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Eldritch Guidance: Vanity

Within the metropolis of the old city of Graheel sat a big pristine mansion. It was a very old, but expensive looking home. Inside the building, screaming could be heard along with the sound of things being broken.

Outside the room where the commotion was going on, there were maids and the staff waiting nervously. They looked at each other, unsure of what to do. Their attention then turned towards a middle aged man in a suit and tie standing directly in front of the door. The man's gray hair and clothing, which otherwise would have been neat and clean, was messy and unkempt. He had deep dark bags under his eyes and looked extremely stressed and tired.

This man is Patrik Hik. He’s Aria Litz manager and is currently standing in front of the door to the room where his client currently resides.

Aria was the one that was screaming in the room and Patrik was debating if he should vacate the premises. He really didn’t want to deal with Aria when she was like this. but he knew if he didn’t then she would take her anger out on the other staff here. It was already hard enough for him to find people that would work for her, he couldn't afford to lose anymore staff.

So with a deep breath, he turned the door knob and entered the room.

The room was a mess. There were broken pieces of glass and pottery scattered around the ground. Paintings and some mirrors were ripped off the wall and on the ground with some of them that looked like they were thrown across the room.

In the center of the room, holding a piece of paper in hand with messy hair and ruffled clothing was Aria.

She had blonde hair and blue eyes and was wearing an asymmetrical dress with a red rose pattern to the fabric. Her hair and clothing looked like a mess. Her appearance was clearly ruined in her anger, but despite that, she still looked quite pretty. She had a natural beauty to her that came through despite her current presentation.

At Aria feet was a cowering young woman in a maid uniform. She had her face down to the ground and hands covering her head to protect it. Across her arms and hand, bruises could be seen. A sign of Aria physically abusing the poor girl in her rage.

Patrik could only look at the scene in disgust.

To see someone abused like this was something that upset him, but the person in particular being beaten made it beyond cruel to Patrik. The woman at Aria feet wasn't a maid, it was her niece Lenah.

Aria forced the poor girl to wear a maid uniform while she was on the estate. It was to make it easier for Aria to deny any familial relationship with Lenah. She could just say that Lenah was part of the staff if someone asked about their relationship.

Aria hated her deceased sister and by proxy her niece. Lenah had been tortured by her aunt ever since she came to live here after her parents died.

“The poor girl. I need to do something.” He thought as his heart cried out for Lenah.

Patrik quickly moved towards Aria as she was raising her hand to strike Lenah again. Before she could hit her, Patrik managed to grab Aria by the wrist and stopped her.

Patrik: “Aria! Calm Down! What’s wrong?”

Aria: “This fucking bitch thinks she can say whatever she wants to me!” she said, as she pulled her hand out of Patrik's grasp.

Lenah: “I-i j-just asked why you were s-so mad,” she said half crying.

Aria: “You fucking bitch! Who said you could talk!” she yelled out, as she was preparing to strike Lenah again.

Patrik: “No! No, no, no. We’re not doing that. Look at me. Tell me what's wrong, and I'll do everything I can to fix the problem,” he said as he put himself between Aria and Lenah.

Aria: “I need you to fucking kill the editor at the Golgatta Glamor Times!”

The Golgatta time was the biggest magazine company in the Golgatta Peninsula. The Golgatta Glamor times was an issue from the magazine company that specifically caters to people interested in fashion and beauty.

Patrik: “What did they do?”

Aria: “They did this!” she said, as she shoved the paper in hand into Patriks face.

Patrik took the paper and carefully looked at it.

It was a copy of the Golgatta Glamor Times. The page that was opened had a picture of Aria posing seductively across two pages of the magazine. Patrik looked intensely at the picture, trying to find some sort of flaw in the picture that would have set Aria off, but he couldn't. It looked really good to him and was definitely one of Aria's better photo shoots.

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Patrik: “I’m not sure if I am following?”

Aria: “Look at the bottom of the page you idiot. It’s a ranking and they put me at second!”

Sure enough, he looked at the bottom of the page and there was a short written blurb about Aria and a ranking. The magazine had released a listing of the top models in the peninsula, and Aria was put in second place.

Patrik: “You're ranked second. That’s great right?”

Aria stared him down with dagger-like eyes. If Patrik was a turtle with a shell, he would have crawled back into his shell to hide from Aria at this moment.

