I blinked, the words settling awkwardly in my ears.
Easier? I guess there are some easy ones. But... Memories surface. Strange scents, bitter tastes, and suspiciously frilly aprons.
"Mmm... Me too... But how come the tests are so weird?" I couldn't help but ask aloud, my brows furrowing. The unease that had been bubbling inside me finally found a voice.
"Weird? How? What do you mean?" Master tilted her head, curious. Too curious. Her eyes twinkled with that unsettling spark again, the kind that spelled trouble.
I took a breath and listed them off, one by one. "Well... like planting flowers, smelling clothes, eating food and drinks, washing clothes, breathing weird substances, lying in the room, not moving, and so on."
The more I spoke, the more ridiculous it sounded. I cringed.
"And?" Master shrugged, unfazed. "Those were your tests. Nothing wrong with it."
"Huh?" My brain did a double-take.
How are those seemingly mundane tasks related to tests?
Seeing the pure confusion on my face, Master chuckled. "There are poisons in them."
My thoughts paused. What?
The realization settled heavy in my chest. "Oh... I see now." I blinked. "So those seemingly ordinary tasks were actually designed to test my ability to detect and handle poisons."
"Exactly." Master nodded, looking weary. She's finally using her peanut brain.
"But what about lying in the room without moving?" I pouted. That one still made no sense. It felt more like torture than a test.
"I had Lady Nozomi release some poison gas inside your room to test your resilience and ability to withstand toxic environments," Master said casually, like she was discussing the weather.
My mouth dropped. "I could have died while sleeping!"
"A peaceful death, they say," she replied with a smirk.
I slumped in my chair, sighing deeply. "With a Master like you, no wonder all your previous disciples met unfortunate fates…"
Before I could continue, Master shoved the last piece of cake into my mouth, muffling my complaints.
"Let's stop talking about the sobbing story and move on to the cheerful part." She leaned forward. "As a reward for your outstanding performance, I'll let you visit your friends."
"Really?! I can meet them? Really? Master?!" The food escaped my mouth and flew toward Master. Master snapped open her fan and blocked the incoming attack. I didn't realize what I had done. Excitement shot through me like lightning. I bounced on my heels, practically vibrating with joy.
"Oh my," Lady Nozomi cooed, clearly entertained. "Look at how excited young lady Llyne is. I can practically see her tail wagging like a cute little puppy."
Master chuckled and placed the food-stained fan on the tray Lady Nozomi was holding. "Yes. Though you have to be careful. It's dangerous out there. Many nasty people might harm you."
I pffed and rolled my eyes. Waving my hand and laughed. "Ok, ok. I ain't a kid, you know?"
Master just smiled and spoke. "Promise me you won't cause trouble when you are with your friends."
I was still bouncing and heard only part of what Master said. Promise? Trouble? Friends? She wants me to promise her to cause trouble with my friends? Master is so nice!
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I flashed a toothy grin. "Sure. I promise."
I'm good at that after all. I squirmed. Oh. I'll make Master super proud.
They exchanged worried glances, and in that moment, I felt it. The warmth of being cared for, even by two dangerously eccentric poison masters.
"I'll leave Lady Nozomi to tell you the rest of the details," Master said, signaling at Lady Nozomi.
"Wohoo! Thanks, Masta!" I beamed and skipped out of the room, ready for tomorrow's long-awaited reunion.
Lady Nozomi closed the door behind her, and we walked down the hallway. We reached the garden, and I started waving to the butterflies that no doubt hated my presence, because the moment they saw me, they fled.
Lady Nozomi, who was walking in front, turned to me. "Will you be going now, young lady Llyne?"
Now? I glanced at the darkening sky. "Should I? Nah… Maybe tomorrow."
I blinked. But in that one second blink, I saw Lady Nozomi click her tongue, followed by the sound.
Does she want me out of the house that badly?
"You clicked your tongue." My unfiltered mouth spewed those words before my brain can process anything.
Lady Nozomi stared at me for a moment then said, "I did not. Are you sure you did not see wrongly."
"I heard the click." I said.
"Or heard wrongly." Lady Nozomi added.
I shook my head, "No I..."
No waiting for my next word, Lady Nozomi bowed her head slightly and said, "Alright then. See you tomorrow. Have a pleasant dream."
She quickly turned and walked away. Leaving me alone and stunned in the hallway. "...Thanks. You too, Lady Nozomi."
Hopefully she doesn't poison me in my sleep to silence me.
