"You're the stubborn one, Charlotte."

Someone spoke, but one's there aside from me. And my hand kept on bleeding while holding the black rose.

As red bits of blood drip from the rose, the pain keep on getting stronger. The grass wilted, the roses on the garden wilted.

No! No!

Not just the pain on my hand, there's also pain on my chest.

It made me a lot more uncomfortable that I kept on shivering and my tears keot on falling.

"Weak.."

"Such weak body.."

"Golden.."

"Not white.."

"She's weak.."

"No, we're weaker.."

"She's quite strong in some manners.."

Stop! Argh, these murmurings kept on ringing on my ear.

"Stubborn.."

"..like before."

"Persistent.."

My heart won't calm down, and I don't even know how much blood I've released.

"Charlotte.."

"..lotte..

"Charl.."

What!?

"Charlotte."

After those whispers, one voice came clearer.

"My dear, Charlotte."

Even though the whispers are gone, the uneasiness I felt is still present.

"It's a bit much early for us to meet."

But I can't even see you? What 'meet'?

"It seems my powers had weakened through the time. I've waited long enough."

My sobs is the only thing I can hear other than the voice.

"But it's still not time for you, yet."

Please stop this now!

It's scary, I never felt scared in this life this much.

And I never cried this much from uneasiness.

"It seems I made you feel uncomfortable, just like bef.."

What?

"Since I'm awaken by you through the rose, I might as well finish this now."

The wind got colder, the surrounding became darker. The rose I was holding seems like the one who's holding me. Even though I want to let go, it won't let me go.

And a few seconds later. I felt a touch on my forehead.

Unlike the uncomfortable atmosphere, the touch was gentle and it seems like it's comforting me.

"So when the two inseparable brightness of this world went to opposite sides, may you know what things you must know."

After the voice said that, the touch from my forehead disappeared.

"Charlotte, it's been awhile.."

Her last words felt gloomy, it was full of.. longing?

As the touch, the voice and the uncomfortable atmosphere disappeared. The air was filled of small glittering light. At closer look, they're in color of green, blue, purple and yellow.

And when I looked back on my hands.

The rose I was holding disappeared. It instead changed into a bright combination of blue and green colored rose.

My hands looked like it didn't got wounded earlier. The blood were gone as if it wasn't there in the first place.

The grass, the roses that wilted earlier doesn't looked like it did wilt in the first place.

What's really happening?

What was that? Was that all an illusion? I touched my forehead, it doesn't feel stranger but I do feel like the touch I felt earlier was real.

I sighed deeply after touching the rose agai— huh? The rose disappeared!

"My lady! Where did you go?"

Oops, looks like I made trouble again.

"Oh is sister there?"

Did I just heard Dianne's voice? Am I hallucinating?

"Oh, it's sister!" And two heads peeked from behind sir Devin.

"What are the both of you doing here?" I asked as I stood up and straighten the skirt of my dress.

"We sneaked out!"

Whattt!?

"So the Duke doesn't know?"

And the both nodded their head, I looked up to sir Devin but he dodged my gaze. He's helpless too.

I sighed deeply and walked towards them. Then we took our time to walk back to the middle of the garden, and Dianne talked a lot about something same as Larence.

I took a glance back on that area, since it became a bit gloomy, it was a bit dark there.

"I think we should go back to the mansion."

They agreed so we headed back to the mansion and after we got in, the heavy rain fell.

"Thank goodness, we made it. Lets go inside, our clothes are muddy."

The maids took care of the both young masters, and I directly went through my room and immediately washed and changed. Thank goodness I spared a bucket.

"Err, my lady, the young lady and the young master is waiting for you in the playroom."

"Got it."

The maid left, she seemed like she didn't wanted to be here. She must have lose some game or bet that's why she's the one telling me that.

Well, whatever.

I walked through the corridor, it was dark and cold.

It was the same as my life, dark, cold and felt like a maze. Sometimes, I do find a light, but mostly I do not.

"Lady Charlotte's here."

That call is still uncomfortable.

"Oh! Sister! You're here!"

"Play with us! Come on!"

They're doing paper folding, making animals and other stuffs from the paper.

Later on, they're already running.

Larence kept on messing with Dianne's work, and he would hide on my back while Dianne kept on scolding him.

Larence kept on giggling about the mess he did.

"You.. huff, huff.. Stop hiding on sister's back!"

And Larence stick out his mouth, mocking his sister.

After a moment later, they're now lying on the carpeted floor, gasping for air.

"Lets play tag!"

I shook my head on his suggestion since it's quite dangerous to run at a time like this.

"How about hide and seek? Sister Charlotte owe us on that game. You said you would join us later!" Then both of them pouted.

Just when did I promised?

"Will you not?"

Argh, the cuteness.

"Fine, fine. Just one game tho."

"Yay!"

Then I started counting while they kept on looking for a place to hide.

As I count, it seems the rainfall is getting slower together with my counting.

"and done.. you should be hiding well now!" And a loud thunder outside came.

I searched, and I searched.

And I heard someone run on the hallway.

Wait, that's the hallway to my room though?

But the footsteps was from my room and to the opposite direction.

It was a way to the backyard.

So I followed it, it seems Dianne's the one who's running.

"Dianne, I'm coming to get you."

But the footsteps didn't stop there, it kept on getting further away. And the route was through the door.

And behind that door was outside.

"Wait, you can't—" before I could even finish my words.

She opened the door and the strong wind came inside, together with a bits of rain.

"No! Dianne—!"

And when I get a clearer view, there's no Dianne.

Who did I just follow through here?

No! I'm certain I was following Dianne!

I slowly tried to go closer through the open door, and what welcomed me was—

"THE YOUNG LADY IS MISSING!"

—

Eyo! The genre didn't changed, this isn't horror lol HAHAHA! I was able to update 2 chapters this week since I've gained quite the time to do so, that's why even though sometimes I had writer's block on the way. Well, I hope you're looking forward to what's going to happen next, enjoy!