Phantom Troupe's Web

Prologue.

"P-please..." their faint voice begged, dull eyes staring at their offender with pure fear.

"Hm," the woman hummed, jabbing the dagger she carried into the person's skull, watching as their body fell backwards; slumping on the house's floors. Blood oozed from the wound, trickling down and staining the cream rug. "That was boring," she sighed, yanking the steel dagger out from the head and treading out the way she came from.

The journey back home was silent, the evening breeze blows against her skin and tangles her hair as it rode the winds. Lingering among the shadows, the silhouette of a young woman, who stood at 5'6", weaves through the alleyways of a small town. Her figure blends into the night, not a single person could spot her if they tried; even her footsteps were inaudible. Kukuroo Mountain, a mountain with a thick and foggy forest inhabited its base, the moonlight peeks through the gaps of leaves, and where the woman's family estate was located.

The woman's rose-tinted lips curl into a tiny smirk, a content hum escaping that becomes overpowered by the sound of leaves brushing against each other in the evening breeze. Her movements abruptly end as she arrives at the home; large wooden double doors open themselves with a squeak of their hinges, darkness greeting the female. She entered, glancing around the open space and admiring the familiar surroundings; the doors slamming shut behind her.

Inside the mansion was expected for a family of their kind; a family of assassins. The walls were painted with a rich dark colour, velvet carpeting covered the floors throughout the household and candles were primarily used as a light source instead of chandeliers or other sources. Paintings were hung on a few selective walls and antiques were scattered around on tables that were set out for nothing but decorations. The empty space was filled with a melancholic aura.

"Welcome Home, My Lady," a raspy voice greets, the figure of an older male dressed in a butler-like outfit emitted from the shadows, a hand over his heart as he bowed to the woman. "Shall I inform your parents about your return?" he asks, standing up to loom over his employer.

"Tell my father and grandfather," his employer states dismissively, striding past him and towards the stairwell that was placed at the centre of the house; she takes a step before turning her head to look at the butler from over her shoulder. "Mother has no need in knowing of my return," she continued, pivoting away and climbing the stairs.

The second floor of the family estate is where the children stay. Rooms were far apart enough for each sibling gets their privacy but also close enough to visit and annoy one another, though the eldest children had the furthest rooms from the stairway. The female stretches her arms high into the air, roaming the dimly lit hallway as a satisfied sigh fled from her mouth, turning the corner and halting a wooden door. She twists the doorknob and pushes it open, entering and shutting the door behind her. A breath of relief is let out from the woman as she reaches into her black knee-high boot, removing a stained dagger and tossing it onto the nearest surface.

"A bath sounds nice about now," she exhales, reaching up to release her hair from its tight restraint, running a hand through it to ease the pain of the high ponytail.

The room belonged to her, given when she had requested privacy after having to be around her brothers for so long. By her standards, the bedroom was fairly simple, but from others' perspectives, it was anything but that. The walls were painted black with burgundy carpeting and shelving units hung on either side of her bed; centering the entire layout. A black wooden vanity sat on the farthest wall, beside her walk-in closet and a black wood desk sat across from her silk-sheeted bed. Silver shimmering tulle hung from the bedposts in a canopy style, and on the shelves sat an array of stolen jewellery from assassinated victims and exquisite knives she's amassed since she was little.

With her dagger set aside, the young adult pats down herself to find the hidden knives she carried, dumping them onto her desk before settling down on the silk-sheeted bed. Bending over, she unzips the side of her soil-stained boots, kicking them off as her bedroom door swings open.

"Sister, are you home?" the dull voice of the woman's apathetic twin brother called out. He stands in the doorframe, bug-like eyes scanning the room before landing on the sculpture of his sister. "Oh, you are," he answers himself, entering the room and standing in front of her.

With her boots off, the older twin hisses at the sight of her brother, making her way over to the closet. "What? Don'y you have a mission to go on?" she questions, skimming through the many articles of clothing she owned, giving each piece silent judgement as she spoke with her brother.

"A letter arrived for you," he informs, holding the item in between his index and pointer fingers. "It doesn't have a return address nor say who sent it. Should I burn it?" he continued to ask, staring at the white envelope with a red wax seal.

Interested, the woman peeks her head out from her closet, eyeing the item her twin held. "A letter? For me?" she asked. Her brother strides close to where she was, handing the object over with a blank stare.

"I'll take my leave now. Goodbye," he bids, exiting her room.

"Sure, whatever," she sarcastically dismisses, waving him off as she examined the letter.

Forgetting the need to change clothes, the eldest daughter of the family sat at her desk, eyeing the item she held with a raised eyebrow. An arm crosses over her stomach, her irises staring intensely at the letter she was given. "Who sent you?" she wondered out loud, peeling the wax seal. Carefully, she unfolds the written paper inside and reads it to herself, lips curling into a pleased smirk as she reads each word. Snickering at the letter, she discards it carelessly onto her desk and stands to resume her previous actions.

"This is going to be interesting," she chuckles, stepping back into her wardrobe.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

i've had this rewritten and in my drafts for a while...hehe...sorry i got really busy with uni and life events :3 but here you go <3