Elyse awoke to a world of vibrant hues and ethereal beauty. A field of wildflowers, each bloom a masterpiece of nature, stretched before her, bathed in the golden glow of a sun-drenched sky. Luke, her beloved brother, stood beside her, his face alight with a joy that mirrored the splendor of their surroundings.
"Come on, Sister!" he called, his voice a melody that filled her heart with a bittersweet longing. He placed a crown of sunflowers upon her head, the warmth of his touch a phantom sensation that sent shivers down her spine.
"Is this a dream?" Elyse whispered, her voice a mere breath in the stillness of the air. She knew Luke was gone, his life cruelly snatched away, but in this dream, she dared to hope that she could hold him close, if only for a fleeting moment.
Luke tugged at her hand, his eyes sparkling with an innocent joy that belied the darkness that had consumed their world. "Come on, Sister! Mama and Papa are waiting for you!"
As they walked, the landscape shifted, the vibrant colors fading into a cool, ethereal twilight. A field of spider lilies, their delicate petals swaying in the gentle breeze, stretched before them, a symbol of both beauty and sorrow.
Elyse felt a chill run down her spine. The air, once filled with the scent of wildflowers, now carried a faint, metallic tang. She turned to see her parents, their faces etched with the pain of their untimely deaths. Her father's head was missing, a gaping wound where his face once was. Her mother's body bore the scars of the attack, a testament to the brutality that had taken them from her.
"N-no..." Elyse choked back a sob, her heart constricting with a pain that threatened to consume her. She had been powerless to save them, a burden she carried with a heavy heart.
Luke, his head clutched in his hand, his eyes filled with tears of blood, turned to her, his voice a mournful echo. "Sister, why didn't you save us?"
Elyse tried to scream, to reach out to them, but her voice was trapped, a silent scream in the vast emptiness of her despair. A dark, smoky tendril wrapped around her, whispering a seductive temptation. "Do you want revenge?"
The voices of her loved ones, filled with pain and anger, echoed in her mind, demanding justice. But amidst the chaos, a gentle voice, a beacon of hope, called to her.
"Come back, Elyse."
Elyse awoke, her heart pounding, her breath ragged. She found herself in a room unlike any she had ever seen, its walls adorned with angels and clouds, a testament to a world she had only glimpsed in her dreams.
The room, a blend of medieval elegance and ethereal beauty, was filled with a sense of both comfort and mystery. She stood before a table laden with letters and papers, a quill pen resting upon a sheet of parchment, a testament to a life she had never known.
As she drew back the curtains, revealing a world bathed in sunlight, she saw a city unlike any she had ever imagined. The Aracnia Castle, a towering edifice of power and majesty, stood in the distance, a symbol of a world she had only heard whispered tales of.
"So, you're awake." A voice, smooth and alluring, filled the room. Elyse turned to see a woman of breathtaking beauty, her black hair a cascade of silken darkness, her ruby red eyes gleaming with an otherworldly intensity.
"I am Maria, the fourth leader of the Fourth District," she said, her voice a melody that sent shivers down Elyse's spine.
Maria, a vampire, one of the four leaders who served the Master of the Empire, held a power that both fascinated and terrified Elyse. She had read about vampires in ancient texts, tales of creatures who walked the shadows, but to see one in person was a revelation.
"O-oh, I'm sorry! I'm Elyse—a mere commoner, Your Grace." Elyse bowed, her voice trembling with a mixture of awe and fear.
Maria smiled, a gesture that radiated warmth and kindness. "It is not a mere commoner, Elyse. Every living person is equal. In my eyes, there is no status or power of politics. You may raise your head."
Elyse, stunned by Maria's grace and wisdom, stood up, her eyes wide with wonder.
"That's what my Master always tells me," Maria said, her gaze drifting to the city outside. She spoke of the Master's disappearance, a mystery that had plunged the Empire into chaos. The Anti-Empiralists, seeking to overthrow the Master's rule, had risen up, threatening to plunge the world into darkness.
"That's why you need to enter The Academy," Maria said, her voice filled with urgency. "You need to aim for a fair rank, to be among the top ten students to enter the Student Council, to help us find our Master."
Elyse, overwhelmed by the weight of her new reality, felt a wave of despair wash over her. She had lost her family, her world had been shattered, and now she was thrust into a world of magic and power that she had only dreamed of.
"I'm sorry, maybe I'm too fast to tell you this," Maria said, her voice filled with empathy. "But please, Elyse, if you promise us to help me find our Master, our true Master, then she can help you. I promise you that."
Elyse, her heart heavy with grief and uncertainty, stared at the wall, her mind racing with questions and fears. She had lost everything, but now she had a chance to fight for something greater, to find her Master, to bring justice to those who had wronged her.
"What am I supposed to do, Mother?" she whispered, her voice filled with a desperate hope that echoed in the silence of the room.
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The Binding Fates SEASON 1: The Past
FantasyLong ago, there were 12 Alphas and each led the world prosperous. However, a tragedy happened. The Lady of Everlasting Snow Moon, who was also known as The Queen of Olympus killed the remaining Alphas and as a curse, lived her life eternally being i...
