The morning sky was alive with the cheerful chirping of birds, their melodious songs echoing through the air.
Fluffy clouds drifted lazily across the azure expanse, while the sun peeked over the eastern horizon, casting golden rays that stretched like fingers across the earth.
This brilliant light blessed everything it touched, and a gentle breeze danced through the branches of trees, causing leaves to tremble as if shy maidens in a grand ballroom.
As the sun's warm glow spilled over rugged mountains and rolling hills, it finally settled on a mid-sized city adorned with towering ancient walls draped in climbing vines.
Outside these sturdy fortifications lay vast fields of farmland, sprawling for hundreds of kilometers around.
A steady stream of carriages and farmers bustled in and out of the city, each heading toward their plots of land under the brightening sky.
The city itself was already teeming with life. Smoke curled from chimneys as tantalizing aromas wafted through its streets, heralding the opening of shops that seemed to synchronize perfectly with dawn's arrival.
The city had awakened; a new day was beginning.
---
In stark contrast to this vibrant scene stood a crumbling estate at the far north,a place that seemed frozen in time. Its walls were peeling and overgrown with weeds; one gate hung precariously off its hinges.
Despite it being daytime, an eerie darkness enveloped this dilapidated mansion, making it stand out ominously against its surroundings.
Passersby avoided it as if fleeing from disaster; after all, who would dare approach such a ghostly residence?
Above the entrance swung an old sign that clung to its last nail,squeaking mournfully whenever the wind brushed past, as if begging for repair.
Inside, remnants of once-grand buildings now lay in decay: weeds sprouted everywhere, puddles formed muddy patches on the ground, and small creatures scurried about,rats darting here and there while frogs croaked their discontent amid crickets' serenades.
This estate could easily be mistaken for Dracula's lair,a place where even he might find it lacking in aesthetics.
---
In one dim corner of this forsaken estate stood Lucius,a young man no older than twenty,with long silver hair tied back in a ponytail.
His pale face bore an expression marred by resentment; his eyes reflected hopelessness as though he carried an insurmountable burden.
Clad in an oversized green robe that hung loosely around him, he hunched forward as if weighed down by invisible chains.
Occasionally trembling as though caught in a chill (though that was not quite right), he stood lost in thought for over an hour,muttering incoherent phrases under his breath while pinching himself to feel something real.
Standing a few meters away, two figures caught the eye: a man and a woman.
The man, tall and lean with an athletic build,his ash-brown hair tied loosely at the back and sharp blue eyes piercing through the air.
Clad in simple leather armor with a long sword strapped to his waist, he exuded both strength and mystery.
Beside him stood the woman, more like a girl of 15 or 16 years old, dressed in an old baggy black-and-white maid uniform that trailed behind her like an elaborate wedding gown.
Her almond-shaped eyes sparkled with innocence, framed by soft brown hair styled into a bun.
With delicate features and a few freckles, thin eyebrows, and soft red lips adorned with a hint of blush, she looked beautiful.
Both were watching the young man before them,Master Lucius,with worry etched on their faces but hesitant to disturb him. The little maid leaned closer to Garran and whispered softly,
"Garran, is Master Lucius okay? He's been like this for a month now... Do you think what happened is messing with his mind?"
Garran shook his head solemnly as he observed Lucius's distant gaze.
"Well, it's not surprising he's like this; after everything Master Lucius has gone through… who could stay normal?"
"Yeah!" Elira chimed in, raising her little finger to her mouth as if deep in thought.
"Poor Master Lucius! He has really suffered a lot." Tears welled up in her clear innocent eyes at the thought.
Garran looked at her speechlessly before shaking his head gently. "Elira, just go prepare breakfast for Master Lucius."
Snapped out of her daze by his words, Elira nodded enthusiastically with an innocent smile.
"Okay! I'm on it!" She skipped forward while humming a cheerful tune.
But just as quickly as she had set off…
BAM!
She tripped and fell face-first onto the ground, legs flailing in the air.
Garran slapped his forehead in disbelief; hopelessness flickered across his expression.
Elira scrambled to her feet, brushing off dust from her uniform while rubbing her forehead, now reddened from the fall and continued on her way without missing a beat.
Garran watched as she nearly stumbled again before turning back to Master Lucius and gazing skyward in exasperation.
"Why? Why do I have to be stuck with these two? Oh goodness!"
At that moment, Master Lucius seemed to snap back into reality; vitality returned to his eyes as his expression shifted from vacant to one of helpless amusement.
"What a shitty start!" he muttered under his breath.
"Almighty trunk-kun! Why do you have to do this to me? At least drop me off somewhere more promising than here."
Tears threatened to spill from his eyes at the memory of what he'd endured over the past month.
"Master Lucius!" A voice suddenly pierced the quiet, and before he knew it, Garran was standing right behind him.
"Holy crap!" Lucius felt a chill run down his spine as he jumped in surprise, nearly throwing a punch at Garran's face.
When he realized it was just Garran, he patted his chest to calm himself and let out a sigh of relief, albeit while shooting Garran an annoyed glare.
"What the hell, Garran? You can't just sneak up on me like that! Do you want me to have a heart attack?"
"You already seem to have enough holes in your heart," Garran muttered under his breath while scratching his cheek absentmindedly.
"What did you say?!" Lucius shot back, almost roaring in indignation.
"Nothing! I just wanted to let you know that breakfast is almost ready!" Garran replied with an expression as blank as a canvas.
Lucius sighed dramatically and waved his hand dismissively.
"Alright, let's go."
He shuffled away from the empty field like an elderly man with a bad back, with Garran trailing closely behind him.