PPC: As of 5/16/11, I have rewritten this whole thing. So if you're an old reader, I recommend you re-read everything from the first to the last word, since it'll probably be confusing otherwise. Thank you!

PROLOGUE

"This… is the place?" I blinked in confusion, eyeing the building before me with suspicion. I took a second glance at the letter in my grasp, matching the two addresses to confirm. Indeed; this was my destination. I gave the carriage driver a wave of thanks, gesturing for him to take his leave. He nodded simply, disappearing from sight without question.

The gates guarding the entrance were almost frightening; the building was dark to the core, and the time of day didn't help any. Despite the obvious eeriness, its opulence stood out more than anything. Exterior decorations, probably made of solid gold, caught my eye more than anything. I walked over to the silver-coated gates, pressing the large doorbell to signal my arrival.

I held my beige-colored cloak over my body protectively and admired the garden view for a split second, when,

"This is the Nightray Dukedom," spoke an unfamiliar voice. "What business do you have with us?"

"I'm Alva Windwalk," I replied courteously. "I'm here per a letter's instructions."

"I see. You may enter; Ernest Nightray is waiting for you."

Before I could reply, the gates creaked open, separating to make way for me. I narrowed my eyes, looking around as I walked over to the front door, which was probably four times taller and twenty times wider than I was.

This time, the door was pried open and I was greeted with a bearded man, whom I assumed to be a servant. He didn't say a word but merely gestured for me to come inside. I followed after him, admiring the portraits hung beautifully on the walls.

"This is the room. Now, if you'll excuse me."

"Ah, wait-" I extended my arm to raise a question, but he was already gone. What the heck? He sure seemed to be in a hurry. I sighed, pushing the door open and trying to walk forward, but instead bumped into a warm figure and stumbled back.

"Oh?" spoke the man. "Alva-san, it is a pleasure." He extended a hand to me with a creepy smirk. I blinked.

"So you're Ernest Nightray…? It's… a pleasure to meet you," I replied, taking his hand as a form of greeting. "Sorry about bumping into you. I guess I'm still a little baffled by this place."

"It's not a problem," smiled the man. His light hair extended neatly past his shoulders with his bangs slightly parted in the middle. He wore a large smirk on his features; the most distinctive part of him was probably the birth mark on his right cheek. I examined his features, wondering why he seemed so happy. He gestured me to follow him as he went forward into an unknown direction, which I promptly did.

We continued walking for a few more minutes and eventually, the man in front of me stopped, causing me to almost bump into him a second time. I blinked, staring at his back in confusion; he was quite a bit taller than me.

"Er… Ernest Nightray?" I asked.

"Oh, sorry about that. I was just trying to remember what room we had to go to…"

I couldn't help but sweatdrop at that. He certainly seemed laid-back.

"Oh!" he continued before I had a chance to say anything. "Oh yeah. I think we go right over down the hall – just follow me," he laughed innocently. I didn't reply and continued trailing after him, looking around and admiring the portraits hanging on the walls. They were beautiful – I wished I was that talented. I nearly tripped over the carpet amidst my exploration, catching myself just in time.

Thankfully, Ernest didn't seem to notice.

"Right here," he spoke, pushing the door open as he held it for me. I walked into the large room that somewhat resembled a library, only to be greeted with an unfamiliar face standing next to a bookshelf.

"E-Ernest…?" questioned the boy as he turned around upon hearing the door squeak open. His hair was a soft beige color and spiked up at the front; an unusual style, indeed. He looked at me then back at Ernest Nightray.

"Oh, Elliot, you're here?" questioned Ernest from next to me. "Well, no matter, you can stay. I'm just here to give the new Pandora member a quick tour and explanation."

"Oh…" Elliot merely said, turning to face me and putting the book down that he was reading. "Well, I'll leave if I'm bothering you."

Ernest gave a tooth-filled grin and simply walked over to Elliot, giving his hair a quick ruffle. Elliot puffed up a bit and blushed, looking away.

