Feet splashing in puddles. Cries of your name. The smell of blood and filth. The forceful pounding in your ears. The burning in your lungs...

"SOMEBODY, SAVE ME!" you screamed as you ran away from the people chasing you. You coughed as a drop of rain attempted to enter your lungs. And still, you kept running.

Through alleyways, twisting streets and sharp bends, you finally managed to throw off your pursuers, but you weren't to know this. Thinking you were going to die, you continued running with all of your might, somehow managing to arrive at a large building.

You furiously pounded on the door, but it sounded like your fists were hitting cotton to your water-logged ears. Still, the door opened to reveal a blond-haired boy and a butler with no expression. You reached out for the boy. "Please..." You collapsed before you reached him however, your hand still outstretched.

"Hm, what should we do with her, Claude?" You could feel your lungs failing to bring in enough air, and your breath was leaving faster than it was entering. Was this it? Before you could hear another word from the pair, everything turned black.

<><><>

You gasped, clutching your chest as you sat up. You felt your cheeks, both of which had been cut before, now covered with bandages. Your left hand was also tightly wrapped, and the same feeling told you your knee had received the same treatment.

"Where... am I?" you asked no one in particular as you gazed around the empty room. It was fancy, decorated with red and gold. This was quite obviously a noble's home. The question was, whose?

You eased yourself off the plush bed you had been laying on and found it difficult to walk without a twinge of soreness and pain shooting through the muscles in your legs. "Right... I was running... And I knocked on the door to the manor. There was a boy and a butler..." you murmured slowly, closing your eyes.

When you opened them again, you were face to face with a spider hanging from a thread on the ceiling. You yelped and fell backward to find yourself in the arms of the butler from before. Was his name Claude?

"So terribly sorry, miss," he said, his voice vacant. "Here at the Trancy manor, we do not kill spiders. The Earl Trancy requested to see you when you awakened. Allow me to lead you to him." You turned around, finally seeing the man's face. His eyes were sharp as a hawk's, and seemingly just as deadly, making you back away slightly. Did you just wander into a trap?

"Right..." you mumbled, soothing the upright hairs on the back of your neck with your hand, hoping your unease was merely a product of prior events. Without another word, Claude began taking you to hopefully meet 'Earl Trancy', whoever that was.

<><><>

"I have brought her, your highness," Claude intoned, seeming almost bored. The boy with platinum-blond hair who had moments ago been playing with a spoon stood up and walked over to you.

"How old are you?" he asked as he got into your personal space.

"U-Um, I'm 14, Earl Trancy... Why do you ask...?" His icy blue eyes widened.

"14, huh? Same age as me! Say, what's your name?" You backed up slightly.

"F-F/N L/N... I thank you for bandaging my injuries." The boy appeared to think to himself.

"Hmm, I'll call you N/N! So, N/N, how'd you get those little scrapes, huh? I love hearing stories!" Your mind instantly cast back to the people chasing you, the many beatings you had been through at their hands. Tears flowed down from your eyes, and you sunk to the floor, crying. "Did I say something bad?" Earl Trancy asked, confused by your sorrow.

"I believe the memories are so terrible that they cause her to break like this," Claude replied as you silently wept.

"Well, get her to stop crying!" Earl Trancy suddenly yelled.

"Yes, your highness," Claude replied stonily, tapping you on the shoulder, making you glance around. Claude wasn't there. You felt a feathery touch on the back of your neck, making every hair stand up, and you stood up, shifting your gaze everywhere in search of the mysterious disappearing man when a hand skimmed down your spine, making you shiver.

"Stop that," you whined, furiously wiping your face. Earl Trancy was frowning.

"Claude, what was it we talked about when we brought her in?" In an instant, Claude was next to the Earl, pushing his glasses up even though they hadn't moved more than a millimeter out of place.

"If you are implying that I have defied your wishes, you are incorrect. You ordered me to 'not be touchy-feely'. This does not bar aggravating her disquiet." The Earl stood on his tip-toes and glared at Claude before he turned back to you.

"So, N/N? Are you alright now?" You stared at the blond for a little while.

"Yes, I guess..." A sudden knocking at the door made you flinch

"Earl Trancy! Open up; we know you have F/N in there!" You covered your ears and shut your eyes, not noticing how the Earl looked at you then. You heard the doors open, and you dove under the dining table, cowering.

"Oh, long time no see, Father Hesburgh! What's this visit for?"

"We've come for F/N M/N L/N. She must be taken back to her village for the ceremony of purification."

"Why'd she run?" the Earl questioned, even as you discovered a male under the table with you, and you almost screamed when he shushed you, pointing to the comotion behind you.

"The ceremony is a little painful, you see." a haughty voice replied, making tears prick at your eyes. A little painful? Death was a little painful???

"That so? Okay, F/N! Don't be such a wuss and get out here!" At first you thought the purple-haired man shushing you would force you outside, but he kept the same expression as before, making sure you stayed in place. "F/N~?"

"It seems F/N has escaped through the window, your highness," Claude said, puzzling you. He had seen you dart under the table, so... Then it hit you: the pair was acting.

"What? How could you make such a stupid mistake, Claude?" You heard the Earl's hand slap against skin.

"So she got away huh?" the haughty voice from before snarled. "Curse you, F/N. You're gonna suffer for this." You then heard the doors close again, and shortly after, Earl Trancy laughing.

"They're such idiots! Thinking I would give away something that's mine?" The man then pushed you out from underneath the table, and you were hugged by the blond. "Hey, N/N," he whispered by your ear. "Want me to kill those stupid pieces of shit?"

"What?" you questioned softly, wondering if you'd heard him correctly.

"I asked if you want me to kill them~" he sung this time.

"C-Can you?" you asked hesitantly. He giggled.

"Of course; I'm Alois Trancy, you know. The spiders of my mansion can tear anything apart."

"T-Then... yes, I want you to kill them," you finished in a whisper.

"Alright!" Alois exclaimed, bringing you to a standing position. "Claude. Kill every last one of them." Claude bowed.

"Yes, your highness," he replied, seeming to teleport out of sight.

"Now that that's out of the way, why don't we go to a place where we can talk?" Without waiting for a response, Alois took you by the hand and started running for another of the rooms. Just within the range of your hearing, you heard the faint screaming of those people who had abused you. You couldn't resist faintly smiling; revenge felt wonderful.

But as Alois started to run up the stairs, your knee badly twinged just as he reached the top, and you fell back, away from Alois's hand. In slow motion, you watched as Alois turned, his eyes widening as you fell. There was absolutely no way he could save you.

And yet, defying human limit, Alois grabbed hold of your hand and pulled you back to standing. With tears yet again threatening to spill, you hugged Alois.

"Thank you..." Something wet hit your shoulder.

"Hey, N/N, promise you won't leave me?" You hugged him tighter.

"Why would I? This is my home now."