- In the depths of Elisabeth’s mind -

The darkness shrouded all in my sight. My body felt as light as a feather as I floated about in this gloomy abyss of my mind. The loneliness paid me a brief visit. I didn’t want to embrace it, I didn’t want to admit my defeat so soon. Most importantly, I didn’t want to be lonely...

But, how could that be possible if loneliness is always accompanying me as my one and only loyal friend?

I tried to reach out to whoever there was to take my hand, but it seemed that the more I sought to extend my body to feel, the less it mattered in my fuzzy mind. Even my voice was failing to make a single audible noise. Suddenly, acute spasms in my head throbbed as if I was hit by a blunt object. My thoughts were in a whirl, flying and looping around in unintellectual blurbs.

Images snapped and passed in my mind. Vibrant color and monotonous black and white alternated in the pictures. As if caught in a trance, I laid there, in a rift of darkness. Thoughts swirled and twisted around me. It was like the strings attached to each of my limbs were abandoned by the puppeteer that gave me their bittersweet commands.

A scene flashed brightly before my eyes, and I recoiled from the shock. However, my body didn’t respond to my startled reaction.

What...the?

A voice, evil and cruel, sang a song of the sin of envy. Its melody was so clear amidst the dull ringing in my ears. It was only a moment before I realized the music resonated from my own gaping mouth. I lost control of all that I knew as I danced along to a memory from long ago.

I was sitting in a red cushioned chair with delicate floral carvings in the armrests. Before me, there was a glass tea table with a sparkling tea set. Along with the arrangement, there were cookies and scrumptious-looking biscuits. In the seat opposite me, there was a small girl in a luxurious purple dress, decorated with flowers the color alike. Her features and movement seemed so elegant. There was a beautiful garden surrounding the serene area. It smelled sweet thanks to the garden’s blossoms, and the fresh air was delightfully refreshing. The aroma of the tea was also pleasing, but oddly enough, I could smell a bit of bitterness.

As I struggled to insinuate any movement, my vision continued to dilate. When it began to clear, the only thing I couldn’t see was the young lady sipping away at the dark tea in the cup she held so carefully. A film of blurriness censored the girl’s face. Despite my struggles to focus my vision, the image of her remained fuzzy. It was as if someone didn’t want me to see who it was.

“This is not your body!” a male’s low voice suddenly thundered, echoing in my ears and making my heart jump at rates unhealthy. A wave of immense power restricted me and only made it harder to move. Their words were like a stab through my head. Each sentence increased the unbearable pain throbbing in my mind. “Just watch! Just watch, girl! Watch!”

Before I could regain my thoughts, my body started to move rapidly and without control.

Wait, wait, wait, what is happening?!

The moment I tried to pull away from what I was doing, another wave hit me. “Girl, you must only watch! Listen and watch!” My head spun from the impact, and I could only succumb to the mysterious man’s wishes.

“I am Elisabeth Madeline Carabell, the daughter of a duke! You should know that! Don’t act like you’re any better than I am, you wretched wench! I will be a queen soon, so have some respect. Don’t go around as if you were his. You know what you are? You’re a whore,” my hoarse voice screamed at the noble lady.

I’m not saying that. I would never say that! That’s not me!

Without realizing it, I started throwing priceless items I found around as if they were worth nothing. A porcelain vase crashed and shattered, a teacup broke into pieces, and the hot murky liquid splashed onto the young girl’s dress. A distinct stain appeared on the dress’s precious fabric, and somehow, the dirty sight of it pleased me. A maid rushed to my side to clean up the mess, but I pushed her to the brick ground with a rough shove. She hit her head upon the edge of the glass tea table, knocking everything over. Shining red blood dripped down from her face.

Wait! I’m not doing this on purpose! I swear!

I tried to stop my actions, but the endeavor was to no avail. It was as if a disaster were playing right before my eyes.

The maid seemed to have passed out from the blunt hit to her head, and the lady had tears streaming down her face. The girl, although beautiful, had a look of contempt in her eyes. Even though I couldn’t identify who it exactly was, I knew it was someone I had known so well.

“How dare you!” My body moved to point at her with my index finger. “You have no right to stand next to me! You’re just some commoner! You cannot possibly be anything of a noble family’s daughter!”

I was stuck in this girl’s body while she continued to demean and degrade the other who was pouring out tears.

I can’t even stop this! This is...this is so cruel! Why are you making me watch this?

“Huh! You don’t have anything to say now, do you? What can you do? Are you going to cry now? How pitiful,” I continued to ridicule her.

Even though she was being yelled at and she was in a sobbing mess, she didn’t fail to respond with a retort. “Elisabeth, you will pay for what you have done once karma is through with you. You’re nothing without your title. You’re nothing more than Carabell’s lowlife.”

And with those statements, the horrible recollection of this violent memory ended. Her tears landed onto my famished cheeks, stinging with each touch, as I bowed down so unwillingly. More and more sorrow and sadness enveloped the empty space that surrounded.

I’m alone. I’m all alone. Why is everyone so cruel?

The thought that I heard didn’t belong to me, but at the same, it seemed I related to them regardless. A pool of tears emerged from my feet, and with one step, I slipped into despair. Down on my bruised knees, I saw blood on my hands. It dripped down into a puddle of bodily fluids.