"Stop that, Ernest! I'm not a kid anymore…!" he spat in embarrassment. I couldn't help but laugh.

"So you're Elliot Nightray?" I asked, extending a hand. "You're pretty amusing; nice to meet you."

"A-Amusing?!" he spat, ignoring Ernest. "But since you're a new member, I guess I'll go easy. Ernest… what house is she from?"

"That's the spirit, Elliot!" the taller man chanted. "Also, she is not part of the four main houses, but we are making arrangements for her to stay in one of them."

I waited for the conversation to subside or for my turn to speak to come.

"Why would she be allowed to become a member of Pandora if she isn't even part of the four main houses…?" Elliot raised an eyebrow as he darted a disapproving look at me, making me somewhat angry. I popped a vein.

"Hey, you," I said in a frustrated tone. "Don't start with the insults just because I'm new!"

"Insults, huh? I'm just stating a fact! All of the Pandora members right now are part of the four main houses!" he countered.

Sparks of infuriation shot from our eyes as we neared each other, glaring the other down. Ernest brought his hands in front of him to ease the tension and stifled a laugh.

"Now, come on, you two. We should welcome the new member, not scare her away. Besides, Pandora has members outside the four households all across the country," he sighed and put a hand on Elliot's shoulder, who flinched from the contact. "And Elliot… you're aware of the chain known as Lucifer, right?"

Elliot froze.

"…yes," he replied quietly.

"Well, you're looking at that chain's contractor."

"W-What?!"

"That's one of the reasons why we decided to accept her as a Pandora member, my boy. Lucifer could be beneficial to the organization. We never know when the Baskervilles will strike, so we need to be in our best shape," Ernest explained matter-of-factly.

"I didn't know this pipsqueak was Lucifer's contractor… but isn't it disobedient? Can she even control it? And wouldn't this all make her an illegal contractor, since she made a contract without using the method invented by Pandora…?"

My upper lip twitched. He sure had a lot to say when it came to degrading someone.

"I happen to be taller than you," I spat. "And older. Which would make me wiser."

"Age doesn't equal knowledge! I definitely know way more than you when it comes to Pandora-"

"Oh, come on," Ernest sighed, placing a hand to his forehead in annoyance. "Elliot, don't be such a sourpuss. Just give her a welcome. Even though she is an illegal contractor, we decided to let this slide. She really could be beneficial."

"…fine…!" he grunted, crossing his arms with a blush. "Uh, I'm Elliot Nightray. I guess we're… partners from now?" spoke the boy, almost catching me off guard. I didn't expect his personality to shift so easily. He extended a hand for me to shake, which I courteously accepted. His facial expression still showed signs of annoyance and I responded to that by gripping his hand a little more tight than usual, causing him to wince and withdraw it. I smirked.

Victory.

"Oh, you… I'll get you back," he merely said. I really did win this round after all.

"Now, how about we sit down and speak about your responsibilities as a member of Pandora? I'm sure you're getting curious, too."

He gestured me over to the large square table in the center of the room and I kindly accepted the invitation. Elliot decided to trail after us, sitting next to Ernest while I sat across from the two.

It almost looked like I was being interrogated or something.

Before Ernest could open his mouth, I heard the door we came in from gently squeak open and looked over to it, noticing a long-haired boy with glasses enter the small library.

"Oh… am I interrupting something? I was just coming to check up on Elliot…"

"L-Leo!" Elliot spoke. "I was wondering where the heck you were."

"Sorry, sorry," Leo smirked. "Hello, Ernest-sama. Am I not allowed in?"

"No, that's quite all right. I don't see the harm in letting you stay. You are Elliot's Valet, after all," Ernest said with approval, waving him over.

"Another strange one…" I mumbled as quietly as possible, causing Leo to look over in my direction.

"Hello, I'm Leo," he smiled gently. Good, he didn't seem to hear what I said. I was surprised at how different he was, though – he seemed to be Elliot's total opposite.

