Finally, after everyone had arrived, the food was served. But something felt off. In the crowd of bursting joy and laughter, only one person was not inside and within the chaos.
Aefia was busy on her phone. It was almost midnight, so she wanted to have a chat with Nada before she had to make a swift decision about her life. She was at the farthest corner of the entire rooftop terrace.
The place they were at, was half open space. The remaining half, where the food wer being served, was terrace. It was like a grand hall that had the look of a glasshouse, but was held up by literal pillars and walls. There was a large two way door that led to the balcony, and then much smaller doors leading to much smaller compartments if someone wanted more privacy.
Aefia was at one of the few much smaller balconies. And it was the one to the most distant corner of the entire rooftop terrace. This allowed her the room she needed to finalize everything before she departure where she won't be able to come back again.
All the time that her thumbs were clicking onto her screen, she was gritting her teeth and trying to not burst out like she did at the ferry. But it was already much more painful to think about it. Her hands shook, causing her to step a bit away form the railing to avoid losing her phone from the drop.
"I honestly don't know what is up with you... But you seem like you are about to jump off a plane and anticipating a huge injury." Nada replied back after a short amount of time. "Seriously though... What the heck is wrong with you? Why are you talking like this?"
"I guess because I am at a place the duchess had me come over to along with her... And I am anticipating something bad to happen." Aefia replied.
"Ok... What exactly bad can happen?"
"Anything..."
"Girl! You are on vacation! Chill out for a sec!"
"I was on vacation when you were captured."
"Yooo! That bit back!"
"..."
"Hey! Don't just ... Me! Are you really in a mood to put me in an embarrasing place?!"
"What embarrassing place? Do you have any? But I do right now..."
"The heck is wrong with you??!!"
"Everything..."
"There it goes again! Stop hitting me with that ... !"
"..."
"That's it! I am blocking you."
"It's not your phone. It's literally Helio's. So unless you have his permission, you can't block me. I guess it truly sucks to be you."
"OH WOAH! LOOK AT THAT! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE A GENIUS?!"
"Yes. Because I AM a genius. A genius who the duchess needed to to save her throne. So... Jokes on you.
And given the fact that you have been 'blocking' me for the past five days."
"That's because he won't allow me to! Just wait until I have enough money to buy my own phone!"
*
Until then, this was all that she saw on her screen before she breathed out and looked at the sky instead. The panic had finally subsided, and she thought she better cut to the chase... And leave her words. But then, she hesitated again.
"Hey Nada..."
"Yes?"
"Good night. Sleep well and try not to get yourself entangled into a new sort of trouble that I can't save you from." Aefia left the message. Then, she flicked off the screen and shut it down. There was one last notification bubble on her lock screen before it suddenly turned all black.
"Alright. Good night."
That was the last message they would have, in an astonishingly long time, or maybe in forever. Just then, she turned around to step towards the wooden door and pushing it open. Only to see that the interior was all more boring then she had thought it would be. Because everyone had their someone to talk to, and her interruption was going to cause some people trouble.
She doubled down on her thoughts and decided to stay out of it all for another while longer. It wouldn't hurt to just be left out for a bit, despite her chronic mental illness that makes it seem claustrophobic to stay out from people's attention too.
I can manage honestly. I really don't mind it anymore. I can handle it all while being engulfed into multiple thoughts.
The door closed shut as she took a step back towards the railing again. The cool weather at the islands were sending chills down her spine as she stood in the harsh midnight winds. The sound of her cloak hitting the railing was loud with consequetive 'smacks' echoing into her ears. It annoyed her a bit, given that she wanted it to be silent, but at least it kept her sane for the time being.
She didn't know as to why, that loneliness was a weakness for her now. She wanted to be with people, but when she is in a small society, she hates being there. And when she moves away, it feels too left out to explain what it was that she was dealing with. Despair, or just an emotional imbalance.
It didn't help her much, other then making her gaze down and calculate the drop down. But she didn't want to do it, because of a fear inside of her. Maybe it was this specific fear that she didn't want to give up on her life this immediately.
If she had hired the hitman, she wouldn't have worried about the sudden attack since she wouldn't be able to register it in time. For the execution, the guilt would have pursued her forward.
A strained sigh left her mouth, and turning her breathe into fog. She watched as the white steam dissapear within seconds into the air. That was the state of her mind right now. She was visible for a view seconds, before she suddenly felt like she had turned into an invisible ghost.
Then, the door to her part of the balcony suddenly reopened. But it wasn't a guard or the duchess or anyone she would have expected. Of course, she had turned her gaze towards the door in curiosity. And she was met with someone she didn't even know.
"Hey... I was just stopping by to ensure everything was alright. Actually my mom had asked me to stop by to ensure you were alright."
The person had red hair like his mother with the same brown eyes too. His mother was the friend of the duchess who had earlier visited her and wished her happy birthday. He was around the age of Lewis, and she had only seen him from the distance, but he resembled his mother by a lot.
"I am alright. There is no problem." Aefia solidly replied. She stayed silent for a long time while waiting for the person to leave, but instead, he stepped inside. Does he not know something called permission?
"You do know for a fact that... My mom was concerned about your mental state. Right?" He suddenly asked. "After all... She was in the same situation as you."
"I don't think she was." She sharply replied while flashing a strict gaze. "And I believe that you barely know me. So you must have mistaken me for someone else."