Back in my room, I cracked the window open. Moonlight spilled in, soft and silver. I curled beside the window, letting the quiet settle around me. Stars scattered across the sky. I breathed deeply.
Serenity was a rare luxury in the House of Aum. But it didn't last long. Hours passed. Sleep never came.
"I'm too excited for tomorrow that I can't sleep," I mumbled, flipping over. "What should I do?"
I stared at the ceiling, wide awake. The pillow was warm. Too warm. Sleep wasn’t coming.
The clock tick-tocked in a steady rhythm. Slowly, memories of Iz drifted in, replaying the nights horror movies kept us awake. Why horror movies? Blame Iz. I was just a helpless victim. But we had a method for that. It never failed.
Counting sheep? Classic method.
"One... two... three..." I imagined them hopping over a fence. But even the imaginary sheep were too bouncy, too joyful. Their energy matched mine. "Nothing works. Dang it!"
Ah! I know. Recite history lessons.
I tried reciting what I had learned in history class. I closed my eyes, smiling. This ought to work.
After ten minutes...
Fifteen...
Twenty...
My mind still drew blank. I shouldn't have returned what I learned to the teacher. Hmph!
I started kicking the blanket.
Growl~
My stomach voiced its disapproval, loud and clear.
"Oui... I'm hungry again. I just ate a few hours ago…" I groaned and clutched my stomach. "Maybe Master is right... I am a shrew."
I slapped my tummy and rolled to my side. No. I'm not going to eat at bedtime.
The beast in my gut roared again. It refused to be ignored. I closed my eyes, forcing myself to sleep, but the rumbling of my stomach just wouldn't stop.
"Aiyah! Fine, fine. I'll go you pampered stomach!" I threw my blanket away and reluctantly dragged myself down the quiet hallways, toward the kitchen.
"Only a few hours left, and I'll finally be able to meet Isaac, Rona, and Ronald..." I whispered to myself. The thought brought a smile to my face. They were waiting. Somewhere.
I scavenged the kitchen. Leftover snacks. Juice. Good enough. I brought them to the table. In case you're wondering what qualifies as a "light snack": one ten-foot baguette, fifteen slices of ham, eight slices of cheese, five Chinese sausages, three large eggs, five bowls of rice, and three cartons of milk.
Once fed, I returned to my room. The night felt lighter now. I tucked into bed again, letting the fullness settle and the daydreams lull me into a gentler rhythm.
Dreams came at last. Warm. Joyous. Filled with old voices and laughter yet to be shared.
The Next Morning.
The sunlight felt like a personal attack. A violent one.
I stretched and yawned, dragging myself upright. "I'm utterly exhausted…" I mumbled. The mirror did not hold back—dark circles, red eyes, a mess of hair, and my increasing bulging tummy. "Look at those dark circles and red eyes. I might scare off all those chubby cheeks, kids…"
As I stepped out, Lady Nozomi greeted me with her usual calm. "Good morning, young lady Llyne. Don't forget to greet Master and eat your breakfast before heading out." Then she whispered, "If you need to eat after last night."
I rubbed my stomach and ignored her whisper. "I know. My stomach called me up early, even though I wanted to sleep a bit more."
Her face stiffened for a second, then she let out a robotic chuckle. I bowed and made my way toward Master's room.
I opened the door.
Whoosh.
A needle sliced past me. I whipped my head to the right. A needle buried itself in the wall behind me.
My neck numbed. Warm blood slid down and hit the floor with a soft pat.
My heart froze. What was that for?
"Master, do you hate me that much? Hic!"
Master turned slowly, expression unreadable. "If you don't want that to happen to you, you should always knock before entering."
"Okay…" I muttered, hugging my wounded pride tighter than my neck.
Her lips twitched into a small smile. "I thought you were an assassin for a moment. Either way, good job dodging."
"Assassin? Why would I be an assassin?!"
"Assassins don't knock," she said, eyes twinkling with mischief.
"Assassins don't use doors, Master," I sighed, already too tired to keep up with her logic.
The Ashen Paradox - Book I
The Ashen Paradox - Book I
A CHILD IS TAKEN BEFORE SHE CAN BE NAMED.
A BLACKSITE CALLS IT “CONTAINMENT.”
She is trained into obedience—quietly, clinically—
until the ash inside her stops obeying measurement.
CONTROL HOLDS—UNTIL IT DOESN’T.
Read the file. This system was never built to survive awareness.
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