"Hello, I'm Alva Windwalk. I'm the new member."

"Ah, I see. I hope we get along well."

I smiled at him. What a sweet boy. He took a seat next to Elliot and put his book gently in front of him, eyeing me through those thick glasses of his.

"Now… let's start," Ernest said as he crossed his arms in front of him. "As you probably know, Pandora is an organization of contractors that monitor chain activities and find out information on the Tragedy of Sablier as well as the deeper parts of the Abyss. Our most important duty is probably to make sure the Baskervilles don't do anything to tamper with any disasters…."

"Baskervilles…?" I asked.

"Pfft, you don't even know that? That's stupid," Elliot interrupted.

If I were a volcano, I'd erupt.

"Elliot… you're cruel," Leo turned around and laughed. "She just joined, so how do you expect her to know about that? Almost no one outside of Pandora knows about any of this."

"Whatever," Elliot crossed his arms once again.

"Anyways…" Ernest continued, raising a brow at the boy next to him. "The Baskervilles are an enemy group that we believe are aiming to recreate the Tragedy of Sablier. They must be stopped at all costs," he said seriously, making me sink back into my chair.

"I see."

"So that's pretty much your main objective. The Baskervilles are strong so using your chain may oftentimes be necessary. I advise you to be prepared. That's really all I have to say."

That… was it? I expected a day-long lecture.

"I'm not really in charge of accepting new members, but we were interested in your chain and background so Duke Nightray gave me the OK to accept you."

"Give him my regards," I said. "But where will I be staying?"

"Not here please," Elliot quickly replied. "She'd probably drive me up the wall."

"Elliot…" Leo sighed, giving him a pat on the shoulder. "Admit it, you already consider her your friend."

"I don't…!" Elliot raged hard. "…Leo, you mofo!"

"Oh, but you do!" Ernest even pitched in, nearing closer to Elliot from his side of the table. Elliot looked back and forth between Leo and Ernest and sucked his teeth in frustration.

"You guys… are crazy."

I really couldn't hold that back.

"You'll get used to it," Ernest promised. "But in regards to where you're staying… we've already spoken to Cheryl-sama of the Rainsworth household and she has stated she will be able to provide you with the usual necessities as well as a place to stay. The Rainsworths are very kind, so be thankful."

I felt really, really lucky.

"I'll have to thank her as soon as I see her. But let me ask one thing…" I took a deep breath. "…are there any crazy people like Elliot over there?"

Leo laughed.

"What….!" Elliot steamed. "Crazy, you say? You're crazy!"

"Ho-hum," I said as I ignored him, intertwining my fingers and looking at Leo instead. "You know, Leo, you act more like the master and Elliot acts more like the servant."

"…!"

"Oh goodness, will you all just calm down?" Ernest tapped the table. "But I do feel like you're going to fit right in, Alva-san. The Rainsworths are actually a pretty kind house; I bet you'll love Sharon-sama."

I smiled, happy to hear such a thing. I wouldn't be around this crazy guy for much longer.

"Well, all we need you to do is sign this contract that states you agree to the conditions of becoming a member," spoke Ernest, pulling a sheet of paper from his document file and sliding it over to me. I blinked, glancing over its contents.

I then realized I didn't have a pen.

"Use mine," offered Leo, sliding the pen in my direction. I gave him a thumbs-up.

"Thanks, Leo."

Skimming the sheet, I signed it in great haste before sliding it back over to Ernest Nightray, who glanced over it before nodding.

"Well, you're good to go! I'll go get your carriage ready, so wait here."

The light-haired man smiled and got up, exiting the room with his files firmly in his hand. I stayed silent for a short duration, hoping not to start another war. That longing dark side of me wanted to criticize Elliot while Ernest was gone, though.

"Say, Alva-san…" Leo began. "Do you know which four Dukedoms Pandora is composed of?"

This piqued my curiosity. It probably would've been smart to ask Ernest, but I seemed to have forgotten.

