As the moonlight glow covers the empty spaces of a bedroom, Scarlett was lying on her bed, hugging a stuffed teddy bear close to the young woman as tears continues to leak from her eyes.
The redhead didn't bother getting out of bed or doing her daily routines, only getting out if she could order food or supplies from her Scroll placed nearby.
But even then, this wasn't enough to dull the aching pain for betraying her best friend, no, her beloved knight known as Jaune Arc.
Scarlett recalled the numerous times she, Jaune, and their friends with the Unknown Inquiry Group went out on several adventures across Arcadia, battling monsters, resolving various problems, or just simply being normal teenagers that want to hang out together.
Not only that, but the Noctis Walker also recalled her close friends that formed her team based on chess pieces she used to play:
Hikage Taiyohara, the majestic Queen.
Bianca Cieloblu, the gentle Bishop
Shiori Fukui, the resilient Rook
Masura Akairyu, the endearing Pawn,
And Jaune Arc, her beloved Knight.
She did wonder how her adorable servants and her older brother are doing right now, but given that they wouldn't want to see her, let alone be near her presences, Scarlett never felt this alone in her entire life.
Even her time with Rad didn't help matters entirely, as Scarlett recalled the wannable rebel regressing from a confident yet suave bad boy to a miserable yet abusive excuse of a man that hated everyone and everything, even for the slightest of reasons.
Had the young woman know that Rad was nothing more than a spoiled and miserable jerk who's desperate to make a name for himself earlier, no matter how horrible the crimes were, Scarlett would have terminated that relationship without hesitation and return herself into the loving arms of her adorable blonde knight.
But thanks to her fears and insecurities, combined with peer pressure to date this seemingly 'bad boy' despite the warning flags, the redheaded Noctis Walker had ultimately disgraced herself to a terrible life in exile alongside Rad with nothing but their bags and their names to carry.
Not only that, Scarlett had ultimately had her precious group painfully destroyed, not by dangerous monsters, but by her caving into peer pressure to a man that her parents, even her doting big brother and his own family, would never even approve of.
Especially since she knew that her family treated Jaune like he's a part of the group, something she regrets deeply inside of the young woman.
Though Rad is now dead from committing suicide, this unpardonable atrocity still stains her otherwise beautiful heart.
If only I can have my beloved Knight back, Scarlett hugged the stuffed teddy bear that Jaune gave to her during a festival some time ago back at Doremy. I'll do anything to make sure he's with me once more.
"Scarlett Fairbairn, we meet in person," a bored yet flat voice appeared unexpected as the redheaded Noctis Walker turns towards that tone of voice.
The redheaded woman turned towards the voice behind her, until she witnessed a woman wearing a long dress, leather gloves, and low heel boots, all colored black as bandages were wrapped around her face, only exposing her long wavy black hair that goes nearly behind her back and sunglasses to cover her eyes.
"Who are you exactly?" Scarlett managed to sit on top of her bed while clutching her stuffed teddy bear as she got out of her bedsheets, revealing to wear a long red sleeve pajama shirt, long sleeve pajama pants, and black socks. "And why did you come to my apartment?"
In response, the girl simply popped out of existence before reappearing again next to the redheaded Noctis Walker, sitting next to her on the bed as the latter moved away from the young girl.
The bandaged woman tilted her head towards the Noctis Walker. "I sensed that you're miserable over something you lost and wanted to get back, isn't it?"
"Uh . . . yeah?"
"Let me show you what I actually look like, to make things easier to bear."
In a blink of an eye, the woman with the bandaged face disappeared before her new appearance takes the form of a little girl that was reaching the early stages of adolescence.
Said girl had long black hair that reached to the middle of her back, pale skin, deep black eyes, and wore a long white sleeve dress shirt with slightly puffed shoulders, a black mid-thigh dress that covers the dress shirt, long knee-high socks, and black dress slippers.
"I'm the leader of The Shadow Liberation Front," the raven-haired girl stated bluntly, her face barely showing any emotion whatsoever. "And this is my true form."
"But you looked so young . . . "
"My disguise with the bandaged woman helps prevent any unwanted attention from people that wants to know who I really am while being taken seriously by my underlings, while my current forms help keep prying eyes off me when travelling around the city," The apparent leader interrupted, her tone still monotonous.
"What are you then if you could do all this?"
"Simple. I'm what is known as a Reticent, a group of species that lived far long than Remnant's entire history. But I have an actual name you know."
"What is it?"
"While my real name would be hard to understand . . . especially since the writer had no idea how to make creative names without making them sound lame," said Reticent muttered to herself. "Plus, given that Remnant goes under a Color Name Rule, I'll go by . . . Melanie Moontide."
"That seemed . . . like a pretty nice for you, miss . . . Moontide," Scarlet replied nervously, knowing better than to get on the girl's bad side.
"Thank you," the now named Melanie nodded before a cup contain containing a strawberry smoothie with a straw emerged into existence without warning, in which she drinks for a bit.
"You wanted to get Jaune Arc back, don't you," The seemingly young girl stared at Scarlett's fade bluish-green eyes as she stopped drinking her smoothie. "Because dating Rad Stoneman behind his back was very cold to say the least."
The redhead could had screamed, could have used her Destruction Blast to obliterate the young girl into nothingness, or simply wring her throat, but the rational part of her brain prevented the Noctis Walker from attacking the leader of the terrorist group . . .
