“What is the way to kill their kind, then?”
“It's quite simple,” she whispered. “Allow them to fall in love.”
The scent of sea lavenders pervaded the crisp, pleasant air and the birds chased one another in the blue-painted skies. Sapphire waves reached for the shores only to be embraced by cream-colored sand, becoming one with them, silver butterflies adorning the scenery almost too perfect to be real.
It was a beautiful day.
She stared at her reflection in the clear blue: a bleeding lip, matted autumn russet hair, and watery amber eyes. “I hate you."
Crumpling the letter, she tossed it into the sea, inextinguishable flames flaring in her eyes. A cold gust of wind passed her by, knotting her hair even more. What cruel season: spring. That very word left a bitter taste in her mouth. It was funny, really; she would not have loathed if they hadn't brought her into this world.
Blooming flowers? Pitiful things.
Melancholia settled in her bones as she watched the waves arrive only to leave, the feeling of abandonment clouding her eyes. Why was life so unfair? The riches, the power, the success—one could only dream of being in her place, yet even all these weren't enough. They never will be enough. How does one leave a place filthy with death? Run away?
Not so far from what she thought.
"This life . . ."
Telling her secrets to the ocean wasn't ideal, but it would have to do. After all, this place had been deserted for years; who would dare enter this "haunted, miserable hellhole"?
It had been minutes since she came, watching the sea while playing with the shells she had picked up. Would they suspect where she went? Would they send him to search for her just as they had done before? And if she were to be found, would he deride her as every other time?
“You are pitiful.”
Those words rang in her head every time she thought of him. It wasn't only the words that stabbed her heart, but the very voice that said them. Menacing. Beads of sweat ran down her back at the thought of what could happen.
“Scent of cyclamens adorn the Goddess' child, luring me to a time past / May the ocean drown you last / For you a beautiful spell I will cast.”
An earth shattering voice.
Who was singing? Who—
"A gentleman whiling away his time so sweet / May the ocean hear his heartbeat / Him, I cannot wait to meet."
A gentleman?
She followed the source of the voice, her toes digging into the sand.
The sand wasn't supposed to be this warm.
"Courage is what will set him free / Hear this song and come to me / Let me warm you for eternity."
Snow hair.
Eyes so dark the night sky might hide in shame.
"Happiness will lull him to sleep / His heart, forever I shall kee—"
The beads of sweat clinging to her eyebrows rolled down
Damn, it hurt!
She wiped away the beads of sweat stuck in her burning eyes with a drenched sleeve, but it was no use.
Plop.
The sound of something falling into the water broke her out of panic, opening her eyes only to be met with a blurry sight of something silver.
This couldn't be any regular silver . . .
Could this day get any worse?!
"Who are you?!"
Whoever that was, they shouldn't have been able to leave so fast. They must've heard what she said earlier! She can't let them leave alive; if death is what they seek, death is what she'll present them!
Plop.
