His thoughts, like his spirit, were scattered, disconnected, and beyond repair. The weight of everything that had happened left him hollow, a mere shell of the person he once was, with the pieces of his soul scattered in pieces.
But as all hope slipped into the abyss, a voice echoed inside the shattered remnants of the doll Rubeus had become. It was feminine—soft, yet laced with a chilling curiosity, an unsettling blend of gentleness and pity. Was it merely the last fragments of his mind twisting his senses, or something more?
"Oh… your wretched soul. What have you been reduced to? How could fate be so merciless? How could the gods abandon you to this torment, with no blessing, no salvation? How cursed you must be… to exist like this. But... I can take it all away. Would you like to form a contract with me? I'll take your worries, your pain… all of it, and set you free."
In that brief instant, Rubeus was whole again—his broken form shifting back to the man he once was. A warmth enveloped him, like the comfort of his mother's touch, yet long forgotten. Calm washed over him like a gentle tide, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, he saw light piercing the darkness of a forsaken abyss.
His eyes slowly opened, and he found himself enveloped in a fabric of webs, their delicate threads shimmering in the dim light. His head rested gently in the lap of an unknown woman.
She was unlike anyone he had seen before, her presence both enchanting and unsettling. She wore a flowing gown of deep violet, the fabric rich and dark, with intricate black lacework that seemed to shift and writhe like the very threads of a spider's web.
Her skin was pale, almost translucent, lending her an ethereal, ghostly appearance. Dark purple markings spread across her arms and neck like veins, tracing patterns that mirrored the delicate structure of a web, as though the very essence of her being was connected to some ancient, unseen force.
Her long silver hair cascaded like liquid silk, its strands glimmering with a faint sheen, each lock adorned with dark, jewel-like beads that caught the light, shimmering as if caught in the glow of the moon.
But it was her eyes that held him captive—violet and mesmerizing, glowing faintly with an eerie, unsettling allure, as if they held secrets too dark to be spoken.
In that moment, Rubeus felt both entranced and fearful, drawn into her presence yet instinctively aware that he was in the grasp of something far older and more dangerous than he could comprehend.
But even in the face of it all, he didn't shiver in fear as others might have. Instead, a single word slipped from his lips, unbidden.
"Pretty."
Even though he was just a child—young, innocent, and yet someone who had already faced events so outrageous that even adults would have faltered before them—it seemed as if nothing had happened at all.
The woman before him was taken aback, as though it were the first time anyone had ever spoken to her in such a way. A faint blush colored her cheeks. No matter how ancient she might be, she still felt emotions.
For a second time, a voice resonated from within the confines of his mind.
"Y-you shouldn't be so shameless with a woman, you know?"
She quickly turned her gaze away, looking in the other direction, embarrassed.
The little boy looked at her, confused, before opening his mouth to speak.
"But my mom told me to always be honest about my feelings."
With that, the young boy quickly glanced around, as if searching for something hidden, and spoke again.
"Do you know where she is? I was returning from school... I even made her a beautiful paper flower. I need to give it to her quickly."
His memories of the past events were gone—both his mother's and his father's—locked away by his own consciousness in an effort to protect him.
He was helped by the mysterious woman, but the ruby-eyed boy had no way of knowing that. In his mind, he was still walking home from school when he suddenly appeared in this strange and unknown place.
The woman remained silent for a moment, her gaze softening as she watched the boy. His confusion was palpable, and the innocence in his voice tugged at something within her, though her expression remained unreadable.
"You truly believe she's waiting for you?" she asked, her voice smooth, almost soothing. "Your mother, I mean. You're certain she's still there?"
The boy nodded, still looking around, his tiny hands clutching the paper flower with childish hope.
"I know she is. She always is," he replied with quiet conviction.
The woman's lips curled ever so slightly. "But... what if she's not? What if she's somewhere beyond your reach, hidden from you? Somewhere... you can't go alone?"
The boy's eyes widened at her words, a flicker of doubt passing over his innocent face. He didn't respond, the weight of her suggestion settling into his mind.
For a moment, the air was thick with silence. Then the woman spoke again, her voice low, almost a whisper.
"You've endured more than most, little one. More than many adults could bear. You've faced things you don't even remember, things meant to break you. But you're still standing, still hoping."
She paused, leaning a little closer, her violet eyes glimmering with a strange, unsettling light. "I can help you, if you wish. I can offer you something that will ease the pain, give you what you seek… in exchange for something simple."
The boy looked up at her, still confused, but there was a spark of hope in his eyes. "What do you mean?"
She tilted her head slightly, her lips curling into a dark smile. "A contract. A simple exchange of promises. Your wish for mine."
The boy blinked, his innocence blurring his understanding. "What... what do you want from me?"
