"Today is a wonderful day," Heather whispered, eyes fixed on the sky above as the golden dusk spilled across the rooftops.
With quiet resolve, she climbed the ladder and perched herself on top of the tall stone wall, both legs dangling freely. From up there, she took one last look at the mansion behind her — the grand palace she once called home. She smiled, "I'm not coming back anymore."
And with a swift kick, she knocked the ladder down. It clattered against the stone with a loud bang, echoing like a declaration of war. She jumped.
The mansion faded behind her as she moved forward into the unknown.
Before her stood a thick forest, ancient and wild. But Heather was not afraid. She noticed faint trails on the ground — footprints that had worn a path through the dense brush. Without hesitation, she followed them.
Rich estates always had wide-open grounds.
This wasn't the city, crowded and tangled — this was quiet, vast land.
But that silence made escaping harder. People knew her. Too many people.
She could have waited near the delivery route for a cart or hitched a ride into town. But not today. Today, she was running away. "Oh wow," she chuckled to herself. "This is so cliché. Now it's going to be fun." Just ahead, an old bicycle stood leaning against a tree. She paused. "Hmm... I've never seen this here before." She looked around, scanning the empty road.
"What if someone comes back for it? What should I say?" Uneasy, she decided not to risk it. She left the bike behind and kept walking.
The road curved deeper into the woods, trees rising like ancient guards on either side. After some time, she reached a small settlement — a village corner bustling with life. She slipped in unnoticed among the common people. No one recognized her in her plain clothes and dusted hair. For once, she looked like everyone else. In the corner of the market, she spotted a familiar shop — a small food stall run by an old man and his daughter. They had known her, once, from a different world. She entered, careful not to draw attention. "Lulu, can I get some bread?" she asked gently. A red-haired girl stepped out, wiping her hands on her apron. "It's been a while, Heather. But I'm busy — I can't play with you today."
Heather gave a crooked smile and took her hand, pulling her gently into the store. She pointed at the shelves. "I'm not here to play. I'm here to buy. I'm not some useless girl." Lulu stared at her — at the look in her eyes — and nodded. The air between them changed. "What do you need, ma'am?"
Without hesitation, Heather grabbed a few things — bread, jam, candy, chips, and a small bag of rice. She paid, thanked them, and stepped back into the fading light. The sun was beginning to sink, but the road ahead was still visible. They said no more. Lulu returned to her chores. Heather returned to her escape. Deeper into the forest now, with no one in sight. The darkness came quickly. She had wandered far, far from anything familiar. Finally, she stopped. Beneath a cluster of thick trees, she set her bag down. For the first time in days, she allowed herself to breathe. Looking at the quiet wilderness around her, she smiled.
"I've always wanted to come here... but I never could. Now... I'm free."
She shouted the words into the sky, laughing with wild joy. And the night welcomed her like it had been waiting. The wind howled through the trees.Heather stopped.
She thought she heard footsteps—running.
She spun around.
Nothing. Ahead of her lay a serene lake, hidden between mountains like a secret kept by time itself. The water shimmered in the moonlight, glowing blue and soft, like glass under starlight. Heather stood still, mouth parted in awe. "Ah... ha... ha..." She couldn't find words. Suddenly—SPLASH! Something leapt beside her into the lake. A powerful splash broke the silence. She gasped and froze. There was someone—no, something—standing across the water from her. They locked eyes.
Despite the late hour, the moon was high and full, casting silver light across the lake. She could see him clearly.
Her golden eyes widened, a creature. Upright. Covered in fur, like a beast from stories—red, white, and black. Its breath is heavy. Its chest rising. Its eyes locked on hers. Blood stained its claws, but it stood still. Watching. Then—a flash. Something sparkled in the sky and dropped into the water like a star falling from heaven. Both Heather and the beast turned to look.
The lake glowed. Something flickered below the surface, shining like starlight. She stepped forward, mesmerized. It shimmered. Then—gone. Heather panicked. "Where did it go? That light—it... wha—what was that?!" She looked around. But now the creature is gone.
The lake was still. "Wh-where did everyone go?!" She shouted into the silence, heart pounding.
But no answer came. Exhaustion swept over her like a heavy fog.
Her body couldn't take it anymore. She fell asleep. The next morning, sunlight brushed against her cheek, gently waking her. She blinked, sat up, and looked one last time at the lake behind her. Then she moved on.
