Chapter 7

Weiss was happily humming as she walked towards her sister's room. She actually wanted to go there much earlier but she still have to finished her singing practice.

She always admired her sister since she was young, she wanted to be like her, a perfect woman without flaws. Yes, it might be exaggerated but it was what she thought of her sister.

Her elder sister is the perfect example to what a lady should be like. Calm, collected, strong, wise, courageous, that is Winter Schnee.

Aside from that, she aslo wanted to be like her sister who was now beyond her father's control.

After a few minutes she finally arrived near her sister's room. And, being a trained warrior, her hearing was several times much better compared to ordinary people, not at the same level as Faunus but certainly good enough.

With it, she heard her sister's voice, she seems to be talking with someone. She sneakily listened to their conversation.

She doesn't want to be rude but she was definitely curious. However, what she heard, isn't something she expected to hear.

"...You'd rather choose the life of stranger from Atlas than your very own sister?"

Weiss couldn't help but scoffed, of course not. She knew her sister loves her, and she will choose her than a stranger.

".....yes."

What? No, she probably heard that wrong, that's right, no way her sister will choose a stranger's life over her right? Right?

"So a strangers life is much more important than your family? Well, good to know how much you love them."

She couldn't take it anymore and showed herself, she glanced at the back of her sister whom she admires and couldn't help but feel that she looks so different than before.

"Winter?"

Her sister turned around and face her, she can see that her sister was shocked, but her eyes were determined and full of resolve, as if she wouldn't hesitate to do what she had just said.

"Weiss? What are-"

She couldn't hold it anymore as she began to tear up. She glared at her sister in sadness as she tried to wiped the tears on her eyes but it keeps on flowing.

So she did the only thing that crossed her mind.

She ran.

She did not hear her sister calling out to her, she probably doesn't care about her and doesn't plan on consoling her.

In her heart, she hoped that her sister would call out to her, or maybe even run after her and tell her that it was all a misunderstanding.

But she did not.

And that makes it even more worst. The girl whom she idolized, her sister, doesn't care about her at all.

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"You-! You planned of all this haven't you!?"

Azazel just tilted his head with a confused look. "Huh? What do you mean? I just asked you some questions you answered them 'honestly' I don't even know that your sister was there."

"You...You'll pay for this!" Winter used her glyphs to increase her speed as she appeared in front of Azazel almost instantaneously.

She used her sword, trying to stab him in the head, to which Azazel just casually caught the tip of her sword with his index finger.

"How-?"

Azazel snapped his fingers as the entire room went black, but instead of seeing nothing due to the dark, Winter can easily see as if it was day.

Azazel was standing in front of her with his usual smile that gave her the feeling thag no matter what's happening, everything is in his control.

"Tell me Winter Schnee, do you believe in magic?"

Winter narrowed her eyes and was about to attack him again when she noticed her weapon was missing, even the small weapons hidden in her pockets were missing.

She took a step back, she might be strong and skillful in using swords, but she was pretty average in hand-to-hand combat.

She decided to humor him for now.

"Magic? Like the fairy tales? No, I don't believe it. Magic are just words made by an ignorant people who doesn't know about Dusts."

"I can assure you they are pretty real."

Winter scoffed, she wasn't a six years old that believed in magic. Even if the man in front of her showed some incredible skills, she still wasn't going to believe hus words unless she saw it herself.

"I see you are still doubting me. But it doesn't matter, your general knows about it too, he has been given you hints right?"

Now that caught her attention, General Ironwood actually believed in magic? That's.....not impossible actually. General has been asking her some crazy questions for awhile now.

Like 'what will you do if you have magic?' Or 'if the story about the four maidens are true, what will you do?' Something like that.

"Have you heard about the maidens?"

Winter gave a small nod as she already began to doubt. What if what he said is true, what then?

"Well, I can tell you that they are pretty much true. They do exist, possessing an ability to command elements without the need of dusts or technology."

Impossible! She wanted to say, but she couldn't bring herself to disagree. Even her general was giving hints about the existence of magic.

When Azazel saw the conflicted and contemplative look on her face he decided to finally strike the iron while its hot.

"I have heard that the reason why you joined military is to escape from your Jacques? You wanted to forge your own path, make your own faith, and not be controlled."

Seeing her nod, Azazel smiled and continue. "But you see Winter....you haven't been forging your own path at all. You're wondering why it was easy for you to rise in ranks? Why, if a mission go wrong, your team always risked their lives to save you? Why are you the only one allowed to meet the old woman you have been taking care of? Why Ironwood, was slowly telling you, the existence of magic."

Winter's eyes widened as she thought of a possibility.

"Looks like you figure it out. The old woman is the winter maiden. You see, a maiden's power is transferred to the last woman they thought of, and the reason why you are the only one allowed to see her, is because Ironwood wanted you to be the next Winter Maiden."

Winter dropped to her knees, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. All this time she thought that she is making her own path, that she was free and can make choices of her own.

But it was just an illusion.

It all make sense now, why her she rise through the ranks rather easily without much of a trouble, she thought that it was because of her talent, but it is not.

Why, if a mission goes wrong, her team always risked their lives for her safety, it wasn't because they cared about her, they are probably ordered by Ironwood himself to protect her.

Azazel smiled, it was way too easy to manipulate the mind of such a young girl, he doesn't even need magic. He approached Winter and lifted her chin to make her looked at him.

"You thought that you finally escape the cage made by your father, you thought that you can finally be free and choose what you want to do, in the end, it was just an illusion. How does it feel to be a tool?"

A....tool? Winter wondered, true her fate was being made for her, but she wouldn't go as far as calling herself a tool.

"Ahh, you still don't get it do you? You are just a tool. Your father thought of you as a tool to improve the SDC, while Ironwood thought of you as a tool to take the power of a maiden, I'm pretty sure if he finds a better candidate he won't think twice and throw you away, like a trash that has no purpose."

A tool? She wondered,

Am I really...just a tool?