Aetherium Academy: The Sinner's Vessel

PROLOGUE

A young lady named Faxara Clovertis, with green hair, awoke in the middle of the night, startled by a rustling sound coming from outside her room. Her hair and eyes sparkled like an emerald gemstone because of the moonlight shining through the open window.

Bumaba siya sa kama at dahan-dahang tinungo ang pinto. Nang mabuksan ang pinto ay nagtaka siya sapagkat napakadilim ng paligid.

"Moraine?" pagtawag niya sa maid ngunit wala siyang nakuhang tugon mula rito.

"Darrius?" She also called for the knight assigned to guard her room, but like Moraine, there was no response. She left her room and walked down the very dark hallway.

Hanggang sa makarating siya sa main palace kung saan nanunuluyan ang kaniyang mga magulang, ilang minuto pa ang kaniyang nilakad hanggang sa tuluyang makarating sa kwarto ng kaniyang amang Hari at inang Reyna. Ganon na lang ang labis na pagtataka niya nang makitang naka-awang ang pinto ng kwarto kaya agad siyang pumasok dito pero ikinagulat niya ang nakita. Duguang nakahandusay ang tagapaglingkod ng kaniyang ina.

"Helen! Helen! A-anong nangyari?" may malay pa ito ngunit hindi na rin tatagal pa.

Helen pointed to the door as if saying, ‘Your parents are outside.’ She looked at the door, and when she turned back to the servant, it had completely lost its life. She stood up and took her father's sword. Bagama't taas-noong lumabas ng kwarto ay rinig na rinig niya ang malakas na kabog ng kaniyang dibdib, matindi rin ang panginginig ng kaniyang katawan at hinihiling na sana'y walang nangyaring masama sa kaniyang mga magulang.

Mahigit kalahating oras siyang naglakad ngunit hindi niya natagpuan ang kaniyang mga magulang hanggang sa nakita niyang nakabukas ang main door ng palasyo at balak na sanang magtungo roon nang biglang may humila sa kaniya at tinakpan ang kaniyang bibig.

Nagpumiglas pa siya ngunit nang makita kung sino 'yon ay nakahinga siya ng maluwag. "Ama, Ina-" The king covered her mouth again, silencing her before she could raise her voice. When she looked at her father, her eyes widened in horror at the stab wound in his stomach.

"Father...you have a wound." Umiling-iling ito't ngumiti.

"Ayos lamang ako, anak ko," hinarap nito ang Reyna, "we need to get out of here as soon as possible." Tumango ang Reyna at inakay siya ng mga ito palabas ng kwarto.

Walang imik naman siyang nagpatianod sa kanila habang maingat ang bawat hakbang na ginagawa hanggang sa makarating sila sa kusina.

"Why did we come here instead of using the back door, Father?" But instead of answering her, her parents let her enter the food storage. When they entered, they were spat in the garden.

Nagulat pa ang Prinsesa sapagkat ngayon lamang niya nalaman ang lihim na lagusang iyon, sa kabila na kabisado niya ang pasikot-sikot sa palasyo.

"Father, what is really going on? Where are the guards? And who dares to harm the King of this Kingdom?"

"We'll explain everything later. Right now, we need to get out of here." The Queen replied, and the girl simply nodded.

Time ticked by, and they found themselves in the heart of the Kingdom. But the chaos around them, the panicked faces of Lumirra's citizens rushing past,  hit them like a bolt out of the blue.

"Oh, god! What happened to our Kingdom?" tumatangis na saad ng Reyna kaya agad itong niyakap ng Hari kahit pa nakakaramdam na ng panghihina dahil sa tama ng saksak sa tiyan nito. The princess was stunned, looking at the crowd. Questions running through her mind: Was she dreaming? Was all this really happening?

"Your Majesty!" Their attention was caught by a man running towards them, accompanied by eighty soldiers.

When they approached, they bowed and paid respect in the royal family. "Duke Stephens." Nag-angat ng tingin ang duke at inilibot ang paningin sa paligid.