Prologue (Part 01)

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#Disclamer: This is a work of fiction. Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents in this book are either the product of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

#Rated R, may contain detailed portrayals of blood, gore and sexual violence which might not be suitable for some readers.

#Monologues and inner thoughts would be represented by [**]

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Asberg is a city which is situated in the west of the kingdom of Tenibris where all things weird and wonderful exists. After all, it was a city full of witches and wizards. However, what makes Asberg stand out above all else is the city's renowned and prestigious Magic Research Academy where students graduate to become prominent figures in society, who pave the way for the kingdom's advancement into the future.

But, for one young girl, there is another thing that makes this place so much more than all the gleam and glamour. And, it just so happens that this girl is on her way to the Asberg Central Railway Station.

She stumbles out of the train, struggling to carry the enormous suitcase she had brought with her. Then she straightens up, flips her long hair over her shoulder, and looks up at the sky, her eyes sparkling like sapphires in the morning sun.

In her hurry, she had failed to notice the man who was coming towards her. He was well-dressed; wearing a suit that you normally see on butlers in movies, and he looked as though he was probably in his late 50s.

He waves at the girl, who, seeing the movement from the corner of her eye, she looks at him, and walks towards him.

"You must be Miss Rukia Katsuragi. Welcome to Asberg. My name is Simon, and I shall be your-"

"I think I- gahhhhhhhhh!"

Before Rukia could finish her sentence, her stomach had heaved and her breakfast had burst out of her mouth and had splattered all over the ground in front of Simon.

Simon, to his credit, did not recoil or show any outward sign of disgust or discomfort, and patted the girl on her back.

"I am sorry Mr. Si- Gahhhhhhh!"

"Poor kid…it seems to have been a rough journey for you."

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"I am really sorry about earlier Mr. Simon. I'm just not used to these trains." Rukia says in a small voice to Simon who was driving an automobile to their destination.

"I understand Miss. You need not concern yourself with it anymore. We are almost at our destination."

Rukia wanted to say something else but then decides against it and looks out of the glass shutter instead. She settles down in the leather seat, leaning back against it and sighs.

Despite her appearance being that of a child, Rukia was an 15-year-old girl who had travelled to Tenibris from the Far East. On her 18th birthday, parents had revealed something which they had been keeping from her for her whole life: she was not their child, but the child of a good friend and mentor who hailed from the West.

"I knew it!" she had exclaimed, much to her adopted parents' surprise.

Ever since Rukia could remember, she had noticed obvious differences between herself, her parents, and her siblings. For one thing, her hair was blue and theirs was black, and all their eyes were dark brown. This indeed was rather odd. Unfortunately, this has caused many altercations in her past as being the center of attention in some cases, like being picked on by the local community. Therefore, it wasn't surprising to learn that she was adopted. It was more of a clarification at this point. But why hadn't her parents told her, and everyone else for that matter, that she was adopted? It would have saved both her and them a lot of trouble. But they had refused to tell her until now.

But in her mind that added mystery to her adventure. She had yearned to go on an adventure on her own for a long time. And what was a better adventure than discovering the secrets of the past? Why was she adopted? Why had her parents abandoned her? Maybe they had no choice? Maybe they had been attacked by some horrible creature and had to send her through a portal for her own safety? Or maybe they were captured by an evil Wizard who -

Her mind continues creating wild theories about her real parents as they continue along the road.

There was one other thing that her adopted parents had mentioned before she left her home. It was about her birthright. Her biological father had said that when she came of age, all the lands and property which belonged to him, and her mother would become Rukia's.

They turn a corner, and Rukia sees the huge mansion on top of a hill that was now hers. Her real parents' home…

*What secrets do you hold? * She asks the mansion in her head as she gazes up at the old building.

She lowers her gaze to the tall trees on either side of her. And then blinks. She could see tiny - but distinct flickers of light whizzing through the trees as if they were stars dancing merrily in the darkening woods.

*Fairies? * She mused. It was the most logical choice as it was not the right time of day for fireflies to roam about. It was still the morning!

They had been travelling for ages, and she hadn't seen anything, besides the supposed fairies, other than trees. And although she liked nature, one could get rather bored of trees when that's all you had to look at. And it was safe to say that her parents did not have any neighbors. Civilization had stopped in the area.

