Disclaimer: I own nothing whatsoever.
Chapter One
Innocent Calm
It was raining.
Not that Oz noticed, really. Not even the loud crash of thunder caught his attention. He was too consumed by the present time to even give the flashing night sky a second thought.
He was going to die.
"Oz Bezarius." The hooded figure standing before him spoke. "I, who bear the chain of conviction, shall now pass judgment on you."
He was going to die. And he didn't even care all that much. He was frightened, no doubt about that, but he couldn't help but feel himself give in. Especially, as he glanced over at the dark-haired figure lying face down not too far from him.
Oz watched, breathing heavily, as the dark figure took off his glove and approached him.
"Your sin is…" it spoke, "…your very existence."
And then, everything went black.
~x~
Someone once said "That place is engulfed in darkness." However…
"Young master! Where are you young master, Oz?" A voice called, sounding urgent.
In a dark closet sat a young blond-haired teenager. He shushed his little sister quietly as she giggled.
…that does in no way mean that there was never any light.
"Young master!" The voice shouted louder. Footsteps came thundering into the room, and revealed an old, disheveled woman. She looked stressed beyond belief. She then caught sight of the young master's servant, Gilbert.
"You over there!" She called to the young boy. "Please wait! Gilbert!"
The black-haired boy turned around. "Yes?"
She flew at the startled boy and grabbed him by his scrawny shoulders. "You're the servant who is always with the young master, so you should know!" she demanded. "Where is young master Oz hiding?!"
"Huh?" Gilbert stated. He seemed suddenly frightened by the threatening atmosphere that swirled around them. His expression then turned to surprise. "Ms. Kate, what on earth happened with the young master?"
The woman, Ms. Kate, loosened her grip on the boy. "It's almost time for the party, and I can't find him anywhere!" Panicking, she released Gilbert and instead clasped her face in horror. "Don't tell me! He's planning to boycott today!?"
Gil began fidgeting. "We-well, I actually haven't seen the young master since after breakfast…" he said, in a tone that was just a tad too innocent.
Ms. Kate gave him a deadly smile. "That reminds me, Gilbert," she stated. "I heard a little something from the young master."
The woman very suddenly bent down and snatched up a small creature curled next to her feet. "He said you absolutely can't stand cats, right?" The cat in her arms meowed.
Gilbert shrieked. "The lake! He and the young lady, Ada, were headed towards the lake!" he confessed in terror.
Ms. Kate dropped the small cat and started for the door. "Ho, ho! The lake is it?" She said, sounding accomplished. "Well, let's go and catch him then!"
She, along with a few other maids, finally left the room. As they did, Gilbert leaned against the wall for support. "Young master…please stop playing around and come out now…" he stated tiredly.
The closet doors beside him flew open. Laughter spilled from them as the young master stepped out, his younger sister in his arms. "Good work, Gilbert!" he said to his servant and friend.
Gilbert sank to the floor. "Ahhh…Ms. Kate is going to be mad…." he said glumly.
Oz smiled cheerfully. "Hehe! That sure is rough, Gilbert," he said, not sounding fazed at all by his friend's distress. "All right. Today let's try taking a look at the garden out back!"
"Hmm…so you were hiding there?" A voice rumbled from behind them
Before either of the boys had time to react, they were yanked upwards by the back of their shirts and were now dangling above the ground. "Looks like I've caught a pair of bad little brats!" the large man holding them captive said.
"Old man Oscar!" Oz stated in surprise.
The large blonde man dragged the two boys to a different room while Oz's sister, Ada, followed after them. Once they had reached the room, Oscar set the boys down and took a seat on the couch.
"Honestly, you two…" he sighed. "You really shouldn't do things to worry the house-keepers."
Oz laughed and said smiling, "But they're even more uptight then usual, so I couldn't help but want to mess with them!"
Oscar let out a bellowing laugh and raised an eyebrow at his nephew. "Don't you think that it may make them even more uptight?" Oscar asked the teenager. "You're the next in line for the Bezarius household, which is one of the four great Duke families, and its about time for the coming-of-age ceremony for you, Oz Bezarius."
Oz frowned, not looking too thrilled about the whole thing. "Yeah, that. Why is it that I have to do something like that, anyway?"
