It was one of those bells where you couldn't see anything but the rope connected to the bell. The one who sees the bell is the attendant who's room the bell was connected to.
Rudina pulled the bedside table closer then smiled looking at the ceiling. Slowly her eyes began to close.
Rudina woke up abruptly scratching her eyes. She felt like some had dropped something hot in them. The more she scratched the more it hurt.
Soon her body felt the same way. She felt like someone was pouring a bucket of hot water on her continuously. She scratched her body like a mad man and soon she was crying.
'What's going on?' She asked herself confused. She got off the bed and decided to take off her clothes. It had to be the dress she was wearing, she thought.
As she took off her clothes she felt something fall off her body as well. It was like her skin was being pulled with her clothes. She breathed happily after taking off her clothes, she felt better although her eyes still itched.
Rudina touched herself and felt something wet on her. It was dripping from her body. Water? She placed her fingers under the little moon light from the window.
Blood?"Blood?" She asked herself. She Screamed.
"My lady" An attendant opened Yukio's door. They had always been attendants in the mansion but Rudina had been unable to see them because of her level of Purity.
"What is it?" Yukio said waking up.
"It has begun" The attendant whispered.
Nights like this were called the nights of torment. There were very few who had gone through this stage and had actually made it out alive.
During Yukio's season five children had died before her trial. Yukio and another had survived but the crown chose Yukio.
But Rudinas season had been the biggest carnage of all time, over ninety nine young girls had died. It was so timorous that Yukio had considered calling it quits but that was impossible.
She prayed as she walked towards Rudinas room. Rudina had to survive.
Yukio wasn't sure she could see another child die. This had to be the last, she begged.
"What about the siren?" Yukio asked.
"She's changing into a full bird" The attendant said following Yukio.
"A bird? Not a mermaid?" Yukio asked, surprised. The last siren had been a man's which was rare but even at that he was still a merman.
"Yes my lady" The attendant replied. She knew why Yukio was surprised. No one remembered the last time they saw a siren that was a bird.
"The witch?" Yukio asked to move on to the next person.
"She has set the east wing on fire" The attendant whispered.
"And the Gorgon?" Yukio asked.
"She has the west wing filled with snakes" The attendant said.
"What?" Yukio asked, flummoxed.
"Yes my lady. Her hair didn't change into snakes, instead she's controlling snakes from miles away and bringing them into the east wing" The attendant replied.
Yukio stood thinking. What should they do? It was impossible to help someone when you had no knowledge of what was going on.
"What do we do my lady?" The attendant asked.
"We have to wait till she rings the bell" Yukio paused "If she doesn't then we wake the first"