The Lost Word of Lyra Hanahaki

X: Her Melody of Guidance

[???'s Pov]

"Oh my. You're here." A voice speaks out in the endless darkness, like an eternal night without a moon, or an unending abyss without a mist. The darkness soon dissipated, revealing what appeared as a olden furnished mansion. The lower walls and floor were a stark scarlet compared to dark, stained oak staircase, the upper walls being a nice bone white with a large strip of a lighter stained oak wood.

Before myself hovered a person enshrowded in a shadowy mist. Their figure was visible, yes, but any color was next to completely null. However, I did vaguely notice bat like wings sprouting from their back, and that they had a feminine, yet petite, figure as they elegantly floated in the air in front of myself.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Or is it not the first time we met?" Her voice resembled that of a young adult, save for that it sounded as if it carried centuries worth of wisdom.

"You may call me the Scarlet Devil. I am the lady of this mansion." She announces, but even if I wanted to show my respect to her status by bowing, my body couldn't move even if I wanted it to, much less speak. So, as the only thing I could do, I remained, and I listened.

"I know you've only just arrived, but let me take a look at the fate that awaits you." She pauses, as if looking at my expression, which must've showed something other than confusion. "Oh, you think that's impressive? This is nothing for me..."

Suddenly, from behind her back, nine cards emblazoned with golden insignias, flew around to greet my gaze, hovering in thin air just as the Scarlet Devil does. Along with those cards came a singular paper doll, with Kanji written on it and a crimson seal in the bottom corner.

One by one, the cards flipped to reveal various people and landscapes, and as for the paper doll, it transformed into what appeared to be a young devil girl, one that I knew all too well.

"So this is your destiny..." The Scarlet Devil whispers, watching as the cards soared around me, then disappearing behind my back. There was a slight weight placed against my waist as they did, but any change in weight ceased soon after. "Oh dear, seems like your fate is Flandre Scarlet."

"You're childish and playful, as well as strong, not just physically, but mentally too. You tend to be reckless and destructive at times, and most of the time, you don't realize the damage you could potentially cause. Although, no matter what happens, your friends and family continue to be at your side." She pauses for a moment, allowing for this information to sink in, "Your lucky item is alexandrite, keep it with you always, as a reminder that the world is not just monochrome."

The girl she claimed to be Flandre soon dissipated into a scarlet mist, changing back into a paper doll and floating behind my back. "In any case, I have just one warning for you." The Scarlet Devil says, catching my attention before I could investigate where the cards and paper doll went.

"Don't give up, no matter what. Sounds simple, right? But this is important." I found this amusing, though I couldn't show it through facial expressions.

"Now that we got that done with, would you tell me your name?" Suddenly feeling my ability to speak return, I gave a light chuckle.

"Ç̷̭̯̣̬͔̯̍͆̊̆̀͐͊r̷̤̫̺̹̟͈̐͛͝͝ę̷̜̌̎ă̶̡͕̯͕͇̓̃̏͌̚͠t̷̢̠͒͐̓o̷̧̭̮̠͋̽͜͜r̶̡̡̛͖̘͍̗̫̓̈́̀͠."

The Scarlet Devil tilts her head in confusion. "Sorry, I didn't quite catch that, but I guess it doesn't matter too much. Now, I need you to tell me another name. A name is the master of one's destiny, but you have seem to have another one's destiny in mind."

It took myself a moment to think of who would be perfect for a journey that would soon befall them, and then it struck me as a grin forms on my face.

"Hanahaki, Lyra Hanahaki." My answer was swift, just as a person materialized right before me. A young girl with the appearance of a young adult, draped in a purple crop top and separated sleeves of quality cloth, a knee length brown skirt paired with a galaxy decorated silk. She also had white and purple tights, along with tan sandals, a grey and purple kitsune mask to the left of her face, a faded violet face mask, and chained necklace bearing a crimson crystal. Although her eyes were now closed, I knew they were a bright purple, and her long brown hair, which had been dyed a pale forest green along the middle, was tied into a ponytail,

"Lyra, I can see a strange but exciting destiny in that name. Misfortune, calamity, but in the end, a glimmer of beautiful glory." She gestures to Lyra, who I took was listening unconsciously, but wouldn't remember this encounter. "If you give up, the doors of destiny will close before your eyes. But if you take a brave step forward, fate will answer you."

The cards and paper doll from earlier swooped over to Lyra, forming into a small black journal, strapping itself to the hem of her skirt. She then disappears into thin air, as she was wisked away to Gensokyo, the land of illusions. "To my unexpected visitor..." The Scarlet Devil says, turning directly to me, "Here are my last words to you, an outsider letting one find their way." She pauses, letting agonizing silence punctuate the importance of her last message to me.

"Let your destiny be dyed scarlet..."

And just like that, my vision becomes obscured by a red brighter than any blood, fading to black, and then back to my own domain of stone ruins. Turning my attention to a bright light shining behind myself, it turned out that a new crystal had gained its light.

"Ironic, isn't it? Even though it was just untainted of color moments before, her crystal now is alexandrite." I say, admiring whatever fate had twisted its cruel hands for a new creation.

"Ah, now that I think about it, it would be wrong to send you there without having a connection to this universe in some way." A chuckle left my lips as I pondered what twist Lyra would have.

Then, it struck me, "Since this land of Gensokyo has been affected by an Incident, namely, the Lost Word Incident, it may be worth giving you one too. But it'll just be you who is affected by it, others can say, hear, see, and feel it, but you won't. Lyra Hanahaki, your Lost Word shall be......."

A maddening chuckle escaped my serious facade, peering through the small bit of text to whatever wandering eyes are watching. "Oh dear viewer, it wouldn't be right for you to know. It's supposed to be a Lost Word, I can't have it be found so easily."