Valerie Sinclair sits on a chair in the spacious lounge room, tapping her foot at a steady pace on the marble floor; arms crossed.

The chatter of all the family members gathered can be heard from the room itself, despite the distance.

It's the least bothersome thing with what's going to happen in just a few minutes from now.

A sigh escapes her lips, closing her eyes to get a moment to calm her racing mind, but its short lived as she hears quick footsteps cascading down the hall outside from the right.

The footsteps slow down as they approach the door, coming to a halt in front of it. The person on the other side of the door knocks softly before entering shortly after.

"Valerie, I've been searching left and right for you." Her maid, Rosaline, says softly while panting, a woman with hazel eyes and hair, and a rather tall figure.

Valerie turns her head to look at whoever entered, fixing her curly brown hair in the process. "Clearly..." She replies in a nonchalant tone.

She stands up from her seat, spreading her black, red accent dress well for a few seconds. She takes a soft breath to steady herself before looking up at Rosaline. "It's time, isn't it?" Valerie inquires with a raised eyebrow.

Rosaline nods her head with an excited smile, almost as if she was the one in Valerie's position, "Indeed it is! Aren't you excited?" She says, her voice brimming with energy.

"Excited would be overstating," Valerie replies, then pauses for a short moment and sighs.

"It's irritating how the hot topic is me being titled the Scarlet Maiden, something that's not even guaranteed. It feels like anything other than Scarlet Maiden would be the end of my life. Very stressful." She says with a tired voice.

Rosaline smiles reassuringly and tilts her head slightly, "Don't worry so much Valerie, the stress will surely not do you well in aging. It's like you said; not guaranteed, it's not you to choose whether or not you become the Scarlet Maiden. And whatever happens, I'll still view you the same, as Valerie Sinclair." She says in a warm voice.

"Just Valerie Sinclair won't be enough to find out what happened to my mother." She says with a cold tone, looking down at the ground. Silence envelopes the room.

"Well then, shall we be on our way to the ceremony? It is time for your Awakening." Rosaline says, "Very well." Valerie replies quietly.

They walk through the halls in silence, the chatter of the ceremony chamber serving as ambience. Valerie glances out the window.

In a few moments, her whole life was going to change.

As she peers through the window, she notices something that catches her eye, what seems like people hiding and planning. Not only that; they don't look like any family member she's seen, and they are not dressed for the occasion either. Her eyes narrow at the sight. Dark figures in the night that she cannot make out, like predators waiting for the right moment to pounce.

That's... Odd.

"Time passes quickly, doesn't it? You were just a little child the other day, and now there's this." She says while looking forward with a pleased smile, Valerie turns away from the sight to look at Rosaline. "You sound like an old lady, Rosaline." Valerie replies bluntly, offering no empathy.

Rosaline laughs quietly. "You would be surprised that your words are true," She says before she puts a hand to her chest, "I'm simply blessed with youth." she adds with a smug, matter of fact tone.

They near the entrance of the ceremony chamber, "I shall not go past this point, but all the best to you, Valerie." Rosaline says, giving a bow with hands together in front of her. Valerie watches her and nods, "Very well, and thank you." She replies, and turns around with a clenched fist.

Valerie walks in the dim long hallway, the sounds of chatter get louder and louder. She sighs, glancing through the window again seeing more mysterious figures outside, unmoving.

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Should I be concerned about that? She thinks, but her heart skips a beat as she remembers what situation she's in.

So instead she fixes her dress, her hair, any imperfections she could find. As she does she thinks,

Scarlet Maiden, hm? If I do end up as the Scarlet Maiden, could I find out what really happened to Mama? There's no way she just... Left, like they say, right?

She stops in front of the entrance door and waits looking up at the ceiling with a blank expression.

So many questions, with no answers.

Her fingers curl even tighter into her palm, and she takes a deep breath.

Scarlet Maiden, Scarlet Maiden, your title carries so much power, so much authority, but will it be enough?

The door opens startling Valerie from her thoughts, and a lady with purple eyes and long, black hair comes through.

A smirk appears on her face, "Valerie, what a long time apart, yes?" She drags her words slightly with amusement.

"Aunt, Lilith..." Valerie says in a fake excitement, her lips curving into a forced smile over her clenched jaw; trying to hide her distaste towards her.

"How times pass so quick... Everybody's talking about you being the next Scarlet Maiden, thrilling, isn't it!?" She pauses, putting her weight on one foot as her smirk widens.

"But let's not anchor on expectations before the actual Awakening ritual, I wouldn't want to stay... Disappointed, would I?" She says with a passive aggressive tone, threatening in its nature.

Valerie glares at her slightly, "Well! Shall we now?" Lilith adds.

"We shall..." Valerie replies. She walks beside Lilith on a dedicated walk path, the chatter of the crowd looks like it's all fixed on Valerie from how every pair of eyes track her path. For Valerie, this could be the start, or the end of her life.

