The Flowers

Alice Eagold was a tomboy.

Her father knew it, her mother knew it, especially more during etiquette lessons, and everyone on the estate knew it.

Despite being quite bright and talented, Alice didn’t like studying.

She was full of energy, energy that could not be controlled in a classroom. So, she often ran away or snuck out of the estate house to explore, and, on that day, she went too far into a woodland.

The woods at the back of the Eagold estate were vast and extended beyond the estate’s borders, but Alice didn’t know that. Nor did she know that there were dangerous monsters or beasts inside, as the family knights often defeated them long before the Eagold family ever learnt of them.

That and there were safeguards in place, including magical barriers, walls and basic wooden fences, all designed to keep danger far away from the Eagolds.

Alice had gone too far into the woods and found a wolf that managed to sneak through a damaged part of the barrier.

It was twice her size, its fur pitch as night, and its growl scared her so much she fell into the muddy ground beneath her.

Just before the creature savaged her, her future mentor and idol appeared.

With a single, elegant swipe of a sword hidden within a silver cane, the wolf’s heart was stopped.

The woman’s immaculate suit had only a few splashes of blood on it, a colour, Alice noted, matched the lady’s eyes.

Her short hair was whiter than snow and her face was more handsome than any prince Alice had ever seen.

“Are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?” With pink cheeks and a bashful smile, Alice shook her head. “Thank God.”

“Um!” Alice yelled louder than she meant to. “T-thank you for saving me.”

The woman laughed and patted Alice’s head. “Thank you for your kind words, little lady, but I only did what anyone else would have. Oh dear, your cute little dress is all dirty. Here.” The lady snapped her fingers, and the wind began to change.

Delicate gusts of wind and tiny balls of water that had framed in the air around Alice cleaned her muddy clothes, hair and skin; then, once she was all tidied up, a gentle heat from a floating flame dried her clothing.

That had been the first time Alice had ever seen such magic used.

Her instructors, some of the greatest in their fields, had shown her amazing spells, but they hadn’t excited her like this had.

“Do you know your way home, little bird?”

“Little bird?”

The lady nodded with an amused grin. “It’s a name that suits you perfectly. After all, you’re far too young to leave the nest alone.”

“I’m not! I’m 5!”

Oh? Then, should I have left the wolf alone for the little bird to deal with?”

Pouting, Alice huffed and folded her arms. Yet, her angry temper tantrum merely amused the lady.

“Then, little bird.” She crouched beside Alice and offered her a hand. “Would you let me have the honour of escorting you home?”

Alice’s parents gratefully thanked the lady for bringing Alice home.

“I dread to imagine what would’ve happened if you hadn’t been there. Thank you.”

“Please, raise your head, Duke Eagold. I just-”

Alice’s parents continued to thank and praised the lady for nearly 10 minutes before asking if there was anything they could do for her. The lady remained troubled and professed that their gratitude was plenty.

It was then that Alice jumped into the conversation.

“Mum, she’s a really strong knight! Can I make her my personal knight?”

“Alice, that’s not how-”

“But, but! She’s-”

“Alice.”

Her mother’s icy tone warned her off saying anymore, amusing their guest.

“I’m happy that such a cute young lady feels that way, however, I cannot become your personal knight.” Just as Alice was about to cry, the lady said, “However, with your parents’ blessings, I wouldn’t mind mentoring you.”

“Really?!”

“Really, really. Despite how I may look, I have trained in multiple sword and magical arts.”

It took some convincing and negotiating, and scrutinising and investigating, but the lady was welcomed into the family.

“Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier, little lady, but my name is Rose.” Her smile was gentle, but her eyes were not. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

***

The thugs descended on Peter and Matilda without warning.

They beat him over the back of his head with a club as another wrapped their arms around Matila’s small, frail body and another held a hand over her mouth. Matila was kicking and screaming as much as she could, but she was just 5 years old; she could not fight back against 3 muscular adults.

Peter hit the ground hard and knocked out three of his teeth.

His head was spinning, and he was crying wildly, but Peter still got back up and tried to fight.

He swung a punch, and a punch swung back at him.

Two more teeth flew, and Peter felt his nose crack, blood pouring down his nostrils and he felt like he was about to pass out from the pain.

