Cassian stood on the rooftop, the faint moonlight glinting off the delicate rose in his hand. The breeze carried the faint scent of night jasmine, whispering through the folds of his coat as he gazed at the dense forest below, where dim lights lit by fireflies flickered like fading stars. The night felt heavy with memories, each one as vivid as the rose in his fingers.
---
Several years ago
The sun dipped low on the horizon, casting an amber glow over the countryside. A young boy with tousled black hair dashed through the meadow, clutching a fistful of daisies.
"Flowers! I got flowers for you!" Cassian called out, his face glowing with excitement. His small, dirt-streaked hands trembled with eagerness as he held the bouquet out toward a girl sitting on a tree stump. Her fiery red hair caught the golden light of the sunset.
The girl turned, her green eyes narrowing. "I don't want flowers," she said curtly, crossing her arms. Her voice wavered with restrained anger.
Cassian's smile faltered. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to break Penny."
Tears welled up in her eyes as she hugged her knees. "She was my favorite!" she sobbed, the broken doll clutched tightly in her arms.
Cassian stood frozen, his guilt weighing heavier than the flowers in his hands. The doll's head dangled awkwardly by a thread, a grim testament to his clumsy mistake.
He turned on his heel and ran toward his house, the daisies falling to the ground behind him.
"Mom! Mom! Vivienne's crying!" he shouted, bursting through the front door.
His mother, a gentle woman with soft brown curls, knelt down to scoop him into her arms. "What happened, dear?" she asked, her voice soothing like a lullaby.
Vivienne appeared moments later, her face streaked with tears. "He ripped Penny's head!" she cried, holding up the limp doll.
Cassian's mother pulled Vivienne into a warm embrace as well. "Shh, darling. I'll get you a new Penny," she promised, stroking the girl's hair.
---
Later that day
the world was ablaze. smoke and fire filled the air as the sound of bombings shattered the once-quiet town. cassian clung to his mother's bloodied hand as they huddled in the wreckage of their home.
"mom! mom, wake up!" he screamed, shaking her frail body. her breathing was shallow, her lips pale.
"cassian..." she rasped, her voice barely audible over the chaos. "you need to run..."
"mom!" tears blurred his vision as he tried to lift her.
vivienne, trembling with fear, grabbed his arm. "we have to go!" she sobbed, tugging at him.
"no! i won't leave her!" cassian shouted.
his mother's hand fell limp as the ceiling groaned above them. "run... please..." she whispered, her voice fading as the building collapsed around them.
the sharp pain of a gunshot tore through cassian's back, and the world dissolved into darkness.
when he woke, he found himself in a crimson mansion, its gothic arches casting eerie shadows across the polished floors. a man with piercing eyes stood before him, extending a gloved hand.
"hello there," the stranger said with an unsettling smile.
---
present day
the firelight flickered in the dimly lit room as ian paced back and forth. his usually confident demeanor had been replaced by a storm of confusion and grief.
YOU ARE READING
Valencia Esmeray
FantasiaIn the lavish world of Victorian high society, immortal witch Valencia Esmeray reigns as the most captivating woman, running a successful fashion empire while concealing her true identity. After adopting two children, she finds herself ensnared in a...
