Ten minutes had gone by, Kylina sat quietly at the edge of her small bed, looking towards the floor, her eyes hidden by her hands, streaming tears.
The small room, engulfed in warm yellow light, contrasted the cold gloominess that Kylina exuded.
She slowly looked at the letter once more, confirming that she had read it completely. It only included threats to herself, friends, family, and instructions included with the direction.
Kylina read it thrice, in an effort to make sure that what she had interpreted were mere fabrications of her mind, and was not a real string of letters and words that brought such turmoil to her mental state. But to no avail—no matter how hard she read, the contents of the letter remained the same, further cementing the fact that she had found herself in a nightmare. She had looked to the place where the first envelope was placed. There was the other letter the sender had set to bring to the person she'd met. Kylina didn't dare to touch it.
She couldn't help but repeat in her mind: "Why? Why? Why?" What had she done wrong in order to be slumped into this nightmare?
"Was the reason the sender gave that book to Sarina was for me to write, thus copying my handwriting? It wants me to keep it in place… I see, in the case that I go against their wishes, all suspicion will be pointed towards me." Kylina's head throbbed as she thought of the other party's plan.
Kylina thought about throwing the book away as if it didn't exist, but she was afraid of the methods the unknown magician had left. Clearly, that book was to remain in place. She thought that perhaps it was the tool used by the sender to watch her every move.
She shuddered at such a thought.
"If the sender of the letter mentioned that if I didn't comply then Sarina would take my place… Then that means that only one person can do their demands at a time… I mustn't let them get their hands on Sarina or Lisa! I must protect them. Yes, nobody should experience this horror that plagues my heart."
"I want everybody to be happy…"
Kylina drowned in her own thoughts.
She wanted to scream.
She wanted to curse.
She wanted to share her pain.
But she was afraid of the sender who was watching her move. As a mortal, the might of a magician was deeply imbued in her—she highly respected and looked up towards them, for wielding such powers that exceed mortal range. Now, these powers were a looming threat against her. In such a precarious situation, she felt completely helpless, like a boat amidst a raging storm.
What bothered her is why they needed a mortal girl like her. What could she possibly do? She wasn't outstanding by any means, she was a regular girl with a regular background.
"Could it be because of my relationship to the Fangs?" Kylina realized at once.
From bits and pieces and the years working as the maid under the Fang household, she knew the animosity between them and the Jotos. She thought it was financial competition, but the incident involving the poison opened her eyes to see that they could bring actual harm, and now they were threatening her.
With her wide eyes directed towards the wooden floor, she muttered, "Magicians are truly terrifying."
Kylina was now at the center of the tiger's mouth. With her mortal status, there was nothing she could do. The clan wouldn't care about mortals like her—her worldview was blinded due to the Fang family's generosity.
From the conversation she overheard between Teren, Ralliere, and Marleo, it was futile investigating further, as only mortals were harmed.
Only she, Sarina, Lisa, and the Matron would suffer from this clash.
She bit her lips at such a realization.
Although it was unfortunate that it was her who was at the forefront, she didn't wish for it to be any of her friends.
Not Lisa, Sarina, and even the Matron.
Words slowly formed under her breath. "Unfortunately, I'm the one who must suffer this nightmare… but if it means that others will remain basked in their so colorful and wondrous dreams, then I'll take this on!"
She had resolved herself—not because she wanted to, but because she felt the need to do so, in order to shield those she cared about.
"Ah yes, the letter instructed me to head to the location when it's close to midnight." In about an hour Kylina would have to comply with the instructions that she was given.
Time passed by, Kylina hadn't moved from her spot, as though she didn't have a speck of energy. She silently stared at the floor in gloom.
Kylina viewed the slip of paper once more. This whole time, she had set it on her leg, occasionally glancing at it, in an effort to distinguish if she was in an illusion. She looked over the directions written on it—she wouldn't dare forget the instructions.
Once memorized, she folded the letter that framed her. Knowing that she couldn't get rid of it, she thought of hiding it in a deep compartment of her clothes. Kylina knew that the sender had plans for her as of now, if someone saw the letter she would be heavily penalized risking the sender's wishes to go unprompted. As long as Kylina didn't destroy the letter, hiding it under a secure space would be enough. With this in mind she didn't want others to find it so easily, and find out about the supposed betrayal.
