5In reality it was dark, in her eyes it was light. Both perspectives were clouded by overwhelming bewilderment. She couldn't wrap her mind around it, yet she absolutely loved it. She loved the peace it offered her, the peace she would never let go of.
The pale moon shone in contrast to the black sky, but its light was lost upon the world beneath it.
The wind blew against the gnarled branches of the old oak trees, carrying the voices of the dead; the ear was met with faded remnants of children's laughter, of the buzzing of meaningless chatter, and of the odd cry of pain before encountering a period of unnerving silence.
A little girl of no more than eleven years walked along a barren road, guided only by the dim and flickering lights of the adjacent streetlights. A ragged green rabbit was clutched in her tiny hands as she stared down at her path.
There was no danger of an aberrant human walking the same street nor of an anomalous vehicle driving past. When found, people always avoided this particular route. An unusual sense of foreboding was enough to make them think twice before venturing forward. The girl, on the other hand, felt no such thing. Bare feet continued to take step after step toward the destination in mind. There was something beyond the inky blackness that called to her.
Impossible. Never once had she been wanted in her life.
And yet, she could not seem to get rid of the irrational thought. If anything, it became a stronger, more prominent belief. For the first time, she was grasping at straws, hoping one would become her string of gold thread.
Sometime in the future, the girl would look back at the prior events in retrospect and find the whole situation quite ironic. Probably because it all began with the humans around her, by the rumors and gossip about the village dubbed the Crypte.
Thus, the search for the elusive dwelling, the elusive Crypte, began. The girl knew the probability of disappointment was high, that it had nothing to do with her, but not even that could deter her. For the first time in a very long while, she was curious. Why not satisfy the urge, she told herself.
The road began to open up the more she walked into it. It hadn't been an easy route to find. People either didn't know how to get to the rumored old town or they were unwilling to release such information.
She had been adamant to a fault.
She was nearing the end of her journey. If she squinted, dim lights appeared in the far north. She felt her excitement pick up as she stumbled over her feet in a hurry to reach the building in sight.
Or perhaps, she amended mentally, it would be better to call it a mansion.
She pushed open the old, iron wrought gate and stared up at the looming giant in front of her. The residence was dauntingly enormous. It was at least five stories tall, each with its fair share of large classic windows. Bits of light were just able to be seen from where she stood below, its slight illumination casting an ethereal glow around the place. Unnerving statues of grotesque winged beasts glared down at her with ruby eyes and strings of ivy crawled up the far walls, as if hoping to sneak inside. The front garden was a mess of burgundy rhododendrons and wilting sunflowers. The path to the front of the house was riddled with leaves that hadn't bothered to move with the constant wind.
Before she knew it, she was staring at the darkened door in front of her. Her feet sighed in relief at the contact with the smooth stone steps leading up the entryway, having quickly tired of the rough path of gravel and debris that made up her journey.
The thought of why it was necessary to venture forward from that point never crossed her mind.
The lanterns that hung on either side of the door blazed to life as soon as she reached the mahogany. She stared at the flames, entranced by the light it emitted as it danced in the night air. A glint of gold caught her attention from her peripheral vision and she angled her sight so that her eyes were met with an ornate, gold door knocker.
She hesitated for a second, but suddenly gained the courage to lift her little arm up to grab it. The metal felt cool against her small hand and the girl couldn't help but feel her determination spike up once again. She lifted the knocker up ever so slightly before letting it fall against the dark wood with a loud thud.
She heard her announcement of arrival echo throughout the manor and waited for someone to open the door and shoo her away. She waited and waited and then waited some more.
Finally, impatience blew up inside her. The knocker was banged against the door several more times, but it was never followed by even an inkling of sound. She felt each knock reverberate inside the mansion against the open air.
No one came to receive her.
The girl grabbed the knocker once again for one final clang, just to let out her frustrations over the empty manor, when she sensed the knocker slowly move backward. The door had creaked open.
Any displeasure she might have felt until this point disappeared as she looked at the glint of dim light peeking through the cracked door. Her hand carefully pushed it, allowing the gap to widen enough for her small body to go through. The girl slipped her body into the manor and hurriedly closed the door.
