Belle noticed the growing hostility from Damian. She nodded her head and continued, “It was the same fortuneteller who had told me about it. Of course, I didn’t believe it but I realized the more I thought about it that maybe there’s a possibility.”
“Possibility?”
Belle settled her hands on her waist, shaking her head and thankful her lies was accepted by her younger brother. She has a feeling she shouldn’t tell Damian anything about this.
“Rachel’s room was closed tight when she died. I still believe she didn’t kill herself and if someone said a supernatural being had killed her, I would believe that more.”
Damian rested on the couch, looking back at his older sister. “Is that all?&rd
Belle then heard a knock from her room. She walked to see Orpha who was surprised that she had stood up to open the door for her.“Why do you look so surprised, Orpha?” Belle remembered how she had opened the book wide and slowly closed the door behind her.Orpha shook her head, “Milady, are you busy?”“Of course not, what’s wrong?” When Belle looked to her left, she saw it was Emilia, her maid who had always helped her with the morning dress. “Emilia too… is there something wrong?”Noting that she hadn’t called the two and how her two servants know just how much she needed to be alone at the moment, she wondered if it was an urgent case that they need to talk with her.“Emilia,” Orpha whispered, urging her friend.Emilia stood before Belle, wringing her hands together, “Mila
Leon watched as the humans scattered to the forest. With him the shorter man stood eerily with a warily look on his face. But his eyes were as red as Leon’s.“Mephisto, chase them,” Leon ordered for the servant to look at him with a confused look on his face.“A- all of them?” Mephisto stuttered.“No, the entire forest,” Leon responded for the demon to understood his sarcasm belatedly. “Well? What are you waiting for?”“I- I will come back soon!” Mephisto rushed into the forest with his superhuman strength and disappeared to the darkness.Leon took the time to inspect the body that was mass buried. When he pulled the cover that had hid the human’s face, he noticed it was the same servant that had been fired today. He proceed to check on the other bodies, noticing the other bodies belong to the same servants t
Belle looked at Leon’s handsome face, his mien contoured in doubt that actually hurt her. She shook her head, replying to him with the same solemness.“I don’t know what you are talking about. Between the two of us, I think we both know who lies more than the other. If that is what you are doubting me of,” Belle pursed her lips, realizing how spiteful she sounded.Leon also reflected on his words that sounded as though he had wanted to accuse her. He shook his head, crossing his hands together, “Your brother have fired a handful of humans from this mansion the other day.”“I know,” Belle responded, looking down to remember her mixed feeling of the burden her brother have to shoulder. “I just found out. But what do you mean none of them ever leave the house alive?”
No one dared to move, no one even dared to exhale their breaths that they held after hearing the loud blast coming from Damian’s side.The people turned their eyes, shivering at the sight of the red glint on his eyes.“Damian,” a low voice spoke that instantly pulled back the rest of the witches from their daze, even Yulene who was too stunned to speak.They moved away from their chair, looking at the person who had spoken and offered her their most polite greeting.Damian slowly closed his eyes. Being the only person who was not bowing he stood out than the rest. He clutched his fists together, clenching his knuckles tightly until his veins raised. After his mind had cooled down, he turned back his eyes to the woman, giving her the same
“Demons, what are they?” Damian asked when Evenora sat on her chair, crossing her arms together. He looked around the room, noticing how everything was well kept despite the documents unable to maintain its own form due to the old age. “Are they those beings that lives in Hell? I doubt that is their only explanation.”Yulene stared at her teacher, wondering what the answer was as she had always often wondered to it on her own as well.“If they are, then there must also be Heaven, there must also be angels, correct?” Damian looked at Evenora who continued to stay silent, “But no matter how many times demons had killed witches, there was never an angel on sight fighting against them. When their responsibility is indeed to protect them.”“I know you are frustrated but I never know what demons are ever,” Evenora walked beside him, placing her hand over the portrait
Small head, round eyes, and slithering body of a black skin rested on her table. The reptile spoke with human language despite it being an animal.The black scaled reminded Belle of the ability that Leon possessed to change his form into animals, which also meant this familiar voice and the red eyes belong to a demon.It was Leon’s older brother, Vetis.“Please, I hope I didn’t surprised you,” Vetis spoke. “I thought if I come in my normal form, people will find faults at you. Therefore why I had chosen this form.”“You didn’t surprised me,” Belle tried to be considerate. She almost threw her tea on him, that’s it. “You are… sir Vetis?”“Correct. You have a magnificent hearing Lady Belle. I looked ar
