Gehenna

Chapter 2

Chapter two

Lyra awoke to the dim and dark room, not to the usual sunshine streaming through her window. She had drawn the curtains the night before, a habit from her life as Lyra. No one dared to open or close Lady Gehenna's curtains except herself.

'So this is my new morning reality. It feels like being trapped in a perpetual twilight,' Lyra thought, as she stretched and got out of bed. She sighed, she had drawn the curtains the night before because it was too chilly. 

'I swear, these curtains are like trying to wrestle with a beast every morning. Back home, it was just a quick tug and voilà—sunshine. But here? It's like Gehenna designed them to be as difficult as possible. They're so big and wide, I feel like I'm pulling up a theater curtain, not just letting in some light!' She thought, yanking them open with a bit more force than necessary. The morning light streamed in, chasing away the shadows.

"At least this habit of mine helps me wake up properly. Otherwise, I'd be tempted to just cocoon myself in darkness all day. But seriously, why did she need such grandiose curtains? Who are they meant to impress? The sun?" As the room filled with light, Lyra felt a bit more awake but couldn't help grumbling to herself. 

'If I'm going to survive this place, I might need to invest in a set of curtains I can actually manage. Or maybe hire a daily curtain-opener. Do they have that kind of job here?'

With a resigned sigh, she decided to get on with her day. 'Alright, curtains drawn, morning sunlight in—time to face whatever challenges today has in store.'

She realized she had spent the previous day preoccupied with thoughts of her upcoming birthday. Suddenly, she remembered the maid who had been dismissed from the mansion after being accidentally wounded on the forehead by Gehenna.

'That maid... she could be the key to redeeming Gehenna's reputation within this mansion.' She needed to find the maid and secure her alliance. After having breakfast in bed as usual, Lyra's first task was to discover the maid's identity before her 18th birthday celebration.

The initial step was to learn the maid's name, a daunting task given that none of the mansion's servants held her in high esteem. 

'Maybe I can use their fear to my advantage,' she mused as she headed to the bathing area of the mansion. The bathing area was just around the corner from her room, which was located on the third floor—the last one of the mansion.

'This place is really too big for just one person to live in. If it weren't for the servants, I can't imagine keeping it clean. It's like living in a gothic palace. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a ghost or two lurking around, giving the maids extra work by rearranging the furniture at night.' She chuckled at the thought and immediately thought about other things as not to scare herself.

After freshening up, Lyra returned to her room and opened the wardrobe. She carefully selected an outfit, opting to dress appropriately and avoiding Gehenna's usual style of heavy jewels.

Lyra found these jewels and dresses both uncomfortable and oddly familiar at the same time, but her own preferences prevailed, leading her to choose something more refreshing and of a purer color over the heavier dresses.