“It was a lovely Dream...wasn’t it? The Dream where every single one of you…. pretended that you loved me...that you cared for me.”

 She stood tall, a pride that had never been there, steady upon her face as she gazed down upon those in the hall, her bright purple eyes seeming to glow as she watched her family below.

 “Wretch!! Get away from the Holy Waters! A monster like you doesn’t deserve to be in the same room as it let alone on the same level!” His voice was a sharp crack through the stunned silence of the ball below, drawing the focus from her and to the young prince as he glared up at her. 

“Shut. Up.”

Her words echoed louder than any shout, and the ice that coated her voice spread across the room sent a chill down the spine of every noble, guard and servant there. She had never spoken to any in such a way, not to any of their recollections. 

She was the daughter of Duke Esper, the last family with blood of the previous ruling empire, dubbed the Moonlit Princess, Lady Astra Esper the former fiancé of the first prince of the Dolen Empire. 

Astra had always been a hauntingly beautiful girl. Her long hair kept like silver silk had always been the first feature noticed about her, no matter where she was. The second feature would be her pale, almost translucent skin, that seemed to shimmer in the sunlight and eerily glow within the darkness. But the most striking of her features, where her eyes. Bright purple that never wavered and seemed as though she was gazing into your very soul. Even now, as she stood on the ledge above the ballroom, in the tatters that had once been her evening gown from the event three days ago, her pale skin bloodied and her hair wild and unkempt, she was striking.

“I am tired of this game now.” Her own voice broke the silence as she walked towards the large pool of softly glowing water. “In this glorious land of ours, in our glorious, cursed land.” A soft laugh escaped her lips as she spun to face the crowd again, her lips curving slowly into a smile. “Each child born with a curse, would all of you like to finally know what my curse is?” she asked, her eyes glittering in what seemed almost a dare.

“Astra! DO NOT DARE SPEAK ANOTHER WORD!!” Her father’s voice cut through the tense air as he glared up at her, the look of disgust no longer hidden upon his face. At her laughter, a jolt of dread went through him.

“Oh, but my dearest Father, how can I not? I mean...this was all part of your plan, was it not? For me to end up here, to be cast away, all to make my ‘little sister’ look so much better.” She laughed as she spread her arms wide, pinning the man below her with a stare. Whispers had begun to ripple through the room as she spoke. Slowly she brought her finger to her lips, smiling a soft smile that held no warmth or kindness any longer. “I, can never tell a lie.” 

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

The silence that filled the room was satisfying to her very soul. “Y-You’re lying…” his cracked voice broke through the silence that drew her gaze from her father, and back to the prince as he took a slight step away from her sister. While the flash of fury that contorted the younger girl’s face was satisfying- the flickering emotions across his made her internally disgusted.

Slowly, without a word, she lifted her left arm and with a single sharp jerk of her hand, she ripped what remained of her sleeve away, revealing the black symbol that resided upon the underside of her arm. The gasps that filled the room mixed with the visual pain that filled his eyes and face made her laugh. “Now, you feel pain? Or maybe it is shame, for what you have done to the girl who gave you her heart, and words of love. I mean...I can’t lie, but what is your excuse, for whispering such venomous lies?” she called down to him, her gaze cold. “Did none of you ever wonder, how I managed to hold my silence during your ‘kind’ lashes?”

As she spoke, she did a delicately balanced spin on the edge of the ledge, her arms spread wide again, allowing all to see the deep bloodied wounds that now marred her once flawless skin. “It is due to our Great Empress’ training, to ensure that my curse would never be this ‘Glorious’ Empire’s weakness.” With a graceful movement she lifted her hand as though raising a glass to the stone-still woman that resided upon the ornate throne. “You trained me well m’lady!” she called, a bright mocking smile gracing her face.

“Astra….” the new voice drew her gaze below again this time finding the small group of those that she had once called friends.

“What? To call me so pitifully, you all act as though I do not know how each and every one of you helped this outcome.” She laughed, leaning back against the thin rail that was between her and the glowing swirling waters behind her. With a mere twitch of her hands, she made sure to cut her palms deeply, she knew she did not have much time left.

“Now…. I do believe that it is time for me to be taking my leave.” she said as she spun, swinging herself over the railing, causing the approaching knights to go still.

“WHAT TYPE OF HERESY DO YOU DARE TO COMMIT NOW?!” 

The sound of the Emperor’s enraged voice went ignored as she swiftly waded into the glowing pool. Lifting her hand, she allowed her blood to spill from her hands into the waters as she began the ancient spell.

This had been the last straw, how many lifetimes had she been forced to live? How many lifetimes had she been forced to die, over and over, always forced to take on the role of the villainess? How many heartbreaks had she suffered, as the spark of hope got smaller and smaller until she came here? This had been her first lifetime, that she had genuinely felt that things would be different. But it was all just a game, a trap from all of them. She was done. No more would she hold this role. 

Turning to face outward, her gaze caught her once fiancé’s eyes as he tried to make his way past the knights that tried desperately to restrain him. They were afraid of what she was doing and she was glad. Her lips curved as the rage grew within her at the sight of him. 

‘They will all pay.’

This was the last thought that crossed her mind as she allowed the waters to take her.