Aria: “Are you fucking listening to yourself. I had my best photo shoot this year and they dare put me in second place. That fucking editor must have been bribed. There is no way they could rank someone above me.”

Patrik wanted to say that maybe the person doing the ranking just found the other model slightly better looking. Afterall, Patrik knew that beauty was a perspective that can greatly differ from person to person, but he wasn't going to say this to her. He didn’t want to set her off any further.

Patrik: “I’ll look into it for you.”

Aria: “You better,” she said in a threatening way. “Someone run me a bath!” she yelled out.

Countless footsteps could be heard from behind the door to this room. The house staff heard Aria scream and they scattered like cockroaches.

Aria quickly stormed out of the room, leaving Patrik and Lenah alone together.

Patrik just shook his head.

He didn’t know how he ended up here. Aria wasn't like this with him when they first met, but over the years she started revealing more of her nature to him. It got really bad when she managed to get leverage over him. Patrik had done everything Aria asked of him, including some more illegal activities he wasn't proud of. When he tried to leave, Aria promised to release information to the paparazzi of his illegal dealings she made him do, ruining his reputation and future job opportunities. Therefore, he was trapped. Forced to continue working as Aria’s dog against his will.

He let out another deep sigh before looking down at the cowering girl on the ground. His heart ached looking at her. Her face was still facing down at the ground and she was too scared to raise her head even though her aunt was gone.

Patrik: “Come on. It’s OK, she’s gone,” he said as he reached his arm underneath hers and helped Lenah up.

Once Lenah was standing, Patrik could clearly see the damage done to her face. It was bruised and battered with a swollen eye. Lenah was an average looking girl compared to her aunt. She had brown hair and freckles on her face. With the exception of her face shape, it was hard to tell that they were related.

Patrik: “By the light, that looks bad. Are you OK?,” he said, while looking at her swollen eye.

Lenah: “I-i think so. I’m sorry Mr Hik. I tried to calm her down, but I think I made it worse.”

Patrik: “I’m sorry Lenah. I wish I could do more for you.”

Lenah: “That’s ok. I know that you're just as trapped as me.”

He shook his head with a sad expression on his face. He couldn’t believe that Lenah and Aria were related. Lenah was such a kind hearted girl. She continued to worry about other people despite her own well being. It was what made her step up and try to calm her aunt down.

If Patrik was able, he would have taken Lenah away from her aunt years ago.

Patrik let out a deep sigh.

Patrik: “Can you still walk, and it doesn't hurt you to do so.”

Lenah: “No. She only striked my upper body.”

Patrik: “OK,” he said while swallowing his own saliva. “I will stay here and try to calm your aunt down, while you go to this address on Eld street, " he said, as he gave Lenah a piece of paper with an address on it. “There should be a doctor there. Tell him Patrik sent you. He’ll patch you right up.”

It was a doctor that Patrik would send the staff to when one of them became the target of Aria’s rage. This doctor wouldn't ask questions and would keep his mouth shut about what was going on with Aria and her staff.

As he said this, the door to the room opened and a maid stepped inside and addressed Patrik.

Maid: “Um, Mr Hik. Lady Aria is demanding a mirror.”

Patrik: “What? What are you talking about?”

Maid: “Lady Aria wants a full body mirror to practice her poses for the next photoshoot.”

Patrik: “What’s wrong with the mirror she has?”

Maid: “Um, she smashed it in her rage,” the maid said, while looking around the ruined room.

Patrik: “Light save me,” he said while rubbing his temples on his head.

Lenah: “Mr Hik, I can pick up a mirror while I'm out.”

Patrik: “Don’t worry about that Lenah. Just go get see that doctor. And, take this,” he said as he handed Lenah some money.

Lenah: “What’s this for?”

Patrik: “Go buy yourself something nice. Splurge on yourself a little while I handle Aria.”

Lenah: “Mr Hik i can’t—” she was immediately cut by Patrik.

Patrik: “Nope, nope, nope. You put yourself through enough trouble with your aunt to help out around here. Use this money for yourself. It’s the least that you deserve. Anyways I'm going to look around to see what else I'll need to replace.”

Before Lenah could protest, she was ushered away by Patrik to the front of the mansion outside.

With nothing else to do today, she did what she was told and headed to Eld street towards the doctor.