Blood? Why blood? What is happening?

Drip. Drip. Drip.

A maniacal voice started laughing in a frenzy. My reflection, my old self, appeared before me. I had long dark hair with thick glasses perched on my face. My outfit was simple, a sweater and some black leggings paired with sneakers. I reached out desperately to the person I used to be.

Could it be possible? Could I possibly miss who I used to be? Do I really miss you?

All of a sudden, it flickered to a young lady with gorgeous locks of black hair and glowing emerald eyes. Every movement I made, she mimicked. Her glamorous gown twisted and glimmered.

Was she who I am?

The mirror cracked with a loud shatter. I recoiled in fright with a shriek. Shards fell one by one as a disfigured image of another girl was displayed.

Who is she?

The confusion that this mirror gave me started to irritate me. I had a sudden urge to destroy the mirror until not a single reflection could disorientate who I truly was.

Hmm, everything seems to be working as planned.

Planned? What is working as planned?

The mirror dispersed into particles that formed another fuzzy, yet vibrant scene.

This time, I wasn’t in any other person’s body. I was like a ghost, watching, but not being able to interfere. A petite child with a long crop of glistening wavy raven hair sat across from another child. When I looked closer, I noticed how her eyes were a familiar emerald green.

Is that Elisabeth? As a toddler?

“Elisabeth. Elisabeth! Look at these sweets, aren’t they pretty?” a soft and childish voice questioned her, his voice bouncing around my mind like an echo. “Hey, you think I could get the maids to bring us more?” The child’s voice eventually matched with an image of a little boy with curly blonde hair and extremely familiar shining blue eyes. He had chubby cheeks tinted with pink.

Wait...is that Prince Patrick with curly hair? Oh my goodness, he looks so adorable! I would much rather have him this way than the flirtatious and shameless man he is now. Hmm, that’s odd. I wasn’t able to identify who that girl from earlier was, how come I can figure out that this boy is Patrick?

“You are struggling against me too much. I have made you a spectator now. Do not question these memories. Just watch, girl,” the male voice boomed, making me cringe from the volume. I unenthusiastically decided to obediently observe.

This kid...this kid is so annoying. I’d rather go speak with Prince Caydel instead.

The words that I heard in my mind were that of a little girl’s. The murmurs of these foreign thoughts drove in and out my mind in a frenzy. It was as if my body was rejecting them. I tried to say something, but I couldn’t form proper sentences. It was like this was a movie, and I was the one muted. However, little Elisabeth’s thoughts became more distinct and precise. Her small mouth didn’t move, but I could hear her thoughts as if she were speaking them.

If I went to that stupid girl’s place and asked her to eat one of those colorful mushrooms, would she be dumb enough to listen? Ahh, of course, not. I shall try something else. Perhaps, arsenic would be sufficient? This fool of a child...Patrick, was it? I could manipulate him into my doing. I could have him poison that ugly wench with the amethyst eyes. Those witch-like eyes...I want to gouge them out with my own fingers!

The thoughts that I accidentally listened in were astonishingly violent and cruel!

Elisabeth was actually like this as a child? Did she actually think about things like this? It’s no wonder why everyone grew to dislike her!

When I tried to approach the two, they didn’t react to my presence. Instead, the two continued on with their awkward tea party. I continued to spectate their discussion.

“Elisabeth! Look! There’s a pretty butterfly…” Small Patrick pointed out a colorful butterfly with wings like crystals. “But, I think you’re much much more pretty!” the boy exclaimed with a blushy and happy grin. He squirmed in his seat, anxious to hear her delighted response.

“Ugh, please don’t compare me to those ugly and lowly insects! Do you have any respect for a lady of my status? How could you be a boy related to Prince Caydel? It’s no wonder the king is choosing his heir early. It’s clear you’re no match,” the snarky girl remarked.

The way that she spoke was unlike that of a girl of her stature and resembled that of a mature woman.

“But...but Eli…” He began to cry, and his nose started to run with mucus.

The sight disgusted little Elisabeth, for she turned her nose the other way and scrunched her face.

“Shut your trap! And don’t ever call me that again! It’s Elisabeth. Elisabeth Madeline Carabell, do you hear me? Humph! You’re a couple years older than me, but you act like you’re still a whiny baby! You’re unworthy of my presence! I’m going to find Prince Caydel. Unless you can show me you’re a disciplined boy, I’ll never see your way.” The devious little girl paused for a moment, and her mouth widened into a mischievous grin. “Perhaps, if you manage to show me your respect, I’ll one day accept you.”

The overly innocent young boy’s eyes glowed with glee. “Really? You’ll accept me?” His oblivious reaction made little Elisabeth giggle.

“Yes, of course,” she replied nonchalantly, “I will accept you.”

Instantly, the image shattered into bits. My eyes fluttered open, darting around to scan my surroundings for what other memory I could possibly see.

I awoke in my⎯no, Elisabeth’s bed?

I gasped as I sat up, my hand over my chest. By now, I was in my nightgown, and the windows were covered. Not a single bit of sunshine glowed from the cracks where the windows weren’t covered completely.

Is it already night?

Teresa immediately scurried to my side. “My Lady, you awoke! I was so worried!” She was about to hug me, but she abruptly composed herself and cleared her throat. “My apologies. I couldn’t allow this to happen again.”

Again?