"The End"
Kiha has a secret that even her closest companion did not know about. The reason why she never tells this secret to anyone is not because she does not trust the two companions she has and neither because she does not want them to know, in all honesty, Kiha is afraid and that is the reason. She fears abandonment and mistrust. She fears what she can do and what might she do the moment they turn their back on her.
The demon inside her might kill every single person she encounters her entire life if it ever went out of control. He introduced himself to Kiha in her dream. Ravana is what his disciple calls him before he replaced Kiha’s soul of his.
He visits Kiha in her dream every single day for twelve years, showing Kiha different scenarios that might or might not occur in the future. “You will thank me in the future, human. The time has yet to come but I assure you, the destruction will certainly come,” claimed Ravana in a tone that tells there is something more to it.
Kiha opens her eyes in a dark bottomless pit between consciousness and unconsciousness. The demon called it “The End”, which made a lot of sense to Kiha. She practically lived there before Ravana freed her soul and made a deal with her.
“Hello there, little one.” His voice sounds so close that she could feel his freezing breath touching her supple skin and yet Kiha could not see anyone in the dark.
Kiha steps forward, trudging until the voice fades into thin air. Her eyes shift on the ground as it slowly turns water, gracefully forming a lake then like magic, the color goes up as it paints a new environment, mimicking an unknown garden.
A gust of freezing wind sweeps into place as the surroundings change into a beautiful rose garden gleaming under the sunlight. Kiha’s eyes grew wider in terror as a lush-color plant climbed up the wall until it reached the Prussian blue roof, covering the whole mansion with starving ivies.
The ivies roared to Kiha as they threatened to eat her together with the mansion. A small shaking breath escapes her quivering lips as she stumbles upon a wood, falling straight to the ground. Kiha’s hand got caught in the fallen rose’s thorn before a lot of red blood streamed down her pale hand.
She reluctantly tears the hem of her nightdress and ties it to her hand. Shivering, Kiha explores her eyes around only to witness the roses crying blood. An ear-piercing scream resonates in her ears as a number of fireballs deliberately fall down the vicinity. She turns her head over her shoulder, revealing the chaos outside the garden.
Faces of terror filled Kiha’s ruptured brain. “Ravana, what is this?” asked Kiha in a dispirited tone.
“Future,” answered the voice, still sounds close yet so far. “...or not. This is my surprise to you.”
Frowning, Kiha rises from her feet all the while watching the chaos happen before her. She hugs herself when a harsh wind scrapes a small portion of her dress revealing her fine shoulder and waist.
The earlier bright and relaxing environment Ravana paints suddenly turns into a dark cloudy one that suited the unexpected chaos in her dream. The fireball shoots down the capital in one go and it sends the people flying in the air.
The impact creates a huge hurricane wounding people as well as Kiha. The loud bang in the air shatters her eardrums and makes her head spin, her vision blurring. In a sense of disaster, Kiha hazily saw a woman standing where the fireball just fell into.
Not so far away from the woman gorgeous as night there stands a woman of unknown origin. “I need to wake up, Ravana. I am dying here,” whispered Kiha before closing her eyes, mouth red in blood.
She felt a pair of hands hold her head as it goes under her knees. The demon carries Kiha into a bed similar to hers in reality and then Ravana lays her down there, leaning in ever so slightly before whispering, “The Star and Sun alike, once risen, will bring about destruction to the Cosmos.”
Massaging her temple, Kiha looks at her disheveled hair and torn dress. My dream is becoming more connected to reality now that the destruction is coming. I guess it’s about time to make changes. Should I start with her?
Kiha looked at her reflection in the mirror before striding toward the bathroom. She is picking a dress to wear when the door opens, revealing three unfamiliar maids. Kiha tilted her head when the maids closed their eyes.
“You may open your eyes, I am not fully naked, am I?” said Kiha.
The brown-haired girl opened her eyes in a most adorable way, poking the other two to open their eyes. Fiddling, the three maids talked using their eyes, seemingly oblivious that Kiha is watching them intently.
“Is there anything you want from me, children?” The maids’ eyes grew wide upon hearing what their young lady had called them.
The girl, who has the same face as Kalyna’s maid, bows her head and then continues with, “Maria sent us to assist the lady,”
“Where is Czarina?” Kiha asked, a voice as deep as the ocean. The maids swallow their fear and bow once again but this time their voice is as firm as stone. “Miss Czarina has gone missing, we are here to replace her for the time being.”
