Vanish in Vivid Vain:
Chapter one:“Wreckage of the Storm”
My fingers cast out to the edge of the small round
window at the end of my room, both coiling up anxiously around the marble as I
got to my toes. My eyes gazed bewilderedly for the outside, slowly scanning the
indigo texture of the distance.
These vacant eyes would take a gander outside through
the tinted glass every evening, always seeking; as if a child, waiting for the
storm to pass so they could go back and hold their imaginative ventures. Oh,
how much I would've given to get that chance, alike many others.
The moon had bestowed its full glory in the midst of my round shaped evening sky, but only lingered there for a portion of counted seconds. I had stared out mindlessly; most likely, I had stood fixated upon the distance for ages, ages that had passed by me in a haze. Even though the word 'ages' did not hold any meaning for me, I so blindly used it.
The chimes of the leaves had been wailing in the wind as taunting bells. Out there was the 'free world', a world without these constricting marble walls, the nature that I could never touch, the sunsets and sunrises that I could never completely bask upon.
I detested this temple of atrocity as I frequently called it, the temple I had been forced in since birth.
A silent sigh escaped from my barely parted lips as I swayed towards the door of my chamber. I placed my right palm atop of the wood whilst my head tipped down, drifting off in thoughts.
The loneliness had crept in to my heart over the many moons, as if shadows were looming around my being. Fragile as I was, I always stumbling across the perspective of 'hope'.
It has been long, a thousand moons at least and I did not know how much longer I would bear to be inside here. The only ray of light in the darkest corner was the knowledge that my mother was out there, the noble priestess known by everyone in the unknown town around me. 'The faceless' I had called those people, none ever seen by my own eyes, my mirrors to this dreadful barricaded world. The only other face my eyes ever locked upon was my own in the reflection of the evening coloured sink water.
Suddenly, a vibration was sent through the wooden door.
There was someone at the other end of the door seemingly fiddling with the lock. My eyebrows arched as I stood back while the hand held on the door was now pulled up to my mouth, covering its 'caught off guard' expression.
It was him, the man I feared the most and my only company in this solitude. He was simply addressed with the name 'Draven' - even though this was not his actual name it was the only thing I could mark his also 'faceless' display with.
The door opened with a loud screech, his darkened leather physique slowly revealed through the opening of the door. A faint light fell upon my tender eyes, I squinted before swiftly letting my arm dangle beside me, it was no good idea to show him my fear.
His hollow eyes stirred eerily through his hood of black, his facial expression mostly completely hidden but I knew that behind his veil that he was smirking, he could already smell my fear and thus he used it.
His hand heaved up, stretching out his leather clad fingers, the palm of his hand facing upwards as if offering for me to take it.
I snorted, whilst in the process fending my gaze off to the right, clearly un amused by his display while I knew he was merely acting to have the slightest care for me, he was a person who'd kick you without remorse would you have fallen down.
Somehow his eyes seemed to glow slightly more of a fiercely topaz than usual as he observed my reaction, his extended arm swiftly -almost invisibly fast- aimed his fist for my stomach breaching the confines of my own leather armour, his knuckles harshly dug in to my abdomen. I groaned and not just a simple groan, I was loud, this was not the action I had expected yet I should have known due to his disciplinary nature. It was strictly forbidden to bend his will.
I dropped to my knees whilst my arms desperately curled around my stomach, a faint attempt to soothe myself, must I say now.
Though most of the noise faded from my ears after impact, I could still hear his cold snicker echoing through my mind.
His foot then idly kicked towards my right knee -no real impact was done- before he let his hollow voice be heard.
The moon had bestowed its full glory in the midst of my round shaped evening sky, but only lingered there for a portion of counted seconds. I had stared out mindlessly; most likely, I had stood fixated upon the distance for ages, ages that had passed by me in a haze. Even though the word 'ages' did not hold any meaning for me, I so blindly used it.
The chimes of the leaves had been wailing in the wind as taunting bells. Out there was the 'free world', a world without these constricting marble walls, the nature that I could never touch, the sunsets and sunrises that I could never completely bask upon.
I detested this temple of atrocity as I frequently called it, the temple I had been forced in since birth.
A silent sigh escaped from my barely parted lips as I swayed towards the door of my chamber. I placed my right palm atop of the wood whilst my head tipped down, drifting off in thoughts.
The loneliness had crept in to my heart over the many moons, as if shadows were looming around my being. Fragile as I was, I always stumbling across the perspective of 'hope'.
It has been long, a thousand moons at least and I did not know how much longer I would bear to be inside here. The only ray of light in the darkest corner was the knowledge that my mother was out there, the noble priestess known by everyone in the unknown town around me. 'The faceless' I had called those people, none ever seen by my own eyes, my mirrors to this dreadful barricaded world. The only other face my eyes ever locked upon was my own in the reflection of the evening coloured sink water.
Suddenly, a vibration was sent through the wooden door.
There was someone at the other end of the door seemingly fiddling with the lock. My eyebrows arched as I stood back while the hand held on the door was now pulled up to my mouth, covering its 'caught off guard' expression.
It was him, the man I feared the most and my only company in this solitude. He was simply addressed with the name 'Draven' - even though this was not his actual name it was the only thing I could mark his also 'faceless' display with.
The door opened with a loud screech, his darkened leather physique slowly revealed through the opening of the door. A faint light fell upon my tender eyes, I squinted before swiftly letting my arm dangle beside me, it was no good idea to show him my fear.
His hollow eyes stirred eerily through his hood of black, his facial expression mostly completely hidden but I knew that behind his veil that he was smirking, he could already smell my fear and thus he used it.
His hand heaved up, stretching out his leather clad fingers, the palm of his hand facing upwards as if offering for me to take it.