Suddenly she presses her face against the window as they roll into a clearing.

"Mr. Simon!" she asks excitedly, "Is that Asberg?"

"Indeed, it is my lady, you can see the city of Asberg even more clearly from the mansion."

"Wow…"

It looked like one of her old dollhouses from there, but it still looked very bright and beautiful.

She already liked it here so much…

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Finally, the automobile passed through a large iron gate that opened on its own as they came close to it. But that wasn't what had made Rukia's mouth drop.

'It's massive! Why is it so big? How much money did my parents have? And what did they do to get it?'

The automobile drove round the driveway and stopped in front of the main entrance. Rukia gets out of the vehicle, and starts struggling with her luggage again, but this time, much to her relief, Simon takes it from her and carries it inside for her.

She stares up at the mansion again. It looms over her almost as if it was threatening to fall onto her. That's how tall it was.

*…yup, you would need a small army of people to take care of this place…

…but…* She looks around her and furrows her brow.

There's no one else in sight.

"Mr. Simon, do you look after this mansion all this by yourself?", she asks, while trailing one of her fingers across the wooden railing on the staircase. And when Simon isn't looking, she quickly checks for dust on her finger.

Spotless.

"I do not, Miss. There are three other girls that assist me in keeping this place in order."

"Huh? But where are they? I don't see them...", Rukia says as she looks at the impressive craftsmanship of the fireplace.

"They are quite the shy type, Miss. You will meet them very soon. Greta and Mila are most likely in the kitchen. Zelda, may have gone to fetch some goods from the market."

"What odd names..." Rukia mutters under her breath.

Rukia wanted to explore the mansion. Considering its enormous size, it's highly probable that there are many secret passages, treasures, and rooms that she has access to.

Her heart leaps with excitement at these thoughts. She could imagine herself roaming the corridors at night with a candle in her hand, solving the mysteries of the mansion all by herself, all that was really missing was an evil villain.

…now where could she find one of those?

However, despite her excitement, her body had other plans. The long journey had worn her body out as much as a ragdoll under the mercy of an angry pup.

And her eyes had started to droop.

"So, umm, where's my room?", she asks with a barely stifled yawn.

"Of course. This way Miss.", said Simon leading the girl up to the master bedroom on the second floor. It was decorated with ornate and timeless furniture, which Rukia does not really notice right now. Her eyes are focused on the king-sized bed in the center of the room. The bed looked so inviting that it seemed to Rukia that it was calling her to fall into its warm and soft embrace, like how a siren would tempt sailors into a watery slumber with their enchanting songs.

Before Mr. Simon could utter a word, she shooed him out of the room, saying that she wanted some rest. And then she pushes her luggage beside the bed, intending to deal with it later.

She removes her hat and dumps it on the suitcase along with her shoes and her stockings.

"Ah... finally a cozy nap..."

Hugging a big, soft, and plump pillow, Rukia drifts off into the dark abyss of slumber.

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She was on that armchair again, holding a book. It felt so hazy and surreal. She was falling with the chair amidst blank portraits which passed by at a dizzying speed, the aroma of fresh roses fills her nostrils.

When suddenly, her eyes fly open.

And she sees the white bed in her new room, a stark contrast to what she experienced whilst her eyes were closed.

"That dream again...." she mutters to herself, rubbing her eyes sleepily as she gets up.

She still feels uneasy. The recurring dream always makes her uneasy – but that feeling usually always disappeared the second that she opened her eyes. However, the feeling continues to persist today. She could still smell the roses from that dream, which was very strange indeed...

"Good morning, Miss.", A soft, feminine voice says beside Rukia, which makes Rukia almost jump out of her skin.

"Waaa! Who are you?", Rukia asked the owner of the voice, looking at her. It was a tall blonde hired girl who, judging by her outfit; seemed to be one of the three maids that Mister Simon was talking about.

"My apologies Miss, I am Zelda. Your personal maid.", she answered in a very formal voice.

"Ah...ah... I see…and since when was that?", Rukia asked, puzzled.

"I see that you are distraught Miss. Let us go have breakfast and then I can explain.", The maid replied.

