Chapter 13: A Distant Memory

Hael had prepared a carriage back home the same day. Although Alastor had advised him to stay at the crown prince's palace for another day, he feared that this action might raise rumors among the nobles.

Eleanore carefully walked through the large garden of the crown prince's palace, with the help of her maid Marina, who then handed her over to her brother.

The carriage took quite long to get out of the royal grounds and finally fell on the common road to the Sinclair mansion.

While Eleanore was busy observing the new world she was unfamiliar with, her brother struggled with what he had to say next to Eleanore.

He organized his thoughts and words that he had to utter to let her know the news of his next mission. "Elle?" He called her out. Cold sweats gathered around his forehead.

Eleanore looked at him, as she took in the tensed aura that her brother emitted. She noticed concern and a hint of fear in his eyes. "Is something the matter, Brother?" She asked, curious about the matter that made Hael, the male lead, so worried.

"Well, you see,--" He hesitated for a while, before revealing the thing that bothered him. " I have to go on a mission tomorrow." He said. 

Hael gently moved to the edge of his seat and grabbed his little sister's hand within his warm clasp. "With what just happened to you. I wanted to cancel the mission but Caelestis it's important. And I can't sent him in my stead"

"Brother." Eleanore began, placing her other hand on his to reassure him. "If Grand Duke Caelestis said so, It must indeed be very important, right?" She asked, knowing very well what the answer would be. "You should go."

Hael smiled, letting go of her and sitting back, comfortably. His shoulders felt light, a feeling of assurance had enveloped him. "Since the day you got that letter from Caelestis, I feel like my little sister has finally grown up." He said. 

Out of nowhere a chuckle left his mouth. "Remember, how you used to throw tantrums every time I had to leave?" His radiant face stretched as his chuckles converted into laughter, reminiscing to old times. "Good time, they were, I must say!"

"Looking at you now, I feel like a huge responsibility has been lifted down from my shoulders." He smiled at his sister, who made him feel like there was someone who cared about him more than anyone.

To this Eleanore gave a gentle smile, completely unaware of her childish behavior. "I did that probably because you are the only family I have." Unknowingly, Eleanore said something, which had great weight on both Eleanore and Hael. For some reason she felt extremely sad, and could see that on Hael's fallen face too.

"I had another thing to say." Hael swallowed in his pain and continued. "Last time, I left you alone and you had to face an attack, so I have decided, I will send you to Flora's home this time."

As if Hael's words were some sort of trigger, to Eleanore, Her head started to hurt immensely. As if someone was hitting hammers on both her temples, simultaneously. She shivered in fear on Hael's mention of the night she was attacked. A horror that never left her mind, one that she was unaware of but the original owner of the body remembered.

A crack in her brain led her to a scene which looked like memories of the original Eleanore.

____

Under the dark night and the shining moon, the Sinclair mansion had somehow become devoid of any light. Amidst this darkness ran a woman in her sleek satin nightwear through the corridor of the large mansion. The stillness and the eerie of the night sent chills down her spine.

Behind her, a man hidden under a black cloak was racing behind her relentlessly, holding onto a sharp silver sword. His face covered by a black scarf, only her hungry eyes waiting for another blood shed were visible.

Eleanore's heart hammered in her chest as she screamed for help, her voice echoing through the empty halls. She called out, desperate for someone—anyone—to come to her aid. But the mansion was silent, devoid of the familiar staff and guards. The man had slaughtered them all ruthless, leaving her utterly alone.

She reached the top of a grand staircase and began to descend, but before she could take more than a few steps, a strong hand grabbed her by the hair, jerking her head back painfully. She looked up, her vision blurring as she saw his dark eyes, filled with a menacing rage, his face smeared with the blood of those he had killed. He shoved her hard against the railing, his grip tightening as he prepared for the next strike.

Instead of waiting for his next attack, Eleanore desperately tried to set her hair free from his hold. She pushed him with all her might and succeeded at the cost of some of the strands of her hair. Her sweaty bare feet continued down the stairs, when she felt a sharp pain in her ankle making her lose balance and fall tumbling down the remaining stairs. She remained there in pain, lacking courage and energy to get back on her feet.

The heinous man, wearing a heinous simple, slowly walked down to her. His sword clacked with each stair, creating blood trails as he descended. Elenore felt like a grim reaper was approaching her, ready to make her face death today.

When he was a step away from the ground, his sword rose high in the air, ready to pierce that shiny sword into Elenore. In fear, her eyes went shut on their own, but even after a few seconds, she felt no pain. That's strange. The sword was definitely approaching her.

When her eyes gathered the courage to open up again, she found a broad back in front of her. Someone had heard her pleas and had come to save her. His sword had blocked the deadly blow of the assassin. His strength overpowered the vile man, who had come to assassinate Eleanore and the sword went flying out of his hand.

"Caelestis —" She breathed heavily, her voice barely a whisper. 

Seconds later, that man growled in pain, when Caelestis' sword pierced through his abdomen. He fell to the ground, dead for good.