Isabelle entered the dimly lit chambers with a silence that was eerily juxtaposed by the gravity of the moment. It was supposed to be Helen who had met her fate here, but due to unforeseen circumstances, it was her cousin Charlotte who stood before her. The room felt heavy with the weight of destiny, and Charlotte couldn't resist a smuggy smirk as she locked eyes with Isabelle.
"Did Callisto get babysit because of his anger issues?" Charlotte taunted, her voice dripping with contempt. Isabelle met her gaze with a daring glare, unwilling to let Charlotte's provocation get to her.
"Even in the verge of death, you're still like this..." Isabelle shook her head in disbelief, her eyes shifting to the grim scenery outside the chamber. The dark, foreboding room with a deadly gallows, and beyond it, the sprawling city of Sserfène, oblivious to the drama unfolding within.
Isabelle couldn't help but be intrigued by the morbid curiosity that had overtaken her. "But how does it feel? To be like this? To be hanged like that?" Isabelle's fingers played with the lever, and she couldn't hide the fascination in her eyes.
Charlotte, ever defiant, couldn't resist the opportunity to toy with Isabelle's emotions. "I feel suffocated! Please release me!" she fake cried, her tone dripping with irony. Isabelle looked at her with a mixture of confusion and exasperation.
And then, suddenly, Charlotte's laughter shattered the tension in the room, echoing like a maniacal symphony. "Was that what you wanted to hear?" Charlotte taunted, her voice growing darker with each passing second. "Isabelle, I swear to my life and everything, I will come back and haunt you... and your family... even in different timelines..."
"You wish," Isabelle retorted, determined to keep her composure.
"Oh, I do," Charlotte's eyes darkened further as she continued to laugh, her words hanging in the air like an ominous omen. Isabelle's patience reached its limit, and with a firm resolve, she stepped closer to the lever, her fingers gripping it tightly.
"You can't if you're dead," Isabelle stated, her voice unwavering.
"Really?" Charlotte's laughter mocked Isabelle's statement, and she held her defiant stance, making it clear she wouldn't be cowed, "But remember Isabelle, I'll haunt you down....and make yoe kneel!"
Isabelle's decision was final. With a swift, determined motion, she yanked the lever. The plank below Charlotte dropped, and the noose tightened around her neck with a gruesome snap. In an instant, it was over. Charlotte's lifeless body hung on the noose, her haunting laughter silenced forever.
And there it was, the line of the Sseraphim family had come to its chilling conclusion, with the death of their eldest daughter, Charlotte Suzhette. The room bore witness to a profound, haunting silence that was only disturbed by the creaking of the rope, swaying gently in the grim chamber. Isabelle couldn't help but wonder if she had truly got rid of the Sseraphim family, or if Charlotte's threat would linger in the shadows, like a haunting specter of the past.
────────────────────
The moment seemed to stretch into eternity as Charlotte awoke. She had felt it was over; her life had come to an end. But now, she found herself in a place beyond comprehension. It was a surreal dreamscape, and yet she was keenly conscious of her surroundings.
She opened her eyes cautiously, unsure of what she might encounter. To her surprise, her neck was intact, and she could feel the warmth of life coursing through her.
As Charlotte sat up, her senses became acutely aware of the enchanting world around her. She was surrounded by pillars, each one exquisitely adorned with intricate carvings that seemed to tell stories of bygone eras. The pillars stood tall and proud, but there was something otherworldly about them, as if they were gateways to a realm of magic.
She rose to her feet, her bare feet brushing against a cool, celestial floor. As she gazed beyond the pillars, she gasped in wonder. The pergola was not on solid ground, but seemingly suspended in the heavens. The sky above was a breathtaking tapestry of colors, a celestial canvas painted in shades of golden rose, mirroring the hue of her own flowing locks.
The clouds that surrounded her weren't the ordinary white fluffs of the earthly sky. They were ethereal, imbued with a subtle glow, and they radiated a warm, inviting light that bathed the entire scene in an otherworldly ambiance.
