Escape

The back of a deep blue uniform was facing her, one that she owned as well. Her mother's eyes wide, blood dribbling from her lips. Anita's world slowed. She stood stupidly like a deer caught in headlights watching Elaine mouth the word go.

Anita twisted away from the door when the knight pulled his blade free from her mother's body. She clutched her mouth closed, body quivering from horror and fright. Don't scream, don't scream.

A wet slump felt sound loud it crawled past the walls and down Anita's spine. She shut her eyes, allowing a cold stream down her face. The voices coming from inside the master bedroom were familiar.

"I didn't need your help."

"Wait but didn't I do all the work?"

"Shut up Clovis."

Clovis laughed that easy laughter that Anita had come to know him for, "Well, that's one down and just two to go. Let's go. You can still get your moment to shine."

Anita didn't think her heart could drop farther. She had to move and find her sister before Luelle would meet the same fate as their mother.

A whirlwind of thoughts and emotions plagued her mind, narrowing her vision. Perhaps that was what it was that caused her to stumble on a decorative vase. She cursed, arms flailing to reach for it before it could fall, but it was too late. Ceramic shattered upon the floor, "Did you hear that?" Footsteps were in the hall and Anita shut out her thoughts to run and flee.

Instead of turning the corner she smacked into something solid. A tall man stood before her, tanned skin and silver hair, eyes clouded grey by an Earth Curse. There was something familiar about him, in a second-hand sort of way but Anita didn't have the time to think about it. A scream was caught in her throat but he put a finger to his lips and dragged her around the corner and into her mother's art studio room. His black garb melted away with the darkness of the room. Her back was pressed against the wall, and hands clasped tightly across her mouth to stifle the sound of her breath. The wave of footsteps approached and Anita thought her heart had stopped, only for them to move away.

"This place turned into a mess," a low, unfamiliar voice whispered. His grip on her shoulder held her steady but it also had an inhuman iron strength.

"Who…?" her voice trembled, "Why are you…?"

He rolled his eyes at her, "Who I am isn't important. I'm helping you out on a whim, ok? For Jacob, I guess."

Anita flinched at her brother's name. A million questions flitted through her head, she couldn't find it in her to voice even one.

Shuffling footsteps outside alerted their attention, and the strange man still had Anita pressed to the wall. "Stay here," he commanded with a low voice, "I'll be back." He waited till the noises quieted, and stepped out of the door with silent steps. If Anita were told he was a savior conjured up by her imagination she'd believe them.

In the darkness of the room, with only her mother's half-finished artworks to keep her company and the scent of fresh paint and decorative daisies, Anita found herself crumbling to the ground. Tears streaming across her face as she hid her face between her knees from absolutely no one.

"Now isn't the time to cry..." She chanted brokenly to herself, trying as she could to keep her voice muffled. Her whole body shook, and the sounds of those outside filled her head, close yet alien.

She took in a shuddering breath, chuckling pitifully at herself. All her knight's training thrown out the window in the moment of need. How did they even let her pass? Anita bit her lip. Mourning could come later. Her sister and father were still out there waiting for her.

With an ear pressed against the door, she checked if the coast was clear. Her room was just next door. Cracking the entrance open ever so slightly. The mansion was eerily quiet. There was commotion but it sounded it like was coming from outside the building.

Anita snuck into her room without a problem. She was quick to grab the blade discarded haphazardly at her desk. But a noise outside startled her. Red hair whipped around and she realized, belatedly that she hadn't fully closed the door.

Through the sliver of an opening, she saw someone ran by. That flow the golden hair and elegant teal dress was undoubtedly Luelle. Anita could hear her sister's panicked panting as a dark shadow chased her from below the wooden floor panels. She knew that power, Kline could manipulate shadows to stalk and teleport matter.

Holding back the temptation to shout, Anita exited her room. If she alerted Kline of her position too quickly, Clovis will no doubt leap from the shadows to skewer her. That was how those two operated. There was no one left in the hall but the sound of the chase was still close, Anita followed it downstairs to the large open lobby.

She rounded the corner but luckily didn't have to search for long. Luelle burst open through the music room downstairs in hysterics and tears. The black shadow following her like a rabid dog. Anita activated her resonance core as she drew her sword from its sheath. A bright flame ignited at the blade's tip, dancing wildly. She tossed it towards their aggressor, watching the collusion explode into a cloud of neutralized mana.

That should be able to buy them some time. Luelle ran to her sister, clawing at her arms, "What happened? What's going on? I saw- I saw-" Her words were jumbled, a mirror of how Anita felt just moments before.

With a renewed sense of responsibility, she took her little sister's wrist, "We have to go." They made their way towards the front door, conveniently open. The driveway was not far from there. Anita had her car keys strapped to her sword sheath, they could make their escape and-

"I would not advise that," a chilling voice cut their escape.

Anita froze, feeling a heavy aura, familiar yet unfamiliar behind her. Lightning crackled. She took a breath and turned around. Gabriel stood, sword in hand, his perfect dark locks mused and usual unreadable expression decorated his face. There was deep crimson, almost black, along the blade's edge and splattered across his clothes. Her entire body went numb, yet the grip on her sword only tightened.

"Luelle…" she said quietly, "you have to go."

"But…" her little sister stammered, conflicted and scared.

"Anita," Gabriel sighed, "you never listen, do you?" He sounded almost sad, but maybe that was just Anita's overactive imagination.

Her heart was racing now, but she knew what she had to do. "Go Lue! Just get out of here!" her voice roared over the estate, mana bursting all around. She drew her sword and shoved the sheath into Luelle's arms.

Anita didn't look back before she charged.