《Never After》Chapter 1 : The Prisoner
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"NOOOOOOOO!" A girl screamed as she awoke from her unsettling dreams. Streaks of sweat slowly fell from her forehead as she slowly gathered her consciousness. She looked around her room, "Ah, everything is normal." The girl let out a sigh of relief.
"What was that dream, it felt so vivid."
A soft knock on her bedroom door was heard before she was able to gather her thoughts. She raised her head a little to look at the direction of the door.
"Mistress Harmonia, are you okay in there?" The Maid Behind the door asked.
"Ah, Strena. Yeah, I'm okay," She answered as she pulled back her blanket and lay back into her bed, "It's still early morning, isn't it? If so, I'm going back to sleep." She slowly closed her eyes.
"Mistress, it's already eight in the morning, and breakfast is ready."
"Arghh," Harmonia groaned and rolled over in bed, "Alright, alright." She fumbled around her bed before pulling down her blanket, then reluctantly moving to the edge of her bed. She put down her feet to the ground and put on her sleeping sandals. "I'm fin- *yawn -e now, you can leave me be." Said Harmonia while fixing her long messy blond hair with her hand instead of using a comb.
"If you say so, Mistress." The Maid walked away from Harmonia's bedroom door.
Harmonia stood up from her bed. The sunlight coming through from her windows shone her uncombed blonde hair with soft curls, her cheeks were slightly lighter than warm ivory with a rose-colored tint to her cheeks. Her brownish eyes were more honest than anyone else her age.
She lifted both of her forearms on top of her head, doing small stretches as she approached the door. She opened the door and walked through the hallway to the corridor while still wearing her pajamas.
Harmonia spotted a Maid cleaning a sculpture in the mansion hallway, "Where's Eric and Eris." She asked.
"Mistress Harmonia," The Maid gasped. "Fancy seeing you this early in the morning, Mistress. Both of them are in the left-wing dining room waiting for you."
"I'll go there then, and by the way, where's pops?" Harmonia asked again.
"Master is in his office in the right-wing."
"Oh, in the right-wing?, I can just wear my pajamas to the dining room then," Harmonia smirked as she continued to walk through the corridor.
The maids that saw her kept on their duties. The sight of Harmonia walking down the corridor with her pajamas has become a daily thing for the maids.
Harmonia's pajamas are maroon red-colored and have sewn-on bright yellow flower designs covering the deep red color. She called that motive her style.
She walked through the halls of her home. Taking in the design of the wallpapers, and the way sunlight shined through opened windows. She turned right to the small staircase going down. Slightly glancing at the neatly arrange ornaments at the wall. She made her way to the dining room.
As she neared the dining-room door, she moved her sight to the sides of the hallway as she hasn't fully gathered her thoughts yet. She looked toward the knight armor stands neatly lined after drawings of her ancestors and different types of flowers "Do I even deserve this lif- ."
Her forehead suddenly hit something with a thud. She was sent a few inches back, and as the pain slowly emerge, she slowly kneeled, holding her forehead. "T-that hurts." she quickly looked up and shouted, "HEY, watch where you're walkin-" she stopped as her shout was greeted by the dining-room door, "Goddamnit," She mumbles.
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In shame, she stood up, and put both of her hand on the handle of the door and pulled it, The heavy wooden door budged and slowly creaked open. Before the door fully opened, a soft young voice called out to her, "Older Sister!" a little girl shouted.
The little girl pointed her right finger at Harmonia and put her left hand on her waist, scolding her. "You're late!" She pouted.
"Come on now Eris, cut your Sister some slack, I'm only an hour late and Look at Eric, he looked like he had just arrived here."
"Hey, don't bring me into this." Said the boy seated right next to Eris.
"At least he is not wearing his pajamas unlike you," Eris bent over to the long table while still pointing at Harmonia.
"Alright alright, can you stop being so strict already," She scratched the back of her head. "I promise that I'll try to wake up early to tomorrow."
"Try," she said with a sigh. "Whatever shall I do with you, Older Sister."
Harmonia finally sat down at the chair on the edge of the long table. Three chairs away from her little sister and Brother. Along with her, Eris sat down as well, and with that, the siblings started dining.
Harmonia reached her hand to the tissue box in front of her, grabbing a few sheets and cleans her mouth. She eyed the food right in front of her and looked around the dining room. Glancing the multiple empty seats, Eris notices her troubled sister, "What's wrong, Older sister?" She wondered.
The girl stood up with both of her hands on the long table, "Have you two felt like you didn't deserve something? This kind of life and not doing anything to achieve such a life?" She asked, squinting at both of her siblings.
Eric stopped eating and tilted his head to look at Harmonia, "What do you mean, Sis?"
Eris crossed her hands and answered, "No, we were born with it, we can't do anything about it," She shrugged, "I say it's enjoyable living a life like this." Eris said with words out of her age.
"It feels stagnant, you know. I feel like I'm not able to progress. I want to change yet, it seems. I always get dragged down," said Harmonia.
"Older Sister, if you want to change, how about waking up early." Eris stopped for a moment holding her temple, trying to remember something," And how about unlocking your magic first?" Eris took a sip out of her tea and continues, "Out of us three, you are the only one that isn't able to use magic, yet you are the oldest of us siblings."
Eric let out a deep breath, "Eris, you might use big words for someone your age and speak in a dignified manner but, you need to read the mood of the room first before speaking your mind."
Eris tried to retaliate, but she looked at her older sister with her face facing the ground and gripping the edge of the table. She assembled the right words to apologize to her sister, but she was too shy to say it.
"You know what, I don't think I'll finish today's breakfast," Harmonia sighed as she stood up by pushing herself up with both of her hands.
"A-ah," Eris eyes glistened, seeing her older sister expression, "I-I'm sorry," she mumbles.