. . . and it's not just because it would cause the terrorist group to retaliate for the death of their leader or making people think she's attacking a seemingly innocent girl for no reason with her reputation already in tatters.
Instead, Scarlett had to sigh in disappointment. "What do you want Melanie?"
"The answer is pretty simple," The Reticent drank her smoothie until it was empty, before making it disappear into thin air. "I want you to kill Jaune Arc for me."
That caused the redhead's eyes to widen. "Are you serious?"
"I am serious as he's the child of the Arc family that is training himself to become a Hunter and is actively making himself very powerful now his resolve is now strengthen alongside the rest of his family, especially since his great grandfather, Julius Arc, was the one responsible for pushing the Noctis Walkers back into DarkTide back in his prime, alongside fighting Preeminence Thunder into a draw three times before agreeing to a ceasefire," Melanie stated.
"Not only that," the ravenette's black eyes begin to pour into Scarlett's bluish green. "With Jaune Arc dead, his family might cave into despair far longer than before, giving me more time to kill the rest of them in their weaken state while ensuring the Shadow Liberation Front have better time conquering Remnant without them around before I can improve my chances of making Preeminence Thunder leave the Midnight Void."
"Why for?"
"I want my silence," The Reticent stated. "Plus, I want Thundidiot to go away."
"So how do you plan to do that?"
"Simple," Melanie replied. "I want you to become my Vanguard and kill him."
"Are you serious?"
"I'm dead serious," The Reticent apparently wasn't joking around over her statement to the Noctis Walker.
"I'm not sure about that?"
"This is your only chance, because I won't tell you again." Melanie, despite her monotone behavior, has an ultimatum given to the redhead. "Now choose, Scarlett Fairbairn."
The redhead felt conflicted over this offer, knowing that if she became the girl's vanguard, the young woman could risk betraying everything she stand for to a terrorist leader with less than benign means and with the simple goal of getting rid of rival Reticent.
On the other hand, if she refuses, Scarlett could risk being trapped in her stale, and ultimately, lonely punishment under her exile, being forced to earn Lien to survive another day in what appears to be to a dead-end adulthood.
Especially since her terrible actions led the Noctis Walker to her current predicament.
Looked at her teddy bear, cuddly and adorable with light brown fur all over the stuffed toy, the redhead sadly caressed the stuffed toy gently until she drooped her hair down while hugging it tight.
I'm sorry everyone, Scarlett said in defeat. But I refuse to live in a world without my Beloved Knight.
Gently putting the stuff teddy bear near the pillow before tucking the sheets in, the Noctis Walker got onto her feet, looked at the Noctis Walker that is way shorter than her in defeat.
"I accept your offer." Scarlett stated, her tone resigned to the Beyonder's fate.
"Good," Melanie pulled her hands up, before a black and purple snake popped into existence. "To start out . . . eat this snake."
"Are you serious!?" the redhead looked at the Reticent as if she grew a second head. "You want me to eat a snake raw?"
"I am serious," Melanie replied in her blank tone. "Eat this snake or deal ends."
"Alright," groaning in defeat, Scarlett gently holds the strange snake from Melanie's hands, not wanting to anger the reptile or the seemingly young girl holding it in her hands.
The Noctis Walker began to stare at the creature's purple eyes with black slits as pupils as it sticks out its tongue in and out a few times.
Giving a huge gulp, Scarlett carefully takes the snake inside her mouth headfirst as it slithers inside and slowly reaches down her throat.
As the redheaded Noctis Walker watches the rest of the snake's body continues to uncoil while going down to her stomach, the young woman does whatever she can to not gag or puke the limbless reptile out of her body.
Especially if the snake decided to retaliate for being forcibly ejected out of the redhead's own stomach.
doing her best to make sure not to let the snake bite her or have a gag reflex until she was certain the snake was now inside her body.
After having the snake go into her body and finally settled within her stomach, Scarlett drops to the floor, gasping for breath as she braces herself to experience something truly horrible to happen to her right now.
But after waiting for about a few minutes, the Noctis Walker stared at the raven-haired Reticent with a blank look on her face.
"That's it?" Scarlett couldn't help but wonder in disappointment at what Melanie had just given her. "I just ate a snake raw and yet I don't feel any changes to me. So, is this some kind of joke . . .?"
Without even a single warning, the Noctis Walker falls onto the floor while releasing an ear-piercing scream that echoed the hallways as she felt her entire body is being altered in several painful ways as the redhead felt her.
The pain was growing so bad that she literally begged anyone, even her ex boyfriend Jaune Arc, to end the pain right now.
Melanie, however, wasn't perturbed by the redhead's plight, instead observing her screaming and panting nonstop without even a care in the world.
Soon, my Vanguard will be ready, and I will have her annihilate Julius Arc's precious great grandson. A dark smile begins to creep onto Melanie's lips. Then, once Remnant bows down to their true masters, I can use all the resources to ensure Preeminence Thunder leaves the Midnight Void to myself.
Besides, Melanie continues to stare at Scarlett's screaming form as her body slowly begins to change. At least I soundproof the entire apartment.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Writing the scene where Scarlett eats the snake Melanie gave her and the following 'changes' that occurred shortly after made me want to gag to be honest.
On another note, I had a hard time catching up to my stories due to personal events in life.
I might be able to catch up with my stories, but that's easier said than done due to personal events in life.