Valerie looks around the place, scanning everything with her red eyes. Many people gathered just for this one thing, each step she took was one moment less to awakening her power.

In front of her, a few stairs lead to the family prism placed on its pedestal in all its glory, the object that will decide and awaken her power, a relic passed down in family history.

She went up the stairs. Around 2 meters behind the prism, is her father, Orion Sinclair, looking at her with his purple eyes blankly despite the occasion.

It's no surprise to her though with how absent he was in her life. She stands in front of the prism, around a meter away, the awakening was about to start, and the whole crowd goes silent.

Orion extended his hand towards the prism, "The light guides our path, and brings us to our ultimate destination, whatever it may be, may it be well with you." He says, before shooting out a shining white light into the prism, it's glow intensifying gradually.

And then, five rays of light, shoot out of the prism, all going different directions, spreading across the room.

Five rays, one of red, the others green, blue, indigo and violet. But Valerie's focus was fixed on the red ray.

All the rays came to focus on Valerie that made her body feel like it was on fire, and she felt a rush of energy that was almost sickening, but she has to endure it.

Her body absorbs the rays and then after a while, the violet ray reflects off her, then the green, if she is to become the Scarlet Maiden she needs only the red ray to be the ray being absorbed by her.

The indigo ray reflects off her, there are only two rays left now, the blue and the red.

And then finally, the blue ray reflected leaving only the red ray, she has done it, she is The Scarlet Maiden.

Everyone watching went into applaud, some faces of joy, others of envy and mockery, Valerie had to hide her brewing excitement.

She turns around and Lilith, walks up to her. She smirks faintly at Valerie, and gives her a curtsy.

Valerie face shifts a bit in unease at her smirk but does the same, but deeper as per the custom.

She takes two steps back, and looks around the place in slight disgust.

Why is it that you applaud, would you do the same if I wasn't the Scarlet Maiden now?

She takes a breath and waits for the crowd to quiet down before she speaks her oath. "I... As Valerie Sinclair, and now the Scarlet Maiden, Swear my loyalty to the Sinclair family, that I will uphold the family name and serve to the best of my capacity." She says in a firm tone.

The crowd applauds again even louder this time.

Valerie gets distracted from her excitement, she glances out the window and sees the same mysterious figures looming around in the distance in the manor's premises, she looks over at her father who turns to look at her too.

She walks over to her father; Orion, and says at his side while looking forward. "Father, I've come to notice some mysterious figures looming outside within the premises of the house." Valerie says quietly.

"Indeed..." He says with a relaxed tone, crossing his arms with a faint smile that doesn't reach his eyes.

Valerie upon hearing this, gets a little irritated and looks over at her father with the corner of her eye. "Is that... Not a concerning matter...?"

Orion chuckles slightly, uncrossing his arms, "No, not at all... Anyways, I suppose you would rather skip talking to everyone?"

"Yes please..." Valerie replies.

Orion stays silent for a while before walking off. "Very well then..."

Valerie walks out of the ceremony chamber and walks through the dim hallway at a slow pace.

I'm now the Scarlet Maiden... The Scarlet Maiden.

Valerie stops as she reaches an open lounge space that's empty.

She looks at her hand and moves it a bit, she feels powerful, superhuman. She leans on a wall and puts her hand to her chest.

I might have a chance to figure out what happened to Mama now.

"You're going to do it, aren't you?" Rosaline says while standing across the room, slowly approaching Valerie.

Valerie, who was too deep in thought, didn't even realize Rosaline, she flinches as she hears Rosaline and looks at her.

There both silent, Rosaline tilts her head with a blank expression, awaiting an answer.

"Don't try and stop me, Rosaline." She says coldly; staring daggers at Rosaline with her tired, deep red eyes.

Rosaline smiles and nods. "Very well then," She pauses for a while, "you know the consequences if you are caught, don't you?" She asks.

Valerie stays silent while looking away. Rosaline nods again and sighs, her eyes also drifting away to the side. "I see," She pauses.

"You are dismissed, Rosaline." Valerie says before Rosaline can say anything.

She smiles and bows with her hands together in front of her. "Yes... Do be careful then."

Valerie nods while looking away.

As Valerie is all alone, she finally has a moment to think, or so she thought, she feels a vibration move through the floor below her and then.

A loud explosion shakes the earth; shattering the lights. The sound of it cutting through the silence like a hot knife. The sound of things falling and breaking all around the place, and the dust that rose into the air.

Valerie jumps at the sudden occurrence and looks up at the ceiling then around the now dark room, she walks over to the window as pieces of glass crack beneath her feet; glancing outside. Oh no.

Her eyebrows furrow in irritation, "Not a problem, he said, and now there's whatever this is..."