The Shadow Larking in the Shadow

Lia and Ella reach the madam's room where there isn't a shade of light in the room. It was all dark with only rays of light shining through the blind spots of the window curtain.

The madam was tending to her baby when she saw two maids breathing heavily with cheeks flush and sweats running down their forehead. Before she could say a couple of words the maid with the two braids kneel down in front of her, making her confused.

Taking a deep breath Lia said loud and clear, "Madam, please help the Young Miss before the Master kills her! Everything is due to this one own incompetence and am willing to take any punishment! Please help the Young Miss!"

Carmilla didn't have time to think things through before she rushes out of the door leaving behind the two maids to take care of her baby.

How can this happen?! Please be okay Drizella!

...

Her mind was going out but she hangs on to the last straw. She doesn't want her second life to end so quickly. From all those that who have transmigrated or reincarnated she doesn't want to be the first person to die so young only at the age of two. She'll be the talk of the town for sure if this is her ending.

Drizella slowly and wobbly got up from her spot and stagger to where ever her two small legs might take her out of this room. Her expectation has been overseen instead of getting out of this hell she walks straight to the source. Drizella bumps into the knees of Albert and with her muddled head she looks up, with a slight smile she mumbled "Papa..." before fainting next to him.

Albert hearing the soft sound of a person whose voice sounded so immature makes him almost came out of his daze until he heard, "Kill her! Kill this girl like everyone else in this room!"

The voice was full of excitement and thrill at a person's death. There was hesitation or a slight regret of having to kill anyone.

He searches through the room only to see bodies littered all around and straight towards the door. Wh..What has become of him? Albert holding his head, shake it wildly to get raid of the voice in his head but the more he did the more the voice persisted trying to take control of him. Albert feels like he was hypnotized as his body down trying to grasp the little girl's small pale neck. He tries to resist the arched of his hand from squeezing his daughter's neck and breaking her more than what has become of her.

"Hehehe! Is the girl that important? Then the more the deal to kill her!!" the loudly whisper of the voice chilled Albert.

"What do you know and what?!" Albert loudly spoke out even though there was no one there.

A black shadow like fire crept its way onto Albert's shoulder and reach its long skinny fingers grabbing hold of Albert's hand and place it on Drizella's neck. It turns to stare at Albert in turn with its voice echoing "Why be so innocent now! When you have alrighty killed more than all the people here. Don't tell that you forget. Shall I help you..."

Saying so the shadow's other hand touches Albert's forehead between the brows. With one touch a blue little light flicker on Albert's forehead and send images of dead body's and he himself slaughtering everyone that he had seen. Scenes that he himself would never think of committing came rashing foreword with no stopping.

"Aaarrrgghhh!!!" Albert covers his head with the hand not holding Drizella's head.

...

Camilla hearing the painful cry of her husband, bite her lip tightly and continued to run. Her only hope is that her loved ones don't die.

However, her hope never came true just as she reaches the door breathing heavily. She witnesses Albert's own hand on his chest. Blood was gushing from his mouth but there was no sadness in his eyes, only relief and a sorrowful smile on his lip. Her eyes open wide with tears falling down her red cheeks as she runs to hold her husband.

"Dear... Dear... Albert... Albert... Wake up! Don't... Don't kid me..." Her tears were blurring her vision as she kept on calling Albert's name over and over again.

"Sorry, Camilla... even though I... I promise..." Albert spout blood as he spoke.

Camilla slowly wipes the blood from his mouth while silently holding back her cries. "Don't... talk anymore... Albert."

"Promise... to take.... care... of you..."

Her falling tears touches his cheeks and she hurriedly wiped it off. Sniffling back her tears and biting her lips, "Stop!... Albert just STOP!... You... You're going to be fine..."

As his body started to break into crystal pieces and mixing with the air, he said in a weak voice, "Name... Her... Anastasia."

Albert touches Camilla's cheek with his bloody hand, rubbing the tears off, smiling happily he said lovely, "Sorry and... thank you... for everything..."

