The Chronicles of the Mages

Tнє Gαмє σf Lιfє

Presenting AU

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A forest is where many people's fates lie. There is a lot of life in a forest, but there is also a lot of death.

They speak of a mansion. A grand mansion, that no longer looks like it was abandoned. For it once was abandoned. But it is now inhabited again. Or so they say. Who lives in this mansion now? No one knows. Many people have entered the mansion, and none have returned. No one even dares enter the ring of forest about two miles around the mansion.

But four people here defy the fear of the village people. They have wandered into the darker part of the forest around the mansion. However, their presence in that part of the woods is unknown to all, even to them.

An ironic story, really. The four are not together; they are in groups of two, and neither group knows of the other being in the woods.

Gwen Alaric and Rose Jinxersan. They are both the daughters of a wealthy family around this part of the country. Gwen and Rose are not related by blood but by heart; they have a strong bond. Gwen's mother treats Rose as if she was a second daughter to her. They were engaged to the sons of another wealthy family. Their parents had planned a giant, double wedding. But the sisters disliked the idea. In protest, they fled from their home.

Teshido Sunika and Techno Zawashi. They are half-brothers, the sons supposedly engaged to the sisters. They too, upset, ran away from home.

But neither pair knew of the other pair being in the forest.

"It's most likely a bad idea but.. Let's see if there's anyone on this mansion here," Rose suggested. She was a beautiful lady of blonde hair and the bluest of eyes. It was currently pulled into a ponytail, and the heiress was wearing traveling clothes.

"We're strong enough to protect ourselves anyway, right Rose?" Her sister smiled back at her. Gwen was also a pretty lady, with blue hair and blue eyes. She, too, wore a traveler's clothes.

And so, these two heiresses entered the mansion.

"Ghosts aren't real," Teshido Sunika replied for the last time as he looked over his shoulder. His cowardly brother Techno was hiding behind a tree.

The two were standing behind the mansion, about to enter. Techno slowly slipped out from behind the trunk of the tree and followed his redheaded brother inside.

None of them spoke any words as they stepped in. The first room they had entered appeared to be a kitchen. A door led out to another room. Teshido and Techno strode out of the kitchen, finding themselves in a much larger room. The ceiling was high up, with a chandelier dangling from it. The room had a sitting area on the right, a couch across from them, and a table with chairs on the closest corner of the left.

"Let's see if there are people here," Techno suggested. His fear seemed to have disappeared, and he walked through another doorway leading out.

The entrance way was dark. The boots of the brunette made a silent thud on the floor at every step as Techno walked to the railing. He was standing on a platform. Stairs symmetrically set up leading to the floor were to his left. There was a doorway on the other side of the platform. Behind him, the wall was set back several feet because on either side of it, there was a hallway leading elsewhere. There was also a set of doors in front of the stairs through which people would normally enter the mansion.

Teshido had followed but kept walking, until his figure had disappeared in the other doorway. Techno lifted his elbows off the railing, and he followed.