Chapter 1: Looted

"A sharp pointed arrow aiming at a white as snow Scandiaca Owl Bird flying across the pantone cerulean blue sky, it strikes into the bird's right wing lesser coverts, causing it to drop like a stone.The young man hurriedly rode his horse in the area where the bird had crashed, only to be startled by the sight of an injured young woman holding the arrow he once used to hunt the bird.

"Are you the owner of it?" her tone was full of hatred. She showed the arrow before snapping it in half with her left hand alone.

The young man quickly rode off to his horse and grabbed his handkerchief and ignored her words. "My apologies,I didn't mean to hurt the Guardian of Birds… Scandiaca," he expressed his regret.

The young woman's rage was replaced by astonishment as a result of the concern shown. The man approached him and bandaged her right arm wound with a handkerchief.

"I hope you don't mind," he said politely. "My name is Aegolus, second son of King and Queen Flammeus." "Could you tell me what the name of the Great Scandiaca is?" he asked.

The entire atmosphere fell silent, before the beauty replied, "Mirabela." The young man looked at her, and they both stared at each other. Mirabela smiled as she looked away, and the young man grinned back as he kept bandaging her wounds.

They have always met in the thick forest every morning since that day, and they have grown closer to each other. There are times when they compete in small animal hunting, river fishing, and horseback riding. When night falls they secretly meet in the prince's hidden hideout near the palace garden. Until one night, when they were gazing up at the dazzling stars. Mirabela asked, peering up at the sky, "Aren't they beautiful?" Prince Aegolus turned to her, her eyes flashing like stars, and the prince saw the maiden's entire beauty reflected by the moonlight.

"Yes, she's so beautiful," the prince mumbled.

"She?" the beauty inquired, turning to face the prince, who was staring at her; she couldn't believe he was talking about her.

To evade her gaze, the prince gazed up at the sky. "M-mira, I've been waiting for this uh opportunity for a l-long time," the prince stammered. "I can't sleep well at night because I'm thinking about how I am supposed to say this to you." He lay on the grass, his arm covering his eyes as if he were sleeping. He screamed, "Mira! I've loved you for so long!" He removed his arm when he felt someone covering his mouth.

"You don't have to shout; it's already late at night; perhaps the guards will see us," she murmured shyly, her face flushed, "Aegolus, I do feel the same way to you," Mirabela said hoarsely, her voice shaking with excitement.

"When I become King, I promise Mirabela, I will make you, My Queen, we will be together for life, I will not let anyone hurt you, I will protect you because I love you so much," the prince said, kissing the girl on the forehead.

"I know," Mirabela said minimally before squeezing her face into the prince's chest.

The day of the coronation to be the next king had come, many people attended. The King, Queen and the Princess of the Kingdom of Virginianus also attended the said occasion. King Leopold declared that the next King would be Prince Aegolus, who in turn was approved by the Great Scandiaca, all rejoiced except one man." Ochracea cut the story, an Ocher-bellied Bobook. It was perching on a pink bedside table next to a child's bed to the right.

"Who?" little Arabelle inquired, her eyes wide with wonder.

The owl tilted its head looking at the lovely youngster, who had white wavy long hair, compassionate hazelnut-colored eyes, and its skin hue, which resembled the purest snow. "If you lie down and close your eyes, you'll know," Ochrachea suggested.

"Is this correct?" the girl asks as she lies down with her eyes closed.

The owl had a small giggle at the toddler and began singing a tune. "Little owlet weak and frail, searching for its own trail, little owlet tries to fly, shall it succeed or shall it die; world is full of mystery, mystery full of tragedy, little owlet tries to fly, now it's flying, flying so high," it ended the song as the child fell asleep, slowly walking to the other side of the table near the window, giving it one last glance before flying out.

*************

Arabelle felt so sad, she was so hurt that she almost threw away anything she could touch. "Why? Why did you do this to me?" She sobbed to herself and angrily waved her hand on the table causing a mirror to fall and shatter. She dropped down on the floor and picked up the broken mirror, crying as she gazed at her own reflection in it. She found herself laughing out loud and angrily flung the mirror against the wall, which was utterly shattered, much like her heart and entire life.

"I guarantee you'll regret it!" She exclaimed angrily.

She was startled awake by a loud crash and found herself on the floor, she realized she fell asleep in her workplace. She stood up and shook her head, sighed, and sat back down in the swivel chair.

"It's always been like that in my dreams," she said to herself, yawning.

Arabelle glanced at her wrist watch and saw it was 11 o'clock at night, so quickly- she grabbed her bag, tidied it up, and left the shop. It's been 12 years since she last spoke to her friend Ochrachea, the story didn't continue when it was probably killed and the culprit was their gardener. She always dreamed of such a situation from the time she turned 20 till now, 22, as if she was in too much pain, and she felt the suffering because her heart ached every time she awoke.

