Ophelia had been forcibly pushed outside Icarus' door. She haven't even completed one sentence when the young lord had turned cold again. But she couldn't stop thinking about the young lord's words, it's as if he was aware of the situation inside the mansion which no one paid any attention to.
'Still, I need to protect him, but how do I stop him exactly?'
Ophelia didn't return back to her room, she had been sitting and thinking deeply right outside the hallway-where she could see Icarus' door. Although, she was too tired to stand, she forced herself to think of ways she could stop Icarus from doing any harm.
'Just maybe...if Icarus could live his life through and not get killed by the duchess, then maybe...could his curse be lifted?'
'Then...how much time till the day comes?'
Ophelia didn't have any clue as to when Icarus would attempt to murder his mother in the past.
' '...Where did the duchess kill her son?'
Ophelia was in another dead end, but she kept her eyes glued on the door before her.
-
Icarus felt his head throb in pain, last night he had battled against his will to kill the Duchess and bit his tongue in response. The pain was barely bearable, his tongue had bled so much and allowed him to stay sane. That night he had fallen asleep and caught a fever. And when he woke up, Ophelia had been beside him for a while and he managed to let the girl go. As her figure disappeared from his sight –the voice found its way again.
'Do it now...'
Icarus' thoughts had been lingering in these words. His curse had badly fast-paced and felt the unceasing desire of blood. The killing was supposed to start in a week but it had occurred tonight.
Icarus, suppressing his thoughts, didn't open the door nor dare coming close to it. He knew things would turn up bad once he went out. And the blue-eyed girl had been stupid enough to stop her footsteps just a meter or two in front his door. It had just been an hour after dusk, and the two were alone in the mansion with some servants who didn't seem to pay much attention.
...'damn it, Ophelia...how stubborn of you'....
Sweat crept unto the young lords' face, he wanted to take a bath and lock himself in –but he saw the pair of scissors clearly placed beside the desk beside his bathroom door.
...'f*k this... who?'.... Who's messing with me?'
That scissor wasn't there that morning, and to be sure, Icarus never kept sharp things in his room. He was always careful not to put them in his sight. Someone had entered his room that afternoon and it could be Ophelia, he could only conclude.
~
At this same moment, someone from the dark had been plotting up the scene. Not far down the young lord's hallway led another hall to the right. The halls were led down to the sewers, the most likely place for servants and even to the most loyal family butler-Zachy.
Zachy knew his ways through ever door and nooks of the mansion. He was the master of the events and the Duchess' right hand man. Whenever things in the Marcias had been too quiet or noisy, he would plan a twist or two to set things right again. His role had always been this way-to keep the mansion clean and to please his master.
There had been no changes regarding the Duchess' actions. If Zachy assessed it –then the duchess' would turn up in a week to kill her son. But someone had disrupted the young lord's cycle. As he kept an eye yesterday, Icarus was in a rogue state to kill his adopted sister that morning.
'....at this rate, the young lord might end up killing the duchess this time, my master would be very upset...'
Zachy had thought of the endless possibilities to test the young lord's resilience. So he had to place that scissor in his sight, just to test if his prediction was on the bar.
'If he kills her later....then there is no doubt for me to take matter into my own hands.'
Zachy held out, the most refined knife he had just prepared that afternoon. A human pate was going to be served for tomorrow's breakfast.
~
A few moments have passed, and Ophelia was still in the same position. The door knob had twisted and untwisted. Icarus' had been hesitating to get out. In Ophelia's mind, the young lord must have known she was there or that he had been acting up once again. At this very moment, Ophelia walked out the hallway and went to find the Duchess.
In a state of hurry, she felt the urge to get the Duchess unto her side. She had decided to trust in her gut feeling, as she had felt uneasy watching the knob.
'..Just maybe, Icarus might be planning on something.'
Ophelia felt her stomach churn up with every step she took. She couldn't find the Duchess in her room and it was getting dark outside. She was getting eager with anxiety at the moment, cold stares came to greet her at every hall she stomped. She had been bumping into maid after maid. It felt as if the mansion was purposely slowing her down.
At some point, she had come through a dark hall, a hall she never seen or been to but she felt the familiarity from a distant memory.
~ (step, step, step.)
She had come a long way, her figure unstable as she wandered through the dark hall
~ (tak, tak, tak) a step louder than hers could be heard clearly and had echoed through the silent walls. Her heart sunk in desperation. Why is this happening now?
...' who's following me?'...
Ophelia hurried her steps, she felt her heart beat loudly and her mind cried out in fear. At this, the quiet hallway had echoed two footsteps –Ophelia's and the one behind her. And as they chorused towards one direction –like a duet, they took steps allowing each one to be louder than the other. Faster yet slower as it grew even darker that lights were barely lit and the atmosphere turned heavy and dangerous for Ophelia.
'...who!?'