Oscar laughed again. "That's the fate of those who turn fifteen! Try and accept it," he said, smiling widely at the boy's annoyance.
"Yeah, well… I guess I should be happy since I got to come to this mansion for it." Oz stated, returning to his cheerful mood. "This place is fun! Even after two days, there are still places I haven't seen yet!"
Oscar took a drag from his cigarette and gave Oz a gentle smile. "It's a beautiful mansion isn't it?" he said softly. "It seems it was built more than two hundred years ago. But now it's being used as a location for the coming-of-age ceremony." He paused for a moment then continued. "Since this isn't a place you can just carelessly come to, I'm thinking we should have some fun with this 'unorthodox party!'"
Oz smiled widely at that, pleased. "Yeah! You came to hold the ceremony, didn't you uncle?"
His uncle tensed at that. His smile dropped a tad bit, but he forced himself to keep it on. "In truth, it should be your father's job…I'm sorry for substituting for him."
"What are you saying?" Oz said, still smiling. "As for me, I think you are a lot like my father, uncle. If anything, I'm happier about that!"
He didn't notice the looks of concern that passed over Gilbert and his uncle.
"…yeah…" Oscar murmured. "Oh! That's right, Oz!" he stood and walked over to a nearby closet. He opened it and pulled out a large black box. "The item you asked for made it just in time!"
"Really? All right!" Oz exclaimed, thrilled.
Oscar handed the box to his nephew. "It'll be a bit snug, but it should be okay…"
"That's fine! Thank you!" Oz said, accepting the large box.
Suddenly, a loud bang sounded from the door as if someone was pounding their fist on the wooden doorway.
"Oscar!" Ms. Kate yelled from the other side. "Is the young master Oz with you?!"
Oz turned to his uncle with a pleading look. "Please, uncle! Would it be alright to play just a little longer?"
"Young master!" Gilbert shouted, not happy about his friend's request. "No way! Didn't you promise to stop the 'mansion exploration' by four?!" He pointed up at the clock, which read 4:06.
Oz turned to his friend in irritation. "Shut it! I said 'just a little more', didn't I?!" He snapped his fingers and Ada's cat pounced on the raven-haired boy's head.
Gilbert screeched. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He struggled to throw the feline off his head.
"Hey, now! Let's not bully Gil too much, okay?" Oscar stated, shaking his head. He messed with Oz's hair and smiled at him. "You wanted some time to hand this over, right? So get out of here!"
"Oscar!" Ms. Kate shouted even louder.
Oscar winked at Oz and headed for the door. "Yes, yes! I'm coming!" Before answering the door, he quickly turned back to Oz. "Listen up, Oz! You absolutely better not mess up today's party!"
"You got it!" Oz called back to him as he began climbing out the window, his sister and Gil in tow.
"If it looks like you're going to pull a stunt…" his uncle continued. "I'll have to call out the Emissary of 'Abyss'."
Oz raised an eyebrow at his uncle's warning. "Sorry, but those threats don't work on me anymore!"
He saluted his uncle and then climbed out the window.
As the trio walked quietly through the mansion's large garden, Ada turned and tugged on her brother's hand. "Um…brother? What's 'Abyss'?" she asked curiously.
Oz thought for a moment on how to answer the question and then smiled at his little sister. "Well, it's a prison where bad people are locked up," he explained to her. "The rumors say that once you are taken there, you can never come back."
Ada turned away from her brother and instead began to tug on Gil's hand. "Is that prison we saw in that book not too long ago?" She asked her brother's servant.
Gil smiled at the little blonde girl. "That's the one," he said. "The Emissary comes from the 'Abyss' to snatch those who commit heinous crimes. It's said that the creature then takes them away to a truly terrifying place."
"But before we tell you more…" Oz interrupted. "Take a look at this, Gil!"
Gil looked over at his friend, curiously. Oz had opened up the black box his uncle had given him and had taken out some kind of clothing. He was startled as Oz suddenly pushed a white fabric into his arms. Gil blinked in surprise and unfolded the garment to get a better look.
"This is…" Gil said, his voice trailing off. "Wait… Isn't this a little small for the young master?"
