Sofia looked at the corpse lying in its own blood on the wooden floor of her cottage, yet she couldn't muster any thought of sympathy for the deceased, not even a sliver of anger. All that remained was a cold rationale. Her brain power was only engaged in figuring out a way for these events to least impact her lifestyle.
She shook her head, driving out all idle thoughts before busying herself to figure out who this man even was. Despite his muscular build and sturdy frame, the young man looked no older than fifteen. She noticed that amidst the blood staining his hair, she could see a green hue cut through. Her eyes narrowed at the sight. She wished she was wrong, but if it turned out to be accurate, it wouldn't bode well for her.
She leaned over the corpse and searched his clothes' pockets for clues, which, to her dismay, she found aplenty. Around his neck was a golden chain to which a small green pendant was attached. Sofia sighed helplessly; the worst had come to pass.
The pendant was a representation of his identity. Only members of the Immortal Snake Clan wore those, meaning that even despite his identity as a street thug, he was still somewhat valued within the clan; even Sofia didn’t possess one of those. Her identity was never acknowledged.
Although the man was most likely a lower member at best, it still meant he was recognized as a noble, while she was a mere commoner. Even if the man was at fault and she was only defending herself, the punishment for killing a noble was death, if she was lucky. Nobles within the Kingdom weren't known for their leniency against commoners, especially if it involved the various clans and their claim to power; contesting their authority was met with an iron fist.
She felt a headache arising and couldn't help but curse the young man for involving her in this mess. Couldn't he have just hired a prostitute if he wanted to vent instead of dumping this problem on her?
Sofia's eyes were cold, and her mind colder; the events left their marks on her, which would follow her all her life like indelible scars. In the recesses of his clothes, she found a folded piece of paper slightly stained with blood. She unfurled it, only to be stunned by what was drawn of it.
She recognized her portrait; although the drawing was by no means perfect, it still adequately represented her features. The young man must have gazed upon this portrait countless times as the sheet of paper showed apparent signs of wear, yet what caught her eye was what was written around the picture.
Most of it was ineligible, mostly the mad ravings of a lunatic, yet Sofia could feel his obsession transpire beyond the page. She failed to understand how their first meeting could foster such a deep-rooted infatuation.
She put the page aside and resumed her search. While nothing else was as shocking, she still found clues pointing to his identity, yet nothing substantial enough to get her out of this predicament. She shook her head and sighed; she would have to use her last resort.
She divested the corpse of all his valuables. Fortunately, the man was much richer than she initially thought. As expected of a noble, a small commoner like her was nothing compared to him. She gleefully accepted the compensation for this inconvenience with a smile before dragging the bloody corpse onto her bed.
She then removed her bloody clothes with reluctance. She was fond of them, but they were much too caked with blood and other fluids to be worth saving. The same could be said for the rest of the items within her cottage. Blood was everywhere, and the stench of iron seemed deeply ingrained within the wooden structures. She sighed helplessly, knowing what was to come.
She left her cottage, standing nude under the stars' light, breathing fresh air for the first time in what seemed like a lifetime. A few paces away, under an unremarkable tree, Sofia dug a hole with her bare hands, retrieving what she had buried just for such an eventuality.
Maybe half a meter deep within the ground, she unearthed a small sealed bag that contained all she thought would be necessary in such a situation: all her money, some clothes, and some sentimental trinkets she couldn't bear to part with.
With the bag in hand, she headed toward the small stream hidden behind her modest home, wishing to cleanse herself of the stench and the caked blood and dirt sticking to her. If one were to see her under the stars, one would be entranced by the sight of her small and slender back, which glistened under the light as pearls of water slid along her white skin to the curves of her hips.
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Sofia sat on a flat rock while her tiny feet rested in the slow-moving water of the stream. She hummed a light song as she washed her long emerald hair. Small planks of dried-up blood fell from her hair and skin, dyeing the stream crimson. She watched the blood slowly drift away as her heart was strangely at peace under the dim light.
Once cleaned, she rose and couldn't help but start dancing naked above the water, as if a weight had been lifted from her heart. Her arms fluttered in the warm summer wind while water beads splashed into the air as her feet lightly rose and fell into the riverbed. A gentle smile graced her thin red lips, yet her eyes were icy.
The scene was eerie yet enthralling, resembling a fairy frolicking within nature amidst a river of blood. The world spun as she twirled, feeling the wind on her soft and supple skin while her emerald hair danced in the breeze. She giggled to herself for a while, knowing the absurdity of her actions, yet she felt compelled to move regardless of her will, as if her body had a mind of its own.
