Eclipse

Hitomi stood before what remained of the crumbling old building that had been her home for a few short years. A brief look of nostalgia crossed her face, remembering the potential she’d seen in the former members of Shattered Dusk. However, this nostalgia gave way to disappointment rather quickly. The beautiful chaos she’d once hoped to achieve alongside the members of this once great monument to the true order of things had been snuffed out long ago. Not once but twice had she seen the crumbling rubble of the dream gifted to her by her Mother fall around her like shattering glass which cut deep into her soul. Even for the immortals, time does not heal all wounds but it did stoke the fires of vengeance that she would use to burn away all who had threatened to take her dream away. The light of the sun hit her face, the birds chirped their joyous song and yet the only beat Hitomi could find herself hearing was that of the heart that pumped the black blood through her veins that fueled her thirst for blood. Looking down toward the decaying door of the mansion she watched as the door opened, beckoning her inside where darkness consumed all and the even the light was tainted by the dark shades that lined what remained of the windows. Standing just within the darkness was the sight of a young woman who appeared to be in her early to late twenties wearing a maid’s uniform with thick rimmed glasses and long black hair pulled into a high ponytail. Behind the glasses were eyes as cold as ice and red as blood. The expression on the woman’s face was not one of joy nor malice, the blank expression could only be compared to that of a corpse, a sight Hitomi has seen far too often to be affected.

She smiled at the cold face, recognizing it as one of her many Ghoul servants. Moving toward the house, a gust of wind blowing her emerald hair in the sudden breeze, the sun becoming hidden behind a thick blanket of dark clouds that seemed to be moving it. To Hitomi it was as if the very world were aware of her plans, clouds devouring the sun in a manner similar to the stories she’d read as a child about a great wolf consuming the life-giving star and bringing about the end of the world, Ragnarok.

The Ghoul stepped from Hitomi’s path as she entered the mansion, her first sight being that of the grand staircase which lead to the guild’s second floor where she had once resided. Turning to her Ghoul she spoke, “Annabel, tell me, what have you found here?” Annabel opened her mouth, her expression unchanging as she spoke, “The others and I have picked this place clean Milady. The mansion remains in terrible condition and all its former occupants no longer reside here. Several homeless were found occupying the rooms but they were taken care of as you instructed.”

“I’m sure they made for a good snack. I hope you and the others have had your fill as the next to arrive here will be all mine, is that understood?” Hitomi spoke, amusement in her tone despite the seriousness of what she was saying. With a nod, Annabel bowed. “Of course, Milady, your meal will go undisturbed. Simply let us know if you wish for us to repair it.” She spoke in a gracious voice despite her expressionless face.

Just then a noise could be heard, the shuffling of footsteps could be heard echoing through the mansion as several beautiful women began to crowd the banisters. “Mother’s here, she’s come to see us.” They spoke with cheerful faces, much different from that of her head Ghoul who hissed at them all to quiet down. They fell silent all but immediately at Annabel’s hiss, all of them dropping to a knee to pay Hitomi the respect she had come to expect from her servants. Annabel following and doing the same.

Hitomi’s smile widened at the sight, hoping that one day the number of those who would fall to their knees in her presence would be far more than triple that of her number of ghouls. However, at the moment, she was satisfied. Moving toward Annabel, she ordered the woman to her feet, planting a deep kiss on her lips. The raven-haired woman did not move to accept the kiss nor did she pull away, standing as still as a statue as Hitomi caressed the ghoul’s cheek. “Come now, Anna, you’re too strict on them. Unlike yourself, they’re still quite young and inexperienced. They’ll learn in time.” She spoke with her lips within an inch of Annabel’s.

The ghoul nodded, “Forgive me, I’ve dared to dishonor you.”

“Nonsense, you’re only doing what you do best. That’s why I rewarded you for your efforts.” “Yes, Milady, forgive my ignorance.”

Hitomi smiled ear to ear, the exchange exciting her for things yet to come. “Did you find them?” She asked calmly, her eyes moving over the ghouls who bowed down above her in worship and praise for her mere existence. Annabel was the first to speak, “Yes, we’ve located what you were looking for. It’s in the basement.”

Hitomi raised her hand, signaling to the ghoul to lead the way toward the basement. Without so much as a nod, Annabel led her there and down the creaking wooden steps. The basement was pitch black but to Hitomi’s vampiric sight it was no different that walking in the middle of the day for her. The floor above them had collapsed slightly, a beam having landed on top of the table that sat in the middle of the room. “And the documents?” She asked, holding out her hand toward the Ghoul.

Annabel reached into her apron to pull out a folder, handing it to her master and backing away. The emerald-haired woman flipped through the files, reading the names of the dragon slayers that had once been controlled by Shattered Dusk. Moving toward the table she snapped her finger, not even needing to give the command before the ghoul had removed the beam from the table. Hitomi’s eyes narrowed at the sight, a slight anger filled her body as she looked down at the ruins of the machine that had once controlled the minds of some of the most powerful beings to ever be created by man. Her predecessors had failed because they’d tried to control a power far greater than their own but as a vampire, she was far worthier to wield such power than a weak and foolish human could ever hope to be. However, the cracked and decaying machine was not what it had been long ago and many of its lacrima seemed to have been shattered by the falling beam.

Anger raced through her blood but she refused to allow it to be brought a boil. Her furrowed brow became less tense as she let out a sigh, opening up the folder again to see which the remaining control lacrima belonged to. Her smile returned upon seeing that the one which would give her control over the wizard saint, Theia Zhulong, was still intact and it grew even larger at the sight of the last name of the only other remaining lacrima. The final lacrima belonging to Kalina Inari, meaning her plan would still go as planned, even if the power was not as she hoped it would be. She knew that taking control of the young Inari would trigger a swift reaction from her third target, the woman responsible for the destruction of her former home, Samarra Inari.

“Why is chaos so easily created? Order so hard to maintain? Why try so hard to go against the nature of living creatures? Step in the way of natural selection? The strong shall crush the weak under their boots and the songs of their screams will lull the powerful into slumber. That is the world my mother dreams of, the one I will create for her. This is just the first step in a long journey. What will friendship and love mean when we divide them, force them to watch their loved ones kill indiscriminately, the guilty, the innocent. Their blood will fuel the flame that will burn down the order they so desperately cling to and transform it into the dream mother wished for so long ago!” Hitomi said, laughing as she reached down turn on the machine, a loud hum filling the room as it lit up. “I will sow the seeds of their own self-destruction with the press of a single button.” She spoke, her body shivering as she pressed down to activate the control lacrima and gave the two dragon slayers a single command, “Come to me and destroy everything that dares to stand in your way.”