The sun seemed to set earlier than usual. The golden sun laid on the horizon, dying the sky a rich shade of amber. The once-white clouds were now blushed with topaz. Against the backdrop, the dead trees were a deep grey. A crow perched itself on a wobbling, unsteady branch, cawing.
Arthur was in the library, reading a book about magic and sorcery. He hoped he could take his mind of the slight disturbance that had been running throughout the mansion. The pages of the book he was holding were slightly yellow with age and the words were cursive and handwritten. He slowly turned the pages, hoping to find another way to unlock a door. He had tried an unlocking spell he knew of earlier, but it didn't work. Alfred suggested that magic did not exist in the first place, but Arthur refused to believe that. He would just have to keep trying.
"There's nothing in here," he sighed after going through the book. He shut the book and placed it back on the shelf. Even the words of a wise magician of back then did not help him.
But he did not leave the library. He stepped back and began scanning it. It was a large library with tall shelves of endless rows of books. There had to be a book that could help. Sighing, Arthur turned his attention to the other things in the library. Standing on a carpeted floor was a chair, carved intricately with the armrests curling up into lion's paws. The armrests were decorated so intricately that every wrinkle of each curled paw was detailed. A golden chandelier swung from the ceiling. The last of daylight streamed through the window. And then there was a mysterious mirror. Its frame was made from Scots Pine, according to a book Arthur had read in the library, and carved into its surface were dragons with scaly wings and curled claws.
"It's so peaceful here," Arthur whispered to himself.
From somewhere, he heard something clattering.
Arthur whipped around.
"The hell…"
He swore that he just saw a silhouette walk past the doorway of the library, wielding a scythe with chains.
Instinctively, Arthur ran out of the library and chased after the figure.
'Hey, you!" He called. He skidded to a halt and his eyes widened in disbelief.
"Huh…?"
Aside from what he saw earlier, there was no proof that the silhouette had existed.
"Gah, isn't there any other food in this mansion?" Lovino grumbled as he looked through the cupboards in the kitchen.
"But fratello, we've searched everywhere! There's no other food in this mansion other than the food we already have!" Feliciano protested.
"There's got to be at least a rat to kill," Francis said as he peered under the dining table. Antonio sighed. Gilbert flopped on the floor in frustration.
"Damn, isn't there even some bread?" Gilbert complained, leaning back to rest himself against the wall. They had been looking for other food in the mansion to eat, but they could not even find a rat. It was getting on everyone's nerves. As Gilbert slowly relaxed, he felt something protruding press into his back. He turned around and saw a tiny, rounded doorknob.
"Hey guys! I think I found a cupboard!" Gilbert called over his shoulder. Immediately, Francis, Antonio, Lovino and Feliciano rushed over, wondering what may be inside.
Gilbert pressed his ear against the wall, knocking it. An echo-like sound came in response. It was hollow. Definitely a cupboard. Gilbert grabbed the doorknob, and yanked the cupboard open.
"CLOSE IT!" a figure from inside barked.
"The hell…?" Gilbert said, immediately retreating from the cupboard in shock, which was actually a tiny space. Feliciano gripped onto Lovino's shoulder in fear. Everyone backed away from the space.
"Darn, Alosis… You blew our cover!" A hollow voice which seemed to be coming from above yelled angrily.
"Why must you choose to conceal yourself in that place anyway?" A second voice said.
"Because unlike the rest of you, I can't hide in wood or mirrors!" The voice from the space in the wall shouted back.
"Ah well… No point hiding anymore, right?" A third voice said. At that moment, four figures materialised.
A young man with tufty, messy black hair about Gilbert's age emerged from the space in the wall, dressed in a creased, white dress shirt and black slacks.
"That's the man from my dream!" Francis hissed. The man heard this and grinned.
"Nice to meet you. Name's Lust Eater," The man said, licking his hands, which were coated in fresh blood.
Another man, who looked slightly older than Lust Eater and even resembled him in some ways, was perched on the top cupboard. He had one, gleaming emerald eye and one black eye and was dressed smartly in a buttoned black vest over a white dress shirt and black trousers. He smiled slightly. "My name is Shadow Mirage. Pleased to meet your acquaintance."
A third man who sat cross legged on the kitchen counter smirked. He had matted dark brown hair that stood up slightly. There was a dried line of blood tracing down the corner of his mouth and several scars on his exposed arms. He was wearing a collared, button-down shirt with short sleeves, a tie with a strange-looking cross on it and black trousers. He was clutching onto a scythe with a black, bloodstained blade and long chains.
"Call me Screw Hunter," he said. At that very moment, his scythe shone and materialised into a young man with a gentle expression and dressed in similar clothes to Screw Hunter. He bowed.
"My name's Black Blade. We'll try to make your deaths painless, ok?" he said, smiling softly.
Just then, Elizabeta, Ludwig, Roderich, Arthur and Alfred burst into the kitchen. "We heard noises," Elizabeta explained. "We came because…" She gasped.
The fifth and last figure was a lady her age, sitting with her knees to her chest on the dining table. Long, dark brown hair cascaded down her back and the yellow ribbons in her hair fluttered gently. Her long, light blue, bloodstained dress almost reached her ankles. She was barefoot and there were chains tied around her neck. She turned to see Elizabeta.
"Elizabeta Héderváry," The lady whispered. "It is the first time I have seen you in person… In reality. And by the way, my name is Maria."
Elizabeta shuddered, her fingers twitching. It was that girl.
"So… who's first?" Lust Eater asked, licking his lips. He turned to Francis and smirked. "I shouldn't be asking that, because I've already decided."
"What do—URMPH!" Francis was interrupted as Lust Eater appeared in front of him in a blink of an eye, his hand in Francis' mouth. Roderich gasped.
"That was what he did to me!" Roderich said.
"You remember? Have you ever wondered why?" Lust Eater asked, smirking. He turned back to Francis. Francis felt his hand slide down his throat, choking him. Francis made strangled noises. Quivering with hatred for these newcomers, Gilbert snatched a knife from the counter and hurled it at Lust Eater. But just before the knife could reach him, Lust Eater grabbed it by the blade without bleeding.
"Don't interrupt," Maria said softly. She raised her hand. Suddenly, the humans collapsed to the floor, hands bound behind their backs by invisible ropes.
"B-binding magic?" Arthur said in disbelief as he struggled.
"Heh heh, got it," Lust Eater announced. The whites in Francis' eyes appeared, and all life was drained out from them. Lust Eater drew his hand out from Francis' throat. Lust Eater was holding a black ball enveloped in blue-white, fluorescent flames.
"W-what's that?" Antonio asked.
Lust Eater's grin got wider. "His soul."