Oz laughed at that. "It's fine, dummy! Since you're the one wearing it!"
Gil froze and a look of alarm crossed over his face. "Really?" he asked slowly.
Oz didn't seem to notice the change in his friend's attitude. "It's the truth! Since you're going to be participating in the coming-of-age ceremony, too!" Gil looked even more alarmed at that, but Oz continued. "And since the clothes I was going to lend you seemed too big, I asked Uncle to get it tailored for me!"
Gil couldn't hold back any longer. "What is this?! I didn't hear anything about this!!" he shouted at Oz.
Oz furrowed his eyebrows at him, "Of course! If I had said something about it, then what?" He then grinned and snickered at his friend. "I wanted to see that panicked look you always get, so I was quiet."
"Tch!" Gil sank to the ground. "I can't…Please find another person…"
"Don't worry!" Oz said cheerfully, ignoring Gil's distress. "The job itself isn't a big deal! All you need to do is put the robe on my shoulders at the end of the ceremony."
"It's not that…" Gil stated softly.
"Then what are you unhappy with?" Oz asked raising an eyebrow.
"I'm just a servant!" Gil blurted out. "That kind of position is beyond someone like me!"
Oz looked at him, his eyebrows furrowed. Then he shook his head. "You're wrong, Gil." He said. "You won't be doing it as a servant…I want you to do it as my friend."
"It's absolutely impossible!" Gil shouted, looking frustrated. "If they know the young master has an orphan like me as a friend…all of the nobles will criticize you behind your back."
Oz looked down at his hands, thinking to himself. "Not really…" he said quietly. "I'm not worried about it, but…"
"It will make the master mad!" Gil also threw in, looking extremely worried for his well-being.
"It's fine." Oz murmured, turning to look up the sky. "He can't even come home from work for his son's birthday. He won't come back just to scold you."
Gil paused and looked at his master's expression. He saw the traces of sadness in them that he almost never saw in Oz. Unless, that is, you brought up his father.
"Um…Young master?" Gil said, kneeling down next to his friend.
Oz didn't answer him however. He was now completely distracted by something else. He could hear music playing… A soft melody…
"What…is this sound?" he almost whispered.
"Huh? Can you hear something?" Gil asked, surprised by the change in topic.
The sound was beautiful…It was soft and gentle, like a bedtime lullaby… Oz felt himself stand and instinctively tried to follow the music. 'This sound…A music box?' Oz thought to himself, feeling lightheaded suddenly from the breeze and the lovely sound playing around him.
But, of course, he was very suddenly snapped out of the haze as he suddenly felt the earth beneath his feet give in and begin to crumble. Gil flew forward, trying to grab his friend. Instead, however, he fell down with Oz into a now gaping hole in the ground.
Pain shot through both boys as they hit the ground. Hard. They groaned in pain. "That hurt…" Oz said, gritting his teeth. "Hey…Gilbert, you still alive?"
"Somehow…" Gil mumbled, rubbing his sore head.
Both of the boys looked up from where they were, ignoring the worried calls above from Oz's sister. They froze at the sight before them.
They were kneeling in front of a grave. The stone was shaped like a cross and there was a name engraved at the bottom. Wrapped around part of the cross was something shiny and gold.
"This place…"Gil said in awe. "Could it be…a graveyard?"
Oz lifted himself to his feet and walked forward, Gil stumbled after him. "Yeah? But…There's only one grave here," he stated, looking around the stone room. The ground was covered in green grass and the grave itself was covered in vines. It must have been here a while…
Looking the grave over, Oz suddenly noticed the glinting golden metal hanging from the cross. He couldn't stop himself from reaching forward to grab it, the gold sparkling in the sunlight. Something about it drew him in…
It was…a pocket watch?
"The names really faint…I can't read it." Gil stated, trying to read the name engraved in the stone. He glanced up when Oz didn't respond. He blinked in surprise at the look on his master's face. It was as if someone had put him in a trance. "Young master…?"
Oz finally reached for the watch and grabbed it.
Ba-dump. His heart suddenly pounded hard against his chest and he trembled. He clutched at the watch even as he stumbled backwards. 'What is this…this feeling?' he thought. 'That noise from earlier…did it come from this watch?'
