The new 10th Harbinger

Contents Under Pressure

"Evangeline! Get inside the house and put a coat on before you catch a cold, Bunny." Evangeline's mother called out to her daughter, who was running around in the snow with the other children of the tiny village. Evangeline complied, running back to the house with a giggle. 

"Mama! Mama! Did you see what me and Antony did?" The small girl cheered, grabbing her coat from her mothers hand and sliding her arms into the sleeves. The coat wasn't the best, having been altered as the girl grew to continue to fit her, but it worked to keep some of the cold out. 

"Yes, Bunny, I did," The girls mother replied, having watched through the kitchen window as the girl and young boy had built a snowman. "Now go, my sweet. I'm sure Antony doesn't wish to be kept waiting." 

The young girl nodded with a small giggle, running off again to join her friend. Her mother returned inside, wanting to finish preparing dinner before the sun fully set. The house was warm, a tiny fire set lit in the living space. She watched through the frosty window as her daughter ran around in the snow, happy that she had friends her age to play around with. Sadly, as the sun set, tragedy would soon strike the tiny village on the outskirts of Snezhnaya. 

Hours later, the sun had set across the small village. Evangeline was bundled up in her blankets, her mind filled with sweet and innocent dreams. Unfortunately, her dreams didn't last long, morphing into a horrific nightmare. Jolting awake, a young Evangeline catches her breath, frantically looking around the room for her mother. The home was small, so for Evangeline to not immediately see her, she got worried and scared. Her fear only grew as she heard a scream from outside. She was frozen in place, unable to pull herself out of her bed. 

"Mama...?" Evangeline's tiny voice called out shakily. The small girl clutched her blanket tighter, listening to the quiet echos of the trees rustling. The silence was broken by another scream ripping through the night. This time however, it was closer than before. Evangeline stiffened, jumping out of her bed and running to hide in the nearby closet. Whatever was screaming, or what was causing the screaming, was something Evangeline didn't want to come face to face with.

Time seemed to pass by at a snails pace, Evangeline's breathing filling the tense air of the closet. A sudden crash is heard from outside, a tree slamming down into the snow, followed by more screams. Tears began to stream down the young girls cheeks as she shuffled further into the closet. Her eyes screwed shut as she attempted to block out the chaos that was unfolding outside. She didn't want to hear it, and she didn't want to see it. All she wanted was her mother who had seemed to vanish completely. 

It seemed like hours before Evangeline finally worked up the courage to leave the closet. The silence was deafening as she crept through the home. She peered out the window, unable to see much through the frosted glass. Letting out a shaky breath, the young girl moved towards the front door. She gripped the door handle, everything in her screaming to just go back to bed, that this was a bad dream and she would wake up in her mother's arms, but another part of her was telling her that that was far from the truth. Pushing the door open the young girls sees-

Evangeline shoots up in her bed, or well, the bed of the room one of the many Fatui guards had led her to after her meeting with the Tsaritsa. Her hand grasps her chest, trying to catch her breath from the horrific memory. Her eyes were wide as she stared down at the silken sheets, too focused to notice the shadow in the corner of the room. 

"Well, that was quite a sight to watch." A deep voice breaks the silence, causing Evangeline to freeze. She slowly shifts her eyes, looking at the corner. Her mouth was dry, but she swallowed and quickly spoke shakily. "And who are you?"

"Just someone who caught word of a visitor in our domain." Evangeline could practically hear the smirk in the man's voice. She also clocked who exactly this was, Il Dottore, second of the Harbingers. If she wasn't frozen in place before, she certainly was now. "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost... and I can assure you, the palace is not haunted." He spoke again as he finally stepped out of the shadows. 

His electric blue hair was illuminated by the small rays of moonlight peeking through the thin curtains of the room. His red eyes stared at Evangeline like she was his next meal, accented by his devilish smirk. These details weren't exactly new to the girl, having a wide knowledge of information about anyone is what has kept her alive this long. Evangeline knew of the rumors, that Dottore had cloned himself across his life, and she had reason to guess that this had to be one of them. Especially considering a scar that split one of his eyebrows, a detail that wasn't stated in most sighting of the doctor. 

Evangeline swallowed again before speaking, "Then can I know what you're doing in here? I don't believe this is a public space." Her tone was biting, not enough to hold any conviction though. At her question, the man just laughed, shaking his head slightly.

"Relax, my dear... I have no ill intent in this nighttime visit," His smirk shifted into a charming smile, "Just think of this as an... observation." 

The young woman furrowed her eyebrows. "An observation of what?" The question was a bit foolish, if she thought she could easily figure it out, but her nightmare hadn't fully faded from the front of her mind yet. 

"You, of course. A new Harbinger is quite a big deal... especially considering the recommendation from Pierro." He steps closer, "Though, I don't understand what he saw that made him choose you." Evangeline frowned at the distaste in his voice before speaking softly.

"Yeah... I'm trying to figure that out myself."

________________________________________________________________________________

Tip jar: https://paypal.me/JordanRRatliff?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US