Her eyes glinted with a calm, unsettling intensity. "Nothing malicious, little one. No ill intent. Simply your trust. Your soul, in exchange for the power to find what you seek. The power to reunite with your mother... if she is truly still there."
Her voice softened, and she gently reached out to touch his cheek, her fingers cold as ice. "You will not be alone. I will guide you, protect you. But the price is a small one. Your heart will no longer be burdened by uncertainty. You will see the truth."
The boy hesitated, the words not fully sinking in. "Will... will she really be there?"
Her gaze darkened for a moment, her lips pressing together into a tight, unreadable line. "Your mother is gone, little one. She has already passed beyond this world." Her voice softened again, almost tender.
"But that doesn't mean I can't help you find her… or what remains of her. A mother's love lingers long after death."
The boy's expression shifted, confusion turning to a deep, quiet sorrow. "But I don't remember... I don't remember what happened..."
The woman's smile was gentle now, though it carried an eerie weight. "That's the part I can help you with. Your memories are locked away, buried deep within you, to protect your fragile heart from the pain. But the truth is waiting to be uncovered. I can show you what you've forgotten. I can take the weight off your heart."
The boy stared at her, uncertainty flickering in his wide eyes. Then, with a small, quiet voice, he whispered, "I want to remember. I want to find her."
Her smile deepened, and with a final, lingering touch to his forehead, she spoke softly, her voice carrying a sense of finality.
"Then the contract is sealed."
Though the boy did not remember it, the power to uncover the truth was already within him. It had been sealed away, locked in the depths of his subconscious to protect him from the unbearable pain of reality.
The woman, with her eerie calm, would not give him the power he already possessed. Instead, she would serve as a guide—an unseen hand to lead him through the maze of his fractured mind, unraveling the memories that had been buried. She would show him the way, but the journey was his own to make.
After a long, pregnant silence, the woman's gaze softened slightly, as though she had been waiting for the right moment. She studied the boy for a moment longer, her violet eyes gleaming with an unreadable depth.
"Very well, little one," she said, her voice now imbued with an almost ethereal grace, like a whisper carried on a cold wind. "Since you have chosen to walk this path, you should know who I am. I am Violetta, Witch of Sins."
Her name hung in the air, heavy with a darkness that seemed to seep from the very fabric of the world around them. "But that is not all I am. I am a guide through the shadows, a keeper of forgotten truths, and a weaver of fates. What you seek is within your reach, but the road will not be easy. And I... I will walk it with you, as your companion, as your teacher."
Her smile, enigmatic and haunting, never quite reached her eyes as she added, "But remember this: Nothing is free. Even the truth comes with a price."
The boy's eyes widened, still struggling to understand the enormity of the situation. His voice was quiet, filled with the curiosity of someone who couldn't yet grasp the weight of the words spoken.
"Violetta… Witch of Sins… why are you helping me?" He asked, his gaze searching her face for any hint of true intention. "What do you want from me?"
Her smile didn't falter, though her eyes darkened slightly, as if the question had stirred something deep within her. "What I want," she said, her voice calm and unnervingly steady, "is nothing more than your willingness to walk a path you cannot see yet.
To let go of the fragile shell of innocence that still clings to you. What I want is for you to understand what the world truly is, and what you are capable of."
She leaned in closer, her presence heavy as her eyes bore into his. "In return for my guidance, you will see the truth—nothing more, nothing less. The cost is the unraveling of your own soul, the shedding of your blind trust in the world around you. And perhaps, in the end, you will find what you seek."
The boy swallowed, trying to process the implications of her words. "But... I don't understand," he said, his voice tinged with confusion. "You say you want me to trust you... but why would I trust someone like you?"
Violetta chuckled softly, a sound that was almost a sigh. "Trust," she mused, "is a strange thing. It's not something that can be earned easily, nor something that is always deserved."
She paused, her eyes flickering to the shadows that seemed to grow and contract around them.
"But you will trust me, in time. You have no choice. You are already in my grasp, whether you know it or not. I am your guide, and you will follow the path I lay before you—because there is no other way forward. And deep inside, you understand this. You always have."
The boy looked away, feeling the weight of her words. He wanted to argue, to deny it, but something inside him felt the truth of it.
"Where will this path lead?" he asked quietly, unsure if he truly wanted to know the answer.
Violetta's gaze softened ever so slightly, a flicker of something almost sympathetic in her expression. "To the truth, little one. To the heart of what you seek. But be warned, it is a path lined with thorns, and the truth is not always as kind as you imagine it to be."
She stood up, her flowing gown rustling like a soft whisper in the darkness. "So, if you are ready... you may begin. But understand this—once you start walking, there is no turning back."