She reluctantly got up from her bed and darted to her desk. There, the single candle illuminating her room was. She directed her right hand, containing the letter that had the instructions written on it, and in a few seconds, the paper was burned to a crisp, leaving ashes behind on the desk. She wasn't in the mood to clean, so she left the mess behind.
Half-turning, she directed herself towards the closet. She was relieved of her duties as a maid—it would be appropriate to dress in normal attire.
Kylina unlaced her bodice and slowly dressed herself into a white blouse, brown bodice, and a long brown skirt alongside leather shoes. Once she had adorned herself in casual vestment, she stuffed the letter that framed her within its pockets.
With that done, she held the unopened envelope, ready to leave.
Her eyes were full of reluctance, but even so, she pushed herself to exit her bedroom. Once in the main hall, she grabbed towards the spare key.
She opened the main wooden door, which was laid with intricate wooden carvings, and closed it without trying to make any excessive sound.
The refreshing outside breeze hit her at once. She could faintly hear the chirping of the crickets, alongside the sounds of the leaves being swept along with the wind. The resplendent white moon hung on the darkened sky. Along with it, the shining stars exuded white shine that complemented it.
Under the night sky, Kylina felt a bit of serenity that, although minuscule, quelled her terrified heart.
With the letter tucked in her clothes, she thought back to the directions that were given to her. It consisted of her following the south main street of the estate, then taking a right once she saw a mortal clothing shop. Following that, it was to take other turns once she saw the prevalent landmarks mentioned in the letter.
As she stepped closer, her anxiety was spreading like wildfire in her mind, she walked whilst holding onto her chest to feel her heartbeat, it seemed like it would explode at any minute. She had heard about heart attacks, she was worried she might suffer one in the middle of the night.
"Oh Heavens, please let me go unscathed from this ordeal." Kylina prayed silently. What gave her great fright wasn't the threats, but the mysteriousness of her involvement.
Kylina walked at a steady pace, neither fast nor slow.
Worried about the sender of the letter lurking, especially now that she followed their instructions and was in the middle of the estate, she dared not walk slowly. What kept her walking moderately was her own trepidations.
…
After walking for about twenty minutes, she stumbled upon the place that was arranged.
Along the way, she had encountered a magician group who were patrolling the area, but they didn't bother much with her. She had thought of asking for help, but she had grown wary if they were under the magician in the shadows who had threatened her.
The terror in her heart was so severe that Kylina started to become severely paranoid of any magicians who weren't of the Fang family.
In her vision, a small house presented itself, made out of stone. It held a single chimney over the slanted roof, a single window presented itself on the entrance, next to an unassuming main door.
"As per the description, this must be the place." Kylina thought back on the letter. Based on the description it provided, this was the location.
Kylina breathed deeply, trying to calm her mind and thoughts for what lay ahead, she stared at the simple door for about twenty seconds, each second increasing her negative options.
Knowing that at this pace nothing would be done, she tightly closed her eyes strengthening her resolve, she thought about the one's dearest to her. With her resolve firm, she stepped onto the entrance and knocked on the door.
Knock Knock
Through the midst of the insects of the night chirping, the lowly knocking sound drowned out.
Kylina's heart raced to the extreme, for who she was going to see at the other side of the door. It was a mix of curiosity and fear. As if she was frozen, she stood still, focusing all her attention on the simple wooden door in front of her.
Soon, from the other side, muffled footsteps could be faintly heard.
Kylina breathed deeply, clenching her heart.
The handle of the door made a peculiar sound—one that led to infer that the other person was turning the doorknob around.
The door opened and a man revealed himself holding onto a dim candle saucer that partly illuminated the room. He was an elderly man with white streaks on his short combed black hair. He had round, deep brown eyes. Despite his middle-aged appearance, the wrinkles on the side of his mouth, eyes, cheeks, and most prominently, his forehead made him look several times older. The most striking thing about the man was his green robes.
Kylina gulped: "A magician…"
The man from the other side scanned her and nodded.
"Good, you are here. Come in."
Despite her inner reluctance, Kylina complied without uttering a single word.
