1 Prologue

Mila's life had always been a serene melody, each day harmonizing with the next in a peaceful rhythm.

But fate, it seemed, had other plans, orchestrating a sudden discord that shattered her tranquility.

It was an ordinary day, the sun casting its warm glow upon the familiar staircase Mila had traversed countless times before.

Yet, in an instant, the mundane transformed into a scene of surreal chaos. Time slowed as Mila descended, each step elongating into an eternity.

The staircase, once a symbol of progress and stability, now contorted into a descending spiral of uncertainty.

With each passing moment, Mila felt the weight of impending doom, a palpable tension in the air.

Then came the fall—a catastrophic dance with despair. Mila's body collided with the unforgiving ground, a sickening thud resonating through the stillness.

Blood, stark against the surroundings, painted a gruesome tableau of pain and mortality.

As consciousness ebbed away, Mila found herself adrift in a sea of fading awareness.

The world around her blurred into a haze, distant murmurs echoing in the void. Her heartbeat, once a steady rhythm of life, now faltered, a faint echo of its former strength.

Yet, amidst the encroaching darkness, a flicker of resilience remained. Like a dying ember fighting against the chill of night, Mila's consciousness struggled to hold on.

Time seemed to stretch endlessly, each moment a battle against the overwhelming pull of unconsciousness.

In the end, as the last vestiges of awareness slipped away, Mila was left with the haunting silence of her shattered reality.

The once-peaceful symphony of her life now dissolved into dissonance, a poignant reminder of the fragility of existence.

…..

Mila's consciousness slowly came back, and her eyes fluttered open. However, her surroundings lacked light for her eyes to fully adjust to her environment.

She tried to move her body but found herself unable to.

She can feel the ache in every spot of her body, as if she had been beated a hundred times, leaving her limbs heavy and unresponsive.

Panic began to rise within her as she struggled to make sense of her predicament.

Was she injured? Trapped?

The weight of the unknown pressed down on her, intensifying the silence and deepening the confusion.

Struggling to shake off the grogginess, Mila gradually became aware of her surroundings.

The darkness in the room clung to the air, almost tangible.

She could feel the dampness seeping through her clothes as she shifted uncomfortably on the wet wooden floor.

A soft groan escaped her lips as she attempted to sit up, her movements slow and deliberate.

The darkness seemed to press against her, creating an oppressive atmosphere.

Mila squinted her eyes, searching for any hint of light or detail in the obscure surroundings.

The musty scent of wet wood permeated every breath she took, and it clung to the air like a haunting presence.

Mila's senses heightened as she tried to piece together how she ended up in this eerie place, but her memories remained elusive, shrouded in a fog.

As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Mila noticed faint outlines of what appeared to be decaying furniture scattered around the room.

A dim glow emanated from a crack in what seemed to be a boarded-up window.

It provided just enough light to reveal the worn and peeling wallpaper that adorned the room's decaying walls.

Panic set in as Mila's mind raced to make sense of the situation.

Where was she? How did she end up in this unsettling place? Questions flooded her thoughts, but answers remained elusive.

Summoning her courage, Mila called out into the darkness, "Hello? Is anyone there?"

Her voice echoed, bouncing off the damp walls, but the only response was an eerie silence.

Mila's heart began to race, and a sense of unease started to creep over her.

She could feel a chill in the air, causing goosebumps to form on her arms.

The silence was deafening, amplifying her fear and making her wonder if she was truly alone in this mysterious place.

A heavy footstep could be heard approaching from an unknown direction, making Mila freeze in place.

Her eyes darted around, searching for the source of the sound, but all she could see was darkness.

The footsteps grew louder and closer, sending a shiver down her spine.

With each passing second, her anxiety heightened, and she couldn't shake off the feeling that something sinister was lurking just out of sight.

As the step got closer, she heard a loud creak coming from in front of her.

She turned her head in front of her, and a blinding light filled her vision.

As the blinding light faded, she found herself face-to-face with a stranger, standing outside of what seemed like a wooden cabin in the middle of the woods.

The stranger has long ginger hair and piercing green eyes.

Her eyes are looking down at her figure, lying on the wet wooden floor, barely supporting the weight of her fragile body with her thin arm, just to sit up.

She looks emaciated and weak, as if she hasn't eaten in days.

"You dumb b*tch, finally wake up," a harsh voice sneers.

Mila got startled at the unexpected statement from the stranger in front of her.

Wait, why isn't she panicking when a stranger is in front of her and she is in an unfamiliar place?

It might have been the cause of her hazy state of mind that her brain was not responsive to the situation at hand.

Despite the instinct of her trembling body, Mila looked up at the female stranger and bravely asked, "Who are you and where am I?"

Her voice quivered, but she tried to maintain a sense of composure.

The stranger's sneer turned into a wicked smile as she replied, "Oh, your head must have been damaged for you to not recognize me," she said with an amused smile on her lips.

Mila's eyes constricted at the stranger's expression. She felt a surge of unease creep up her spine.

The female stranger squatted down in front of her with a sinister glint in her eyes.

"We have met a couple times for, maybe, two years or more. We have shared many times in our lives. However, I guess you wouldn't know since you were asleep most of the time," she said with a wicked smile on her face.

Mila's heart raced as she tried to recall any memories of this woman, but her mind drew a blank.

The stranger's words sent a chill down her spine, leaving her with an unsettling feeling that there was much more to their connection than she could comprehend.

"W-what do you mean by that?" she stammered, desperately seeking answers.

"Hmmm," the woman hummed, her smile widening.

"Dear, young lady, you were punished by the young daughter of the head maid a couple of times, and that time was spent in this dark, disgusting room," she said while waving her hands around the place.

"You usually stay here for a couple days for the isolation period after you were punished with a wip before going back to the regular routine," she explained with a sigh.

"However, you've been here for weeks now. You should not have provoked and talked back to that brat. Now what happened to you?" she said gently as if she were concerned, but the glint in her eyes was giving chills to Mila's spine.

The stranger's expression turned solemn, and the dangerous glint that was covered by her pretencious smile was now fully revealed.

"Because of that, I also stayed here for weeks in this f*cking place," the stranger said, her voice dripping with malice.

"And that's because of you, b*tch!" the stranger yelled and suddenly grabbed her strands of hair, yanking them violently.

Mila winced in pain, her heart pounding with fear as the stranger's anger escalated.

The room fell into a tense silence, broken only by the sound of Mila's gasps and the stranger's sinister laughter.

The stranger seems pleased with her suffering.

Mila's mind raced, desperately searching for a way to defuse the situation.

She mustered up the courage to speak, her voice trembling.

"I-I'm sorry if I've done something to upset you. Please, let's try to resolve this peacefully."

The stranger's laughter grew louder, echoing through the room as she tightened her grip on Mila's hair, relishing in her power over her.

"Peace? This world is far beyond peace," the stranger sneered, their eyes filled with malice.

The stranger ignored her plea as she continued pulling her hair towards her, reveling in the pain she was causing.