The sound of gunfire and shouting echoed around the valley in a violent cacophony as the lone medic knelt by his fallen comrade. The crumbling stone walls of a derelict cottage surrounded them, ravaged by time. The sunset skies above blazed vivid orange signifying the burning, raging reality of their personal war. It was 1940 and Austria had been occupied by Nazi Germany for two years now. These men had been part of a small pocket of freedom fighters, disgusted by the atrocities the Nazis had committed in concentration camps across their once beautiful nation, but the SS had finally caught up with them.
"Klaus, listen to me, you're going to be alright!" the medic yelled as he frantically tried to stop the bleeding of his wounded friend in a flurry of needles and bandages. "Stay with me, Klaus!" His wounds were too severe, it was obvious to the Doctor that this man's life was slowly fading, but he couldn't give up.
"Han... sel..." The soldier's eyes opened slightly.
"Klaus, save your strength, I'm not going to let you die here!" Hansel cried, his wrinkled brow drenched with sweat.
"Han... sel... promise me..."
"Yes anything, my friend, just stay still or you'll bleed out!"
"Promise me... you'll tell my wife that I..."
"Don't be foolish, Klaus, your wife is d-" Klaus grabbed him by the collar.
"I said promise me, Hansel! Tell her I love her!" His intense gazed fixed on Hansel.
"Y-yes... I promise..."
Klaus' eyes softened to a close and he slipped into unconsciousness. Hansel looked down at him. Klaus had a wife and a daughter back home, everywhere he went he'd take out the photo of them both and show it to anyone who would listen, brimming with pride. Obviously the pain had been too much for him causing his memory to fail, Klaus was Jewish and his family had been killed earlier that year.
An honest man's life was slowly fading away in front of him and despite all his medical training there was nothing Hansel could do to stop it. The sound of gunfire faded away around him as he sank into despair.
"Oh, what a shame." A voice spoke melodically behind him. He turned in shock to see the elegant silhouette of a woman, dominating the cottage doorway. A light slowly faded behind the figure, once again revealing the deep saffron sky outside. Her hair, pure white, long and flowing, defied gravity, as if suspended in water, framing a pale face with closed eyes perched gracefully atop a slender neck. This mysterious stranger was garbed in a verdant dress adorned with flowery embroidery that appeared to change and shift with every passing moment. As she came closer to him, Hansel felt a sickly-sweet sensation form in the pit of his stomach, his face went pale.
"Don't look so frightened," She giggled, her voice a painful blend of harmony and discordance, "I'm only here to help you!"
"Wh-who are you? What are you?" Hansel managed to stammer, this nauseating presence was more than he could bear.
"You can call me Lady Lucia," A slow, bone-chilling smile crept across her face, "And it seems your friend is dying."
"And you think that's funny do you?" Hansel clenched his teeth, reaching for his pistol, he fired, hitting her straight in the forehead. Lucia's head reeled back with the force of the shot and within moments a blinding light beamed from the point of impact. She lowered her head again, there was no wound, not even a scratch or a blemish. He dropped his pistol in awe.
"Come now, Hansel," she sighed, "That's not going to help either of us is it?" She stepped closer, bending forward in one fluid motion, her eyes opening, until she was looking straight into his, "I'd like to offer you a deal of sorts." Her eyes were pure white, lacking irises or pupils, and the gaze emanating from them caused a dull pain to resonate within Hansel's skull.
"Oh... really, what... can you possibly offer me?" He strained, fighting against the aura of unbearable beauty.
"A life for a life, your life for his. I will save your friend and in return you will become my servant."
"Servant? What are you talking about?" Hansel's eyes narrowed, "And even if you could stop him from dying, we're still surrounded by the SS!"
"I'm more powerful than you can comprehend, mortal," She extended a seemingly tender hand towards him, "Your friend grows closer to Death's embrace with every passing moment, take my hand and I will save his life and send him far away from here."
Hansel scrutinised the dainty claw before him, it was obvious to him that this being wasn't human, he had no idea what being in servitude to her would entail, but he had to save his friend. He reached out to take her hand, it was cold and smooth like flawless glass. She grasped his hand tightly and a surge of unadulterated power coursed through him, there was a flash of light, reality crumbled.