Oz swallowed hard. His hand moved without him even thinking about it. Very slowly he turned the small pocket watch's knob to start the melody. 'I don't think I've heard this melody before…I wonder whose pocket watch this is…?' he thought to himself.
Tic…Toc…
'But, for some reason…'
…Tic…Toc…
Oz looked up from the watch. Something had changed…
He wasn't with Gil anymore.
Tic…Toc…
"What…? Where…am I?" he murmured.
…Tic…Toc…
This room that he stood in…He'd never seen it before. A satin couch lay behind him, next to a small table covered in flowers. Windows surrounded the room with satin curtains that hung down around them.
And there were dolls…Lots of them.
Some of the strangest dolls he had ever seen lined the walls in front of him. Puppet-like dolls with huge frightening eyes, shaped like cats, rabbits, jesters, and maids…
Tic…Toc…
"Hehe…"
Startled, Oz whipped around towards the building laughter. But there was no one in sight. "Haha…Hahaha!" he heard again, getting louder. He still could see no one. Then he looked up at the toys stacked along the walls.
It was the dolls… They were…laughing…
Oz froze in horror, unable to believe this was actually happening. The wooden dolls laughed at him. The horrible clattering sound their mouths made as they moved mixed with their loud, sinister laughs was terrifying. Oz watched them with wide eyes, mouth agape.
Tic… Toc…
"Returned! Finally, he's returned!!" they shouted, their voices seeming to leave an echo. "So pleased! She shall be so pleased! Yes, of course!!! Because she's been waiting for so long!"
Tic…Toc…
'What…is this?' Oz thought in horror.
"Everyone, please be quiet." a gentle voice said from behind him.
The dolls immediately stopped chattering and went still. "You've scared him a bit…" the voice said softly.
Oz turned around slowly. Standing behind him was a small, slender figure clothed in white.
It was a girl.
"You…you are…" he said, his voice breaking, still in shock.
The girl smiled at him, her long dark brown hair swinging around her. He couldn't see her eyes because they were covered by her dark bangs. "I knew it! You came for me!" she said, happily. She suddenly rushed at him and threw her arms around him.
"What?!" Oz shouted, completely taken off guard.
"Everyone hates me…" the girl murmured, nuzzling into his chest. "That's why no one comes to see me."
Oz pushed her away. "Wait just a second! I don't know what you're saying!" he shouted at her. "What is this place?!"
"What are you saying…?" the girl said, her voice barely above a whisper. She backed up and continued to smile at him. She spread out her arms to show him her room. "You…don't you always come here?"
Stunned, Oz took a step backwards. "Me?" He murmured.
"Yes, you." She replied, turning away from him and picking up one of her many dolls. "Whenever I'm sad, you're always by my side."
She cradled the female doll in her hands, but held it away from her body. "As long as you are here…I don't care if I never escape from this place."
Oz took another step backward. "You…What on earth are you…?" he asked, his voice beginning to sound panicked.
The dark brunette girl turned towards him, frowning.
Tic. Toc.
"Me…? I…?" The doll slipped from her fingers and hit the linoleum floor.
And suddenly burst into flames.
Oz jumped backwards in alarm. His arm flew up to protect his face from the flames and smoke. The fire spread quickly, surrounding him completely. There was no way out.
"I'm…I'm…" the girl's voice still echoed repeatedly. "I'm…I'm…I'm…You…You…You…You…"
What the hell…is this?!
"Stop it!!!" Oz screamed loudly, his eyes shutting and his hands covering his ears, trying to block out the echoes and the whispers that surrounded him.
"I'll kill you." A whisper into his ear.
Oz's eyes flew open and he whipped around. "Wha-?!" he was cut off as two hands suddenly gripped his throat tightly. Oz felt it becoming hard to breathe as the strange girl continued to keep a vice-like grip on his neck. He was no longer surrounded by a wall of fire. Everything around him was just darkness. Complete darkness.
"I'll never forgive you…" she whispered, her voice containing a deadly tone. "I'll never…NEVER!!!"
Oz was suddenly looking into her eyes. They were terrifyingly white. Her face was darkened and her mouth was curved into a sinister grin.
