The sunlight was almost blinding as it poured through the crystal glass windows, pouring over worn out leather bound books. Particles danced in the dust like stars, swirling in the air as if making an elaborate dance. The room was small, mostly cramped with grimoire's and textbooks, with a small four poster bed tucked in the far corner. The walls were a deep burgundy, the marble floor littered with pages of notes. The only luxurious thing in the whole room was a cream vanity covered in cheap makeup. Even the corner of the mirror was cracked, the rose lifted decorations on the side chipped and worn from use. You would have never guessed that this room belonged to the daughter of a Count. I never would have either, until the day I opened my eyes and realized this was reality.
"Miss," A voice softly crowed through the beaten wood door. I sat on the edge of the worm down and hard mattress, eyes fixated on the door. I hummed back a soft reply and the door creaked open from the rusty hinges. The heavy door being pushed open push through a gust of wind, causing the cotton burgundy gown to flutter a bit. The simple cream lace stiff in the light breeze. My pale green eyes met with a pair of steely black ones, filled with almost mocking contempt. My maid, or moreso my watchman Emma Barton sneered at me. Her greying black hair was pulled into a tight bun, accentuating her sharp almost bird like features.
"Count Roswell is expecting your cooperation in tonight's event." Her words dripped with venom, her long talon like fingers crossed into a tight ball in front of her spotless apron. Her words sunk deep into my chest, making a sickly burning feeling go through my stomach. I felt like I was about to vomit from the implication. I didn't answer, just gave a curt nod. Emma smiled like the cat that ate the canary, a thick fog of darkness falling over the room.
"You should get prepared for tonight miss," She started to walk out but stopped at the door.
"A villianess would look good in red." I couldn't help but twist my face into a disgusted scowl. Luckily she didn't see it as she locked the door behind her as I was sure I would have been beaten bloody, again. I waited until I heard her footsteps disappear down the squeaky planks if the attics old interior before I let the large breath I held in spill out.
"What an actual bitch," I whispered, grumbling and annoyed. The old 'me' would have been shaken to my core, or gleefully excited to make herself used to her family. The 'me' now had already steeled my nerves and prepared myself to break away from this dark and twisted family. I reached under the duster poster bed and yanked out a makeshift backpack stitched together out of bed sheets and ratty clothes. In it I had been stuffing and valuables I could find, my medicine, my most important documents and grimoires, as well as a a dress to change into and a thick blanket. I tied a shroud around myself I had lined with another blanket to create a warm cloak. All this preparation, and my palms were still sweating. I had been practicing my light magic and although it wasn't perfect I could bend just enough light around me to make myself invisible temporarily. I threw the sole window to my room open. My room was placed in the attic in the smallest corner they could have stuffed me. The Count said it was because he wanted to keep me safe from the world. The old Mercy believed that, but I know better than she did. It was to make sure I couldn't run away. I took the sheets from my bed and threw them out the window, letting them fall to the flower bed below. For good measure I tossed out a dress too-- and I made sure to throw out a red one for that bitch Emma. I could manage a small smile after that. I stood next to the door, the opposite side to where it would swing out and waited with baited breath. I listened for the sound of footsteps as the sun blazed around me. My hands were ready to cast the spell but I was shaking. If I did it too late, I would be seen and punished. Too early and I would run out of mana before I could get out of the house. I had timed it. My mana for now can last two minutes and fifty seconds. It took two minutes and thirty seconds to get to the main hall and out the door, three minutes to get out of the first gate of the propety. I would be exposed for ten seconds, and that was already too much of a risk so I would have to overextend my mana. Doing that is dangerous, and could cause me to burn out and get very sick and weak. If I could do it for just long enough to hide in the brush, I would be lucky to get away with some exhaustion and a headache. I gripped the chord from my cloak and tugged it closed. I slipped my shoes-- well technically slippers--off and bent down and gathered them. I wore thick woold stockings to quiet my steps. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. Then I heard the steps. It took her on average twenty five steps to reach my door. I closed my eyes and counted, trying to account for the sound if her steps as well.
Ten.. Eleven.. Twelve...
I gulped, my throat constricting and hands quaking. One shot, I have one shot.
Eighteen... Nineteen... Twenty...
I took one shaky breath and gathered my mana in the palm of my hand, causing it to glow a faint light.
Twenty three... Twenty four... Twenty five.
Her footsteps stopped right outside the door and she jiggled the handle.
"Lumen Obscura." I muttered softy as to be covered by the jiggle. Particles of almost blue silver light danced around me, taking on different shapes like flowers. The beads of light floated around me, five in total orbiting me. I held my breath as they because to shine a little brighter just as the door opened. For a moment I stopped and I felt the world stop as Emma walked in the room.
