the sky was turning yellow and heavy clouds started to show themselves on the horizon, a small establishment in the city of the Fallen can be seen, popular as it can be.
inside was the former head maid of the Aiha estates, Maya. along with her were two guards who were protecting her due to her inability to fight. it might've been overboard to give her bodyguards in a peaceful time but one could always say to be careful where you tread. peaceful or not, the dangers and enemies of the Aiha estates grow stronger, multiply, and...-
"stupid... every single one of them" the guard who wore a butler outfit ranted.
"all nobles tries to target our lady's position but don't they know the reason as to why she was there in the first place?"
Maya snickered, even bearing a child, she still looked mature and complacent at herself.
"Loni, it's useless to bicker like that if you're not complaining at the right person" Maya took a sip and invited him to sit, Loni shook his head.
"madam! please don't heed any mind to me. I am your bodyguard for until you die. please just care for yourself until then, it wouldn't be nice for the baby if you're forgiving"
Loni denied the invitation but Maya insisted, although even being ordered by her, he still stood as proudly as he can
"fine then... Mylo, care for tea with me?" Maya invited her other guard and Mylo complied
Loni looked surprised, although he understood it the moment he looked at Maya's eyes.
"Loni, this is a lesson, no matter what the etiquette of other people says, an order of a higherup is absolute. your punishment will be standing there as you have always been. Mylo, mind pouring m a cup of tea?"
Mylo and Loni, two butlers invited to serve under Theia's orders. both the two of them were a soldier of the Fallen kingdom, wearing badges on their belts signifying their positions.
. . .
time passed and the pouring rain arrived, the sky was dark and a dark red mist protruded from nowhere.
"another blood mist... it wouldn't be wise for me to leave for now..." the blood mist is a weather phenomenon that invites viruses that only affects all fallen. although, it wasn't always like this.
Mylo looked at the window. "it has been some time since the last blood rain... miss Maya, what are your thoughts on this?"
Maya looked oddly calm, somewhat looking like she wanted to bathe in the rain with the blood mist.
"somehow... it's surprising that the blood rain has devolved into the mist..." Maya took a sip of tea that resembled blood. "I'm quite unsure of what I think about it though... it's not like the rain just spawned out of nowhere... but until Mei finds something about it, we won't know the meaning behind that phenomenon..."
Mylo looked satisfied at her answer and continued to his post until the blood mist soothed. after that, they took an umbrella and escorted Maya out of the cafe.
"Miss Maya, we will miss you after your death..." Loni looked empty in his eyes.
"don't worry, just make sure that my son won't get in the hands of that man" Loni nodded and continued to walk under the rain.
"by the way, Madam Maya, why did you lie to young Rosa?"
Mylo looked emotionless but his curiosity was like an open book. Maya sighed.
"it's not like this child isn't my most precious... I would've loved for it to be both mine and Rohel's but he denied it... I had no other choice but to bear life if I want to continue to serve Lady Theia to my death" Maya smiled, although, she was empty.
the two bodyguards simply nodded in awkward silence and continued their post.
"miss Maya is really dedicated huh?" Loni whispered to Maya but unknown to both of them, Maya can fully hear their private conversation, she simply ignored it.
"Madam Maya was rescued by milady a long time ago so their dedication is granted. although I don't know the full story, I heard that both Madam and sir Rohel were assassins by birth and were tasked to kill milady."
Loni continued and Mylo simply listened.
. . .
after walking, Mylo felt slightly uncomfortable, he looked at Loni but he didn't notice a thing but Maya was leading both of them outside of their destination.
"Madam, where are we going?"
Maya's pacing continued to accelerate until she can't walk without concerning the other passerby's.
"you two, get ready to throw your life away"
the two immediately readied their weapons as soon as Maya uttered those words.
leading both of them suddenly to a dead end.
"Miss Maya, why here? we could've been safe around the-"
before Mylo could even finish his words, a lady in glimmering white hair dropped down. Maya took the umbrella that Mylo was holding and-
"Mylo, you protect me as much as you can, Loni, buy me some time."
both of them nodded in sync and assumed positions. the girl smiled menacingly, her eyes were bleeding but it didn't seem like she was hurt, only making the atmosphere even more murderous than before.
the girl immediately attacked at light speed with a gun in her hand and closed the gap pointing at the guard at point-blank range.
"what t-" a loud bang was heard but no passerby seemed to care to even look. at moment, it would've been a fatal blow. Loni was inches away from the barrel but it would've seemed like the bullet was stopped by some sort of sharp object.
cold sweat was visible from Loni even with the pouring rain. "t-... that was close..." a pause on the moment of the gunshot. the girl clicked her tongue
"oy, oy. breaking my gun ain't fair!" her voice became coarse with a tint of anger. she took another gun and a knife on her back.
