In the shadows of despair, a chilling tableau unfolded.
Amidst the lifeless bodies of her parents, a young child with a helmet stood in haunting silence, holding the corpse of her sister
"Why...?" Her voice trembled with a grief-stricken innocence.
From the depths of the scene, a silver-haired woman emerged, her presence like a phantom's, an enigmatic observer of the child's torment. She halted her advance, a silent sentinel, allowing the girl's anguish to be voiced.
"Why did all my family have to die...?" The girl's plea carried the weight of a shattered world.
Bending down to meet the girl's gaze, the woman spoke with an eerie calmness. "It is what it is."
The brief pause that followed was pregnant with ominous significance, and then, the woman continued, her words chillingly deliberate. "In this world, there exist adversaries hidden from the eyes of the commonfolk."
"We call these individuals 'Monsters.' They come in various forms, but among them, there are those who wield chaos as effortlessly as breathing, those who manipulate reality with the simplest of lies."
The girl raised her head, eyes transfixed on the vast expanse of the sky. "Who...?"
The woman leaned in, her voice barely a whisper against the girl's ear. "Saber Gladiolus, the True Chosen Calamity."
"The hero... who's supposed to be dead...?" The girl's disbelief hung in the air like a shadow.
"No," the woman countered, her tone becoming cold. "He's very much alive. Every facet of his supposed demise was carefully orchestrated to cast blame upon Prince Maximus, the true hero."
"...Ironic, isn't it? The person who was chosen as a hero is actually one of the main source of the problem.... Knowing this, what can you do?"
What can a powerless girl like her can do?
Can she beat him?
No...
However—
"Do you want power?"
The woman's lips began to curve into a weak smile. She looked at the little girl, waiting for her response.
"I..."
The girl began to hesitate.
"I want..."
Her sentence was cut short as a piercing dark light entered her forehead.
"You only have to become my follower."
The woman leaned into her ears.
"Do what you want next."
And then, the vow, delivered with chilling resolve.
"I will make sure that he pays..."
The mind are such an interesting playground.
In the depths of desperation, sanity often slipped through the cracks, replaced by an all-consuming madness.
"I will make sure he..."
Clarity can become a distant memory.
"Saber Gladiolus..."
And the blame perpetually found new shoulders to rest upon.
"Hahaha... HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA...!"
Desperation is weapon where the reasoning often get discarded.
It can be easily manipulated if it's under extreme distress, pain, or agony.
Even with a slight tint of dot can often make huge changes, isn't it?
How easily individuals can be manipulated when engulfed in the abyss of despair?
Things like religion, creed or sexual orientation can all become variable under the right meticulously, poeticall devised environment.
However, the thing that can often leads to madness is death.
For this very reason, they were the most potent pawns, tools wielded with merciless efficiency.
"What's the best way to make control crazy people?"
With an emotionless façade, the woman turned away from the girl, her words an icy exhalation.
"It's by feeding their madness."
...
..
.
"Sister, no!"
The abrupt cry pierced the silence of the night, wrenching the young girl from her restless slumber. With a start, she shot upright, her chest heaving as tears welled in her eyes.
"Sister..."
The word escaped her lips in a choked whisper, her hands trembling as they hovered over her face.
"You're awa—?"
Occiditis's voice cut through the girl's turmoil, her expression momentarily faltering before settling into its usual stoic demeanor. She moved closer to the girl, her steps measured and deliberate.
"Did you have a bad dream?" Her tone remained cool and detached, a stark contrast to the girl's evident distress.
The girl lowered her hands, revealing eyes clouded with anguish. "I don't know... I don't know... My sister... She... I don't..."
Occiditis watched her carefully, her gaze unwavering as she reached out to gently grasp the girl's trembling hands.
"It's fine... You don't have to think about anything for now."
Her words were soft, almost tender, a rare display of warmth from the typically reserved Occiditis. She offered the girl a reassuring squeeze of the hand, silently promising that everything will be fine.
Somewhere.
As Saber and Eulia approached the mansion, their path was intercepted by a woman dressed in pristine white maid attire, her demeanor exuding an air of deference.
With a graceful bow, she extended a small envelope towards Saber, her eyes downcast in reverence.
"You have a letter, Saber."
Saber accepted the envelope with a puzzled expression, his curiosity piqued by the unexpected delivery. He offered a nod of thanks to the maid before tucking the letter away, his mind already churning with questions.
Eulia watched in silence, her gaze flickering between Saber and the retreating figure of the maid. Sensing the tension in the air, she ventured to speak.
"Who was that, Saber?"
Saber's features remained inscrutable as he mulled over the encounter. Finally, he shook his head slightly, a hint of unease creeping into his voice.
That maid...
"I've never told anyone my name."
===
[A/N : This will be the last chapter of this volume. I'll start uploading the promised information, few spoilers and characters soon.]