"Then let me formally introduced myself." The person said while bowing. "My name is Casper. My mother is the woman who you had spoken to earlier."
"Yes. I know. So do I just call you Casper? No title? Perhaps Master Casper?" She asked back just to stay polite.
The person was slightly taken aback. "I didn't think it would be necessary... But you can go for whatever you want." He answered shortly afterwards. For someone who is supposed to be from the Imperial family... I haven't even addressed her by her designated title, yet she already does. Well... She is a very strange person.
"Alright, Master Casper. Is there anything else you would like to know?" Aefia asked back, causing him to jolt awake from his thoughts.
"Not that I can think of... But I will come back if there is a need. Either ways, it was nice meeting you." He replied, bowing to show respect. But when he had lifted his head back up, he was shocked to realize that she too was bowing back. That is... Just too strange coming from an Imperial princess.
Before long, he had to step back inside the zone of laughter, but he was too deep in thought to be interested into the conversations around him. It is either that she deeply respects everyone and is naive... Or she thinks I don't know her identity. She is smart by what it seems, but maybe she was trying to confuse me so I would not ask her anymore questions.
But back to where Aefia was standing, she had something much more deeper in mind. "If I am going to cause a mess... Might as well pay it up first."
***
It was pre-dawn, when Aefia woke up and stepped towards her window. No one had to tell her to get up, nor did she set an alarm. She had done it out of her own accord, and it was also slightly thanks to her panic.
Her hands were practically shaking when she held onto the butterfly brooch at her collar and walked towards her window sill to take a closer look to the environment.
The stars were still visible, and the violet sky made it a spectacle that seemed like once in a lifetime opportunity. The violet had started to fade into a bright and brilliant pink, then to red and yellow, where the sun was climbing the sky, but still not yet fully up.
This helped to calm her down a lot, until she chose to take a look at her room. Her eyes only fell on the side table where she had placed a letter that she planned on giving Lewis before she left. She didn't bother picking up her overcoat or her cloak, and she wore her simple white slippers.
Following that, she walked out of her room and towards the next door, where she knocked on the heavy oak to get his attention. "Hey! It's me..." She spoke while leaning against the wood.
Then, the door opened and he held the door half open while rubbing his eyes and yawning. "Aefia..." He finally smiled while still half asleep. "Is there something?" He asked finally.
She held out the letter. "Only this..." She answered back as he grabbed it, while leaving the door a ajar in case she wanted to enter, but she didn't. "What is this?" He asked in confusion.
But before he could answered, he had lunged forward while hugging him. "I don't know..." She lied.
With her actions, he was left even more confused, but he still laid a hand on her head while smoothing her hair down. "Did you get some sort of nightmare? That you had to get help from your elder brother?" He asked while flashing a smile.
"I am sorry about yesterday... There was no cockroach." She whispered while letting go. But before he could process anything, she walked away. And leaving him to open the envelope. Only after his room door had shut, did she break into a run towards a destination that she knew. Her slippers slowed her down, but she was still very energetic.
She ran in the cool morning air where it felt like it may snow in any minute now. But she ignored it all, her butterfly brooch making clicking sounds like the countdown of her life. She was desperate, like everyone had said, and she had felt like she could conquer this fear too.
Finally, she was near the bridge.
Her eyes traveled to the drop below. It wasn't a waterway, it was a stone ground with a stone statue of a woman with wings as she bent forward with her eyes shut and her hands out in a way to ask for something. The woman was on her knees, and she had a smile on her face. The entire stone structure was white, made of marble.
She shoved the slippers away, while standing bare foot on the railing. She breathed out heavily, the morning breeze taking away her breathe and sending her hair flying away from her face.
This is a sacrifice... Not a death... But I do have the intention... So I should be able to erase myself permanently from every universe... I hope so...
Then, she turned around with a fluid motion, her eyes diverted towards the sky, which was more vibrant now. The sun's rays reflected onto her dark eyes, as she shut them for a single second and took a step back, losing balance.
Too late to turn back now... The only thing she last saw was the vast sky and unknowingly, she had caught the sight of her home planet, Earth. Goodbye... My little brother...
The drop was twelve floors tall, and she knew very well what might happen.
Thud!
She hit concrete with her head first, instantly drawing blood that fell spilled to the ground like a fountain. She was indeed levitating on the ground, but that was because she had unknowingly landed right onto the statue's hands. She was laying like a sacrifice on the woman's hand.
Aefia's head was tilted to try left, while the woman glanced at her from the right. Her deep red blood seeped through the woman's fingers. But... Unlike what it seemed... It wasn't a spot-death.
She managed to stare for a few more seconds before her consciousness flew away. Her blood bled wat the corners, because of major internal organ trauma. Her pulmonary arteries had torn due to the impact, making it the real reason why she didn't survive. Otherwise, she would have lasted a bit longer. And another thing, she didn't get immediate attention.
Although she did set up the scene for her stage before she left, she has set it up after the trailer had begun. So apparently, her death, was going to be the first scene to a new life that the world was going to meet. Whether they knew she was dead or not, it didn't matter.
Because what really mattered here, was that the director of this stage, had already planned everything before she had to leave the rest onto the hands of her actors.
For now though, Aefia Seraphina Smod has left the stage for Nikoan. And just Aefia for the stage on Earth.