"Never forget!! No matter where you run and hide," she hissed, darkly. "I'll find you. NO MATTER WHAT!!!"
Fear coursed through Oz's body, he struggled against her grip. "Le…Let go!" he yelled at her.
She chuckled lowly. "What's wrong? Do I…frighten you?" she let out another dark giggle. "That's fine. I'll scare you all I want!" she leaned forward and whispered into his ear. "Lament…trembles…despair…all of it. I'll gently teach you everything!!!" She took one of her hands and reached behind her. "And then…at that final moment, I…will kill you with my own two hands!!"
She pulled out a dagger and all Oz could do was scream as the dagger came straight down on his face.
"Young master!!"
Oz jumped at the sound of Gil's voice. Shocked, he looked at the scenery around him. He was back with Gil, the stone grave standing in front of them…
"What happened?" Gil asked him, sounding concerned. "You were just staring off… That watch…did something?"
Tic…Toc…
Oz stared down at the pocket watch in his hands, ticking slowly. "…huh…?" he murmured softly to himself. "What…was that…? Just now…" The breeze gently whooshed by him, ruffling his blonde hair gently.
"What on earth…happened?"
~x~
"Are you sure it's alright to keep that watch?" Gil asked him as they walked back to the mansion.
Oz waved his hand at him. "It's fine," he stated, smiling. "Later, I'll have Uncle tell me whose grave that is. So, I guess that's that. Catch!" He tossed the black box with the silk clothing to Gil, who caught it in surprise. "Ms. Kate will fill you in on the details for tonight."
Immediately, Gil began spewing out protests. "But young master! There's no excuse for someone like me to be in the ceremony!"
Oz turned to him, frowning and with an eyebrow raised. After a moment, he stepped forward and patted Gil on the shoulder. "I know," he said to Gil. "I won't force you. If you don't come, I won't mind at all."
'He's lying…' Gil thought glumly.
Oz turned away from him and grasped Ada's hand. "Well then, let's go change our clothes too, Ada!" he said cheerfully to his younger sister, looking back at Gil as he left. Gil sank to the floor, distressed once again.
As Oz walked with his sister toward the mansion, he couldn't help but think back to the strange occurrence that had happened earlier. Had that really been a dream? That feeling…like being strangled.
It feels like something is still there…
He reached up and faintly touched his neck without thinking, and didn't notice the dark finger indents that had been left there.
~x~
"What should I do?" Gil said to himself, fidgeting with the white robe. "For me to attend as his friend is…"
"How nice… These clothes…"
A dark, sinister voice sounded from behind him. It whispered into his ear.
"Will you show them to me too?"
"Wha?" was the only thing Gil could say as darkness suddenly swallowed him.
~x~
Oz stood on the staircase, waiting.
Gil. He really wasn't coming?
"…no…" Oz whispered, stunned that his friend really hadn't shown up.
"Young master Oz?" Ms. Kate called from the top of the staircase. Behind her were huge wooden doors that led to the hall where the ceremony was being held. His coming-of-age ceremony.
Lightning flashed outside, causing Oz to jump. 'The sky…looks really violent,' he thought.
Ever since then…I can't seem to shake this feeling…
~x~
"Hahaha! Look! Look! Look!" Gil, but not Gil, said twirling around in his fancy white robe. "I'm really something! Don't you think I look just like a prince?!"
The hooded figure seated in front of him grinned. "Oh! It sure does look good on you!" The strange voice was feminine sounding. "Is it to your liking, Doldam"
Gil, but actually Doldam, stopped twirling and grinned widely at his partner. "Hmm…The low quality is a bit of a problem, but…it's really easy to move around, Doldee!"
"Alright then. Shall we go?"
Doldam grinned. "Lead the way."
"We'll give that descendant of Bezarius…" Doldam said, grinning demonically. "The greatest blessing imaginable!"
~x~
Oz reluctantly prepared to walk through the massive wooden doors. His mood had dropped severely now that he realized that Gil was not coming to his ceremony. 'The watch seems to be ticking faster than usual,' he thought.
Tic…Toc…
It's like I'm being lured…towards the depth of darkness…
~1~