The next day, Yulene came to visit her in the early morning. When Belle heard from her maid, Orpha of her best friend’s visitation, she pursed her lips.After learning they were witches, Belle was hurt of how her family and her only best friend had lied to her. But they had known each other since childhood, therefore Belle didn’t want to ruin their long friendship. And she also know how Yulene had to stay quiet from either her parent’s request or Damian.When Belle stepped out of the door, she was startled by the broad chest that stood before her. Leon’s shadow covered her smaller body and she gulped as it had been a while since they share the closure that they had now.Leon didn’t speak and instead walked beside her, leading her the way as it was his shift to take care of her needs.Belle walked behind him, waiting until the moment came when there were no one around the
Holding her head, Belle felt confused. When Leon had asked her the question, the answer spilled from her lips without her own realization but she soon realized the oddness. Although it appears as if somewhere in the back of her mind she knew something very eventful happened in her childhood, she couldn’t remember well what it was.Going back to her childhood memories slowly felt as though she had drowned in a sea. Walls of water covering her head, making her unable to see back in her pasts.“Something is strange,” Belle whispered. Leon saw her eyes moving back and forward. She wasn’t lying. He could tell that as she looked confused, like a child pushed to the abyss by someone she trusted the most.“Slow down,” he said to her, his eyebrows furrowed when he saw Belle starting to wince. “What happened?”
As she settled her hand on Gorgolta’s hands, the man instructed, “Imagine the face of the person. You’re doing great.” Belle’s closed eyes moved slowly as she avoided the bad memory and sight of her bloody sister, only focusing on the man’s face that stood behind Damian. She tried to make it clear but alas, his eyes were blackened in her memory. But even though she couldn’t see the man’s eyes, she was certain she had seen every part of the man’s face, starting from his hair down to his neck. Leon looked at the drawing that Gorgolta had sketched instantly. The charcoal shades left dusts over the parchment but the drawing that started from a line slowly formed a face of a person. Meanwhile, back at her home in that afternoon, Damian who woke up felt a sudden itch from his wound that was given by the strange old woman he had seen two days ago. He felt his throat parched and pushed himself from his coach only to feel dizziness hitting his head and his bod losing balance to the poi
Belle followed right behind Leon, finding the two elderly men had quickly jump on their feet and looked behind as if trying to find another way to escape. Leon sighed, bringing the boy in front of him that stopped the two men at once.“Wait! Wait! Don’t harm him!” Shouted the first man whose hair had turned all gray. While the man beside him who looked less older also stopped and raised his hand to show he won’t escape again.“We can talk about this. Release that child,” said the second man.“When did I say I would harm this little one?” Leon scoffed. “Which one of you is Gorgolta?”A faint sigh could be heard from the second man’s mouth as he stepped forward, raising his hand, “That would be me. If you’re business if with me—”“He won’t harm this boy,” Belle cut in. Gathering the two’s attention that looked surprised seeing her face, more startled when he saw her eyes were blue instead of red. She noticed this and offered them a smile to break the tension in the room. “We only wish
“We should go now,” said Leon, offering his hand for her to touch.“I do know his face but I can’t describe it for you well enough,” Belle started, looking at him who was smiling, “Do you have an idea?”“Of course I do,” Leon closed his eyes which she followed before feeling a pull that shake her body that happened in a second. As she opened her eyes again the next second, she found herself in a different space. They were standing in front of a pub where men and women gathered but with most of them ignoring their presence, as though Leon’s presence matter so less to their eyes.“Where are we?” She asked, looking around again at the place they had stood at.“The slum of Hell, where only those who are born from the lowest type of demons come,” he pulled her hand, holding her tight. “In here they would sell anything, even the people they just met in exchange for their livelihood. Don’t stray away from me.”Belle noticed the eyes that watched her after a while. It wasn’t that they hadn’t
Helios frowned, trying to remember Belle’s face but couldn’t as he didn’t put much thought in remembering the person whom he was set to kill. As there would be no use in remembering the person’s face and name when they would die in the next second. “I don’t remember,” brushed Helios aside, thinking that there was no use in remembering the woman's face again. “I thought Leon would become more obedient now, seeing how he had kept quiet for the few decades. But I could see now how he’s slowly rebelling like what he did in the past. He never learned from his mistakes.”Rachel crooked her eyebrows, folding her hand underneath her bust, “So you’re saying that he brought a witch, is that correct? Can it be the soul of the witch whom you asked for him to bring?”Helios scoffed, as if refusing her words, “He should be done with it by now. I asked him and he told me the soul is already in his possession. If that’s true, the witch must’ve been long dead by now. If everything went to the plan th
