, with the moon on its full phase.

But something was different, awfully different.

Everything seemed magical and surreal.

Wild animals were afraid of something, shivering in the dark. Shadows were heading to the heart of the forest. As if they were enchanted, lured by a mysterious and powerful aura.

At the heart of the forest was a clearing. There at the middle was an unconscious little girl sprawled on the ground.

She was all white. Her hair, dress, and skin, it was white. The light of the moon even made it impossible to look at her.

A red magic circle beneath her was was just about to fade. It seeped unto her skin, creating intricate marks going to her head, then to her hair. Her once white hair was slowly tuning into red, a fiery kind of red.

Her eyes shoot open. And just like any part of her, it was white, too. In every blink, it changed colors. From white to silver, to lavender, then red. For a moment it was gold, until it slowly dissipated and became streaks around the pupil. Her eyes finally settled into sapphire green with a golden ring.

She slowly got up, examining her hands and hair then her surroundings. She was about to walk when she stumbled and fell back to the ground.

She steadied for a while. A pained expression suddenly etched on her face. It wasn't because she fell, but because she couldn't remember anything.

Her mind was like a blank slate, devoid of any thoughts, as if it was formatted.

Only one question was in her mind right now, and in a cute little voice she spoke.

"Who am I?"

* * *

On the hill of Lucca, there majestically stood a mansion that left the townspeople and tourist in daze. That mansion was called the Sinclair Manor, home of the wealthiest couple throughout Italy.

The design of the mansion can be compared to the famed Victorian style architecture. With a touch of royalty and elegance, and somewhat goth, the mansion was a one-of-a-kind design. It was even featured in some famous lifestyle magazines. Inside was an endless maze for people who weren't familiar of the house. There were many rooms and facilities. Antiques could be seen everywhere.

Located at the third floor of the mansion was the library. There, a young girl, around 15 years old, was standing at the top of the ladder, browsing for books.

"The Divine Comedy, done. The Hound of Baskervilles, done. The Prince and the Pauper, done."

She was looking for a new book to read after finishing the whole shelf on the east side. She loved reading books and just by watching all of these books in every corner made her eyes twinkle in excitement.

Just like any other kid that came from a wealthy background, Zheilred Harlequin Sinclair grew up with maids, butlers, and bodyguards tailing her wherever she went.

Raised by the wealthiest family in Italy, she knew the downsides of being rich. Being the only heiress of the wealthiest family in Italy has its own advantages and disadvantages. Threats and risks were everywhere, that's why her parents were somewhat edgy for her safety. That's the reason why Harlequin rarely stepped out from their mansion.

She was home-schooled from the very beginning. The teachers didn't have any problem of her since she's a gifted one, a genius. At such a young age, she possessed extraordinary intelligence that put people in awe. Well, she admitted having an encyclopedic learning ability was cool but she preferred to stay low-key, no matter what happens.

Not to mention that she was also very beautiful. Though she looks paler than any normal girls, it matches well with her long red wavy hair and green eyes. But having those features may also put her in danger so sometimes she have to wear a disguise.

Around strangers, Harlequin was either shy or sly, depends on the person. But in front of her parents, she's the filial daughter anyone could wish for.

Though she's only adopted, her parents gave her everything she wanted or needed. Most kids would probably act spoiled, but not her.

During her first 3 years in the Sinclair manor, only the servants were the people who accompanied her since both of her parents were always busy away from home. It was when she was 5 years old when the Sinclair couple brought home people that became her companion.

Grycamoiree de Lucca and Hyperion Zico Machiavelli came from Sicily. The couple saw the aunt-nephew duo along the streets of Sicily, begging for food and a place to stay. They were both orphans who originally came from Mount Cammarata.

Gryca was 16 years old that time, while Hyperion was 7. She then became Harlequin's personal maid. Hyperion also offered his service, aside from being Harlequin's playmate.

And just like any other person who's always cooped up inside the manor, Harlequin became curious of what the outside looked like.

She was six years old when she first escaped the manor.

It was a disaster.

She almost had an accident on the cliff at the edge of the forest that surrounds the manor.

Because of what happened, the bodyguards were tripled and the security system was heightened.

When her mother knew about her stunt, the lady almost had a heart attack.

But that didn't stop Harlequin from going out the estate.

"Hey Hype, look at this." Harlequin went down from the ladder after discovering an odd book on the topmost shelf of the library. Hyperion just took a glance at her and returned his attention to the book he was reading. "What is it?" He asked without looking at her.

"A book about alchemy." Harlequin said while checking the contents of the book. "I wonder how Dad got a hold of this."

The title on the book's cover page was 'Alchemy and Reverse Alchemy'. Inside, Harlequin could see pictures of the different diagrams and such. She even saw familiar pentagrams and magic circle, and couldn't help but to smile.

Hyperion silently placed the book he was reading on the coffee table and started preparing Harlequin's tea before answering her. "Put it back before you do something stupid again." He said, emphasizing the word 'again'.

Harlequin shrugged and placed the book on the coffee table. "Eh, waste of time. And besides, I already know those stuffs."

Hyperion shook his head and sliced a cake. "Whatever."

Harlequin gazed around the room before sprawling on the couch. Her image as the prim and proper child of the Sinclair should never be tarnished. She made sure no one other than the both of them were in the library, before acting like a potato couch.

Including the servants, only Harlequin and Hyperion were left in the house. Both of her parents had a business trip to attend in New York. They just left earlier this morning.

Only the clinking sound of the teaspoon and the teacup could be heard inside the library. Harlequin was also used to this kind of silence. Because of it, she could think clearly, and create bizzare ideas.

Suddenly, "Hype, I want to go out."

The teaspoon Hyperion was holding fell with a clang. He was dumbfounded by what she said. And before he could even react, Harlequin was already sitting on the balcony's balustrade.

"You're not thinking what I'm thinking, right?" Hyperion asked nervously as he picked the teaspoon.

He only feared two persons in this world. The second one was his aunt. If Harlequin would do what he was thinking, then he would face Grycamoiree's wrath.

The other one that he feared the most was exactly this girl in front of him. He may be 2 years older than her, but he knew she could turn the world upside down.

"What exactly am I thinking, Hype?" Harlequin answered with a grin on her face. Hyperion could only curse silently. He really hated that grin and wanted to wipe it away from her lips.

"Spare me, Zheilred. I don't want Gryca to punish me if something happens to you."

Harlequin's mouth went 'O' when she heard him say her first name. He only use 'Zheilred' if he's either angry or agitated.

Harlequin became silent for a while. "If I fall from here, would you think I'll die?" She asked again while looking down the balcony.

Since the library was located at the third floor of the Sinclair Manor, Harlequin could see all their servants from up here.

Hyperion sighed. 'This girl is really unpredictable' he thought. "You wouldn't die, but you'll probably make a mess and even traumatize the servants."

Harlequin agreed to what he just said and grimaced. She even imagined herself falling from the balcony then Hyperion would be scared shitless.

"Say, what date is it again today?" She asked again but this time she's facing her back at Hyperion.

"The 13th of July. Why'd you ask?" Hyperion answered. Without a sound, he walked towards Harlequin. But before he could even grab her hand, the girl already jumped.

Hyperion rushed towards the balcony and saw Harlequin climbing down the Acacia tree. He waited for Harlequin to climb down and ran to the hedge before he took out his remote key and pressed a button. The moment he pressed the button, the security system of the Sinclair Manor went off.

He knew Harlequin could easily escape from the estate even if he alerted the security. Setting off the alarm was just for a show, or else Gryca would definitely kill him if she found out that he just let Harlequin escaped.