The Flower of Separation

The growing flames illuminate the darkness; it acts as a light source in this dark castle.

The pained cries sound like music to her ears; a woman with long black hair had just finished her battle with her attacker.

Her attacker, no her sister, lay a few steps away from her covered head to toe in terrible stab wounds.

Ever since she was younger, one particular dream, or would it be more accurate to call it a nightmare, has stood out to her. It was a dream of the capital, not just the Ageha family mansion set on flames, a sea of fire and blood.

It was neither a dream nor a nightmare for her but a vision of what was to come, her vision.

'I will be the one to destroy this Empire.'

Long before she even discovered that she had the cursed eye power of the previous Empress. Lillian already understood what her role would be in this world.

A role, huh? People always search for their place in the world; whether they do so consciously or unconsciously or not, humans want a place they can call their own. They want somebody to need them; they want a purpose to live. It was the same for her.

If this is her purpose in the world, if this is something she has to do, then she will do so without questioning it.

'After I learned that I inheEmpress'she Empress's eyes, but a cursed version of it - all those visions made sense.' The only way to achieve what is in that vision is to rely on these cursed powers.

But it has always bothered her; why were these powers split in half? What is she to do if the other person with the other half of the powers appears?

Does she continue with her goal? Or, does she talk it out with the other person.

The second option was never an option at all. By the time the other person shows up, her goal would be but a mere step away from being complete.

She hears a scream, no she hears several.

It was the screams of the guests from the party. Lillian knew that her flames had reached the people trying to escape by now. 'What a bunch of fools, this fire has a mind of it's own. Like myself, it is exceptional cruel and preys on those who are frightened.'

This fire will not harm anybody who is not scared and those who stay put in one place like Natalia had done earlier.

Despite the pained cries and the sound of flesh burned away, Lillian remained calm as her cold gaze fell on the lifeless body by her feet. Her favourite dagger stuck on the woman's chest.

"It really amazes me how far you went," Lillian mumbled, amused.

Despite her piercing a blade in this woman's chest, she was still alive.

'No doubt it is some type of magic.'

"A spell like this, however that involves life and death, is forbidden, my dear sister."

"Lil-Lilian." Bridget coughed weakly. Her pain and anguish were clear from her tone, but the woman still looked at her with a defiant gaze. "You won't get away with this. If I die, our father will-"

Lillian laughed when she heard those words. She laughed like a crazy woman who was possessed before her gaze turned cold.

"Father?" Lillian trailed off. "I am surprised you can still call him father. What kind of father puts his children under a life and death test every month? What kind of father holds a party the day after losing so many children? My dear sister, you are more than aware that we are nothing but pawns for our father."

They are pawns with no minds of their own; he raised them in an environment where they would have no emotions to call their own so he could control them easily.

"That guy will not bat an eyelid, my dear sister, if I were to kill you."

'Or rather, it would not surprise me if he rewards me for putting on a good show. He seemed rather mad with the events of the death game.'

This sort of event is certain to please him, not that she did this to make him happy. She only did this to lure her sister, not to lure Aaron out of hiding.

It was when Lucas was away on that long mission father sent him. She saw traces of Aaron being alive, no to be exact being in the capital. So she went to places they frequently went to together, and sure enough, the look on some people's faces when they saw her- it was far too obvious.

'When I realized that fool showed up after so many years, my emotions felt numb.' She was curious why he appeared but did not pay much attention to it until she realized that somebody had intruded in her room.

It seemed like if she continued to ignore him, he would certainly misunderstand.

"No!" Bridget exclaimed. "He will; he will come to save me. He promised me freedom."

Lillian paused when she heard those words. 'That no longer sounds like father.' She figured that this person was far too stupid to set up a plan like this. But to think she would hear from her own lips. Lillian looked at the woman carefully for the first time this evening and noticed something she hadn't before.

There is something strange about her. Her eyes seem strange- Lillian paused as she recalled something in those files Ramon gave her recently.

Now that she thought about it, 'there is a dangerous drug circling about in the capital. My dear Lillian, do you know about it?' Didn't Eric mention something like that not too long ago?

A deep sigh passed her lips. Why do these people insist on doing such stupid things? The Empire is beyond corrupt. The people living here live in fear, on the surface, it may appear like they are living normal lives, but she can sense their fear whenever she patrols around the town with the imperial knights.

To fall into deeper corruption, a deeper hell- these are the only things that come to mind. But would Eric waste his time doing that? Unlike her father, Eric is more cunning, and there is a deeper darkness in his eyes.

The Ageha family head is a corrupt and vile man; however, if she were to rate his level of corruption, he would be on the low side.. The ones who are a real threat are the smarter ones, the ones who actually use their brains.