I Will Die As The Villainess √

77: The Abyss Of Verity

"Where am I?"

Confusion then frustration.
Spending an hour roaming around the familiar castle walls, she didn't arrive at her desired destination.

Turning left, going back to where she ran from, climbing countless stairs then returning to the starting point— ever since she blacked out, her surroundings change.

Was it a dream?

Her exhaustion seems to vanish but the effects remained seen. Her dark bags underneath her tired orange eyes, messy orange and white strand, and the struggle to breathe made her concluded that this wasn't a dream nor a nightmare.

Entering another room, the silence and lack of human beings cause anxiety to spark.

Why was she alone?

Quickly, she left the room that gives shivers and ran towards the corridors. She attempted opening the doors but it was futile. There were no available escape routes unless she creates one.

Pale and shaky hands grab an expensive vase and threw it towards the window.

Colorful shards flew as she steps back and protected her face. Checking herself, she receives no injuries which she was grateful for.

Raising her head, a gasp escapes and her eyes seems to betray her.

The glass that remained intact—emitted an image of outside peacefully snowing. While the center—large enough to use as an escape route—shows nothing but darkness.

What was happening?

Moving near it, she let her right hand entered the nothingness as her mind continuously pester her to get away from it.

There was no way out except the mysterious abyss.

The palace was a labyrinth and she would rather explore the unknown than stay there.

Her hand felt nothing which brought relief and before she steps forward, a voice made her pause.

Looking behind, she saw no one.

Why did she hear Neville's voice calling her not to go?

This was the only way to save herself from the labyrinth, to go back to him.

"I must be hallucinating."

She reassured and entered the abyss with no regret.

No light and color infiltrated her eyes as she continues to move forward. Even though her vision was blocked, she strives to go back no matter what— until, she heard a voice.

A crying voice, a somehow familiar sound that made her heartache.

She tried to find the source but to no avail, she couldn't see anything.

Her actions seem to make her realized something.

Her hands flew to her heart and her face paled.

"W-where are you?" She cried.

How could she, to restart the world for her own foolish suffering— leave and forget her child?

"I'm sorry.."

The baby's whimper was enough to worsen her stress and despair.

"I...." She couldn't even speak as her knees weakened.

The darkness that engulfed her surroundings and blinded her vision suddenly vanish and she was in another unknown place. The sound of multiple clocks resounded throughout the place. They were placed everywhere, some were floating and some stayed on the ground. Grotesque and infinite stairs leading to nowhere were above her yet she didn't turn to look at anything.