After closing the door from the outside. Selina heaved a heavy sigh of relief, before reminding herself, I need to get out of here! I will continue my plan once I return to my room...
And the wedding... It felt intentional..
Her mind stirred with fear as Selina made her way across the corridor.
The hall remained somewhat serene, with occasional sporadic servants maintaining the manor, incomparable to when she sneak through the night.
Encountering the grand clock once more, its wooden base features a translucent glass over its body, showing its pendulum swinging constantly as it indicates the time.
10:12 am, After taking note of the time, Selina turned right at the interception, arriving at the living room.
The living room is furnished with two silver white sofas, placed parallel to each other is a waist-level table, served with several cups made of marble accompanied by bread and sweets. To her right, is a veiled window and a piano desk at a corner, with the grand door between the other, red-strewn carpet underneath every furniture accentuates the vintage style of the interior, above it hung a chandelier, composed of candle lights flickering with a gust of wind.
Seated at the sofa ahead of her, is her mother, Filicia Ivory. Not far from her thirties, silver white hair, slender neck, and wrinkled yet supple shoulders.
She wore an elongated V-shaped dress, with full skirts at each sides of the bodice, stopping at the waistline, followed by a long sleeves, tight at the arms but wider below.
Opposite of her is Selina's father, Vincent Ivory. Near her mother's age, with obvious white strands over his dark hair, piercing black eyes, well-defined jawline, with a shaven face.
He wore a gentleman's frock coat, with a two piece of clothing under it including a gray-black vest and a long-sleeved white shirt.
"Good, you're here" Vincent muttered, noticing his daughter's arrival.
Filicia remained unresponsive, only turning her head once Selina reached the table, revealing a radiant smile at her daughter.
"Your wedding will be held the day after tomorrow" Her father informed, raising a cup of coffee to his lips.
Selina nodded in acknowledgement before withdrawing her action.
"Mr. Lawrence disclosed it" Selina replied, hands intertwined below her abdomen.
As she speaks, her mother picked a chocolate covered tart and glanced at Selina.
"Have you had breakfast?" asked by her mother, grabbing a different piece of tart, now with a lightly coated caramelized flavor and offering it to her.
Selina shook her head, politely declining her mother, saying "I've already had breakfast."
"Do you?" Filicia revealed a gentle smile at Selina, soft yet uncanny. She added "Mother's know more about their child than you thought."
Selina felt her back becoming colder. In response, she took the tart off her mother's hand and occupied the available seat next to her.
It was soft, sweet, gentle to the tongue. The sensation of the caramel greatly covers the bittersweetness of the chocolate that draped over the crunchy exterior.
Throughout Selina's time with her parents, they're apparently the opposite of the previous Selina's assumption.
Her mother, Filicia, conversed with Selina about trivial topics such as how a lady should wear, their etiquette, their behavior, their first impression when dealing with nobles and aristocrats. Meanwhile her father remained unresponsive, reading a piece of newspaper while occasionally drinking his morning coffee.
Time passed by in the manor, and Selina, eluded with her parent's behavior, thought deeply of the assumption of the previous her, They don't act cold... they're somehow neutral.
If they're a replica, they are horrifyingly remarkable, Selina couldn't help but mused, It slightly made her wary of the concept of them being replicas.
Seeing the grand clock after turning right of the corridor, she went ahead and took note of the time: 12:23.
Let's wash ourselves for now before returning to our room, She continued her tracks, seeing the trapdoor that leads to the basement, her body turned to the side once more.
Upon entering the bathroom, she was met with a mirror that reflects the whole interior, light filers from the small window above, revealing an authentic marble tub, with green curtain designed with floral base that acts as a concealer for the occupant.
Dismissing the her reflection from the mirror, Selina removed her dress and garments before entering the tub. A gray-white tub that permits from the wall, extending to a head seems to resemble the shower heads back on Earth.
With a flick of the knob, droplets of water cascades down from the silver head.
The refreshing course of water made Selina recalled a prominent person responsible for the innovation of this world.
Roselle Gustav, the late emperor of the Intis Republic. Throughout his governing, he revolutionized the world's technological advancement, bringing forth the concept of steam conductors which lead to the first invention of steam-powered trains and high-pressured weapons.
Could he perhaps... My senior?
After cleansing her body and rinsing her hair, she turned the shower knob off and returned to the mirror, gazing at herself, she couldn't help but admire Selina's physique.
Even for someone who never exercises and not prone to sickness, it's exceptional that she can maintain such lustrous body...
Taking the towel hanged on a rack from the mirror, Selina diligently wiped her hair, face and body, again and again, scrubbing off the remaining blood stains from her abdomen.
After changing into a clean pair of dress and undergarments from the metal-made closet, she proceeds to exit the bathroom, returning to the intersecting corridor.
Arriving back to her room, the fleeting sunlight gleamed through the transparent veils of the window, notifying her unaccompanied presence.
The antique mirror, resting on its back above the dresser, the mirror next to it reflecting its metallic surface embedded with pupil-less eye.
Let's not dispose it for now, I might need money once I escaped and its design could sell enough at an auction, With this in mind, Selina proceeds to devise her plan for escaping.
At that moment, the antique mirror began to display an abnormal movement, quivering at its place.
The slight clinging noise it makes prompted Selina to turn her attention to the object.
There, the mirror's pupil-less eye revealed glistening sparks of crimson light.
Before Selina could react, the fiery light shot fort, shrouding the entire room with brilliant red hue.
...
In the Loen Kingdom's capital, Backlund. Inside a luxurious looking villa at the royal district.
Audrey Hall sat in front of a dresser. The markings on it were antiquated and there was a cracked bronze mirror on the surface.
"Mirror, mirror, awaken...
"In the name of the Hall family, I command you to awaken!"
...
She switched between many different sayings, but there was no reaction from the mirror at all.
After more than 10 minutes, she finally chose to give up and pouted her lips in grievance. She said in a soft murmur, "Father was indeed lying to me. He always tells me that this mirror was the treasure of the Roman Empire's Dark Emperor, and that it is an extraordinary item..."
Her voice trailed off. The bronze mirror which rested on the dresser suddenly glowed with a crimson light that engulfed her completely.
...
In the Sonia Sea, a three-masted sailboat that looked like an obvious relic was navigating through a storm.
Alger Wilson stood on deck, his body undulating with the currents at sea, maintaining his balance easily.
He wore a robe embroidered with lightning patterns, and in his hand was a quirky-shaped glass bottle. Bubbles billowed inside the bottle at times, frost turned into snow at times, and signs of gusting wind could be seen at times.
"We're still short on the Ghost Shark's blood..." Alger murmured.
Then at this moment, a crimson burst appeared in the space between the glass bottle and the surface of his palm. In an instant, it enveloped the surroundings as well.
...
In the fog of gray mist, three individuals suddenly found themselves summoned into the mysterious space.
Between them, at a distance not far from Selina. A mysterious man covered in thick and hazy mist stood, silently spectating their arrival...