"Miss?" She looked around in confusion for a moment. She took once more step in and I managed to gently take a stepforward. Clutching my dress close to me, I managed to move past her silently.
"Miss?" With one more step forward I bolted out the door, trying to run whole putting not pressure on the floor too much. I heard Emma looking around desperately, her noise was just what I was counting on. I just had to get through this squeaky hallway and into the stone and rug decorated lavish stretch. My heart was pounding in my throat and my legs were shaking like a leaf.
"Miss!" I heard Emma screech just as I managed to get to the squeaky staircase. I practically skipped everyone step and had to stop at the door. I had go think about how to make it believable for the door to open in case people were looking. The landing wasn't that big, but it was big enough. I stuffed myself to the side wall of the platform before the door, taking deep breaths in and out and praying it worked. Emma's footsteps came pounding down the hallway. I saw her fly down the stairs with her usual composure years to shreds. I closed my eyes and held my breath as she ran past me. I heard the door fly open and her shrill voice screeching.
"The Miss has escaped!" She howled. I opened my eyes and didn't hesitate. I dashed out the door, to see Emma running down the hallway. The three guards that patrolled that area came running over. I ran to the right wall to avoid the. The left wall was all windows with sun streaming over. They were more likely to not see my shadow the farther away I was from the windows. They ran past me and the maids were running like chickens with their heads cut off.
"Find the Miss!" A man screamed-- most likely one of the guards. I didn't let it stop me, I kept running. I had memorize my escape route, running through the corridors and down the silver stair cases until I reached the lobby. The crystal and silver doors were almost mocking me as I grew closer. The bush of people became a thicket as guards and maids scampered around. They were running in and out of the door, making it difficult for me to time when I could rush out. I didn't have much time. The lights around me where already flickering and sweat was already starting to gather on my forehead. My limbs were already feeling a little tingly. I couldn't wait any longer. I saw a guard about to dart out of the house and took my chance. Hiding behind his navy blue velvet vest, I followed holding my breath. His sword sheath almost hit my side, but I managed to dodge out of the way. The light hit my eyes and I had to hold back my wince. My backpack was pretty heavy, so it made it difficult for me to sneak past him around the roundabout cobblestone road. A large fountain adorned with more bird statues sat in the middle of the roundabout driveway stood between me and the front gate. Only I wasn't going to the front gate. There were thick forests on either side of the road. My idea was to follow the road within the brush, until I made it to town and bribe a merchant to take me away. My final task to get out was to vault over the gate. There were hedges on either side of the gate that would loop into the backyard. From my window, I had seen that during a storm two weeks back the railing was damaged and the fence was split. I knew it would be thick enough that I could squeeze through, I just prayed it wasn't guarded. I felt my mana draining out of me and my steps become more tired. I was almost out, curving around the hedges and maneuvering around cobblestone paths but I felt like my whole body was becoming heavy. The lights were almost out snd I knew my mana was almost out. I grit my teeth and started to push mana out internally, feeling burning pain in my fingertips. This was nothing compared to the pain I've been through. I zipped through the rise gardens, and finally made it to the break. My lungs were strained and inflamed, and I struggled to quiet my breathing ND the burning spread to my knuckles. No one was guarding the break, everyone seemed to gathered at the front gate since the whole was so small they would have doubted I was able to get through. However, this body was so frail, small and malnourished that I was surprised what I could fit into. I would break my bones if it meant I could fit through. I jogged up to the crack, throwing my shoes and shoving my backpack through. It got stuck for a brief second making me nervous, but I managed to shove it through. The crack was no more than a few inches big, and I braced myself. I felt my strength waning, and practically threw myself into the fence. I went right side first, managing to get my leg and arm through. My chest got a bit stuck but we pretty easy to get through. The problem was the rear. My butt got stuck, and I was struggling to yank my other leg through. The bars dug into my skin, as they were slightly shorter than the top from the impact from the fall.
"You have got to be shitting me." I grunted as I tried to yank myself through. My magic was flickering and panic began to set in. Let prey in a trap I began to flail violently, pulling some of the muscles in my thigh and making me yelp. I knew that this method would leave nasty bruises dotting my thigh but my fight or flight instinct took over. One final tug and my leg slipped free from its iron clamp. The force of me pulling away made me suddenly fall over to my side as my leg broke free and came out and my dress ripped open. The bottom has ripped up to the knee but I didn't care. I grabbed my flats and quickly laced them on. As I disappeared into the brush, I let my magic fall and I almost felt faint. The heavy backpack and my heavy tired steps mixed with my heavy breathing. I felt like I was going to collapse, but fear pushed me forward. For the first time in a long time, even though I was running-- I was free. My feet kept carrying me, ignoring the twigs that pulled at my dress and slapped my skin. I refuses to give in.
I promised Mercy I would survive and get revenge for her.