The Ironic Cruelty of Roses - Beauty and The Beast [ Danganronpa ]

Ringing Silence is the True Punishment

Note: little loser who i love so much meets other little loser who i love so much
Word count: 2116

As night started to befall them, Sayaka's anxiety grew worse and worse. From the few trips she did accompany her father on, she had never seen this path.

Dark, spindly branches extended overhead, their leaves already shed for the early winter. She could almost see the moon, or where it would be if thick clouds weren't covering it. Sayaka kept her shawl close, it was the only thing that kept her warm on this ill-prepared adventure. Cold breezes dashed by them as Muse reluctantly trotted her way back to this..

Castle.

She had never even heard about a castle being somewhat close to the town. Maybe castle wasn't the right word for how demonic it looked. Tall metal gate walls surrounded the courtyard, however, they were rusted and dirtied with orange flakes. Perhaps it was abandoned. Either way, Sayaka understood why Muse was so distraught. The cold and dingy castle loomed down, watching them as Sayaka ushered Muse into the courtyard.

The courtyard itself was surprisingly taken care of. It was akin to a maze with well-manicured bushes weaving patterns in the otherwise forgotten outdoors. Fantastic, lovely carved-out arches led into trusses filled with.. roses. Roses of every shade, every color. It was the only speck of color in the dark courtyard.

And they weren't wild roses either. Some of them had been combined with another to create these stunning marble-colored varieties.

"What is this place..?" Sayaka wondered out loud, her knuckles white from grasping onto Muse's reigns.

Suddenly, Muse started to whine and tap her feet. She must've seen either a squirrel or something to startle her. Hoping down from her back Sayaka started to pull Muse to the stables lining the outer walls, "Steady, Muse, steady." She rubbed the horse's snout, looking at the steps leading into the castle. "I'm going in. Maybe.. maybe there's a Lord here that can be hospitable until it's day-break."

Parting with a kiss between Muse's eyes, she started to climb the stone stairs. She pushed the tall dark doors open to reveal a much... warmer interior than she expected. A long carpet muffled her steps on the marble flooring as she admired the statues fixated firmly on the walls. Carved beauties lined the white walls, only covered in a thin layer of dust. It was still dreadfully dark, with no candles to signal humanity.

Shadows danced from the moonlight, making Sayaka even more nervous about this extravagant yet discarded castle.

"Hello?" Her voice echoed throughout the empty halls, making her cringe at how loud she was. "Is.. Is anyone here?"

No response welcomed her, only leaving her filled with unease. Maybe it truly was abandoned and the gardener's work outlived its residence?

The red carpet flourished further into the darkness, leading to a fantastical stairway. Statues of gargoyles and demons decorated the landing. Whoever owned this castle definitely had some weird tastes. "I-I'm sorry to barge in, but I'm looking for my father!" Sayaka tried one last time, yelling up the stairs.

Again, nothing.

Sayaka started to walk back to the entrance, before accidentally kicking a lantern. The oil lantern was decorated with innate metal swirls, protecting the glass and ideally giving a lovely glow between decorations...

It was familiar.

It was hers.

It was Sayaka's. She gave the lantern to her father a few trips ago.

It was in his carriage.

He walked in here.

He was here?