Fields stretched far and wide, flowers blooming like carpets of color. There were no roads, but Heather walked without stopping. The land felt endless, but beautiful. After walking through wildflower meadows for three days, Heather finally arrived at a small railway station. It was nearing dusk. There were barely any people—only a few vendors wandering around with trays of tea, coffee, and snacks, calling lazily for customers. Heather looked around, then walked to the ticket counter, It was empty, she glanced left and right. "Hey! What are you doing here, girl?" a loud, gruff voice called out. She turned around slowly. A heavy-set man stood behind her, squinting at her suspiciously.
She was small, just a child—ten years old. Her clothes were worn, stained with mud and travel. Her cheeks were smudged with dust.Her cap barely hid her uncombed hair. To the man, she didn't look like a normal child. She looked like a beggar. Heather stood tall, pretending confidence.
"I'm going to Liveland. To meet my mother," She said firmly. She had practiced this line many times before.
The man grunted and held out his hand for payment. Heather pulled out a few crumpled notes from her pocket. The man examined them, nodded, and gave her a ticket. He didn't believe her story, but he took the money. She sat down quietly to wait. People passed by her, glancing briefly, some with pity, some with disdain. No one talked to her. No one asked if she needed help. To them—she was just another poor child trying to get somewhere. The train was late. And when the engine finally screamed in the distance, Heather looked up, hope flickering in her tired eyes. The train arrived — mostly empty. A few women and children stepped down. Heather watched closely, eyes scanning. Then she heard it.
"Alright now, time for the money!".
Heather barely had time to glance up.
In an instant — a strong hand clamped over her mouth, dragging her back into the shadows behind the pillar. The other man followed, helping to hold her struggling body. She kicked. She tried to scream. But the cloth in his hand was damp. It smelled strange.Her limbs weakened. Her heart raced.The last thing she saw was the train lights flickering in the distance before… Darkness.
Two men, dressed well and carrying a large suitcase, stepped off the train — but Heather didn't notice them.
She was watching the children laughing with their mothers, and the women leaving with their luggage.
Sitting there in the light, Heather wasn't hard to recognize. Before she could react, both men pressed a poisonous cloth over her mouth. Because the train was nearly empty, very few people were around to see it.
The two men stuffed her into a large suitcase and quietly carried it away. Three nights and two days later, they reached a city known for burning corpses.
They traveled quickly by train and bus.
Inside the suitcase, Heather hadn't made a single sound. One of the two — a young man around 20 years old — finally broke the silence, glancing down at the suitcase with a softer expression. "Don't you think this girl might be dead by now?" Hearing this, the taller, muscular man sitting next to him — who was five years older than his younger brother — replied "Don't talk like an idiot! We need that money badly — if we don't pay the rent, we won't even have a house left!"
As he scolded his younger brother, the older one glanced around — it had rained heavily, and the mud had shifted off the path, revealing the stone trail beneath. Just then, a man clearing the path looked up at them and said,
"They've been waiting for you two."
Nearby, a wooden cart stood ready to carry the cargo. The younger brother (Huan) grabbed the older one's hand tightly, nervously staring at the man.
The older brother (Lian) stepped forward and spoke firmly: "We brought her exactly as instructed." The man — who was responsible for hauling supplies up from the base — didn't say a word.
He lifted the suitcase into the cart, and they began the long climb up the hill. At the top stood an old stone mansion, built into pink and yellow cliffs. It had once been called "The Garden of Stone", but now it went by another name: "The Crimson Veil."
After several minutes of hauling, they reached the gates.Beautiful flowers grew all around the path leading in — tangled vines and blooming branches weaving through everything like nature reclaiming the ruins.
The mansion overlooked the vast land below — a place that would mesmerize anyone who saw it. At the entrance stood two figures: a young man supporting an old man,the elder was the master of the house.
As the three men approached, they were greeted by an older woman, pacing in circles. The moment she saw them, she turned red with anger."Three days! Huh! You two were supposed to arrive by last night!"Before she could speak further, the old man raised his hand silently — a signal for her to quiet down.
Several others were present — young women, gathered to see what had been brought. One of them said coldly: "Open it up. Let's see her."Lian stepped forward and unlatched the suitcase. The chains were tight. The cart-puller helped unlock it, and called out in surprise. Inside, Heather's hands and feet were bound, her body painfully twisted. Her hair was tangled in the metal latches. She was completely unconscious.
They pulled her out and dropped her onto the ground. Lian exhaled deeply and reached out his hand — the old woman said nothing, but placed a bundle of cash into it, made from thick, bound bills.