The Demon’s Bride

Elise can't be too sure if Vella was in danger but she knew she should find her friend. Not wanting to waste time as she didn't know when the vision would take place, Elise led the room in a hurry to searched throughout the castle to find Vella.

When walking from the corner of the room, she saw Maroon. The butler looked at her with a cynic gaze. "What are you doing?" questioned Maroon, Elise saw that the butler had just come out from the room where she entered, it seemed that Maroon had come inside the room after her. 

It was then when Maroon realized Elise's complexion look pale. The butler knew of how humans were weak in winter but she looked fine this morning.

"Is Ian in the castle?" asked Elise, forgetting how she didn't use the honorific to call Ian, but now was not the time for her to be concern about it. 

"The Lord is out of the castle, he is currently leaving to visit Lipton's Manor," answered Maroon. He had been passive but that didn't mean he can't discern people who are sick and not. As for once he was a human. 

"You ought to take rest, come with me." He can't have Elise to be hurt, thought Maroon. Elise was Ian's special person. Her getting hurt would only affect his master which he cannot have to happen.

Walking toward Elise, he held her hand but instead of helping, Maroon frowned and immediately pulled his hand when brushing against her. His head felt a sharp pang and Elise caught sight of his eyes that were gray flickered to red. With one hand on his head, his eyes narrowed at Elise.

Was it Elise who did this?

Elise looked back at Maroon, her eyes were confused just like Maroon's eyes that had turned back to gray color. "Your eyes," she whispered but then realize she had no time, "Do you know where Vella is?"

"First of all, wait for the Lord," Maroon said, this time he took one step back and didn't touch Elise carelessly. Was the pain Elise inflicted on him a part of her power as a Demon's Bride? It made sense, thought Maroon.

"No, someone is going to die," she said, and it was her friend. To waste time here would mean, Vella's death inching closer each second. She needed to find Vella and warn her from the dead that was about to plight her. "I will go," she announced.

Maroon took one step forward to stop Elise but for some reason, his body didn't move. It was then when the girl had left that he felt the pang on his head began on his heart, and Maroon brought his hand over it trying to soothe his pain, and the next thing he opened his eyes, he found the girl had disappeared. "Shit."

Elise dashed from the hallway. With every second ticking, the time was precious. She searched all the way to each place of the building, but it was not easy to find someone inside the castle alone.

For a moment Elise thought of asking others to help her, but she knew her reputation inside the castle was beyond saving. Asking for help would only waste her time. However, she can't find Vella alone either. 

Elise tried to calm herself by thinking that the knitting sticks were still inside her pocket. With this, the killer and the dead wouldn't happen. Unless someone else took the knitting sticks from her which she would never let it happen.

Leaving the castle to the yard, Elise made way to the opposite side of the castle using the backyard when she realized John was not here. She thought she could at the least use his help but seeing him not at his place, she had no choice but to continue with her search.

Elise left the backyard, opening the door to enter back the castle when she stopped her run to see Carmen standing on the opposite side of the door with a surprised look.

"Elise! What's wrong with you, you are sweating," Carmen said in concern, she also noted Elise's pale complexion.

"Vella is missing, did you see her?" Elise decided not to explain. Her words may sound and would make her like a madwoman and she had no time to explain everything from scratch.

"I haven't seen her since the afternoon. I saw her at the separate storage room last time," Carmen replied.

The storage room had been abandoned for years, and Elise remembered Maroon's briefing of how the storage should not be open ever again. What was Vella doing there? The place should be emptied and nothing was stored there. 

Carmen held her arm, "What's wrong? Is Vella in danger?"

"I can't explain to you everything now, but we should search for her. Something bad is going to happen," Elise tried to convince Carmen to help her, hoping that despite her little words Carmen would believe her as searching for Vella alone would take more time and she wasn't sure if she does have that much time, and fortunately Carmen believed her.

"Okay," Carmen give some thought before saying, "I think we should search the storage room first, maybe she is still there. We can talk on the way."

Both girls then left the place. The storage room was built far from the castle. The castle itself had been large but the hard was even wider. It took roughly eight minutes for Elise to reach the storage room.

She looked at the place. The room was shabby but large as if a family of three could stay there. Elise tried to open the door, and her eyes noted the bolt that was used to lock the door had been opened. It was a trace that someone had come inside the storage room and the possibility was Vella.

Pushing the door open, the door creaked and Elise heard Carmen say, "What do you mean earlier by something bad was going to happen? Is someone chasing for Vella?"

Elise didn't know where to begin and she replied, "I just saw something, and it showed me Vella would be in danger because of it." She wasn't being clear enough but she can't work out an explanation while searching through the room. 

With the sky getting darker, the storage room was even darker, "Vella, are you there?" asked Elise, looking around the place she noticed the cobwebs and swiped her hand over them.

No answer came, and Carmen continued to walk behind her, "What was it that you saw? Did you see it when you come into our room?" 

"Yes, it was a vision. I don't think Vella is here..." Elise suddenly halts her steps, turning her face to Carmen who looked back at her with her red eyes, "How did you know I was there in your room?"

By the time Elise spoke she felt the air turned strained. Elise carefully took a step behind when she saw Carmen had failed to put on a smile or explain herself. She can feel in the air how Carmen's eyes had shed a light that made her cold.

"Because I saw it," Carmen bent down to take the wood that seemed to have broken from the ceiling, "I didn't want to do this. Not to you or Vella." Carmen's voice sounds uneven when he approached Elise. She bit her lips, her eyes looking at Elise with sorry she noticed. "I'm sorry."