Once inside, she saw the living space of the house: a simple wooden dinner table along with a single chair, a small sofa next to the single chimney, and in the corner, a wooden closet made itself present. On the other side, a stone stove was adorned to the wall, next to a few dishes. Two other doors presented themselves—the bedroom and washroom.
Kylina's thoughts wandered. Why would a magician live in such a space? It was as if he was a simple mortal.
Dismissing her thoughts, she remembered the envelope she had on her, Kylina timidly spoke: "Lord magician… I have a letter for you."
The middle-aged magician had closed the door, turned around and replied in turn. "Good, you can give it to me now."
Kylina then respectfully handed the letter with two trembling hands.
Seeing this, the man thought to himself: "What had Madam 'Ciel' done to bring this poor lass to me? The madam is truly terrifying." Briego's memory of "Ciel" was still fresh in his mind. From giving him a spell of the highest grade at 1st-circle, worthy of being a heart spell, to the plan she had shared with him. He thought that this madam of his had threatened this girl's family lives—it wouldn't go too far with the character she had shown so far.
Briego opened the envelope, revealing a letter inside. It read:
"The first goods are here, she's just but a springboard. In the future she won't necessarily be needed. We must first build the demand. I hope you've lured an appropriate amount of people for the day. This one here will be brought to you Fridays, Mondays, and Wednesdays. Once you've built a certain reputation, focus on expanding your scope—search for those who are in broken situations and offer them a way of salvation. Either poor mortals ambitious for something more, families struck by the previous beast tide with an unknown future, or those in broken families—or simply force them, the clan wouldn't bat an eye. When we've gathered sufficient funds, that's when we will start the next phase."
"Remember, every ten minutes is a single mana stone piece. Don't leave everything to me, be creative. I expect there to be two mana stones by the end of the week."
…
Briego sighed. He didn't know if he could accomplish the deadline. Today he had managed to convince three people. For there to be two mana stones a week, there would need to be sixteen clientele a week. Perhaps, once word spread, more people would flock to this place.
Engraving "Ciel's" words, he set the envelope aside, placing it on the table. He headed towards the closet from the corner, opening it up and taking out what looked to be a yellow dress.
"You'll wear this. Don't worry, you can change in the bedroom." With a swift motion of his hand, a yellow pill presented itself. "After you change, swallow this."
Kylina nodded. In her scared state, even her breath seemed to stop altogether in front of the man, afraid it'll provoke him. She didn't dare ask any questions—she just obeyed. But what took her by surprise was that the yellow dress was one that those from the Fang bloodline wore. Mortals like her were not allowed in that vestment or any striking colors.
She approached Briego, taking the pill and the dress from his hands. Once she took them she replied in a submissive tone: "I'll now excuse myself, lord magician."
Briego nodded.
With a slight bow, Kylina headed towards the door most likely to be the bedroom and got inside the room.
"Madam 'Ciel' is truly twisted," Briego couldn't help but think.
Kylina, inside the bedroom, changed her casual attire into the dress.
Before she gulped the pill, she examined it—putting it closely to her eye, seeing the yellow-tinted pill.
"What is this pill? Poison? No, why would they go through such lengths to poison only me?" Confusion plagued her, as she examined the pill. She didn't know what it was, but it wasn't anything good.
Realizing she was subconsciously stalling made her shudder. Kylina took the pill to her mouth, before swallowing completely she muttered, "Lisa, Sarina, I hope you are all safe."
Kylina, now in the yellow dress, got out of the room, with her previous vestment in hand.
Seeing the girl now in a yellow dress in front of him, Briego said, "Now just take a seat. What you just took is a sedative, so don't try to resist it."
"Why would I need a sedative?" Kylina asked inwardly, but outwardly did not utter a single sound.
Kylina slightly bowed, then headed to the small table with the chairs she had seen previously and took a seat in it.
Briego, by her side, waited a few minutes, and surely enough, Kylina had fallen into a deep sleep.
Briego sighed as he looked at her, as a father he felt certain pity for her, knowing that she was somebody's cherished daughter.
"Still… I must follow the madam, her backing is truly terrifying. For my own survival, adn revenge I must follow through."