Charlotte felt an inexplicable connection to this mystical place, as if it were a haven between life and the afterlife, a realm where the ordinary rules of existence no longer applied. With each passing moment, she became more enchanted by the beauty of this celestial garden. She took a step forward, her feet seeming to float on air, and began to explore this magical realm, her heart filled with both awe and curiosity.
"Welcome,"
A voice boomed, resonating with a deep power that sent shivers down Charlotte's spine. Startled, she turned to her sides, and her eyes widened in awe as she took in the breathtaking sight that unfolded before her.
Before her stood a figure of such majestic proportions that it could only be described as godlike. This being radiated a radiant brilliance, akin to the brilliance of the sun itself. He possessed a towering presence, a giant of myth and legend. His lustrous, curly brown hair cascaded like a waterfall around him, and his eyes, hidden behind a blindfold, held a wisdom that transcended the mortal realm.
Draped in a chiton that seemed to shimmer with an otherworldly glow, the being exuded an aura of divine equilibrium. What captured Charlotte's attention most of all was the object he held with utmost reverence—a perfectly balanced scale that seemed to hover in the air, defying the laws of gravity. The scale, adorned with intricate symbols of justice and equilibrium, was a powerful emblem of the cosmos' delicate balance.
She watched in rapt fascination as Lord Calastripus, the God of Balance, the Creator of the Golden Rule, and the Guardian of Life and Rebirth, extended a hand toward her, beckoning her forward. It was as if the very laws of the universe had converged in this ethereal realm, and she, an ordinary soul, had found herself in the presence of the deity responsible for maintaining the order and harmony of existence.
Her heart brimming with wonder and a profound sense of purpose, Charlotte stepped closer to this divine entity, ready to embark on a journey that transcended the boundaries of her understanding, in the presence of the deity who embodied the very essence of balance and order.
"What am I doing here? I already died. Im not a hero that deserves to be in this Golden Realm,"
Charlotte couldn't shake the overwhelming feeling that she, a mere mortal, wasn't worthy of entering this enigmatic realm suspended between the realms of life and death. She had always been an avid reader, delving into the tales of heroes and the intricate balance that governed their journeys. It was through her love of books that she had learned of the unwritten rule, a rule etched into the very fabric of the universe—only those with heroic destinies, those who had carved their names into the annals of legend, were permitted to cross into the sacred domain of balance, where life and death intertwined in a delicate dance.Standing before the deity known as Lord Calastripus, she couldn't help but feel like a humble observer of a story that wasn't her own. She pondered the countless tales she had devoured, the feats of bravery, and the selfless sacrifices made by heroes who had earned the right to step into this mystical realm. She knew that her own story, though filled with its own trials and tribulations, might pale in comparison to those grand narratives.
"You're here to rectify the errors of your past," Calistropus's voice resonated through the dimly lit chamber, brimming with the weight of ages and the mysteries of the arcane.
"My mistakes? But as per the records..." Charlotte's voice faltered, her mind grappling with the intricacies of her past and the contradiction in her presence.
"The present circumstances render such matters irrelevant," Calistropus replied, their voice carrying the resonance of ancient incantations. "In this moment, you are presented with a unique and wondrous opportunity. You can reshape the tapestry of your history or embark on a new journey within a different vessel."
The words flowed from Calistropus like a river of ancient knowledge, and the room seemed to pulse with the aura of long-forgotten spells and secrets.
"What holds true significance," Calistropus continued, their voice infused with celestial wisdom, "is whether your innermost desires shall guide you to the past, where you may mend the very threads of time, or if you shall choose the path of reincarnation—a rebirth in an entirely new life."
As Calistropus spoke, two mirrors materialized before Charlotte, each exuding an otherworldly luminescence. The first mirror provided a tantalizing glimpse of a life to come, where she would be reborn as the heir to a noble family, destined for realms of power and privilege. The second mirror, however, reflected her past life, with all its joys and sorrows.
The room was charged with an arcane energy, and Charlotte found herself suspended between the echoes of her past and the beckoning allure of a fresh beginning. The mirrors stood as gateways to her choices, while the fate of her very essence dangled precariously in the balance. The story unfolded, shrouded in a sense of anticipation, as Charlotte's soul teetered on the brink of destiny.
────────────────────
To be continued....