"NO!" she quickly hugged his body but she was already too late, Albert was already gone. All she could do was crunch down, hugged his remaining clothes and cry out.

An echo sound of laughter sounded around the room, "Who would've thought he'll destroy his soul using his remaining mana so that he won't be controlled by me! Hehehe! ...I also won't last long... so let me leave a parting gift for you."

The black shadow appears again but next to Drizella and grasp her by the neck. Using his free hand he touches her left eye making her cry out even though she has already fainted. All the wounds on her body healed within a second leaving no scars behind.

The shadow doesn't know why he did what he did but for a little girl to change the situation which he had painstakingly set up for a year in a blink of an eye is fascinating.

Seeing everything happening so fast Camilla didn't have the time to get up and stop him before he passes Drizella straight at her. His voice echo as he disappears, "Think of it as a blessing or curse. The fate of Pandora has started..."

...

"Madam..." Lia hesitated before voicing out, "Why did the master..."

Ana covers Lia's talkative mouth with her hand motioning her to not step on the landmine.

"It's fine." Camilla clear her throat and remove the hair that has cover Drizella's face as she slept.

Even though the madam said it's fine, they both knew of how much of a blow that was to the madam. She lost her husband, making her a widow and almost lost her first daughter. There is also about five-hundred dead bodies that she needs to explain. Adding to the wound, she might lose all her status and still have two daughters to feed.

Camilla leads the two out of the room before closing the door with one last peek at her daughter's sleeping face.

"...Madam, it's a dream demon isn't it!" Ana was the first to speak after they left the room.

Camilla nodded her head silently, "Lia tell me what happened after I shut myself inside... during my pregnancy?"

Camilla's voice was soft almost like she has given up everything. Ana and Lia look at each other but Ana didn't know the situation at all since she was the only one tending to the Madam. Lia said, "We... the rest of the servants and I didn't want to worry the Madam after the Madam give birth. We also don't know what happened, the Master's action started to get weirder and weirder... even if we want to report the Master's action to you... the Master said not to. He prohibits the Young Miss from leaving her room... but she still did. I'm sorry Madam! If I place attention and didn't let the Young Miss didn't leave her room none..."

Camilla interrupted her in a cold voice, "Don't place all the blame on my daughter and yourself! Even though she just turned two and haven't even celebrated her birthday. My daughter, Drizella is a very smart girl. She knows her father hasn't been visiting her like usual and that something is definitely wrong with the situation for her father's action to be so strange. She'll use any mean to figure out what is wrong. In all, I should be blamed for everything. I..."

"Not at all, Madam! It is this one's fault!" Ana and Lia both kneel down speaking at the same time with desperation.

Camilla shakes her head with tears gathering in her eyes but she was unwilling to let them fall, "I knew that Albert was acting a little different. I was always with him... knowing the change in him I thought he only wants to get back at the Wilson family who abandon him due to his health and the humiliation and gossiping behind our back at the party the Wilson hosted. I should have stopped him and told him I'll always be with him before thi..."

The tears Camilla was trying to hold back came rushing forth before she could finish her sentence. The two maids in front of her sawing her crying silently wish to do something to make her happy again but they can't do anything at all. The only thing they could do was stand there silently watching her cry her eyes out.

...

Drizella woke up to realize she wasn't in her room but her head is hurting like hell. What actually happened to her. Why can't she remember what she was doing at all...

The more she thought the more her head hurt so she gives up at the end thinking it's not important if she can't even remember it.

Hearing noise outside the room, Drizella slowly got out of bed heading towards the door but instead of opening the door she pricks up her ear at the door trying to listen to the noise. Drizella notices the voice to be her mother's voice. She can't hear clearly only the last part her mother said, "I should have stopped him and told him I'll always be with him before thi...". Then only the crying voice of her mother.

Hearing her mother crying voice, she also starting to cry. Her crying makes her mother opened the door. Without a second thought, Drizella hugs her mother crying, "Don't cry Mama. Mama hav Dizzy."