Guardian's Atonement

EIGHT| She was exhausted

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“My lady!” Celestine heard the second prince calling her name in panic making everyone who was asleep awake by his shout. Lights started to illuminate the place removing darkness from its path. However, Celestine’s mind was not on her surroundings, instead  Celestine felt like an error-a glitch had unknowingly happened as her body instinctively moved for back in her past she was expected to move like this once she was in danger.

In a blink of a second, Celestine grabbed the wrist of the assassin's hand away from her neck, twisting it to a certain extent making him drop the dagger he was pointing at her. As soon as the weapon dropped, Celestine moved with speed as She put her right feet in on the assassin's chest giving some distance between them and with all of her force she used it to kicked him off balance from his chest, the dagger flew and in an instant, their position changed.

The eyes of Celestine which naturally glimmer as the sun was now perfectly reflecting the crimson moon as she smiled with bloodlust.

She was like prey ready to hunt.

The assassin was momentarily in daze for he did not expect this at all.  His mind wasn't able to understood what had happened. The lady who was supposed to be weak and fragile was looking at him with eyes that show now value in life.

“L-L-Lady?” the second prince saw it all. Everything that happened, his blue ocean eyes saw it all and he felt an unexplained fear deep down in his heart. He felt his knees turning weak. His strength failed him as he slumped on the marble floors. Hitting his knees as he sit there not knowing what to do.  He can’t breathe.

 This was not the lady they all knew. He had his doubts. but, but, this.. this shows.. 

Celestine was ready to end her killer’s life. Her smile showed no regrets and fear but in that moment, an illusionary string was cut taking Celestine back to the reality she was currently in. Suddenly she heard illusionary voices she heard from the past,

“There’s only one way for you to survive,” a man silently whispered in Celestine’s ear. “In this life, the only way for us humans who have filthy blood to survive,” A shot chuckled resonates in her ears she felt chills all over her body as she momentarily froze,  She doesn't want this but the only choice she had was this. “Kill him. Kill him and you will be back to your dearest family.”

In that very same moment, the Assassin noticed the changed that happened on the lady. Fearing that his life was in danger, he used his strength to struggle and point the dagger once again at the lady’s face.

This time, Celestine’s expression changed bit by bit as if everything that happened ago was merely an illusion.

 A lie.

Celestine paused for a moment to asses everything that happened. From what she did to what was happening once again.

Was the previous Celestine despicable enough for someone to hire such a killer.? Celestine doesn’t know. However, even though she was facing death right now, she was oddly calm and compose.

For she was already accepting it. 

The dagger was cold on her skin and it had teared her skin a little bit.

Celestine blinked. In the corner of her eyes, she saw the moon turned crimson as if this bloody night was bound to happen.

Celestine’s surrounding was a mess. Lights begun to turn on one by one and she heard the servants shouts.

“My lady!” they said however, she did not move the same for her killer.

Celestine stared at the man whose face was covered except for his eyes. It was black as if the person strangling her was possessed by some demon.

“Who sent you?” Celestine asked. His pupils shook for he was not expecting the reaction at all. Not replying to her question he dug deeper the knife slicing her neck a little more. Celestine felt the stinging and hot wound to open a little bit more. It hurts and her body was trembling but her mind was calm. It was as if she had accepted such thing to happened.

She knew she can break free from the assassin's hold, however, she did not want that. Not when she remembered all of her despicable wrong doings.

The blood was now sipping out of her wound. Her hair was drenched. “I came to kill you.”

“I know,” Celestine said. She felt the killing intent of the person in front of her. So, she accepted the future.

“What are you waiting for?” Celestine provoked her killer once more. In her mind was a series of memories she has when she was living as Erica.

Celestine heard the sound of foot steps. She did not know who they were but she couldn’t careless. Her life was flashing before her eyes as the moment.

Was it true that when death come knocking at your door you will feel a certain feeling like this? Celestine was amused. Her mind was playing her struggles and the things she desperately did from the past in order to survive.

Was she that pathetic and desperate? or  was forced to do those things for she did not have a choice from the very start?

Ah, she was young back then. She was naïve back then. nevertheless, her doings won't be justified just because she was young. 

Blood was warm on her hands that time. It made her feel afraid of the life she ended because she wanted to live.

Everything was flashing in her eyes. Everything was making her feel dizzy and the commotion did not help at all.

“Would you kill me if I ask to?” was her hypothetical question but it seemed like everyone in her surroundings heard her.

“Celestine! What are you saying!?” It was a familiar voice. It was her second brother. They remained the same position as before.

He was chocking her with his dagger on her neck ready to be swing once he received the order.

“It’s my job to kill you.”

“Did someone order you to?”

“Yes”

“then, why are you hesitating?”

The killer’s eyes widen as if he did not expect this outcome at all. He was still contemplating this mission. His employer wanted this lady to be killed because of her attitude and because she has it all. It was all because of envy. He usually don’t like jobs such as this but the money was enticing.

