The day of departure has arrived. All the maids, Mrs. Galkien, her daughter Rachel, and Josephine were outside saying their farewell to Francheska.
Francheska was the first to leave, for it would take half a day for her to reach their house. Francheska sees this as an opportunity for today's plan.
Looking at the faces, Francheska can only feel the awkwardness. The fake smiles in broad daylight made the weather so gloomy.
Settling inside the carriage, Shelly interrupted the silence.
"Lady Francheska you look so distressed."
"No, I'm not..." Truthfully she doesn't, "ah I almost forgot!"
Picking inside the sleeves of her dress, Francheska handed a letter without a seal.
"Can you give this to one of our men, I have a message to convey."
With the letter on hand, Shelly wondered what are contents of the plain letter were. She was about to ask her lady but she had already fallen asleep.
Perhaps it's just a normal letter Shelly thought.
The lady has been in rough shape since Lady Rachel and her talk. In the future, I hope I can ask about it when her well-being is in good shape.
Hearing the door shut, Francheska sneaked through the curtain to see if Shelly obeyed her command.
I bet she's tempted to open the contents of the letter, but no matter if she opens and reads it she still won't get meaning behind the words.
Francheska knew her plan would be meaningless, even if she tried harming the female lead. It would still be risky if she was the one to harm Josephine. the wisest choice in this plan is to hire someone to assassinate her.
...In a while, when we get to the woods I have to be ready and give my best act.
Francheska is not a fan of allowing herself to be at death's door again. She's still afraid to be at a death-defying stunt again, but it is necessary, just to carry her plan and have it work in the end, it needs to have a dry run, a script, and the actual acting, and lately, a few is missing from her flow.
Leaning on the window glass of the carriage, Francheska closed her eyes as she tried to expect what would happen to her expected scenario, to the place where they were going to get raided. Rehearsing non-stop inside her head, she calms her trembling hands-- as if praying her impromptu act will be convincing in real-time.
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"Get away! Run as far as you can!"
Josephine heard as the woman behind her had been having a hard time running the bumpy terrain.
"Whoever you are please stop this! Just spare her- spare her please!--" she begged, her words did not help her as the assassin had finally caught up to her.
With one strike, the man slit the throat of the woman before him. The woman's body fell to the ground, blood slowly nourishing the dead plants underneath her.
Cleaning the blade with a cloth in hand, he made no hesitation and moved on to his main target.
Huffing from running an uphill. Her weak child body couldn't handle the terrain. Sure, Josephine has sneaked out plenty to play with the other kids, but this time was different, everything was.
The bird suddenly flees from her perimeter, have makes her realize she has no time to run. Even tho her time had already run out, she could not help but still think of trying to outrun death.
As she broke twigs beneath her feet, she just kept the assassin closer each step.
Eyes burning, she can no longer hide her fear and scream as loud as she can. Hoping someone or something will hear her cries.
With a swift, a hand took her, preventing her only option. She has been caught like an animal to be butchered.
Struggling from the grip, she saw the knife in sight trying to get closer to her neck. Panicking, wanting air from the man's grip she tried to beg, knowing it would not change anything, she bit the gloved hand. Feeling the sensation of the blade on her neck, she bit hard-- hard enough that the man threw her to the ground.
Coughing, she tried to beg again.
"P-please, I- I- I'm still a- a kid mister! I will not- not go o- out a-again. Please- p- please... I b-beg of you m-mister! S- s- spare m-me p-please!" The kid forced her trembling voice to speak up.
"Sorry kid, your death is worth it for me to live a normal life." With a sigh, the man swung his blade towards the girl.
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With no more words left Josephine could not help but close her eyes and screamed her lungs out, with her hands defended over her as if it would do anything.
The blade hitting the palm of her hand only made her wince louder, but then a sudden bright light was in her blinding her despite closing her eyes. The clink of the knife hit the rock from the ground, making Josephine open her eyes.
No one was around her, that person was no longer before her. Confused, she glanced at her palm, she was bleeding from the knife... but where was her killer?
"H-hello?" The fear did not leave her voice. Strained from screaming she didn't pursue asking any further.
Standing up from the ground, Josephine leaned on a nearby tree. Looking at the knife, she noticed something strange. A small hill of dusted grayish formed.
That was not there before... perhaps it is-- no no way... no way!
Looking at her palms which were slowly healing, there was only one answer to the sudden disappearance.
She has killed a person, with her power.
I- I killed a person... no...
Trying to figure out her disappearing wound. Josephine ripped a part of her dress and wrapped her invisible wounds, trying to cover the fact of what she just did-- the evidence of what happened.
What have I done...?
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Entering the forest, for some odd reasons Francheska can feel the atmosphere changing. Perhaps the shade of the trees provided, or how almost silent the trip suddenly became.
Unfolding her hands, it still won't stop shaking. Shelly notices this too and asks her lady.
