Chapter 1: A New Life in Hell

Day: 1

Rinoa stomped her foot heavily against the back of the driver's seat, hoping to get her point across, despite the fact that the situation was hopeless from the start. Slumping back against the back of her own seat, she glared out the window at the birds flying above the car.

All the while, her hand fidgeted with the seatbelt, hoping to jimmy the lock and cause a ruckus that could get the car to halt so that she could attempt an escape through the childproof door.

It was a marvel that she slept through the fist half of the trip. Sadly, it involved an airship and apparently a strong sleeping drug.

Even more angering than the trip altogether was the fact that she was ready to make her escape the night before; she would have made it out the door had it not been for all the distractions around the manor. That's how she knew she was drugged. Now she was sitting in the back of her father's showy, little car with one of his attendants watching her every move. Ready to stop her if she did something drastic.

"I think this is good for you," Fury Caraway announced, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. "New home. New lifestyle… and no sign of that troublesome Squall Leonhart."

She scowled, wanting to hit him. He didn't have the right. She would be eighteen in seven days. Her father did this in haste for that reason. Crossing her arms, she braced both of her feet against the back of his seat and slouched over, glaring out the window.

"It'll be good for you," he continued, unaffected at her attempts to push his seat forward. "Maybe it'll straighten out that attitude of yours. No negative influences to trouble you. You can even resume focus on your studies." He went on and on about how this 'new life' would benefit her.

"All it'll do is brainwash me," she mumbled.

Rinoa had no idea where they were even going. The surroundings were completely foreign. Unfamiliar cliffs and rocks. Trees that she'd never seen before. But it did present an opportunity to run and hide; plot her way back to Deling City, and thus, back to Balamb.

First, she needed to know where she was. There was zero familiarity about this place. That bothered her.

Eventually, the painful hours ticked by. They stopped at a large mansion that overlooked the ocean from a hill. Glass panes danced in the light of the setting sun.

When the seat-belt was removed and the door opened, she launched out of the car, running toward the ocean. At least she would try to calm herself by getting away from her father and letting nature soothe the aching in her chest.

Caraway sighed, shaking his head.

"Should I retrieve her, sir?" the attendant asked.

"No, no. She'll come around in time," he said, heading inside while the other attendants gathered and carried their belongings inside.