The raindrops lingered on the ground of Autumvale, refusing to leave.
With each step closer to where her mother was kept, her world seemed to crumble.
The dim warm light from the lantern and heavy rain made it hard for teary eyes to see where they were going. Looking down, she felt the wet ground beneath her feet mirror the heaviness in her chest.
Elestria wore a thin, plain dress that reached down to her ankle. Her dress clung to her body like a second skin, making her shudder from the cold breeze that occasionally blew from nearby trees. She was walking with the guard towards the main entrance of the servant quarters, which felt like an eternity.
Deep inside, she struggled to believe what she had heard. Clutching her dress in both hands, she speeds her pace. While she was praying mentally, she knew that once her mother saw her, she would hug her immediately, changing what other people were saying.
The guard stopped her once they reached the servant quarter and said while walking ahead, "Miss, please stay here," and with that, he disappeared into the shadow.
While he was away, Elestria looked around her surroundings. Tall trees form the servant quarter, with their tentacle-like branches falling on either side. The branches created a natural canopy.
Soon, the guard came back and asked her to follow him. As she kept walking, her heartbeat increased with every passing second.
Soon enough, she was stopped in front of the door, and the guard said "Go on" with a stern voice.
The room was dimly lit.
Her whole body trembled when her eyes saw the sight.
The hope she clung to was shattered into tiny pieces. Her mother lay motionless on the bed. Her face turned pale with her eyes closed. The once-vibrant warmth drained from her mother's face. The weight on Elestria's shoulders became unbearable to handle. She felt as if an invisible force was holding her back, preventing her from moving forward.
The heavy feeling went past her physical being and sank into the core of the way she felt. Her efforts to find words were hopeless. She urged to cry, to let out the buildup of emotions. However, no tears fell.
The servants inside the room noticed Elestria's presence. Their red eyes focused on the thin figure in the dimly lit room with sadness and sympathy. Matilda, one of the only older human maids, broke the silence in a hushed tone. "How can I help you, my child?"
Elestria, who was utterly lost in this world, couldn't seem to hear if someone had spoken to her. She pressed her feet against the ground, facing her mother's lifeless body. Her heart ached with each step, not ready to believe what lay in front of her.
She asked, "What.. happened to my mom?" in a soft, composed voice. Understanding the situation, Matilda, the head maid, stood up from her spot, clutching the handle of the chair and said, "She died two hours ago. She fell from the window of the head library."
Matilda's words stuck to Elestria like a sharp knife. She gently cupped her mother's cold cheek, as she traced her thumb just below her dark circles. "I.. still feel like it's just a bad dream, like..like.. I always get. And the next second, you'll wake me up, and I'll be out of this." The lump in her throat was getting heavy. Lowering her trembling body onto the bed, she hugged her mother as if seeking comfort in the warmth that was fading away.
Her voice stuck in her throat, "Mother.., I'm sorry I'm late..I couldn't save you...It's my fault." She pleaded, the weight of pain heavy in her voice, which was left unanswered.
Her tears refused to come.
She couldn't understand why she couldn't shed tears anymore. She felt as if a part of her soul was slipping away. It became too much for her to bear. Her leg trembled due to fear, clutching her mother's cold hands, she slid down to the cold floor.
Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her palm, the one she was holding her mother's hand. World around her blurred as a loud scream tore from her throat. Her voice echoed throughout the servant quarter, alarming the servants around her. The area around her chest ached with unbearable pain.
Her eyes rolled up in pain, she felt someone gently hold her in their arms by covering her trembling body in soft blanket.
Blood seeped from her mouth sliding, down her throat, darkness enveloped her, and she succumbed to unconsciousness.