She wondered if insanity was somehow contagious but shrugged instead. Even if it was, so what? The world was already mad, to begin with. What was a little insanity on top of it? It was just the icing on the cake, a dash of spice to brighten a dull, monotonous life. Her body moved to a rhythm of madness while the sound of her feet splashing into the water disturbed the forest's peace.
Soon enough, the rhythm stopped, leaving only Sofia gazing at the stars above with envy. How she wished to be as aloof as they were, yet reality pressed down on her like a boulder on her heart.
Her angelic smile soon faded, and all that remained was cold indifference. Despite her heart's protests, the world would keep on turning with or without her. She looked back to her cottage and nodded to herself. Her choice had been made.
She dressed in the clothes she had prepared beforehand for such an eventuality. They were light and colourful, emphasizing the beauty of her eyes. They lightly fluttered in the slow wind as she tied her still-damp hair with a pale ribbon. Although the heat of summer persisted deep into the night, the wind felt cool on her exposed skin as it washed away the regrets in her mind. She hid beneath a dark cloak as she faded into the darkness of night.
Once back into her home, she looked at the still pristine corpse immobile on her bed. Her gaze was unwavering and resolute, far from what it once was. Too much had changed on this day. A slight hint of regret arose in her heart for what she was about to do; this place had too many memories. Although she had suffered, it was still home.
She shook her head, and her eyes turned glacial cold. She went to work. In the corner of her room was an urn containing a sticky liquid she had discovered in the forest. It was black and somewhat viscous, and a pungent smell emanated from it. She spilled its contents around the room, ensuring every piece of wood was soaked.
Once satisfied, she picked up a piece of smouldering ember left over from her makeshift fireplace and let it fall amid a pool of black liquid. She picked up the bag containing all her life, said her farewells in her heart, left, and never looked back.
She disappeared into the forest amid the darkness of night while a bright light arose within the small clearing. Small flames danced and crackled in the wind as they rose to engulf the wooden structure. Plumes of smoke blackened the light of the stars as they rose in the night air, forming a thin veil hovering above the forest.
Flames raged as the inferno grew with each passing moment, reducing all traces of Sofia’s existence to ashes. The leaves of the surrounding trees ruffled in the wind while the heat rose to escape into the cool atmosphere.
Sofia wasn't reckless; everything was calculated. She didn't wish to harm the forest that had sustained her all these years; she wasn't that ungrateful. The trees were far enough away to survive this inferno; unless something unexpected happened, they would remain safe. Even if they didn’t, would she care? She was but a small woman; her means were limited. She was selfish, but aren’t we all?
******
Not far away, next to the centre of town, stood a narrow building nestled amidst others, which all looked the same. They were skinny and tall, housing countless households; this one was no different. The early light of dawn slipped through the cracks of a window on the top floor before ending its journey on the closed eyelids of a beautiful woman.
She unconsciously waved her hand over her face, intending to drive away the light, but the sun was persistent in its oppression. She rolled around within the thin satin sheets as drowsiness still plagued her mind. She buried her face in a soft pillow for a moment before finally opening her eyes to greet the new day, but only a sigh escaped her gorgeous lips.
She reluctantly rose and opened the opaque curtains hanging before the window, bathing the room in the sun's glorious light. Stunned, the woman stood rooted in place momentarily before she frowned deeply. She could see a massive plume of jet-black smoke hovering over the nearby forest.
She felt trepidation rise in her heart as dread took hold of her. She sensed her pulse accelerate as her heart threatened to leap out of her chest. She could perceive the increased blood flow reaching her brain as time seemed to slow and her mind became sharper. She knew what lay in this direction and feared for the worst.
She dressed in a hurry. Her usual neatly combed and tied hair was dishevelled, and her clothes were mismatched, as she only grabbed whatever was near. She sped down the staircase, skipping steps, forgetting to even lock her apartment door.
Despite her hurried pace, she didn’t know where to go, much less what to do, but she had to do something. Her first instinct was to reach the origin of this plume of smoke, so she did just that. She had many responsibilities; many people relied on her for their livelihood, yet none of that mattered. Only reaching that black tower in the sky mattered.
She reached the door leading outside while her shoes were still in her hand. She cursed herself once she realized she grabbed her heels by mistake. She didn't bother going back up and simply chucked them in the corner of the entrance, opting to go barefoot.
Once she opened the outside door, she stopped dead in her tracks. On the small flight of stairs below the door was a small frame sporting a large black cloak seated on the ground. The figure turned around once she heard the door open, revealing a small, beautiful face and a mesmerizing smile.
"Good morning, sister Elizabeth," the figure said calmly. "Nice day we're having, isn't it? Please give me a job."