Amaranthine: The Angellius Demesne

Chapter I

"Who is Amaranthine?" Lady Emilia asks to the many young children who sits calmly in front of her. Her teacher-esque tone vibrantly jubilant throughout the magnificent surrounding garden that is filled with rose bushes and long-stemmed sunflowers.

The children remain quiet yet their eyes are bursting with curiosity and intrigue.

Lady Emilia presents a humbled and serene smile as she clears her throat to answer her own question. "Before anything was born, all that existed were three energies; positive, negative, and neutral. These three energies flowed aimlessly throughout the vast emptiness of the Unitalius. Yearning to give significance to the blatant emptiness, the three energies decided to come together and become a single entity, Amaranthine. Amaranthine is who sculpted color upon a dark canvas and created an everlasting beauty throughout the Unitalius."

The children in front of Lady Emilia hang on to her every word. Their adolescent faces widen in awe, further enquiring, and are ever so anxious to hear more.

In the corner of Lady Emilia's eyes, a very small and delicate hand shoots high into the air, straining to gain her attention.

Lady Emilia turns to the small child.

A freckled face red-haired little girl greet her with huge violet wondering eyes. "Lady Emilia? So if Amaranthine is the one who created all things, did Amaranthine create Archaic beings too? And what about Aberrant beings? Because I was told that Aberrant's are not even of Amaranthine's energy."

"It would seem as if we have quite the intrigued younglings today," Crown Quince interrupts, settling to stand right behind his wife, sliding a loving hand on her nearby shoulder.

Lady Emilia's slender and aged hand strokes her husband's as she gazes up at him. She first greets her beloved with an adoring smile upon her wrinkled light-brown face but Lady Emilia's delighted expression turns into a sight of worry and immediate concern as she realizes that Crown Quince's appearance is simmering with uneasiness and profuse distress. "Children! Our lesson for today will need to come to an end. Tomorrow however, we will discuss more in depth about Amaranthine, along with the Archaic and Aberrant beings."

The young red-haired girl from earlier slowly stands. "Will we learn about the Written Emptiness as well, Lady Emilia?"

"If time permits, we may," Lady Emilia ensures without breaking eye contact with her husband.

The red-haired girl leaps with elation. "I look forward to it. My name is Cherubella, by the way. Most people call me Bella but I prefer being called Cherub. Every time I think of my name being Cherub, I get the sensation, like a sense of meaning. Oh no, mother told me not to bother anyone with my many thoughts. Anywho... see you tomorrow, Lady Emilia."

Cherubella dashes off, not waiting for a response from Lady Emilia.

Their unblinking gaze only intensifies as the children she was tutoring scurry out from the garden. Analyzing her husband further, Lady Emilia notices his hands subtly shaking, the clamming sweat upon his forehead, and his body heat giving off a feverish sense. "What troubles you so?"

"Something has happened, Emilia," Crown Quince mutters, his voice slightly trembling and fairly weak. The image of her husband's current state heightens her concern. "During my meditation, I saw it."

Lady Emilia is now the one who is uneasy and concerned. "What did you see?"

"Terrified rains plunging in a stressful panic, pleading thunder screeching wildly inside clasping winds, and lightning clashing in a vivid array, displaying uncontrollable desires for ruin. I could even feel the demesne underneath my feet cussing with loathing intent as it ripped angrily apart," her husband details, panting heavily and brewing concern weigh greatly evident. Something about the way he tells it seems more prophetic than a telling. "But the most difficult part of it all, Emilia, was that it was all aimed... at us."