I walked into the large white space and saw twelve people I had never seen before.
They didn't notice my presence at all—
as if all vestiges of my ego were erased upon arrival.
I took a seat next to the least creepy-looking one.
"Your eyes feel empty, boy. What troubles you?"
The girl had platinum blonde hair tied into a bun
and noticeable crimson eyes—like my mother.
"Are you my sister from my mother?"
"Interesting question... but no. Half-sister. From our father."
"Why are your eyes red then?"
"One of our father's eyes is red."
"What do you mean one of?"
"When you sat next to me, I never expected you to be so talkative."
"Sorry... Um, what is your name?"
"My name is Lost."
"What do you mean Lost?"
"You'll likely find out shortly. No point in asking me."
Lost, huh...
"I'm Thales Miray."
"Oh…"
"Miray, Miray, Miray..."
The name echoed—
as if I had broken some sacred writ.
A man stood.
Wavy dark hair.
Eyes like pure darkness.
Not just the colour—
the aura.
He disappeared—right in front of me.
Then—
"Shit-faced brat! How dare you!"
He screeched—
and his vice-grip crushed my neck.
I couldn't breathe.
Was I going to die?
He slammed me on the floor.
I came down like a ton of bricks.
I didn't know what to do.
"I'll feast on your bones, boy!"
He meant it.
Suddenly—
at a blinding speed (though maybe measured differently)—
a maid appeared.
She grabbed his wrist.
He stared at her like she was an insect.
Then—
he was blindsided from behind.
Knocked out cold.
It was my dear friend Edmund.
"Take the boy back to his chambers," he ordered.
"Yes, Head Butler."
I coughed out blood.
But I was relatively fine.
I massaged my neck.
Edmund walked over and examined me.
"Hmm. Your neck is fine. Alright—we can continue."
He said it calmly, after some moment of contemplation.
I slowly returned to my seat.
The girl—Lost—was still there.
"Why the hell was I attacked?" I muttered.
"I nearly died."
Apparently, she heard me.
"You weren't attacked for no reason. And you didn't nearly die."
"To answer the second part of that before I'm interrupted—"
"Even if Abigail hadn't done her duty—
which is to protect residents of House Miray above all else—
even from each other…"
"That horrible man, who thinks himself an emperor, would've interfered."
"His cur wouldn't be disqualified. And it'd be as if nothing happened."
"You should join me, by the way. Consider it."
Disqualified from what?
"Dies irae, dies illa,
Solvet saeclum in favilla…"
"I am sorry, sons of Adam and daughters of Eve.
You all have the right to perish and be judged.
Lord, have mercy in your infinite heart."
Edmund said this, ritualistically.
"With that said, the great selection has come to pass.
It will occur on Thales's thirteenth birthday."
"Those who win—can win by numbers of three.
Only three of you may live on."
"With that said, Thales—here is your prize.
From your first trial.
What you crave."
He removed the cloth.
In a golden cage,
there was a fruit,
And it was whispering to me.