If you think that you are someone that matters, that you mean something, then you're wrong. - Lilith Encantado
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In the middle of New Washington DC, the capital of America, a beautiful and gigantic mansion stood tall in all of its glory. Rays of light shone down from above, plus the green garden that spanned hundreds of meters made the place seem like the heavenly palace where the gods themselves resided. It was obvious that whoever owned this mansion must be awfully rich, no doubt about it.
But, for some odd reasons, this heaven on earth had a particularly ominous and depressing air surrounded it. Cries and screams filled with despair of a little girl could be heard echoing throughout the mansion as the maids and servants ran around in panic, clearly scared out of their minds. Though no one could really blame them. After all, the woman they served, or once served had just been found dead on her bed this morning.
The person who found her corpse was none other than the young princess of the house. Worse yet, the woman, their madam didn't simply pass away peacefully in her sleep, but bled out from the cut on her wrist. Taking the razor in her hand and the position of the cut into consideration, it was clear that she killed herself.
Everyone, whether it was the butler or the maid painfully looked at their young princess holding her mother, pity and sympathy evident in their eyes. One such braver manservant approached the crying little girl, his hands reached out to her head. Then, he pulled her into his embrace, only when the warmth seemed to have calmed her down somewhat did he carefully loosen his hold on her.
"Alexander, my mom is fine, right?" Feeling his grasp loosened, the little girl lifted her head. Her misty, amber eyes stared straight at the manservant, traces of hope could easily be seen in them. The manservant, Alexander hesitated. For a brief moment, he considered lying to her, but thought of how painful it'd be once the truth seeped in. Once she realised her mother wouldn't be coming back.
Bitting his lower lip, Alexander clenched his fist. Ultimately, he decided it'd be best if he told her the truth as to avoid any complications in the future. He had seen it before, people who lied to themselves everyday, ignoring reality to keep their fragile selves from falling apart. He knew if he really said it, there would be no going back. He'd most likely lose his job, and the girl might even end up hating him.
But he had to. He didn't want to see such a sweet girl become mentally damaged, to become one of those people he saw. Forcing a mouthful of saliva down his throat, Alexander spoke. His voice wasn't too loud but it was enough to be clearly heard by everyone else in the room. "No, I'm terribly sorry, Lilith. But your mother, the madam is dead... And she won't be coming back, ever."
Lilith stood rooted in place, her heartbeat accelerated and her breaths fastened. She felt suffocated, the stabbing pain in her heart grew ever so stronger causing her to collapse on her knees. She brought her hands, which were stained with blood, near her beautiful, yet immature face. The metallic odor of blood closed in on her made waves of nausea surge in her body, as her stomach churned in disgust.
Soon, the world around her along with everyone else started to shatter piece by piece, leaving only her and the corpse that once upon a time was her mother. The blood that pooled below the corpse, under her surprised and fearful gaze, moved. The coldness that it gave off turned her body stiff, she dearly wanted to stand and run but her body refused to listen to her.
Lilith watched on helplessly as the blood surged forth, completely drowing her in it. She could feel her breath weakened by the second. To put insult to injury, the blood didn't finish her off immediately but slowly penetrated her skin, making her mouth widen in pain. Screams and pleads for mercy were soundlessly coming out, yet the torture didn't stop and got stronger instead.
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Lilith panickingly sprung up, gasping for the air that she so desperately needed. Once she had finally calmed down, the young lady fixed her vision on the plain alarm clock on the wooden nightstand next to her bed. 3:42 - It said. So that damned nightmare had robbed her of her much desired sleep again. Wiping the sweat off her body, she lamented silently in her head.
Lilith doubted it, but perharps she could make due of that therapy session her old man bought for her. Despite thinking so, she'd never really take it. If her experience had taught her anything, then that was there was no such thing as free meal in this world. Everything had a price no matter how big or small. And given his personality, she just knew nothing good would come out if she had taken up the offer.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Sighing to herself, Lilith roughed up her already disheveled hair before making her way into the bathroom of her apartment. She had a habit of sleeping naked and rather than a hot bath, she much prefered a cold shower. It was quick, efficient and it helped her mind work faster. Thus, aside from preparing a towel, she didn't have to do anything else. Soon, water began to trickle down her body.
In the shower, Lilith leaned tiredly against the reinforced-glass. She brought up her hands to see they were shaking uncontrollably. Forcing out a dry laughter, she bitterly thought back to the past. When her mother was alive and her father wasn't the asshole he was now. Memories of them going to the zoo, eating cheap stall food near their house brought a smile to her otherwise emotionless face.
Satisfied, Lilith turned off the water and leisurely got out while still soaking wet. The droplets of water rolling down her smooth skin made she seem so much more mature and sexy than normal, it was unfortunate that no one was able to see this heavenly scene. Once she was done drying herself, Lilith threw the towel on the couch. She took the pure white VR headset in her hands and began to turn it on.
She had wanted to play after she was done with the tournament, but the talk about marriage with her father hadn't exactly been pleasant. She couldn't understand what the man was thinking, she was barely seventeen this year. It was hardly what she'd call a marriageable age. Not to mention out of all the people he could've chosen, why must he choose Jason? Others mightn't be clear of his true nature, but she knew the bastard was twisted in every sense of the word.
The amount of women who had had their lives ruined by him probably surpassed the thousand mark. In fact, if not for his family cleaning up after him, the bastard would've long been jailed to atone his sins right now, or perharps he might even be put to death straight away given all the deeds he had done. How could her father promise her to that guy?
"Am I that worthless to you?" Lilith bit her trembling lip, her nails had unknowningly dug several inches deep into her palm. Endless rage surged in her heart yet at the same time, an indescribable sadness caused her to weakly fall on the brown, leather couch. Her body shook ever so often as tears poured out in stream down her face. She felt abandoned. Her mother had left her alone in this world and now her father too forsook her.
Was it as those people said? Was she really the cause of their family's misfortunes? She couldn't tell, the line between reality and those hurtful insults seemed blurred. Just once, she only needed that father of hers to care for her once. It might seem pathetic to others, and strictly speaking, it was painfully pathetic. However, was it so wrong for a child to long for parental love. Indeed, a genius she might be, but a daughter she still was.
Was it really so wrong? Or did they think because she was a bit smarter than other kids that she couldn't feel pain?
As she hugged the VR headset, Lilith couldn't help questioning her very existence. Maybe, just maybe if she hadn't been born, would it have made a difference? Would her mother have died? Would her father have become so distant and cold? Well, none of that mattered anymore. What's done was done. There was no changing it, she could only forge on and hope for the best out of life.
At least, she still had that. Lilith stared at the white headset in her hands. Here, she'd alway be the cursed child of the Encantado family. A worthless existence. But there, in the game [Infernum] she was a godly being. A mortal who had transcended the limits and become a powerful, unignorable Ascended.
There, her words were laws. There, she could change the world with a single command. There, she was someone who meant something. It was a holyland, her holyland. Something that no one would be able to take away from her, and if they tried to sully her holyland then may the gods be merciful on their souls for they would feel the full force of her wrath.
Clenching the VR headset, Lilith gently put it on her head. Her red lips moved as a serene and almost peaceful voice sounded. "[Login]." The VR headset flashed a deep blue light as it began scanning her facial features for abnormalities. Once it had confirmed her identity the scanner was shut down and replaced by a room where countless runic like codes were going back and forth on the walls.
Welcome Back
"I'm back..."