"My lady, are you still upset about yesterday's occurrence?"
"... it's just. I'm scared what will mother react... b-but I'm sure-- mother will punish me right?" With sad eyes, Francheska could only lie and stared back at Shelly.
"Don't worry my lady, I will try to tell her grace that what you did, doesn't deserve harsh punishment." Shelly placed her hand on top of Francheka, reassuring her that every word she said would be reached by the duchess.
Although it still didn't stop her hands from trembling. Francheska expressed those words in a way she could hide her fear for a minute now.
Leaving a heavy sigh from a small body, Shelly could not help herself but smile at the unusual sight. It looks different from their views, but Francheska is now confident of her words to convey when the raid happens.
Having the carriage into an abrupt. Francheska tries to calm her rising nervousness, inhaling and slowly exhaling.
Shelly finds it weird seeing Francheska like this, it's like she is a 'different' kid--
"HEY GET OUT OF THE WAY! WHAT ARE YOU--!!!"
A loud crash was heard outside. It was already time.
Francheska felt Shelly's hand firmly grasp hers.
"Stay here, I'll check what's going on."
Rising from her seat, Shelly went to open the door when suddenly a strange man in strange clothes ran up to open the door with force. Thankfully the door was barely free and Shelly was quick enough to close it again.
Tho can't let go of the knob, Shelly is now stuck trying to glue the door close.
"Shelly, what's going on?" Feigning ignorance, Francheska asked in a trembling voice.
"Stay away from the windows and duck down! Strange men are surrounding us..."
Francheska decided to be stubborn and look at the outside environment. Seeing their men fighting the raiders made the little girl's heart jump at a surprising pace.
They were fighting outside. The clash of swords interrupting the sounds of nature, the agonizing pain that the people gave out as they tried to protect the only one girl they were escorting back home.
BAM!!!
A man suddenly rushed to the carriage as they tried to open the other side. Francheska couldn't help but fell on her butt from the surprise.
It was like back then... when 'that' person wounded my leg and pushed me to the tracks of the train... I-- I--!!!
Tears forming from each corner of her eye. The flashing memories of her past self have got her again on her chains.
"I'm sorry, I-I'm sorry... I will change! I'll change--" repeating those lines again and again. Francheska mumbled those words, not sure if it was for herself.
Unfortunately, the man's force left the other door unlocked. Before her, he had a weapon in his hand, the man lunged to grab her-- Francheska took this opportunity to crawl to an opening from the side of the man and ran off the carriage.
There was a scream she heard as she left the shaking carriage. Seeing the chaos and blood splattered on the guards and the ground, the little girl felt churning in her stomach.
Trying to swallow down just like hiding her fears. She ran through the depths of the forest, hoping for safety until the fight died down.
Hiding through a thick tree, she hides her small figure. Truthfully, Francheska did not expect such a number of the raiders would come-- she underestimated the expectations she had in mind.
"Found you little bird."
Turning around, a slim man with eyes so dark as if light can't reach through them.
"They said that whoever can kill the little girl the reward will be theirs completely. It is a shame really, but I have to because I have a family to survive for another year-- so please just die in my hands."
The tone of the man was so eerie. He sounds so monotonous but at the same time so pitiful.
How could fate do this to them... I know they are unfortunate just like me-- although I can not compare his life to mine but--
Swinging his axe to his target, Francheska was taken aback by his sudden movement, thank the gods for her small body it barely scratched her. Fighting an adult in a child's body has an impossible survivable rate-- it's clear who's victory will side.
Francheska can think of logical ways to the scenario but her problem is her body. She tries to make herself move, but her feet are frozen in place, it seems that her body is still traumatized by the familiarity of death.
Stepping backward, Francheska could not help herself but stay her gaze on the man, scared of every move he would make.
The longer her stare lingers, the vision of her obsessed fan slowly takes over, as if she went back to her idol life-- the end... at the same time the start of everything.
"I- I'm not who you think I am. I have a life! I'm not a demon-- I- I- I'm still me... I'M STILL ME!"
The little girl screamed and fell on the rocky ground. The impact hurt like hell, but if that axe hit her then hell would be her home.
Grabbing anything behind her, she felt an object that could be used as her defensive weapon. Seeing the stick in her possession, a slimy wet sensation covered her hands-- blood dripping down her skin, she quickly threw the horrifying sight.
The air became suffocating, and Francheska kept her attention to her bloodied hands.
"I did this... this is my fault... it's my fault... ITS MY FAULT! I'm sorry mother! Father! I'm a bad kid, I'm a bad example..."
The people of the past and memories came to her like a tsunami out of nowhere. Swallowing her whole existence into nothingness, a sinful woman who doesn't deserve to dream of freedom.
With words stuck inside her throat, she could not think straight but let her lungs keep pumping air.
Feeling dizzy, Francheska's world became dark, her body giving out as she lifelessly lay on the ground.