“Who are you!?” Celestine heard the duke’s cries but they did not move at all.  Since the killer was keeping Celestine as a hostage, none of them can do anything right now.

Atticus and Jonas were panicking about what was happening right now. They did not expect this at all. The security of the Autumn estate was hard to infiltrate but this man, the killer who was pointing dagger at their sister easily reached his target without any hardships.

Something was odd they thought. But those things did not matter right now for their sister’s life was in danger and it seemed like their sister doesn’t care if she will live or not.

“If you’re thinking if I am afraid to die, you are wrong.” Celestine said. Her eyes of gold was bared with no emotions at all. As if she was a talking corpse.

“I’m exhausted. Would you end me if I ask you too?”

“My lady!”

“Celestine!”

Shouts from the knights, servants and her family reached her ear but all that mattered to her right now was that she was exhausted.

She realized it just now. She was exhausted.

Back then she was desperate to live. She was desperate to find happiness and she was desperate for love now, remembering her actions and her decision she felt like it was only natural for the gods to take her life away for she was nothing but a useless person who trampled people for the sake of her own.

If the gods are going to give her this opportunity to rest now, she would welcome it with her arms open.

She doesn't know where this self pity and guilt came from and it was making her puked. Maybe it was because her life was in the hands of this man. 

“Kill me,” Celestine said.

“My lady! Please stop saying that!” The dagger dug deeper. Celestine smiled even more. She was scary. Her eyes flicker as if she has nothing to fear. And even death for her was nothing but an opportunity.

She almost died once. In those waters. Instead of realizing the value of her life, she realized how fragile it was and  she knew holding something that was fragile did not suit her at all.

The second prince was helpless for what was happening. He did not understand it at first but when he realized that the lady was facing a killer, he shouted because he can’t do anything to help at all.

He thought that the assassin was for him. He was here at the Autumn Estate because he was recently a target of assassination and the mansion of the Von Reinsworth was the perfect place to hide. It seemed like it was true since the assassins now are targeting the lady.

He panicked and he tried calling for help for he knew he was helpless. He was shaking. Sooner after he shouted for help, the knights came rushing in with their swords but it was helpless for they knew that those swords can’t reach the lady at all.

Considering the attitude of Celestine, the second prince assumed that she would panic. That she would cry and ask for help but now, such pleas were never heard instead, it seemed like the only lady of the Von Reinsworth was asking for death and it was making his soul trembled.

His eyes landed on the duke and his sons. They were panicking. They did not know what to do for they were tied. They also did not believe the words coming from the lady’s mouth as if she was in her usual.

“Why do you want me to kill you?”

Celestine was turning pale as the blood kept on gushing out.

“Do I need a reason to live? I’m exhausted.”

The killer trembled as he was afraid for the lady in front of him. Her eyes seemed like she gave up living and she was just waiting. In that moment, images of people flashed in his mind making his mission more difficult. He shouldn't have accepted such mission.

He felt his hands losing its strength and in a blink of an eye instead of cutting through her neck, the killer used the window to flee.

Celestine blinked in daze not expecting what had happened. In that moment, she heard.

“Ring for the doctor quickly!”

“Oh my Lady! Please stay with us!” everything was a mess.

“Celestine!” She heard his brothers but she was still in daze. I’m still alive?

What a joke.

She was ready to die but seemed like someone was keeping her from dying. Her brother Jonas carried her as he pushed a cloth on her big wound in her neck. She felt the cold night even more.

Later on, her eyes traveled to her surroundings and settling down to the second prince’s gaze. As if she was possessed, she smiled confidently. Like she was not afraid at all.

The second prince flinched. Everything around them was in chaos however, the lady’s eyes were clear. It was even clearer than the ocean.

Do people who overcome death usually like this? The second prince asked subconsciously his gaze not living the lady's glimmering gold eyes. 

He felt his whole being being bewitch by such actions. He felt his fingers trembling. He felt like this was not reality at all. Is this a dream? He doesn’t know but the confident lady in front of him was even shinning than any jewels he could find.

He was targeted by such killers before but his reaction can’t be compare to the lady.

He felt his lips quivering even more.

He wanted to see more. He wanted to feel more. His skin was itching. But their gaze was cut off when the lady’s eyes closed as she lost consciousness. Her lips still smiling. 

Everything was a mess and it was even in chaos.

Jonas saw he sister lost consciousness and he felt like blood was had left him in that moment. He clenched his teeth as he ordered,

“Find the bastard that attempt to kill my sister!” His voice was heard in every corners of the room. The servants flinched fearing the young master even more but the knights who were obviously reflecting their actions for they failed to save the lady were burning in anger. Their pride had been sullied by one person.

Only one person and they weren’t able to save the lady. Her wound was a symbol of their pride being ripped into pieces. 

The captain of the knights stepped forward, bowing his head, “We will obey the master’s orders.”

“You better find that person.” Jonas’ gaze were like a piercing knife meant to kill. He was not happy at all.

“Yes, young master.”

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