Chapter Twenty One

Maria continues running through the dark road. Her mind is a whirlwind as she quickly rushes to the farmhouse. The haven is so far, and yet she can see it in the distance. The little girl doesn't know how long she has been running. Time has been flowing through Mary like the wind.

By the time she arrives, the morning sun is beginning its ascent. She pounds her fists on the door, begging for it to magically open. Her cries for help finally catch their attention, and Emery opens the door.

But before she can say anything, exhaustion flows through her and she passes out.

~

The next time the girl wakes up, she is in a bed with the Stanzolio men surrounding her. Emery is the first to notice her waking up, and he quickly alerts his father. Emerenziano hands Mary some water before asking her what's wrong.

All of their faces pale as Mary explains about their origins and her sickening father. She goes into details about how they have been watching them, waiting for the opportunity to strike. Mary also explains how Mary untied her and how she arrived on foot at their place.

The painful ache in the little girl's feet grows by the second. She checks her feet and the sight almost makes her faint. Mary's feet are charred-black and puffy like her cotton pillows. She tries rubbing it to soothe the pain. However, this only makes the pain crawl up to her leg.

Her yelps and whimpers of pain catch the attention of Emery. He then gets up and leaves. Heartbroken sobs echo through the walls in the room. Mary turns her head and finds the source of the sobs. The artist has his face in the palms of his hands.

"Why are you crying, Emeren?" Mary internally cringes as she can hear her hoarse voice. Her question makes the artist lookup. He tries to stop his stop before answering his question. But there are still sniffles in his voice.

"I broke my promise to protect your sister. And now your family is in danger, and I do not know where there are," Emeren finishes with another sob. Mary turns her head forward as she processes everything that is going on.

The young child hasn't turned ten yet. But her family has been taken away from her. Emery then returns, and he sits on Mary's bedside.

He carefully examines her legs before cleaning the feet and wrapping them in bandages. Mary thanks the boy and then asks for something. The quiet boy nods before leaving. Emerenziano and Emerenzian return from the farm to check on the little girl.

They feed her with a serving of meat, boiled vegetables, and cheese. Instead of eating the kitchen space, the Stanzolio men keep her company and eat together. The evening sun is finally making its descent, and Mary decides to rest.

~

Mary is thrown back into the night her mother and sisters escaped. Instead of running out of the loft, her spirit hovers inside. There she can see her mother defend them from the oaf following her father's actions. Mary is full of confusion when she sees Mariaisabella pull out a knife she never saw.

But that confusion changes into shock when the mother slices his hands. The cut isn't enough to kill him, but it is still painful. Mary tries to look away. But her eyes are glued to the scene.

"Evil has coursed through me and my family. I will be stealing my daughters and imprisoning them for purification. If you look for us, I will kill you," Mariaisabella threat booms with unknown wickedness. Once those words are said, the room around her disintegrates into an empty hull.

Pieces of the loft reform into a new room. Now, Mary is standing in the middle of an elaborate ballroom. An unknown woman stands in the middle of the empty room. She is dressed in a blood-red corset dress, accompanied by the same colored cloak.

Her presence is a complete contrast to the gentle mint green with the soft summer yellow pillars. Mary looks down and sees that, she too, is wearing the same attire.

The unknown being beckons Mary to come closer. Once she is face-to-face with the woman, she finally speaks.

"I have been expecting you, Mary Cattivo. You are as wonderful as I hoped," The woman says. Her voice is soft and sweet, like honeycomb on delicious ice cream. Mary is still confused, the woman notices before explaining.

"I understand your confusion, but let me explain. My name is Josselin Du Quenoy Charpentier, and I have selected you to protect us all," Recognition fills the little girl. This is the woman from the story! The witch smiles and nods in confirmation, meaning that she can read her thoughts.

"But why? There are so many other people. And in your story, you are a very pretty princess that has many friends!" Mary exclaims. This is too much for her to handle. Josselin blush at Mary's unintentional compliment. Her innocence makes the woman smile.

Mary reminds her of her descendants.

Josselin tells the little girl to come and walk with her. She complies, and they both leave the ballroom. As they walk, scenes appear and disappear as she describes them.

"Your father's lover has been dabbling in the dark arts. When your father reported the horseman's warning, she took it personally. So, the maid concocted an elixir that will plague your mother's and Mariaisabelle's children. They will grow to wreak havoc on the world. Killing many in the process.

Their marks will be regal that will take control of my future descendants. Both of them have magical powers. If it lands on their hands, the whole world will end. I cannot stop it as my time on earth is gone. But there is still hope for you. You can stop their reign and break the prophecy." Once she says the word prophecy, a book appears. Mary opens it and marvels at the glowing inscriptions and drawings.

"You will become my clairvoyant, Mary. I will gift you with long life and many secrets of the world. But, in return, you shall stop the impending doom. I have asked others, but none of them have the true potential," When Mary nods, the witch smiles. She then chants a magical hymn, causing everything to disappear.

But before Mary wakes up, she knows that something has to be done.

But first, she will save her family.