She beheld the sight in front of her with awe. Despite the overall darkness, she could tell the foyer was large, lavish. She could just make out the smooth, marble columns, the glittering crystals of the chandelier overhead, and the sloping velvety staircase that seemed to go on forever.
The girl started forward, placing a pale hand on the wooden banister of the stairs, and climbed up. She kept her eyes wary and her ears sharp, looking for any discrepancy within this new environment. She couldn't help but relish in the feel of the soft velvet that brushed comfortingly against her toes.
When she reached the top, she turned left.
The girl had the strange notion that she had been here before, that she had walked these halls once upon a time.
She tried to rid her head of the thought.
The girl stopped suddenly and drew her rabbit into her arms protectively, staring at the door in front of her. There wasn't anything special about it; it looked like all the doors she had passed thus far walking down the hallway. The only thing that made it stand out was the beam of bright light that peeked out from under the crack.
Before she could stop herself, the door was opened and entered.
The rabbit never left her hands.
It couldn't be anything but a study. Walls were hidden by enormous shelves, filled with books of large variety. A single desk sat on the side, its surface littered with a haphazard of quills and parchment. The ceiling was domed and painted with an intricacy she'd never seen before. Modeled after the night sky, her eyes found familiar constellations such as Sagittarius and Orion and she drank in the sight of the beautifully detailed artwork.
But what really caught her attention wasn't the immaculate room itself, but the six individuals within it, most of whom were silently watching her.
They looked...human.
The small nook by the only window in the room was occupied by a boy and a girl. Both looked older than her, carrying an obvious air of superiority. The boy seemed to glare at her from where he was perched, a small scowl visible on his features. His brown hair was dark and unruly, yet it suited him somehow.
His eyes met hers and he got ready to move toward her, but a hand clamped down on his shoulder before he could go anywhere. He swiveled his head around to growl at the older girl who simply shook her head reprovingly. The older girl seemed to have some influence over the boy. At least, that's what she figured from the way he backed down at her touch. The girl held herself up confidently, as if she knew the boy wouldn't dare go against her.
A chair in the back corner was occupied by young boy. Though his hooded cloak concealed most of his face, his steady breathing informed her that he was fast asleep. For some reason, this unsettled her more than it should have.
On the far left, leaning against a wall, was a boy who looked to be about her age. He was immaculate down to the very last thread. Button-down lilac shirt with a dark grey vest on top, black slacks paired with shiny, leather shoes. His white-blond hair was combed back and his icy blue eyes gave off an air of arrogance and amusement. He smirked when he found her attention on him. She quickly averted her eyes, trying desperately to keep from flushing.
It was the juxtaposition of the last two people that jolted her out of her musings and back to her current situation.
Sitting on the surface of the large oak desk, swinging her legs playfully off the edge, was a girl who must have been at least a couple years younger than herself. Besides the sleeping boy, this younger girl was the only one who wasn't paying attention to her. Instead, her focus was on the blue cookie jar in her small, grabby hands. A smile graced her features as she cheerfully munched on a macadamia nut.
Behind the desk, leaning back in the leather upholstery of the arm chair, was yet another boy. However, he was different from the grumpy one by the window and the sleeping one in the corner.
Because he absolutely terrified her.
She hadn't had much experience with fear. Nothing surprised her in this boring world. It was simply one mundane task after another. There was no true thrill to the life ordinary humans led. Simple, they were. Ignorant little sheep with no sense of them world around them.
Those cold obsidian eyes knew better. They saw a world far from perfect, one that could be molded into something great. They bore into her, they scalded her, they reminded her of times of utter sorrow.
At first glance, the boy seemed almost lifeless. His skin was paler than the norm, his midnight black hair hung in his face, albeit in a somewhat attractive manner, and he sat stiffly behind the content yet oblivious little girl.
But again… those eyes... They were filled with hateful flames, angry at the world and all of its inconsequentials. He looked ready to sentence anybody and everybody to a life full of pain and torture. They mocked her, criticized her, enraptured her…
And paralyzed her.
Her eyes widened, her hands shook, and her bottom lip trembled. The rabbit was clutched even closer as if it would serve as a sort of shield against this newfound terror.