But he couldn’t.

He had to save Matilda.

But by the time he got back up onto his feet, she was gone.

The thugs had kidnapped her, and Peter had no idea where they’d gone, or what they wanted with her.

Broken and unable to stop crying, Peter collapsed on the side of the street, unable to move, barely able to breathe, unable to do anything but bleed.

Eventually, darkness consumed him.

Or so he thought.

Peter awoke again, he didn’t know how much time had passed, but he was on a bed in an unknown room, bandaged and in great pain.

He still couldn’t move, but he wasn’t bleeding anymore.

“Oi, brat, do you want to get stronger?”

Beaten and bruised, perhaps less than an inch from death, Peter looked up and saw his saviour.

A man with olive skin in a white leather jacket, a fedora on his head and rippling muscles that were barely being contained by his clothing.

Just when Peter thought he would die, this man had rescued him from the savage attack.

But he’d been too late to rescue his childhood friend, Matilda.

They’d taken her somewhere already.

Peter’s own weakness frustrated him.

With blood still lingering in his mouth, he looked up at the man and whimpered, “I do.”

“Then, come with me. I’m Lucien; what’s your name?”

***

After one last suck, Samantha removed her fangs from young Emilia’s neck.

The young woman, not even 17 years of age, stumbled onto all fours as she felt it; the great change occurring inside her.

Her blood boiled.

The world spun.

She felt her old canines fall out and sharp, dagger-like fangs replace them.

The pain was too great for her to handle, and Emilia wept, all while Samantha laughed.

“Ah, what a waste,” the vampire said. “Young virgins always have the sweetest blood, but Onee-sama insisted I had to. Ah!” Samantha’s eyes lit up. “I wonder if she’ll reward me for doing a good job!”

Angrily, Emilia glared viciously at Samantha between heavy, laboured breaths.

“Ah, that’s the look she wanted to see.”

Now, come and chase me forever!

***

“Lady Rose instructed us to invest in these companies, but I cannot for the life of me understand why.”

“Don’t question her orders.”

“Please, I am hardly defying her by trying to speculate the reasoning behind her actions.”

“These will most likely be very successful enterprises in the future.”

“I predict as much, too. With us as Mr and Mrs Orphen on the board of directors, we’ll be able to greatly influence their actions and assets.” The short man chuckled. “I’m somewhat scared to imagine what Lady Rose’s intentions really are.”

“...Just do as she says and don’t bore her.”

“Don’t worry, I remember…I remember the screams and the painful silence afterwards all too well.”

But it’s impossible not to wonder, isn’t it, Risa?

***

“In 10 years’ time, everything will truly begin. For now, we simply must plant the seeds and wait for them to sprout. Of course, we’ll nurture them as necessary, but we are shadows. We 5, and only we 5, shall do this.” Rose picked her mask off the table and smirked. “We will succeed, as long as you all obey.

Because. She giggled. This is the world of those games, and we shall be its greatest villains.

“We are the Pentagram and we shall see it done.”

***

It began in Tartarus and then it continued long after Rose had left the prisoner.

First, the 3rd and 7th Seat of the Sect drowned in Tartarus.

Then, she found the 2nd, 4th, 5th and 8th Seat as they prepared to launch the first big terrorist attack the Sect launched in the game.

Then, she found the last ones.

“Why…are you?”

“Why?” Rose’s boot crushed the man’s chest, killing the second last member of the Silent Sect. “Because there’s only enough room in this story for one secret organisation.”

“…How dare you.” The Silent Sister stumbled back into the room, having to use her remaining arm and her damaged spear to keep herself steady. “What gives you the right to-?”

Rose cut off the Silent Sister’s legs.

Then, she grabbed the Silent Sister by the head before ripping it clean off her torso.

“All of that waiting and anticipation, and she dies just like that?” Rose chuckled, crushing the flesh in her palm. “Pathetic.”

***

“Thank you for all coming on such short notice,” said Richard Kingsley, Chairman of the Adventurer’s Guild. “While I’m sure you’ve all heard about the incident at Tartarus, there are some facts of the case that have not been made public.”

He pressed a button on the remote and the screen beside him changed from newspaper articles to pictures of the destroyed prison.

