Prologue: Amidst the Flames

The servants' panicked cries reverberated through the grand halls, a cacophony of fear and urgency as they scrambled towards the exits. Footsteps pounded against the polished floors, a frantic rhythm echoing the turmoil within their hearts. Suddenly, amidst the chaos, shouts rang out, spreading like wildfire as word of a blaze on the upper floors reached their ears.

"Fire upstairs?!" gasped one servant, disbelief etched into their features.

With adrenaline coursing through their veins, the servants wasted no time in heeding the warning. Each step brought them closer to safety, yet the threat loomed ever larger with each passing moment. Smoke tendrils snaked their way through the corridors, a sinister harbinger of the inferno raging above. The acrid scent filled their nostrils, a grim reminder of the danger at their heels.

As they raced towards the nearest exit, their hearts pounded in unison with the crackle of flames licking at the staircase. The heat pressed in on all sides, a suffocating embrace that fueled their desperation to escape. With every ounce of strength, they pushed forward, their resolve unyielding despite the chaos engulfing the mansion.

In the midst of the turmoil, thoughts of the trapped owners flashed through their minds, but survival took precedence over all else. The mansion's fate hung in the balance, but for the servants, their own lives were the sole concern in that moment of chaos and uncertainty.

Heart pounding in her chest, the young girl forged ahead through the thick haze of smoke, her breaths shallow and labored. The ominous crackle of flames served as a grim reminder of the danger lurking around every corner, but her resolve remained unwavering as she pressed onward, driven by the desperate need to find her parents.

As she approached the staircase leading to the second floor, the maid's frantic cries pierced through the chaos, pleading with her to flee to safety. Tears streaked the maid's cheeks as she implored the girl to abandon her search, but her pleas fell on deaf ears.

Tears welled in the girl's eyes as she locked gazes with the maid, her voice trembling with fear and determination. "Mom... Dad..." she whispered, her words barely audible above the roar of the inferno raging around them. Despite the maid's tearful warnings, she refused to be swayed, her heart consumed by a singular purpose.

With each step she climbed, the heat intensified, threatening to engulf her in its fiery embrace. Yet, fueled by love and desperation, she pressed on, her senses attuned to the slightest sign of her parents' presence amidst the chaos.

In that moment, amidst the flames and smoke, the young girl's courage shone brightest, a beacon of hope amidst the darkness. For her, there was no turning back until she had found her loved ones, no matter the cost.

A palpable tension filled the air as the young girl's heart lurched in her chest, her eyes widening in shock as a towering figure emerged from the swirling smoke and flames. Silhouetted against the inferno, the figure's imposing frame cast an ominous shadow, his shirt torn asunder to reveal a massive scar etched across his chest while his face covered by a broken mask.

Fear clutched at the girl's heart as she beheld the sight before her. The figure appeared as a specter of darkness, his presence sending shivers down her spine. She had never encountered anything like him, and the sight of his form left her reeling with a mixture of horror and fascination.

Unable to tear her gaze away, the girl found herself drawn to the enigmatic figure, her mind awash with questions she couldn't voice. "Are you okay?" she whispered, her voice barely audible above the roar of the flames.

The figure response was devoid of emotion, his voice as flat and calm as the calm before a storm. "I can't feel the pain," he stated matter-of-factly, his empty gaze meeting hers with an unsettling intensity.

Speechless, the girl stood rooted to the spot, her mind racing with a torrent of thoughts and emotions. Who was this mysterious figure, and what secrets lay hidden behind this mask?

The enormity of the scar etched across his chest was a testament to untold suffering, yet his stoic demeanor betrayed no hint of the agony he must have endured.

Despite the fear coursing through her veins, an inexplicable curiosity stirred within the girl, compelling her to linger in the presence of this enigmatic stranger. Her voice faltered as she struggled to find the words to articulate her burning questions, but in that moment of uncertainty, one thing became clear: her fate had become inexorably intertwined with that of the scarred masked figure amidst the flames.

The young girl's voice trembled as she dared to utter the question that weighed heavily on her heart. "Who are you?" she implored, her eyes searching the depths of the soulless gaze.

"My name is inconsequential," he replied, his words carrying an eerie weight as if he could sense the turmoil churning within her. A shiver rippled down the girl's spine at the cryptic response, leaving her with more questions than answers.

Confusion clouded her mind as she struggled to comprehend the enigma before her. Who was this person, and why did he seem to defy the conventions of human interaction? His dismissive demeanor only served to deepen her unease, casting a pall of uncertainty over their encounter.

Tears welled in the girl's eyes as she spoke of her desperate search for her parents, her voice quivering with fear and longing. "Have you seen Mom and Dad? I can't find them," she pleaded, her heartache palpable in the tremor of her words.

His response was chilling, delivered with a callousness that pierced the girl's soul like a dagger.

"Nicholas and Helen are in hell," he declared, his words dripping with venom as he brandished a blood-stained dagger, the metallic tang of death hanging heavy in the air.

Shock rendered the girl speechless as the weight of his words crashed down upon her like a tidal wave. Her parents, her anchors in a sea of uncertainty, gone in an instant, swallowed by the merciless flames that ravaged the mansion. Tears streamed down her cheeks unchecked, mingling with the soot and ash that clung to her skin.

"No, please," she pleaded, her voice a desperate whisper, her world crumbling around her in the wake of the man's revelation. "It can't be true."

Sobs wracked her body as she sank to her knees, her world collapsing into darkness as the enormity of her loss threatened to consume her. "No, no, no," she repeated like a mantra, her anguish echoing through the silent halls as she grappled with the harsh reality before her.

Amidst the devastation, the girl's heart shattered into a million pieces, her soul engulfed by a despair so profound that it threatened to swallow her whole. And as she lay broken amidst the wreckage, the man's empty gaze bore witness to her anguish, a silent specter amidst the flames of her shattered dreams.

"This is their destiny. They can never run away from it."

As she heard him speak, a sense of dread washed over her. She couldn't understand what he meant, but she knew in her heart that his words had a dark significance.

She tried to collect herself, to push back the tears, to gather her strength. But she was too weak, too broken. She lay there on the floor, sobbing, as the figure stood over her, a silent witness to her pain.

The girl looked up at him in terror as he approached her, his grip on her wrist so tight it felt as if he was trying to break her bones.

The girl's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, her heart racing as she listened to his words.

"If you want to survive... run," he said, his eyes lifeless and his face devoid of any emotion. He released her wrist and she turned to flee, but the figure's words stayed with her. "Run and never look back, or else the monster inside me will finally kill you." he repeated, his voice as cold as ice.

The girl turned to run, but couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. She looked over her shoulder and saw him still standing there, his ruby eyes visible through the mask shining in the flickering light of the flames that surrounded him.

He stared back at her with a cruel gaze, and she shuddered at the thought of what he might do.

As the girl's cries echoed through the desolate halls, the figure's gaze lingered upon her broken form, a silent witness to the unfolding tragedy. What twisted fate awaited her in the wake of such devastating loss?

"Beautiful..." he muttered under his breath, his words dripping with ominous intent. With one final, lingering glance, he vanished into the shadows, leaving the girl to wonder what darkness lurked beyond the veil of smoke and flames.

*.*.*

I will give blessings to the ones who give me a drop of kindness, and I will exact my vengeance with a hundredfold more pain to those who inflict suffering upon me.