𝖲𝖤𝖫𝖤𝖭𝖮𝖯𝖧𝖨𝖫𝖤, william vangeance

1

-

Y/N is a noble, the heir to diana's pride. after her parents died in a war for their kingdom, she felt lost and like she didn't belong anywhere.

she left without a word and ended up in the forsaken realm of clover kingdom. an old lady, mistaking Y/N for a lost adventurer, asked for her help. grateful, the old lady offered Y/N a free stay at her inn, which Y/N accepted, too tired to set up camp.

by morning, Y/N chose to stay in the town. it was lively and everyone seemed like a big family. seeing their genuine smiles and care for one another, Y/N felt both happy and sad—happy to see such love but sad because she felt like an outsider.

weeks turned into months, and Y/N stayed longer than she planned. the town had captured her heart, and she decided to stay as long as she wanted.

now, a decade later, you're chasing a snatcher who stole a child's lollipop in the same town where you found the old lady's house, which was left to you in her absence.

you knew something was suspicious about that lady. she was too kind, letting you stay at her 'inn,' which only had one bedroom. 

the village gave you a glimmer of hope and eased some of your loneliness. almost every hour, a random kid would appear in front of you, asking if you could play with them, their sincere and cute grins brightening your day.

the joy of seeing the town so alive helped to lift your loneliness and somehow healed your fractured mental health.

yet, anxiety and stress still plagued you. you sometimes felt depressed, overwhelmed by negative thoughts and breaking down when you felt lost. you tried to hide these feelings from the villagers, who often said, "you're already a part of our big family."

at night, you'd curl up in bed, crying silently, unable to pinpoint why. you felt empty, as if something inside you was missing. over the past ten years, you've forgotten how you arrived in the village, who you were, and where you came from.

whenever you tried to remember, the pain in your head would become unbearable, often causing you to pass out. 

that's the magic of this village. whether you want it or not, staying the night will make you attach to the land and the people. you'll feel a compulsion to remain within the village every time you try to leave. it will only let you go if you have a strong will and a good reason to depart.

-

you decided to head home as darkness approached, strolling the familiar path towards your house while feeling the fresh breeze of the wind.

you sat down by a tree next to your home, gazing at the lively town you loved, cherished, and cared for.

for a moment, you simply admired the lights, the stars, and the moon. as you closed your eyes, another memory flashed through your mind.

it was a boy sitting under a tree, watching the songbirds above with a warm, soft smile of admiration. it was peaceful, until he heard a faint scream coming from the other side of the big lake in front of him. a girl was running around, yelling something, but the boy couldn't make out the words clearly.

the boy grew a large tree root and stepped onto it as it extended across the lake, forming a makeshift bridge.

the girl saw him and smiled cutely, causing the boy to blush. he stepped off the root and walked toward her. "are you okay? why were you screaming?" he asked politely once he reached her.

"sorry for bothering... t-there was a snake and i got scared..." she murmured the last part. the boy smiled softly. "can you show me where it is?" the girl nodded and pointed to a nearby tree, where the snake was wriggling beneath.

the boy sighed and grew a small root underneath the snake. as the snake coiled around the root, the boy retracted it, creating a hole that trapped the snake inside.

turning back to the girl, who was now grinning widely, he said, "there, it won't come out now." he flashed a smile, and the girl returned it. "what's your name?"

"i'm—"

you woke from your dream when you felt water droplets hitting your skin. it was raining, and you hadn't realized you'd fallen asleep next to the tree. it was still dark, but the moon was about to disappear, signaling that dawn would soon come.

with a silent groan and a stiff back, you got up and made your way to the front door of your small, humble home. you unlocked it and groggily walked to your bedroom.

you plopped onto your bed with a sigh of relief, savoring the softness of the mattress. you tried to sleep again, but your curiosity about the boy from your dream kept you awake.

you got up and walked to the room next to yours. opening the door revealed a small space overflowing with books. despite its size, the room was packed with them.

you entered and picked up the book you were currently reading. settling onto the small couch in the room, you began flipping through the pages of the novel you had been immersed in for a while.

-

flinching, you felt like your soul had left your body when you heard a loud explosion. you quickly stood up from your seat, closing the book you had been reading. "what's happening?" you mumbled as you hurried to the front door.

opening it, you saw smoke billowing from a large dent in the wall—a dent that definitely hadn't been there before. a gasp escaped your lips as you saw a figure lying there. you rushed towards it and opened your grimoire, flipping through its pages.

the man, trying to get up, wore a unique mask and a fancy robe. he looked up, and his piercing purple eyes locked onto yours. something about him was different, and for a fleeting moment, you saw a memory of a girl smiling at a boy while they played under the golden dawn.

⋆*･ ﾟ ☾ ﾟ ⋆*･

-lexi