Before she was able to continue, Harmonia chuckled and whispered, "Y'know, you're pretty cute when you're all worked up like this."
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The slight frown on Eris's face quickly changed into a mild blush, "Hwaaah!?, w-what!? You weren't angry at me!?, that's too sudden, Older Sister!" She sat back at her chair and covered her face with her hands, "I-I won't make this a reason for you making me m-mad all the time, Okay!" Eris rambled.
From the other side of the table, Eric chuckled, "I'll never get enough of this," Harmonia followed it up with a small laugh. Eris that has recovered from her older sister's compliment quickly stood up again, but before she was able to say anything.
Harmonia moved her chair back, "I think I'm full," she walked toward the door, on the other side of the room.
"Hey, Older Sister, where are you going," She shouted, with a different tone from her usual voice, "It's not good to leave food uneaten." She tried to get herself off the chair, but as she stood up, her clothes were yanked back down.
She looked down at the floor and saw her long skirt stuck on the foot of the chair, "Hey, Older Brother, help me!" Eris struggled as she tugged on the handle of the chair.
Eric glanced at his little sister, "Nah." He mumbled as he continues to eat.
The little girl groaned at her older brother, "Just don't bother Father, alright, Sis."
Harmonia nodded and opened the door behind the other edge of the long table and walked through it. Sunlight from behind the windows on her left hit her skin. She laid back on the door, her eyes glistening, and tears fall from her eyes, "W-why am I... So sensitive about it lately," She stopped for a moment to wipe her tears with her forearm, She then continued walking until she felt as if her head was spinning.
She swayed from side to side until she hit the walls on her right, in her trance she heard a voice coming from the door in the hallways, it was her father's office.
She came around to her senses and snuck to the door, she heard faint voices inside the room, "Don't bother father." She thought, remembering her sister's words. She shook her head and turned around to place her ear on the door, focusing herself onto the ongoing conversation.
"It's been days, sir." An unfamiliar voice emerged.
"Yes, I understand, but letting someone at that caliber to just teach someone is dangerous, Agent." A stern voice filled with caution answered.
Behind the door, Harmonia gasped, "I've never heard Pops this cautious before."
"Fremund sir, the prison uses state of the art security, there is little to no chance of that person to harm anyone," The Agent rummaged through the documents in his hand. He took a single paper and showed it to Fremund. "This prisoner also has no history of attempted escape or violent tendencies."
"That's not what I am concerned about Agent. It might be beneficial for us if someone were to attain such knowledge, but the knowledge that Person hold is too dangerous for this age." Fremund firmly placed his hand on the table.
"B-but, sir." The Agent tried to reason.
"Enough with that, continue on your next report." Said Fremund sternly.
"Y-yes, sir." The Agent fumbled around the documents on his hand again and handed a single piece of paper to Fremund, "We've detected strange mana residue around the pr...."
Harmonia backs off from the door and put her hand to her chin, trying to process what she heard, "That kind of person..." She thought of the current possibilities, teaching her magic and maybe explaining her weird dreams.
The door to the dining room bashed open with Harmonia rushing through it. Eris noticed her sister, "Hey!" She shouted, but before she was able to continue yelling, Eric asked, "Where are you going, Sis?"
"Outside, don't tell father, that applies to you and Eris."
"No way, I'm so going to tell fa-."
Eric moved his hand to cover Eris mouth, "Let your sister do what she wants, I've never seen her this enthusiastic before."
"Hmmph, hmmph," Eris mumbled as she struggled to speak and free herself from her chair.
"Thanks, Eric." Said Harmonia as she walked back to the corridor with her room.
"Anytime, Sis."
Harmonia entered her room at a fast pace. She bolted to her closet, taking out the clothes and thought of what clothing is appropriate. She reached the bottom of the drawer. A crimson school blazer with white lines along the edges catches her eye. She picked up the clothes and took a good look at it. She nodded and took off her worn-out pajamas, throwing them onto her bed.
Harmonia stood up as she wore the uniform and prepared all the things she needed.
With all things ready she made her way to the bedroom door, she turned to the left instead of to the right, next to the painting, sculpture, and armors stands are maids cleaning off dust with caution and elegance. She greeted them one by one as she passed them, and they waved back in response.
"Miss Harmonia, where are you going this early this morning," One of the maids brushing off dust from the sculpture asked.
"A-ah, about that," Harmonia stopped moving, and her head twirled trying to think of a reason, "Ah!," She said as she lifts her head to reply, "Its private stuff, please don't tell father…"
The maids sighed, "What mischief are you on to this time, Mistress." Said the Maid with her hands crossed.
"Nothing much, I just want to go out without father noticing,"
"Alright then, Mistress, I'll tell the other maids not to say a word about this, but what's in it for me," The Maid grinned.
Harmonia scratched the back of her head, "Fine." She sighed, "I'll clean my room and wake up early again for a week."
"That's what I like to hear, Mistress," The Maid smiled, and then she continued cleaning the sculptures.
The Mistress let out a small sigh of relieve and walked through the main staircase to the front door of the mansion, it was filled with more old paintings and the wallpapers filled with a motif of flowers. She walked down the intersecting staircase and walked through the red carpet that spanned from the door to the stairs.
She pushed the handle of the door, and as it opened a garden of red flowers covered by warm sunlight and morning breeze hit her face. Her heart brightens seeing the lovely scene, but she felt as if something is out of place, she threw away the thought and walked outside.
"Oh, wait a minute." As she stepped foot to the passageway in the garden entrance, she finally thought, "How am I going to get there," she mumbled as her cheeks turned red.
"Ah, wait, I know," She took her phone from her red skirt, "There we go, I'll just order a cab," she thought, "It is not the best way to get there, but it works," She turned on her phone and called a cab.
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