Arabelle was walking to the parking lot when she decided to check her phone, only to be shocked to see that she had received 10 missed calls from their home phone number. She dialed her Father's phone number but received no response, and she dialed her Mother's phone number but received no response as well. Something horrible struck her entire body. She jumped into her black Audi car and began driving at such speed. With the excessive force of the pounding of her chest, she knew something was wrong. She was trembling while holding the steering wheel, she could hardly hear the surroundings. She was worried because she was never hung up on by her parents.

She drove even faster when she reached the owl bridge, which was a sign that she was getting close to their residence. Fog covered the entire bridge, but Arabelle didn't care because she was in a hurry, she was in the middle of the way out of the bridge when suddenly a flying owl appeared in front of her. She came dangerously close to hitting the owl, but in her adrenaline rush, she stepped on the brake. Arabelle banged her forehead into the steering wheel.

"What's wrong with me?" She wondered.

She raised her head once again to see the owl perched on the hood of her car, tilting its head and peering at her; she, too, stared at it before the owl flew away. She took a deep breath before she decided to start driving.

When she arrived at their estate, she was startled to see that their enormous gate was already open, so she got out of the car. The entire area, as well as the mansion, was pitch black, as if no one was inside. Arabelle shouts out from the balcony,

"Mom?" But no one answers.

"How strange, did they go out of town?" she thought.

She walked in and opened the door; Arabelle quickly flicked the light switch, on the wall on the right side of the door. Her eyes widened and then she became almost unbalanced in dread, because of what she saw. She reached her father's prostrate body, she could barely talk; his body had been stabbed several times, and he had a bullet wound to his right chest and forehead, but his eyes remained open.

"D-dad!" She stammered, tears streaming down her cheeks. She knelt down and felt his hand for a pulse, but it was too late; he was already dead.

Without seeing her Mom on the crime scene, she rolled her eyes forcefully and hastily sprang up, calling out, "Mom? M-mommy?" She rushed to the kitchen, thinking her Mom might be there, but only seeing their cook and two workers' dead bodies as well.

She heard a quiet knock from inside the restroom near their dining area, Arabelle rushed there instantly, only to be confronted with her naked and dying Mother when she opened the door. Her bruises covered her entire body, including her face, legs, and arms, she also had two stab wounds in the side. Blood scatters all over the floor.

Arabelle hurriedly went in, raised and made her mothers head rest on her lap.

" M-mom, what happened?" she cried, while hugging her mother's head.

"The-there is no time, Arabelle," she spoke as the blood spouted out on her mouth. "They've killed everyone including your dad, and I don't want you to get killed too." she cried.

" Mom, who did this to you?" More tears streaming down on her face.

"Y-you need to go now Arabelle, s-save yourself for us." She grabbed one of Arabelle's hands and gave her a necklace with a pendant-like key. "Take this with you" she said and gasped for air. "Always remember we love you." she smiled before her last breath.

Arabelle cries while hugging her Mom's dead body, she doesn't care if the blood stains on her clothes. She stopped crying, when she heard a crash on the second floor of their mansion. She carefully placed her mother's head on the floor and covered her mother's corpse with a towel that had a blood stain on it. She took a deep breath and gently went out of the restroom. One of the thieves walked down the stairs unexpectedly and saw her. She ran out of the house.

"Someone's alive!" it exclaims. And he dashed after Arabelle.

She ran towards the gate, but the thief fired his gun at her, Arabelle shouted out in agony as the bullet grazed her left arm. And yet she keeps running despite the painful sensation she feels. The sound of bullets hitting the fence greeted her when she finally exited.

"Come back here!" the thief shouts, as he keeps chasing her.

"H-help, Help me" she cried. Arabelle was out of breath and sluggish, and she was already running out of energy, when she saw a truck in the distance, being overjoyed, Arabelle ran to the middle of the road and waved.

The driver, on the other hand, was wearing earphones and was concentrating on his phone while driving, so he couldn't hear or see her.

She continued to wave, and kept screaming "Please help me!".

She came to a halt, when she realized the truck had no sign of slowing down, and it was ragingly approaching her. Due to intense exhaustion and shaking she can't move her legs. She simply closed her eyes and waited for the car to hit her.

Even though it was too late, the driver was shocked and stepped on the foot brake.

"Please, someone, save me!" she wailed, as her eyes closed.

Things happened so quickly that even before Arabelle and the truck collided, a blinding light which turned out to be a portal, emerged in front of her. She was completely absorbed by it right away. When the truck came to a halt, the driver swiftly descended to investigate the crime he had perpetrated, but he was surprised to see no human body or dead body was found.