*** (Inside the Steelheart Mansion) ***
It was midnight on a gloomy and rainy day when the sky had started to clear up, revealing an illuminating full moon.
BANG!
The new servant who had just walked into the room had already tripped and bruised her knee, bringing in a capsule of pills by the order of Lady Mary.
"Haaaaa... hey... do you 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 to be fired?" Mary asked menacingly, with a cold, disgusting look on her face.
The medicine capsule that she had been carrying was now shattered on the marble floor, leaving thin shards of glass scattered around Lady Mary's feet.
However, the servant's arms were in a much worse condition. The impact of the capsule had sent flying pieces of glass at her body, shredding through a deep layer of her pale and clear skin. A pool of blood collected around the girl laying face flat on the floor, dripping out at an alarming rate. The pitiful girl looked up timidly, expecting to be hit for her mistakes.
However, Lady Mary just sat at the bedside of the unconscious Ray, waiting and staring at the servant without saying a word. Her demon-red pupils didn't even flinch but instead seemed to glow a bit brighter.
Slowly, she began to rise, not moving her eyes from the girl in front of her, and she squat down, tucking in her long and elegant legs unsettlingly. Lady Mary had a stature of around 5 '8. And the scene looked like that of a pet owner comforting her dog.
Suddenly, she began to reach out her hand to touch the girl's head, with whisps of purple mana lightly flowing out of her palm.
It was at that moment, my eyes shot open from an unnatural feeling of uneasiness. My body darted upwards through instinct, and I looked around me.
With my head throbbing, I could not make out anything that was happening. The world looked like it was moving in irregular patterns, distorting my vision. However, to my right I could hear the sound of high heels tapping on the floor, coming closer towards me.
"Ray... are you alright? Aunt Mary said, sounding endearing.
"I'll give you some rest today, so come to my office tomorrow." she smiled.
Aunt Mary gently stroked my head and caressed my cheek, in a way that felt strangely nostalgic to me before leaving the room.
I studied my surroundings, noticing how mysteriously clean and big it was, with a games area in the corner of the room, and a cabinet stockpiled with some food.
As I sat alone inside, I decided to get up and have a walk around, reflecting on what had happened.
'That gentle touch... it felt like it was done in the same way my mother used t-'
At that second something inside of my head clicked. A flashback of my forgotten memories replayed inside my mind. Stress overtook my emotions. My head throbbed harder than ever, overloading my skull. Simultaneously, tears began to flow out of my eyes like water breaking through a cracked dam. My hands shivered violently, and I desperately tried to claw the skin off my face, attempting to escape this unfair reality.
At this point, my mind had already begun to crack.
"My parents are now dead."
This was the fact I had to come to with.
And yet, I just couldn't.
How did they die? Why did they die? Question after question with no answer came rushing into my mind.
"I just wanted her to rest peacefully after she came back," I muttered under my breath.
"And now she is having a damn rest alright."
As I looked into the huge mirror in front of me, I could see the reflection of the moon, illuminating half of my face. I decided to smile in front of the pain and trauma weighing me down.
With a slightly crazed grin, "If there is one question I will find the answer to..." I resolved with a breaking voice, gritting my teeth and tears streaming down my face.
"Whoever fucking killed her... I will find you... and give you pain so unimaginable, that you will wish you never got on the wrong side of me ever again..."
******
"Lady Mary, these are the documents that you have requested."
Without a single speck of gratitude, Mary grabbed the sheets of paper, skimming over the pages.
After the war between the Humans and Demons, once again, neither side returned victorious. With the humans coming back to Axys without winning, not to mention the death of the Hero, the nation was in turmoil.
This is not to mention the foreboding upcoming hero selection, an event where all the heirs from the three families get an equal chance at becoming the next champion.
"The Death of the Hero, What's Next, the Death of the nation, Axys?"
"Not Even Two Days Later, Soldiers Return Home Emptyhanded."
"Are the Steelhearts Even Doing Anything For Our Nation?"
Titles of newspapers like these were spreading everywhere, even reaching the leaders of races, painting a negative picture of the Steelheart Family for everyone. This especially affected Mary, as her plans decided on the important factor of reputation.
As Mary looked through the papers, she also noticed a document at the bottom of the file.
[CURRENT AND UPRISING THREATS PREDICTED
COMPANY NAME: Lotus Group
TIME LEFT UNTIL PREDICTED THREAT: 7 years
DESCRIPTION OF COMPANY: An uprising elite bodyguard hiring company. Buying powerful human mages and warlocks, creating a strong field force team.
Predicting major profits due to more people feeling unsafe with the death of the Hero, reliable service can be provided by currently training warlocks and mages who are personally invested in, and predicted to launch the private project in 7 years.
The company chairman has no children, with only one niece...]
"Haaaa... shit."
It wouldn't be long before Mary would have no use for the name of 'Steelheart', so she had to make as much use as with it beforehand. After a long time of deciding, she came to the conclusion that she needed to speed up her plan, all of this depending on the ability of Raymond Steelheart.
"Raymond Steelheart, the son of a Hero and a Demon King... I will make you into my most powerful pawn once I am done with you..." Mary Steelheart chuckled, smiling a devilish grin from ear to ear.