I snorted, whilst in the process fending my gaze off to the right, clearly un amused by his display while I knew he was merely acting to have the slightest care for me, he was a person who'd kick you without remorse would you have fallen down.
Somehow his eyes seemed to glow slightly more of a fiercely topaz than usual as he observed my reaction, his extended arm swiftly -almost invisibly fast- aimed his fist for my stomach breaching the confines of my own leather armour, his knuckles harshly dug in to my abdomen. I groaned and not just a simple groan, I was loud, this was not the action I had expected yet I should have known due to his disciplinary nature. It was strictly forbidden to bend his will.
I dropped to my knees whilst my arms desperately curled around my stomach, a faint attempt to soothe myself, must I say now.
Though most of the noise faded from my ears after impact, I could still hear his cold snicker echoing through my mind.
His foot then idly kicked towards my right knee -no real impact was done- before he let his hollow voice be heard.
"Get up weakling, it is time for your lectures and I advise you to follow me with great haste if you do not wish to be beaten down once again, as a fell infested being like yourself deserves".
I held my head dipped low because now was not the time to show him my spiteful glare; I then let my hands go out seeking for the floor before pushing myself to my feet. My eyes stood in disgust as I raised my chin, my gaze sought to follow 'the Raven's' movements.
He had already turned on his heel, his pace slowly advancing forward, I followed.
Once I entered the walls of his so called 'library' he was already seated atop of a chair, his hidden eyes trailing along the text of an unknown book.
As I stepped forward towards the bookcase something caught my eye, a seemingly old book lied there on the floor, its pages yellow of age and its title nearly completely faded.
I dropped to my haunches and took the book within my grasp, curiously attempting to form a word from the faded letters. A-N-A-I-J-A.
My eyes stood wide, gazing with disbelief at this book, radically attempting to grasp the truth of what why this specific name was noted as title. But then out of nothing-The book fell from my hands, hitting the floor with a damped thump.
The Raven had forcefully taken the book from my hands now yet again casting me his empowered topaz glance.
"What do you think you're doing you pathetic pawn? You should not be wasting your lifespan on a trivial book which contains nothing else from what I have already told you. You and your fascination for traits of the past, you are indeed thoroughly disgusting as always, trying to clamp your clingy hands on fragments of time, let it go!"
I opened my mouth to also speak but quickly realized that this was not going to do me any justice no matter what I uttered, but -this- I could not let slip past. I had let everything slip past me but this was too important to me, I -had- to know.
"Why do you hold a book entitled with this name, what is the meaning of this?"
A quiet hiss could be heard escaping from The Raven's breath, shortly but certainly noticeable, where after his knuckles swiped, without remorse, across my cheek.
I did not flinch, not a single bit.
"Pathetic little display you show me, puppet. But if it is the truth you seek this is what you will get, since I'd-.. "
He paused for a moment, his
mocking snicker briefly letting itself be heard.
"Because I'd actually enjoy the gruesome glance you will bestow me afterwards. Yes this book belonged to that lady; if that is the question you so eagerly seek. That little thing over there was her journal, her fifth journal of the likes. What it is doing here is another question but with no answer that will be shown to you. Within these pages is information about questionable facts, the becoming of it and her pathetic end."
My mind froze, questioning his every word. I wondered what he meant, I wondered what he would say next and I especially wondered why this woman had known this horrid man, but all those questions soon faded in to the depths on my memory.
"Blatantly said, she did not want you, she thought you were evil itself, the fell slowly spreading from inside her, as the plague. Afraid, it would soon take over herself…”
“And this is the best part... You were that dreadful, dreadful taint. She believed that you would be the end itself, the worst creature to have ever lived. And slowly you would feed on her, torturing her soul for an eternity. Her fear grew larger as every day passed by and when it was finally time for your 'disgustfulness'…”
He paused once more, his sickening silvery snicker echoed through the marble room. “…to arise, she would have taken her own life, mere moments after".
I started painfully imagining whilst my hands clenched in to fist, my anger rising slowly like the tides in a heavy storm.
I started painfully imagining.
Her ever so graceful form stood there at the edge of the tower, her long blue threads flooding on the rhythm of the summer winds, her feet were bare and her gaze completely blank. All the shimmering light of her eyes had faded.
She stepped forwards with her arms spread out, letting herself fall in to the hands of the grim reaper, deranged and crazed with fear. Yet still, her cold facade, calm as a winter's cave.
How could this be? All this time I had been trailing my mind back to that woman, for ages. Always I let myself be comforted by the thought that I would somehow, someday return within her arms to desperately plead to her, asking endless questions about how and why.
But here and now, just in mere seconds this 'hope' was broken down, the light within my darkness slowly slipping away from my reach, as if the gentle hand offered out to you mockingly pulls back.
I would never get the chance to cry with her, embrace her, learn from her and love her.
Everything I had ever held my head high with when being locked away in this wretched temple, had fallen down.
Desperately, I was chasing the eye of the storm.
I sat back in my chambers, in the very middle of my bed, whilst the velvet blinds completely shut around it.
With my eyelids slowly descending over the dim silver mirrors I called my eyes, my fingers clenched around the sheets, with my nails biting heavily down on to the fabric.
I seemed to twitched frequently as the emotional storm passed through every inch of my body, I could not cry even though this was all I would want at a time like this. I seemed to be frozen, the silent yelps ringing alarms in my now hollow head; my mother was no more.
And yet, I was still here, I was still in this forsaken temple out of reach of the outside world. Now more than ever I wanted to escape and I assured myself fiercely I would, I would escape the walls of this dreadful place, out of grasp of evil itself.
The Raven.