“It’s believed that all hands and inmates were lost, but the Royal Investigators inspecting the sight say that the body count doesn’t match.”

“Wait, Chairman, I’m confused,” Allen the Swift, an S-ranked adventurer, said. “It hasn’t even been a fortnight since the incident. How did they-?”

“The Royal Investigators enlisted the help of the Mage Association and the Merfolk to get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible.”

“Who was being kept there?”

“The better question is who escaped there.”

The button was pressed once more, and 5 photographs were shown.

“...No way.”

“Dear God.”

“Impossible! I thought she was dead!”

“...Lucien. Out of all the bastards-!”

“Silence.” The cold tone of the secretary shut everyone in the room up in an instant. “Chairman.”

“Thank you, Linda.” Chairman Kingsley cleared his throat. “I know that many of you are concerned regarding the triple S-rank escapees, but there is someone far more worrying who we believe has not only escaped but might single handedly have caused the incident at Tartarus.”

He pressed the button one final time, and the slide changed to just images of Rose.

Though, with that said, there were only 8 images.

“...Who is that?”

“We don’t know.”

“What do you mean, Chairman?”

“Rose. Her name is Rose and the arresting officers could not change her into a prison uniform. Not only that, but, despite her crimes, she almost willingly surrendered,” Linda said. “Beyond that…” She and the Chairman shared a look.

“Tell them.”

“Are you sure, Chairman?”

“...If this becomes a scandal, I’ll take the fall.”

Linda nodded; then, sternly, she said, “5 years ago, Rose…killed every man and woman at the Byran Stronghold.”

The air froze.

Some got goosebumps.

Others were visibly shaken.

A few gulped audibly.

There were a handful of individuals like Allen, Linda and the Chairman, who remained stoic.

“859 dead. The arresting officers were shocked that she surrendered without a fight, but they confirmed that a dampener had been applied and that her mana values dropped below the point of concern. However, after a brief internal review, it was decided to discreetly send her to the maximum-security wing of Tartarus. As for the attack at Byran, we-”

“The Queen ordered us to declare it a chemical weapon attack,” Kingsley said. “Since then, no one but a select number of individuals knew of Rose’s existence. Truthfully, outside of the dead at Tartarus, only 3 of us left alive knew of Rose’s existence.”

“...Is she trying to kill everyone who knows about her?”

“No, Allen, otherwise the Queen’s life would be at stake. We also didn’t tell you about Rose so that you could go and hunt her down.”

“What do you-?”

“Sorry, Gloria, but we don’t have much time. Discreetly, I want you to keep an eye out for these 5 individuals or any signs of their movements. Normally, we’d put out wanted posters and bounties, but they’re so dangerous that we’re afraid that there could be more casualties.”

“Hunt them without grabbing their tail?” Sven the Wild asked with a grin. “Quite the tall order.”

“...I know, but…this is for the best,” Chairman Kingsley said. “Do not leak this to the outside world if at all possible.”

“She’s that scary?”

“Sven, remember when they said they’d put a dampener on her?” Allen asked, leaving a beat for Sven to process the terrifying truth.

***

Atop a grand cathedral, Samantha was dancing.

Below, inside, a grand orchestra was playing a concert.

Despite there being a full range of instruments, the piano played the loudest.

It was a gentle, if melancholic, song that Samantha, in her expensive gothic gown, was dancing to elegantly.

She had finished her assignments and was enjoying the crisp night air that enraptured the capital.

As the music progressed, so did her dance until its climax, where she curtsied to her invisible partner.

“Magnificent.” Rose applauded as she emerged from seemingly out of nowhere in a white tuxedo wearing lace black gloves.

“Thank you very much, Onee-sama.” Samantha gave her a beautiful smile, displaying her fangs and blood red eyes. “Everything is as you will it.”

“As it should be. However, now that the work has been done.” Rose extended her hand to the vampire. “Shall we dance?”

With pink cheeks, Samantha accepted and then waltzed together, illuminated under the moonlight.

Despite all the questions Samantha had about her superior and her motivations, the last vampire never asked them.

She was too happy to worry about things like that.

She was free and charmed by Rose.

For Rose, a chance to dance with a beautiful woman was not something she would ever pass on, nor would she if it was a handsome man.

All things that I want in this world are mine to do with as I please.