The Villainess, whose time has stopped

She could only watch as the orphanage where the nine of them were staying was being burned down. Everyone had already run away, all except her and her brother. She was dragging her brother across the floor, trying to get them out before the house collapsed on them. It was no easy feat for her, as she was but a young 12-year-old girl. She was also injured and bleeding profusely, but that did not stop the little girl. Her beloved elder brother was the only family she had left, and it was her fault that they were in this mess to begin with, so she knew she had to save him. Just as she could see the door to the outside, the floor above had collapsed right in front of her. There was now a pile of debris blocking the door. The girl started to panic and tried to run back while still dragging her brother. After the fire was put out, just hours later, rescuers came to the scene, and they started to look for the girl and her brother. But they could not find them, not even their dead bodies. It was like they vanished into thin air. The orphanage was built right on top of a spot that was linked to the abyss. The rescuers had assumed the 2 kids had fallen right into the abyss and gave up on finding them.

***

A few weeks after the fire had subsided, the remaining 7 kids who had managed to get out of the fire in time were subsequently adopted by different families from different countries. 3 of these kids, a young kobold named Ron and a pair of twin sisters named Reina & Rin, were in frequent contact with each other. While everyone had given up, the 3 of them continued to hope that their lost friends would pop up one day. They eventually got their wish when ten years later, another of the orphans, Rose, whom the burgundy family had adopted, asked to meet with the 3 of them. She had brought along the little girl who went missing that fateful day. She was unconscious and looked like she had never aged since that day ten years ago. The 3 of them were at first skeptical but eventually accepted it as fact. The truth, even if strange, was right in front of them. It wasn’t just that she looked the same as she looked ten years ago, but that also her entire hands up to her elbows were fully colored black. They tried touching the blackened arm, but it did not feel organic at all; it felt more like a hard rock. They asked Rose for an explanation and where she found their friend. Rose chose to stay silent, only responding with they’ll know when she wakes up. It was on that day that the ultimate villainess was born.