"Breakfast? But isn't it... huh? Morning?", Rukia asked as she looked out of the window, surprised.

She was certain that it was almost noon before she had last shut her eyes.

"…H-how long have I been asleep...", she muttered to herself, unable to fathom how in heaven's name she could sleep for such an extended period of time.

Although now that she had calmed down a bit, her stomach took the initiative to remind her of a full day of skipped meals.

It growled at her loudly like an angry dog, which made her blush in embarrassment. But this look was soon replaced with a look of anguish as the metaphorical dog gnaws at her stomach hungrily.

Pushing back a lock of hair that had fallen over her face, she gets off of the bed, and then proceeds to head out of the room.

However, she was stopped by a cold hand that was placed on her shoulder.

"Where do you think you are going Miss?", Zelda asks in a tone as chilly as a winter breeze.

"Why... to have breakfast of course..." she replies, still half-asleep and now tinged in with nervousness.

"Before that. Shall we change out of those filthy clothes?"

Zelda asked with a menacing smile plastered on her face which brought with it a sudden chill down Rakia's spine.

"I... I guess we shall..." she replied, swallowing lightly.

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Rukia was having breakfast in the dining room after having a warm bath. She had needed it – she had reeked of sweat and grime from her travels. While she munched on her toast, she wondered how in the world she had even gotten to sleep with such a stench.

After the bath, Rukia was presented with a beautiful dress that Zelda had said had belonged to Rukia's mother. It was a green and white floor-length a-line dress with a sweetheart neckline.

*I look like a lady! * She had thought excitedly as Zelda had helped her into the gorgeous dress.

She looks down at it and dusts a few crumbs off.

"Is everything to your liking miss?" Greta asks her.

"Oh yes, everything tastes wonderful!"

Rukia smiles at the girl. She did indeed seem shy. She stood with her hands clasped in front of her, her head bowed, and her blonde hair covering one of her eyes. She looked as though she was trying to make herself look small. Well, smaller. She was already small and skinny.

Greta was the one who had made her breakfast, and Rukia had not lied about it. It really was wonderful. You could never go wrong with eggs, bacon, sausages, and toast after all! And she was even given freshly squeezed orange juice. Rukia felt very fancy and pampered. But also slightly embarrassed that they were doing so much for her while she just sat back and enjoyed it.

It felt…a bit wrong.

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After devouring her breakfast, she was taken on a complete tour around the mansion, guided by Simon of course. And the tour was very informative thanks to his in-depth explanation of the building. Unfortunately, this had made Rukia almost as exhausted as she had been before she went to bed yesterday. By noon, the informative session had concluded much to Rukia's relief.

But as Rukia was about to retire to the comfort of her soft bed in her room, a disturbingly serious Mr. Simon had stopped her in her tracks. Zelda, appears by his side with an equally foreboding expression.

"One more thing Miss. Rukia." Mr. Simon says, looking down at her from her great height.

"What is it? Is it important? Can we do this later? I've had enough tours for one day..."

"Trust me Miss. This won't take much time.", Mr. Simon replies and holds his hand out, indicating that she should go down the stairs.

She had quirked an eyebrow in question, but does what he want?

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The three of them are gathered in the mansion's inner courtyard, which was lined with flowerbeds which framed the centerpiece of the area: a large square boulder which held up a statue of a young woman, who is wearing a long cloak and a big, pointed hat. She is holding a globe with her left hand and is pressing a book against her chest using her other hand. Below her was a placard with the woman's name:

Sofia Bluemoon - The Azure Witch.

"What a weird title...", Rukia mutters to herself,

"But it's a very pretty statue. She looks very mysterious; don't you think mister Si- "

She turns around to look at Simon but freezes when she comes face to face with a razor-sharp sword, pointing right at her face. Her eyes slowly move to the owner of the blade, and she sees Mr. Simon staring at her with a face as blank as paper.

"M-Mister Simon?"

She smiles nervously as she takes a few steps back,

"Are you playing some sort of prank or- "

Her back hits something cold and hard and she whirls around, only to see Zelda wearing a suit of armor. And she definitely does not look friendly. Her eyes are as cold and hard as glaciers.

She swallows and she looks at Zelda's hand which is grasping the hilt of another sword.

"W-What's going on?"

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