Chapter Text
It’s clear to me that this carriage didn’t care for the welfare of its customers. I’ve ridden through hills of great density and roads scattered with spiked rocks and the carrier had yet to pause and check to see if their rider was still in the vehicle. If it were not for my heavy briefcase securing me in my seat, I would have been thrown out the window by now. To add to my dissatisfaction, my head was incredibly sore from being pounded against the roof several times.
The rain had been sprinkling now and then during the trip, but it seemed to have poured over Oletus Manor. The poor mare struggled to get her hooves out of the squelching mud, and the thin wheels of the cart barely endured the task. I took a breath of relief as we finally made it to the gates of the building. The coachman stumbled out of his seat to rush to my aid.
“My apologies for the stumbling trip, my lady,” he muttered.
I gave him a half-hearted smile, stepped down and handed him a shilling or two for his “troubles.” I hadn’t had much money for myself, to be honest, but I hoped I had enough for whatever awaited me.
He graciously took the coins and nervously stood beside me as I observed the atmosphere. After a brief pause, he asked, “Are you certain this is the location you specified? I’ve never seen or heard of this manor before.”
I wasn’t sure how to respond, as I had never heard or seen it myself either. I reached for my pouch and took out a folded letter. It had arrived one day while I was in my worst state, and while I did not know its sender, it gave me a promise too specific, too crucial for me to pass up. It read:
My dear Lady Y/N,
I’ve heard your cry of grief, sorrow, and unfathomable anguish. From the torment that has befallen you from your closest peers to the intense judgement you’ve received from the public. There have been eyes tracking your every move, waiting for the moment to strike and steal something to use against you. No one is lending a hand towards the pit that you’ve fallen in.
But please suffer no more.
I have been one of the eyes in the audience that knows the truth. I am the only one that offers you this hand. I will graciously pull you out of the hell you’ve endured and erase the minds of all who have doubted you.
I am offering you a second chance. A chance that will mend the past, your relationships, your status, and your heart. If you kindly follow the address I’ve written below, I will give you what you desire: peace and happiness.
Please do not reject my hand, for you may regret it evermore.
Someone is waiting for you here. His arrival was purely coincidental, and he knows not of your coming, but I am happily giving him back to you should you visit yourself.
I await your arrival,
Oletus Manor
I realized too late that the coachman had been looking over my shoulder as I re-read the letter.
“Yes, this should be it,” I stated as the coachman straightened himself up.
“Understandable. Have a swell visit, my lady.”
And with that, he returned to his carriage and lashed the mare. I watched the cart rush into the distance before folding the letter back into my pouch. The gate was unlocked, which made sense as they expected me, but it was rusty enough to cause complications. I shook the iron gate open and walked towards the ominous building.
It was a gorgeous structure, but it held many eerie auras. The flowers and grass had wilted, the trees had turned gray and decayed, and to make matters worse, a large crowd of wary crows hovered over me as I reached the door. Never had I seen clouds so gray and sullen, and it seemed they would remain this grim for the rest of my visit.
I knocked on the splinter-prone door but received no answer.
The anxiety of the situation finally sank in. What on earth am I doing? What’s happening? Was I so blinded by unconfirmed promises that I ended up in a place unknown to the world? For all I knew, anyone could come from the shadows and take my life. What made me think that someone would decide to “lend me their hand” and make my deepest desires come true? I’m not in a fantastical world. I’ve already used up my chances.
After the gravity of the situation dawned upon me, I stepped down the stairs and calculated the quickest path back to town without a carriage, which would, unfortunately, be very long no matter the circumstance. That was until I heard the doors open. I turned around and was introduced by a lovely lady wearing a beekeeper’s mask.
“Oh dear…” she whispered to herself.
Those few words made me question my decisions even more.
She pondered for a moment and looked around the gate. Was she looking for a carriage? Did she want me to leave? Maybe I should do so.
However, I could not call my carriage to arrive spontaneously at my will, which left me with a long journey ahead of me. Perhaps the owner of this manor would offer me a ride back home?
“May I ask for your name?” The beekeeper requested kindly. Her expression was hardly visible through her mask, and I could not determine if she held good intentions.
