Tick, tock. Tick, tock.
The ancient hands of the old Grandfather clock moved steadily, signifying the approach of something ominous. The flames of the fire in the hearth crackled noisily, greedily devouring the remaining pieces of wood. They cast a warm glow on the furniture in the Victorian-styled room but half of the room was still shrouded in darkness.
There was the faint smell of books that had not been read in months and the heavy curtains of the room were drawn shut, letting not one single streak of sunlight enter. On the richly wallpapered walls, hung a single photo frame. In it, there were two smiling adults dressed in fine dowry and a young girl grinning with joy, the gap in her teeth shown. The frame was hidden in the darkness, long forgotten by the master of the house, along with other dusty furniture.
The room was quiet. Very quiet.
Then, something stirred.
A lovely lady of around twenty-five years old placed her cup of tea gently onto its ceramic saucer. As she moved, her mahogany hair swayed, framing her heart-shaped face like a halo. Then, she leaned back onto the plush ornate chair, seemingly content. Her angelic face was half hidden by the dark and half lit by the smoldering flames. With pursed lips, she stared at the flames of the fire thoughtfully. However, other than that, she was an emotionless doll.
After a while, the young lady swung her legs slowly back and forth, the crisp fabrics of her skirt swishing delicately. She had a velvet hairband on her head, preventing any stray locks of hair from falling onto her eyes, which were of a stunning green. A black eyepiece covered her left eye. Perhaps she had an injury in her left eye? Fortunately, the eyepiece did not decrease the beauty of this girl but instead, gave her a sly appearance.
The beautiful woman wore an exquisite dress made out of silk. It was blood red with a delicate black velvet embossed vine pattern that twisted and tangled its way across the bodice top before trailing down the sides. On top of that, the top layer of the dress was V-shaped like the petals of a rose. Finally, to complete the look, on her dainty feet was a pair of laced white stockings with a strappy pair of heels. Indeed, the young gentlewoman looked like a gorgeous princess out of a fairytale.
A moment later, along the hallway, there were soft footsteps, like those of a feline, treading outside the room. Slowly, it grew louder and louder before the sound stopped right outside of the door. Then, the door creaked as it swung open.
There was a swoosh of wind before all was silent again in the room. At the door was a young man around the same age of the lady dressed elegantly in a stunning black tuxedo. His black hair fell onto his forehead, almost covering his eyes that were a magnificent golden. He looked at the creaky door with disgust, reminding himself to repair it before the Mistress was to use the room again. Then, remembering his purpose, the man bowed low with respect before reporting to his Mistress in a solemn, deep voice.
"All has been prepared, Milady." He announced, excitement glittering in his eyes.
The lady tilted her head slightly before continuing to gaze at the flickering flames. She remained still for a few minutes before parting her lips and replied in a honeyed voice, "Get ready, Kiyoshi. It's time."
The butler nodding eagerly, before gracefully taking his leave with a flourish. For a while, the lady was left alone in the peaceful room. She sat up straight, the image of the flickering flames reflected in her eyes. Slowly, her lips curved into a tiny smile. However, her eyes were devoid of any emotion.
Suddenly, the flames were extinguished….
