The night was cold and chilly, on an enormously huge mountain, snow covered the lands as the flakes descended down on the earth.
The moon, a glowing pale white, loomed large overheard, surrounded by an ethereal glow, illuminating the snowy land. Rhea laid face up on the snowed ground, it was as if she had been glued to the ground, because no matter how hard she tried to move, it felt like she was caged down with a spell.
She couldn't feel any of her limbs, and strangely enough the cold was affecting her for the first time. The cold seeped into her bones, reaching up to her heart making her paralyzed.
Teeth clattering, she watched as the snowflakes fell down onto the ground and on her face, but when it touched her skin, it seeped into her like it was becoming one with her skin.
"Don't do it..." She heard herself say, but the strange thing was she didn't know what she was saying.
Tears rolled down her cheeks, but immediately it left her eyes, it turned into ice. She tried to move as an ominous feeling clutched tightly to her heart, but yet again she was unable to.
Suddenly, Rhea heard a slight noise from the side, she slowly turned her head towards the direction, only to be met with a shadowy figure. Behind the figure hung the large pale moon, illuminating from behind.
She couldn't make out the person's face, but she could clearly see something glowed red on the person's lower chest. When she looked closely, it was a fire sword stuck deeply into the person flesh. The sword twisted itself deeper making the person fall to their knees in front of her.
A sharp pain on her lower chest caused her entire body to tremble like she was the one being struck with the sword.
With a loud gasp, Rhea's eyes flew opened. However, since she had no mirror, she didn't notice how her hair changed from black to sliver, then black again.
Rhea gasped for breath as she looked around her surroundings to only see that she was still inside Jurian's room and not on the snowed ground. She looked towards the slightly opened window, where the warm morning sun peeked through the curtains as the breeze blew them open, to see that it was already bright outside.
Her heart was still beating frantically, sweat soaked the strands of hair around her forehead. She subconsciously placed her hand on the area below her chest. It still felt like there was something sharp like a needle piercing the area.
Rhea's face scrunched up. Her nightmare felt too real, so real, that it seemed like she had just experienced the horrific scene a moment ago.
Snowy lands, a large pale moon, and an unknown figure with a fire sword stuck deeply into the flesh.
She'd only heard stories about the fire sword, but had never seen one herself, as only the higher fire controllers could possess one.
However, what was bothering her right now was the shadowy figure. It felt so familiar like she'd seen that figure before.
But where?
Rhea thought it through, but then she still couldn't seem to remember whose figure matched that person on the snow.
How strange...
Rhea pursed her lips, 'Why am I being affected by the pain when it's all a dream?'
As Rhea was poundering over her nightmare and the uncomfortable feeling in her cheast, she was soon interrupted by her maid, Mielle, who came inside to inform,
"Good morning, my lady. I've prepared your bath and also your breakfast."
Rhea sighed deeply, ever since she'd been brought here, the word 'food' doesn't seem to excite her like it used to do before, all because of their boring vegetarian food. How could one survive eating without any meat nor fish?
Rhea looked up at Mielle from the bed, "Is it another vegetarian meal?" She asked.
Mielle smiled, "Yes, my lady. It is specially made for you." Although Mielle had noticed that Rhea doesn't like eating their food, but she couldn't do anything about it anymore. Unlike the last time she went all out to get Rhea meat breads, but in the end was scolded by Jurian.
Rhea was also aware of the matter, and so she hadn't asked Mielle to get her food outside again. But she asked curiously,
"If you're all vegetarian, then why is there a farmhouse for chickens in the yard? Are they kept for house decorations?"
"The chickens are old lady Lila's pet company, they aren't meant to be eaten."
What a joke!
Rhea scoffed, chickens as pet? Unbelievable!
She kicked away the bed covers and stood on the bed, she then rolled up her sleeves while saying, "Since it's forbidden to eat those chickens, then I guess I'll go and hunt for meat in the forest myself."
Mielle's eyes rounded on hearing Rhea's words, "You don't mean the border town forest, do you my lady?"
Rhea sized her up, "Of course. Where else." She deadpanned and jumped down the bed.
"My lady, it's dangerous." Mielle remarked in worry, but the latter chuckled nonchalantly, then said,
"Dangerous? I was born in danger, danger and I are siblings. Worry not little girl, this big sister here..." She pointed a finger to her nose, "Is a hard nut to crack. I will be back with the meat before you know it." What could possibly go wrong in the forest where she'd hunted that imposter for days?
Rhea didn't even give the girl the chance to speak anymore, she humped towards the weapon wall and picked a short sword, before jumping out through the window, not seeing the need to use the door when the window was a shortcut.
Mielle's expression turned grave, she quickly ran to old lady Lila's room where Jurian sat at the edge of the bed feeding her medicine,
"She has gone out hunting in the forest, my lord!" The young girl exclaimed as soon as she entered the room.
The face of the elderly Lady Lila locked onto the young girl, "What? Hunting? In the forest? Oh, my goodness..." The old lady broke down in tears and turned to her grandson, sobbing, "Jurian, what if she meets the same fate as your previous wife? I went to great lengths to find this one for you, and now, the forest..."
"Why didn't you prevent her from going?" Jurian asked the young girl, appearing indifferent in sharp contrast to his grandmother's concern.
Mielle answered in a quivering voice, "I tried to stop her, but she claimed...that danger is her sibling."
Jurian rubbed his temple as if attempting to tame his irritation. 'Why did such an insane woman have to be the one? After all these years...'
Lady Lila looked at Jurian and urged him, "Go and save her urgently. She must not suffer the same fate as the other girl."
Jurian silently looked at the old woman for awhile, he then sighed, "Alright, you should rest. I will be back soon."