There was a wave of nausea before the girl felt herself step back, stumbling over a pile of books stacked neatly in the corner. She regained her balance, but kept her eyes on the fallen books. She would've looked anywhere, anywhere but those horrifying eyes…
"Hi."
The girl jumped back in shock and her head collided with the hard corner of a bookshelf. Her eyes watered in pain, but she ignored it for the mystery in front of her.
The little girl with the cookie jar stood in front of her, peering up at her with curious caramel eyes. "Are you okay?"
Her mouth shook as it opened and she had to clear her throat before she spoke. "I-I'm fine…"
It had been a long time since someone had asked her that.
She dared a peek at the petrifying boy and flinched when he caught her in the act. The obsidian was feral. His jaw was stiff and his pale hands gripped the table in anger.
"Don't mind him. Art's like that with every newcomer." She quickly turned her head to the little girl who was smiling up at her. "What's your name?"
"Get away from her, Nut."
A jolt went through her spine as the command rang through the study. The dark boy finally got up, swiftly moving toward the two girls and pulling the younger one behind him. "Go back and let me handle this."
She felt a pang of anger in her chest at the disgust he put into the single word, but immediately berated herself. She should be used to this. This was how people usually talked to her. What made these people, especially this boy, any different?
She knew nothing about these people. She came here on a whim. She wasn't even exactly sure how she had made it here... "It's in your blood!"
The girl jumped again. "E-excuse me?"
The younger girl peeked out from behind the boy and brought a cookie out from the jar. "You were wondering how you got here so I told you. You might not know where you are, but your blood sure does!" She grinned before popping the cookie into her mouth and swallowing it whole. "Now that you're here, can we play?"
The dark boy growled with indignation and turned those cold eyes on the small child. "I told you to leave! Can't you follow a simple order, Nut?"
Instead of cowering like she would've under his intense gaze, the child tilted her head and pouted. "But I want to play with Envy!"
Irritation swept across the boy's features. "I don't care. I don't want this thing here." He cast a suspicious look toward her. "Besides, we don't even know if that's who it really is."
She didn't hear anything the cold boy had said. There was only one word echoing in her head. Envy... Who was Envy?
"You're Envy, silly!"
She was brought out of her world with the sudden proclamation. She stared at the little girl in confusion. "W-what do you mean?"
The boy glared at her and moved the little girl even further away from her. "Don't talk to her. Whatever you want to know, Pride can answer for you."
"You called, my lord?"
The girl turned her head and found the girl from the nook suddenly materialized in front of her.
"Tend to our... guest. I need to have a little talk with Nut." And with that, the boy dragged the little girl in his grip out of the room, though not without some complaint or three on the child's part.
The door shut with a bang and the girl faced her with a grim smile. "I am Pride. You may call me as such," she demanded softly.
The girl squeezed the body of her rabbit before bowing her head slightly. "Pleased to meet you, m-my lady."
Pride nodded with approval. She gestured toward the door by which the two had just left. "Please do not mind our master. He doesn't take kindly to unannounced visitors."
"It's fine," she whispered. "I shouldn't have barged in the way I had."
Pride sent her a strange look. "It may not be entirely your fault. Gluttony's predictions are hardly ever wrong."
"Gluttony? You mean that little girl?" she questioned.
The older girl raised an arched brow. "There's nothing little about Gluttony at all. Besides our master, she is the eldest out of all of us."
Her eyes widened. "But how? She's—"
"Looks can be deceiving," said Pride, cutting her off mid-sentence. "She simply prefers taking that particular form. As long as it is to the lord's liking, we're able to take whatever shape we desire."
The girl furrowed her brows, a troubled look appearing on her face. "Wh-where exactly am I? Why am I here?"
"You are at the Denting Manor at the edge of Crepitate Crypte." There was a sudden glint in Pride's eyes. "And isn't that last question one you should be asking yourself?"
The girl just stared helplessly at the older girl. "I don't understand."
"No?" Pride raised a brow. "Very well then. We'll just have to fix that."
There was no warning, no sign, no nothing. The world just simply disappeared from view. Her body fell as if in slow motion.
The little girl blacked out.