Prologue

The tears of the nine-year-old girl continued to flow down her cheeks. Her whole body was shaking from too much anger and fear. She kept on convincing herself that all of this was nothing but a nightmare. That tomorrow, she would wake up and find out that everything was just a dream. That all this bloodshed was not real.

But the sea of blood surrounding her was telling her otherwise. That all of this was real, that it was not just created by her mind. That the monster with red eyes walking closer and closer to her was not just a product of her imagination.

Blood stained his clothes. But she knew that those were not his own. He was a killer, a bloodthirsty monster. She wanted to scream, to ask for help. But she knew it was for naught, no one would come to help her. Because all of them were dead. And her tears once again fell uncontrollably.

He was getting closer and closer. She wanted to run, but she felt like her feet were stuck on the ground. She couldn’t move. Fear and dread filled her own body. When he got closer, his fingers closed on her neck. He slowly lifted her up in the air and she gasped because of the sudden lack of air.

“Hello there, little mouse,” he said with a hint of an accent that she couldn’t place. “According to your family’s servants, the first-born child of Philippe Rosencrantz is a girl with golden hair. So you must be the younger one.” He smiled, showing a pair of sharp fangs. “Tell you what, I will let you live. Then you can tell your sister that one day, I will come for her.”

He threw her with no further notice. She wheezed in pain the moment her back hit the hard floor. She glanced back, just in time to see the monster.

She looked at the area where she landed and saw the pool of blood. She closed her eyes tightly. But she knew she needed to know the source of all that blood. She opened her eyes and slowly raised her head. And once again, her tears flowed down like a flood.

Lying in front of her was her father, surrounded by his own blood. The girl slowly got up and walked to him with shaking limbs. She knelt down beside him and held his hand. The warm touch surprised her. This ignited her hope.

“D-Dad…”

Her father painstakingly opened his eyes and looked at her. He tried to smile, but that only made him cough up blood. “I-I’m sorry that y-you have to witness e-everything.”

She shook her head repeatedly. “D-don’t speak, Dad. You’re going to be okay.”

A sad smile crossed his lips before he gently shook his head. As if he was saying to her that this was the end. “P-promise me… that you will protect your sister. I-I know you can do it. Because you’re s-strong.”

She bit her lower lip and nodded. “Y-yes, Dad.”

“T-then let me give you this last g-gift.” Even though it’s hard, he slowly raised his hand and put it on the top of her chest. “I love you so much, Henrietta. Remember, no matter what, I will always be with you.” And for the last time, he smiled at her.

There was light.  And then, there was only darkness.