Carlos

TRIGGER WARNING: One dialogue has violent descriptions of abuse and murder.

Hidden in the dark chamber covered by violet curtains, the Superior Leader rests quietly on her chair whilst looking down upon Fauna. Her mask kept her countenance from being discerned, filling the Assassin Leader with fear of what's to come. This time, all the covering on the Fauna's face was stripped off her, not even her trepidation could hide from the Superior Leader's eyes. Her knees were glued to the ice cold black marble floor, and at this point, it has started to sore after so long.

"My suspicions were correct." The Superior Leader spoke. "The Red Courtyard was built on the ruins of the late Princess Charlotte's refuge. They defiled her legacy and managed to block it from me."

"Your Grace, you had known all along?" Fauna raised her head.

"Charlotte showed me the refuge long before the war, I knew the passageways, it was I who led the humans to their safety under the kingdom."

"Why did you keep it hidden from us?"

The Superior Leader propped her head against her fingers. Fauna felt that she was irritated by her question, nevertheless, the Superior Leader still explained. "There was no point. When I awoke from my slumber, the Princess had already lost her life and the refuge was sealed away. Once I went back to the gates, I had thought it no longer operated due to her death. But now, I don't think that was the case."

"...I apologize for asking such a thing." Fauna immediately expressed her guilt.

"Don't be, I ought to remind you of the atrocities in your every waking moment." Hearing such a livid response, Fauna had her mouth shut and regretted even trying to apologize. Taking over her silence, the Superior Leader continued to speak.

"According to what Santina had investigated, the Red Courtyard was not a labyrinth under the palace, a demonic breeding ground is thriving right under the entire kingdom. I had tried to penetrate one of the gates for years, I was wrong for giving up on it. And now, Lucius has taken over the refuge. Yet I found it questionable still that Lucius was able to open it effortlessly."

"I will look into that, Your Grace."

"I already have my answer, I just need you to confirm it. Now let me ask you, what happened to the Princess while I was gone?"

Fauna felt her stomach churn having heard the question. Her conscience was trembling as her guilt creeped up from behind her. She felt the Superior Leader's eyes peeling her skin off her body. "She was killed by the Asperities, Your Grace." Fauna replied, holding on to her coat.

"It is not the answer I am looking for. What happened to her?"

"Your Grace, I..."

"Her corpse was taken to the palace by Lucius. She was used for an experiment. Correct?"

"Yes, Your Grace."

"After all, no one else but Asperities are responsible for her weakened state and her ultimate death. They knew her identity, they came up with a plan to murder her so they could extract her blood and her soul."

"...you are right, Your Grace."

The Superior Leader then stands, walking towards Fauna with her fists clenched. "Considering that her body was taken by Lucius, I assume her blood was used to establish the Red Courtyard. As for her soul, Lucius forcefully reincarnated her, though I knew of her re-existence long ago."

Fauna lowered her head out of fright. She knew she wouldn't be killed now, but she wondered if her life was still hers at the moment.

"Charlotte, she was mutilated by Lucius wasn't she?" the Superior Leader stood before Fauna with her eyes piercing through the Assassin Leader's head.

"I... I do not..." Fauna stuttered.

"The only way to open the gates was through her palm and her voice. Even I could not enter without her, how did Lucius, a lowly cursed being, manage to turn a divine territory into filth? He had Charlotte's body, what exactly did he do? How did he open the refuge?" 

"...Your Grace..."

"Answer me."

"She..." The Superior Leader awaited Fauna's words. If she were to keep quiet for too long, Fauna might meet death at her manor's doorstep. "When I... The day I was..." Fauna stuttered. "We were supposed to dispose of her corpse, and I... I wanted to give her a proper burial... The day I last saw her body she... Her soul was already gone, her... her... blood was... drained and..." Fauna could clearly hear the Superior Leader's leather gloves contract. The leader's fists rapidly shook with each word coming out of Fauna's mouth. Yet even with the possibility of Fauna's tongue getting cut off, she kept answering. "Her limbs were torn off by bare hands. Her fingers were all broken and twisted. She had bruises and stab wounds all over her body. Her skull was crushed due to impact. The insides of her neck were pulled out. From what I saw, she may have been beaten and thrown into a solid barricade... multiple times."

Once Fauna was finished speaking, the soundless void returned to overtake them. The silence was deafening. Even the Superior Leader had nothing else to say, and Fauna couldn't find the right words to continue speaking. They both fell speechless.

In the end, the Superior Leader could only turn away. "Leave." She said with a low, apathetic tone. Fauna obeyed and stood up. She then grabbed her blindfold and her mask to cover her face before leaving the desolate Superior Leader. Yet as she was about to step outside the door, the Superior Leader's voice made her pause. "Fauna, the prince wishes to depart from the Cardinal Manors."

"He-... I shall handle him myself, Your Grace. Please leave him to me."

"No, I do not want you to convince him to stay with us. All you need to do is to accompany the prince. The Asperities are still in control of his heart, he is at risk of betrayal. If he were to be left unguarded, the Asperities will take advantage of his confusion."

"I will make sure he is safe from the Asperities, Your Grace."

"You must do so. Do not let it happen again. Please." The Superior Leader's voice tearfully cracked as she turned her head to Fauna. 

"Yes, Your Grace."