"Madam! you should return back now!" Mylo held his greatsword firmly showing a wall-like defense.
the girl smiled, "do you think I'll allow you to run like that? hahaha~ boy are you mistaken!" blood started to form into a wall on every exit. it seemed like all of them can still go through but Maya threw a rock on the blood.
the rock shattered into pieces, or more like, slowly erased from the world.
"I knew it... so is this her power?" Maya looked at the girl and she simply smiled, behind her was a blood wall similar to where they were supposed to exit in, there was also another boy behind that said wall. silent, not even moving, a simple smile that could be said has the devil's face could wear.
"he's in cohorts with her, don't bother with it." the boy didn't seem to move even a single inch or bearing and bloodlust or murderous intent. he was simply cornering the four of them without an exit.
Maya's phone hanged, she didn't even voice someone or called for help, she simply held it in her pocket.
"Mylo, Loni, hold your positions and try to defend me as much as possible. it's unlikely that we can kill her" Maya voiced her order to the bodyguards and both of them complied. even an average soldier of a Fallen would immediately understand their situation, all they can hope for is reinforcements to come but who knows how long that would take. with limit stamina, they braced themselves.
"the usual formation. Loni, try to close the gap as much as possible." Loni nodded and immediately dashed to the girl.
as quick as sound, Loni immediately closed the gap and started to strike without giving the girl much room to counter.
although, even with the barrage, the girl was capable of dodging every strikes with ease "ara, you're not half bad, maybe I can patronize you a bit~" the strikes were growing faster and faster but even with that, the girl was able to dodge everything.
taking no less than a minute, Loni immediately lost stamina and- "Ghk!" received a kick in the stomach staggering him back to Mylo's front.
"that's not good enough! come one!" at that moment, the girl closed the gap and gave Loni a barrage of swift punches and kicks. Loni wasn't able to counter nor could he even from losing all that stamina.
a final swift roundhouse kick and Loni was incapacitated, she didn't even use her weapon. if she did then Loni would've received more than a fatal injury.
"Loni!" Mylo screamed but it was futile, Loni was already unconscious.
"is that all? that was boring. now! on to my job eh?" the girl sat on the unconscious body. "do you guys know what this is?" the girl showed a picture that has a crystal in its frame.
"this crystal is called the Dragon cyst, I heard it crystalized and has enormous amounts of Ether or mana or whatchamacallit. if you give me information about it then I *might* let you three live. for now at least..." the girl had a menacing aura after she finished her request.
Maya fully knew what the crystal is. the Dragon cyst was a specialty of the Fallen since only limited people have ever wore it, the remains in the old times that only the first king of the Fallen had owned. now that the last owner is dead, it was given to Osiria as a mere heirloom for the Rosa family. only the family Aiha and its creation know what the Dragon Cyst is and what it does.
"that is an heirloom. I don't know who owns it anymore, I simply know that it was Aiha's necklace" Maya uttered as minimal information as she could in hopes that she'll simply let them leave. the girl laughed.
"everyone knows that silly!" a thin needle was thrown. even though it was aimed to simply injure Maya, Maya dodged it at impeccable speed.
"hmm... you really didn't need to dodge that... well that broke the mood. there's more to it than that, tell me more or I will aim this at your child" a murderous intent was aimed not at her. her gaze was obvious.
"fine..." Maya held her tongue with anxiety and fear. "that necklace is now held by a woman named Liliya. that's all I can say..."
Maya felt guilty. even if it was a lie, she couldn't target the only child of both Naoya and Liliya. her safety was her priority and both Osiria's but aiming the threat to her master's friends was almost a betrayal.
"I see... well I doubt you'd even answer me if I force you. and it would seem my time is up. I doubt you'll see me again but if you do, be prepared to throw your life" with those final words the blood walls dissipated and the girl disappeared with it.
seconds later, soldiers of Fallen arrived to escort Maya to an estate nearby.
. . .
"I'm sorry madam... I failed to protect you..." after arriving to the estates, Mylo entered Maya's room bowing his head as low as it could.
"you're right... you failed to protect the only escort you were ordered to never give in harm's way" no matter how hard, how impossible the order is, failure means failure to the Fallens. a definite failure would mean one's life but-
"so to that, you will have to devote your life to my child here. never ever let him show your failure like what you showed me. do that and your life is spared"
chances are given when the contractor choose so, and thankfully, Maya was lenient even for an assassin.
"I swear... I will devote my life to protecting the young lord, even if it means sacrificing my life" two palms in one's hand and a formal kneel, a bow to show weakness to the one to serve. such as the way for devoting one's life even if it means death.
"good, I shall entrust my child to you then..." Maya smiled and let Mylo leave.
"that girl... I fear the worst for young Osiria..." the black sky and the twin moons came. Maya prepared for the night.