Speaking of luck. God must have really favored me for this opportunity to come as fast as I wished for it.
Czarina Sein. That wench who dared lure me into an endless abyss just for her to end up in my cage.
Interesting.
Kiha smiles at the maids. “Then please, take good care of me from now on. I am Kiha Raelynn Richter, pleased to meet you all.”
The three maids look up to meet Kiha’s blazing orange eyes before offering her a smile that once fooled her.
“Please call us if you need assistance, my name is Noma, and the one with brown hair is Desiree, that girl behind you is Bianca.”
Kiha looks over her shoulder to get a better glimpse of Bianca who already busied herself on inspecting Kiha’s closet.
Bianca’s eyes focused on the dress she had never worn before. It is an emerald-colored dress that Count Richter gifted her as a gift when she turned twenty. The sudden suggestion made Kiha frown.
But she needs to appeal to her father if she wants her plan to go smoothly. Their relationship is the key to all and so, she smiles and nods her head. “Let’s go with this dress. You did well, Bianca.”
Kiha’s relationship with her father wanes after the Count locked Kiha up in the basement twelve years ago. The reason is none other than Czarina. She sacrificed Kiha’s soul and trapped her somewhere in order to take control of Kiha’s body. Czarina did that for twelve years without fail until the demon finally freed her soul.
Kiha started playing the game of deception with Czarina six months ago and she plans to slowly end the game by taking control.
Noma tied Kiha’s hair in a half ponytail allowing the rest of the hair to cascade down her back. Desiree and Biana on the other hand, helped Kiha with her dress and accessories, finishing her look with a jeweled hair band.
Noma, Desiree, and Bianca escorted Kiha to the dining room where the rest of the family awaits her arrival.
“Lady Kiha has arrived!” The butler announced before opening the heavily-sculpted door. She smiles at him before walking inside, leaving her maids outside.
Her arrival indeed shocks everyone. Her younger sister’s face beams upon seeing her presence while Kalen looks at her in bare nonchalance. Kalyna’s smiling face brings a smile to Kiha’s face, which is a sight to behold.
Count Richter’s face is different from what she expected, he looks weaker and wrinkles have occupied his face, unlike the almighty Count she expected him to be.
“Mom, look! Kiha is beautiful,” Kanna screamed, tugging her mother’s dress. Kalyna smiles at her before answering.
“Yes, just like you, dear.” Kiha looked at the two of them in genuine curiosity when she hear her father call her.
She looks at her father like they were never awkward and uncomfortable then said, “Yes, father?”
“Lord Rhysand will be returning, come to the capital gate and welcome him there. Bring your maid with you,” said the Count in a soft endearing tone as he added something in a whisper, “ I am glad the dress complements your skin.”
“Then, I will bring those three maids Maria assigned to me,” Kiha answered before looking at the closed door. “And I want to thank Father for giving me this dress. I will wear this with our name in mind.”
“Maria assigned you a new maid? Kalyna, why did I not hear this beforehand?” Count Richter asked, eyebrows crushing together.
An uncomfortable pause ensues as Count Richter continued. “I am asking you, Kal–” the butler’s loud voice could be heard outside as he shouted “Your Grace, Maria has come to explain in replacement of the Madame,”
Kiha tried her best to hide the smile that was about to show when Maria entered the dining room, her head low. Her hands clasp together in front of her like a loyal servant. She only look at the Count when Kalyna said so.
“Hmm, interesting.” said the demon.
Kiha ignored the voice occupying her head and look at Kanna instead. Her 16-year-old sister tilts her head before gawking at the Count. Kanna’s innocent eyes glimpse at her mother, surprised and dumbfounded.
Kalen inclined his head to look at Kiha, still calm and laid back like he had expected something like this to unfold before him. The sound of cutlery being carefully dragged in between his elegant movement irk Kiha of all people.
All their eyes were on Maria, waiting impatiently. The maid’s unnatural attitude made everyone in the room frown. She was assigned to be the Countess’ maid because of her mature and brave demeanor, allowing her to get more opportunities for her sister, Noma.
Maria uses her expressionless face to mask the terror she’s feeling because the moment she drops her head and begs for their mercy, she will die.
Kiha soon notices Maria's unfocused eyes despite her expressionless face. Terror paints the color of her eyes yet she sets those aside and remains unmoved.
“Czarina’s been taking care of me since I was a child. Maids as loyal and hardworking as her are rare thus, giving her a break is necessary.” The words taste bitter and disgusting on her tongue it stung her.