"No…" I admitted. "I don't."

"Well, they're composed of the Rainsworth, Nightray, Barma, and Vessalius households. Those are the main four houses that created Pandora. It has members all across the country now. Most of the members have chains. Do you have a chain?"

Oh, right. I forgot Leo wasn't in the room when Ernest explained my chain and the situation behind it.

"She's actually the contractor of a chain named Lucifer, Leo," Elliot said as he leaned his head into the palm of his hand lazily. "Making her an illegal contractor."

"Oh… really?" Leo questioned. I was surprised he didn't put on a shocked face or anything. He seemed quite accepting. "That's interesting."

"Leave the explaining to me, moron."

"What did you call me!"

"As I was saying…" I proceeded, ignoring him. "I've already told the Duke about this in my letter, but my seal stopped moving a while ago. I haven't been summoning my chain lately, so that may be the reason. It… doesn't seem to want to listen to me."

"Like I said, it's not very obedient. You should read up on it; we have plenty of books here and I'm sure the Rainsworths do, too."

I tilted my head in confusion and looked at his piercing blue eyes.

"Are you offering me some help?"

"N-No… well, maybe."

"See? We're already on good terms," smiled Elliot's servant, adjusting his glasses while opening his book. "Aren't you glad, Elliot?"

Elliot merely sighed and looked away.

As if on cue, a familiar figure returned to the room with a smile plastered on his face. We all turned to face the man, who gestured us all over.

"Alva-san, your carriage is here."

"That was quick…" came my reply. I got up and walked after him with Elliot and Leo following closely behind. I didn't know why they were trailing me, but I actually appreciated their company despite the bickering.

"The hall's this way," spoke Ernest, holding a candle in his hand. It was really dark already, which surprised me. Had I really been here for over two hours now?

I heard Elliot talking to Leo behind me but couldn't quite make out what they were saying. We swiftly made our way past the regal hallway and to the front stairway, which was how I entered the area to begin with. I admired its décor once again.

We headed down the stairs. Elliot and Leo seemed to speed up a bit, as they were now walking in front of me.

"Oh, racing, are you?" I told Elliot.

"Maaaaybe…"

We turned the trip down the stairs into a racing game. As I dashed for the last step, I tripped – preparing for the worst, I shielded my face as I awaited my downfall. However, to my surprise, someone's firm hand seemed to grip mine, holding me up so I wouldn't fall face-first into the marble flooring.

"You're an idiot," sighed Elliot.

He actually helped me?

I saw Leo smirk from behind us. Ernest seemed surprised but quickly formed a smile, moving away to let us have some 'bonding' time. I got up, dusting my clothing and looked him straight in the eyes. I was barely able to muster out a,

"Thanks."

"It's fine…" Elliot rolled his eyes. "Now, we're already at the front door, so… I guess this is goodbye."

I almost forgot I was even leaving. I dropped my angry temperament and mimicked Ernest, ruffling the boy on the head. He went beet red, making me stifle a laugh.

"I said bye! Shoo!" he screamed as his voice cracked, holding his hair. "Don't ruin my haircut!"

"All right, all right… see you, Bitter Boy."

"Haha, that's really fitting for Elliot!" Leo chimed in. "We'll see you later, Alva-san. It was nice meeting you."

I smiled at the kind Leo, arching my head to take another look at Elliot who seemed to be infuriated with his new nickname.

"I'm glad you all became such good friends," Ernest said sarcastically. "Miss, it really was a pleasure to meet you. I hope you enjoy working with us."

He waved me off and I did the same. Elliot waved without much of a care; as I looked closer, I could tell he was holding back a smirk.

That bastard was probably really happy that I'm finally leaving. Leo, on the other hand, was waving enthusiastically.

I made my way down past the gates and into the carriage, where the driver bowed to me before opening the door, gesturing for me to head inside. I gave the Nightray group a final glance and smile before being driven off.

Now… I had hoped my experience at the Rainsworth household wouldn't be as painful.