Belle stayed beside Leon until morning, carefully watching his wound and making sure he was at the most comfort. She found out that truly there was no medicine from the side effect he suffered due to breaking the contract.By morning, the blackness that appeared on his arm had disappeared which took around eight to ten hours.“It’s better now, you don’t have to look at it that way,” Leon chuckled seeing how her blue eyes carefully studying his arm.“Is this really the only side effect?” Belle asked him only to see him smile.“My brother could have killed me but I guess he thought it would be a shame since I haven’t finished what he told me to do,” Leon moved his finger, frowning a little that made her worried.Deep down she had the urge to question what Helios had ordered him to do but couldn’t knowing how it would only trigger the same wound to appear again on him. She didn’t want him to suffer from the pain or to have being at unease as he didn’t want to lie to her.“Don’t worry ho
Leon looked at her face, noticing the pain that hurt his heart. He quickly shook his head, holding both her hand gently as a way to reassure her.“No. I do not have a lover,” he responded firmly. “In the past there was indeed someone who I fall in love for. But it was only an attraction.”“But the masked man told me,” she whispered. “It’s a doll,” Leon answered to her. “They don’t know feelings or emotions but perhaps to their mind they associate friendship as lover.”Belle trusted him and nodded but she wondered how the doll didn’t have feelings or emotions as she saw it by her eyes how the doll would risk itself to protect her.“And who is that person?” She carefully questioned, “The one who you fell for.”Feeling Leon’s red eyes studying her, she quickly waved her hand, “It’s not what you’re thinking. I know that it’s been a long time and I’m not asking because I want to put you to the corner. I was just curious.”“I know,” Leon chuckled. He rested his head on the head rest which
Belle was shocked seeing how Helios pulled out his sword, ready to cut down the servant who had used his life as a shield to protect her. Not wanting him to get attacked, she closed her eyes, wrecking her mind to remember the magic spells she had seen from the books she read. She then remembered one magic and squeezed out a whisper that was difficult for her to say, “A Le’el.”Helios was unprepared for the bright light that suddenly appeared from the woman whom he thought was a human. He didn’t have enough time to close his eyes and grunt as he suffered from a bright light that stab his red eyes sharply. Although he couldn’t see, Helios turn angered. The woman whose face he didn’t see well had harmed him. “You’re a witch,” he said, and Belle could hear bell tolling in the back of her mind. She could feel more rage radiating off his words after finding out she’s a witch.Just before Helios would attack Belle, Leon appeared in front of him. His hand quickly placed itself on his elde
The stuffiness that she felt made her tongue tied. Belle fiddled with her hands while the masked man’s gestures turn flustered as he couldn’t comfort nor take back the words he had wrote. He knew the only reason why Leon had brought Belle here was because they had fallen in love for each other. To Leon his castle was similar to his heart. Only a few people could be let to enter his castle and not even his brothers were let invited.And that explain everything of Belle’s presence in the castle.Worried, the masked man wrote quickly, “But lady, that is what happened in the past. By past I mean, hundred of years ago. Lord Leon now looks back at it as simply a past memory.”Maybe, thought Belle silently. But it could be true that Leon’s love stays for centuries that he couldn’t forget his past lover. Belle quickly shook her head, reminding herself that this was only her thoughts and nothing has been confirmed. She needed to talk with Leon and made sure the fact before falling into the r
Looking inside the room it was indeed snow that had turned the room icy and white. Belle reached out her hand as she was hesitant to step in. Feelings the snowdrops on her fingers which disappeared on her touch, she made certain that it was a real snow.“How could there be snow?” Belle whispered her question aloud, finding the masked man quickly pulling the glass quill and the pile of parchment. This time instead of talking he had drawn an easier figure of a book and a human. On the human’s hand was a magic wand.“Magic?” She questioned. “So… Leon could do things like these as well…”The masked man shook his head and wrote, “Not the lord, but a close friend of his.”Belle stepped into the room that was small in size, as though it was built simply to showcase the snowflakes that drops from the ceiling of the room. There she found the crown that was hidden inside a glass case.“But why the snow?” Belle questioned, seeing the masked man’s parchment paper turn slightly wet as the snowdrop