“Y/n L/n. If it’s of any assistance, I received an invitation here.” I searched my pouch and presented her with the letter.
“Yes… I’d thought as much.”
The aura between us made me uneasy, but I allowed her to inspect the parchment. Could she be the owner?
“My name is Melly Plinius,” she responded, handing the letter back to me. “If you would, please follow me.”
I took one longing look towards the muddy road that brought me to these doorsteps before accompanying her into the abyss.
Our footsteps echoed in the hallways. Various paintings and luxurious furniture outshined the manor’s gothic exterior, but the feeling of dread never dissipated. Eventually, we heard multiple sounds of chatter on the other side of a room as we approached it. Before we entered, Plinius questioned, “Are you and the author both on the same terms as to what your “promise” provides?”
I hesitated. It was evident that I wasn’t the only one who received a letter with the same temptation. This shattered my dreams of seeing him again. Only a fool would reach far beyond what they dreamed of.
“I’m not sure. I realized too late that this situation was far beyond realistic. All I was told was that they could assist me and mend my past mistakes. Did… they promise you the same?”
The lady silently nodded and opened the two doors.
I was introduced to a boisterous dining area with various characters surrounding it. Oh, the disappointment these people have endured, and I’m another one to fall for the illusion.
“We have a new survivor,” Plinius announced, and all heads turned toward me.
Survivor?
“You should have run while you had the opportunity,” spat a hooded gentleman with his heels on the table.
My head lowered in shame.
“Don’t be so bitter, Naib. We could at least make this experience a little more lighthearted for her,” scolded a young woman with a straw hat and freckles.
A dame wearing a nurse outfit then approached me, a compassionate smile drawn on her face.
“Welcome to Oletus Manor. Do call me Emily Dyer.” she smiled.
“I’m Y/n L/n…” I responded, grateful to find at least one merciful soul. “If I may ask, where exactly am I?”
This is not the first time she’s been asked this question, judging from Dyer’s grimace.
“Unfortunately, you’ve entered an experience you can never escape. It sounds harsh, we know, but everyone here has accepted it as our reality.”
My eyes glanced toward the poor souls who didn’t even bother to associate with me. A man reading his map, another dame inspecting her gun, and a young girl tinkering with a particular toy, among many others.
Astounded by the answer, I meekly questioned, “I-I don’t understand. Never escape?”
“Here, come sit.” Dyer led me to an empty seat beside a young boy with glasses. He gave me a not-so-reassuring smile before resorting to eating his dinner.
“Here… here’s how this “game” goes...” Dyer began.
Later that evening, the freckled woman, who I know now as Emma Woods, led me to my bedroom. It was a simple room with all the necessities. A closet to the right, a bed to the left and a table that shared its space with the window right in the center.
“Please don’t think too much of the situation, Miss Y/n,” she advised, fiddling with her hands. She had some sympathy for me, but there was not much she could do about it. “Try to sleep well tonight, alright?”
I reluctantly nodded and bid her farewell.
Reflecting, I stood still in the middle of my room with the sounds of owls being the only sign of life.
I wanted to chuck my briefcase toward the mirror and shatter it.
I wanted to tear the windowpane, shatter the glass and run endlessly into the darkness.
I wanted to scream bloody murder in the hopes that someone would overhear and rescue me from this hell that I willingly entered.
But instead, I slipped into my nightgown, blew my candle, and gazed at the moonlit sky.
Tomorrow, I am expected to spectate the game and participate the day after. This endless, brutal game of cat and mouse. Squeezing one of my cushions, I sobbed quietly. I knew that not even my family would even bother looking for me. No one wanted me in my hometown, and as it seems, no one wants me here either. I’m a disgraced aristocrat who disappeared without a trace.
I fell unconscious from those tears, and at one point in my dreams, I heard his voice. I always heard and even saw him in my dreams now and then, but his voice was exceedingly crisp and precise this time. Was it because he was my motivation for coming to this damned manor?
…Is it possible this promise had been kept?
I would never unearth the truth, would I? As the sun shone into my eyes early that morning, I accepted the reality that I would now awaken every day with death waiting by my bedside.