The World in Dissonance (Volume 1)

'Wherever there is light, there is also shadow.' It was an undeniable universal truth. And if that statement were to be compared with the current reality, Human History went through many trials in order to reach its current state of Modern Society. War, homicide, i*********e, suicide... Those were regarded as the major root of unnatural death!! Those causes may have been labelled as unnatural but death itself was natural and inescapable for any living beings. Death was everywhere, and countless people lost their lives, either naturally or unnaturally, throughout many eras. With no exaggeration, Death was humanity's greatest archenemy!! For instance, among the pandemic that plagued The Human Society, The Black Death was identified as the deadliest one with actually more than 200 Millions of victims during 1334 - 1353. But what could be considered worse than a pandemic!? What caused as much suffering, but with more or less victims!? What else rather than the brutality displayed by Mankind itself!! Before Collective Hysteria was discovered in the late 18th Century, its influences already bear fruits centuries ago. During the Middle Ages, under Collective Hysteria, The Human Society went through one of the most cruel and bloody acts recorded in History!! . .. ... The Witch Hunt Great Britain, London, 20th Century The sky of London was brimming with sunlight after the heavens stopped crying not so long before. The streets, which were devoid of life a few moments ago, started to be crowded again. Every citizen went back to their daily lives. And among the crowds who just got back to their daily occupation, the newspaper boys of London were running everywhere with their bags still full. "Breaking news!! Breaking news", said one of them in a loud voice. It was as if he was screaming for his life. "Be aware of the latest news regarding the situation in Lancaster!!" "Breaking newwwssss~ !!" One passerby was captivated by their enthusiasm and got himself a newspaper. The man was in his 40s, he gave the big title a glance then went to a café to read it in detail. As those young boys were still focused on their usual occupation, a young maiden was crossing the road. Dressed like a dazzling beauty under the sky so blue, she was wearing a stylish combination of white shirt and a black skirt with a pair of high knee socks and boots. Her top was covered by a brown coat falling down her knees. Her boots were brown colored as well, and the most noticeable feature of her outfit was the dark corset on her top. Judging by her looks, she was in her 20s. The girl was wearing a pair of glasses, with her bangs attached from behind. Her white hair was also tied in a ponytail but it was still long enough to reach her back. The girl reached for one of the young boys to get herself a newspaper. But then, the newspaper boy was a bit astonished as young people normally preferred partying, doing fashion, or making out with their friends instead of reading, especially if it was a newspaper. So he hesitated a bit before the girl gave him the money for it. Once that was done, they parted ways; the young boy kept on selling his newspapers while the young maiden was standing there, as if being frozen in time. Just like the man earlier, what caught her attention was the big title. And there was no point hiding the fact that she bought that newspaper just for it. Without any further delay, she started to run as if in a hurry. The streets of London were crowded but she had to make it to her destination as soon as possible. Not so long passed had she arrived on a paved street, a middle-sized mansion could be seen between two big buildings. The scenery gave the vibe of those old fashioned houses from the middle age, which gave the scenery a little bit of nostalgia vibe. The building on its side was pretty tall, so the mansion was easy to spot. She noticed the windows on the 1st floor were open. The girl stopped running once she arrived in front of it then proceeded to walk to the door and opened it. "Alyss, Dedicatus... This is an emergency!", said the girl as her voice echoed through the living room. "Alyss?" There was no answer. "Dedicatus?" Still no answer. It was as if the mansion was a dead house. Through the girl's perspective, I really looked dead. The windows were closed and no natural light could make its way inside. Tons of piles of books were filling the room from left to right, on the sofa as well as on the ground. The main desk was covered by dozens of books on it, and what could be considered as a remaining spark of light came from a lamp on top of some books on the desk. And what was worse than the dust covering most of those books. The main room gave the feeling of those abandoned mansions in scary movies. * Sigh * The young maiden gave an exasperated sigh and moved slowly toward the closest window. She opened the curtains and right after, the windows. "Alysssssssss!!!!!!! Are you there? This is an emergency..." The girl was sure there was still someone left in the mansion, why else would the windows on the 1st floor be opened. As she continued calling for those names, a young girl wearing maid attire showed up from upstairs. "Oh~ Big Sis Sonya! It's you", said the little girl in a cheerful voice. "Good morning to you" Sonya Neville, That was the name of the beautiful girl in glasses. She looked up to the little girl's direction. "Laurencia, Dear... Do you know where your sisters are?" "Big Sis Dedicatus isn't back home since yesterday morning. And as for Big Sis Alyss, she should still be home. She was reading a lot yesterday. I guess she made an all-nighter." "That Dedicatus... Leaving the house in this state. What is she even thinking?", said the young girl to herself. "Thanks Dear." Right after having that small talk with the little girl named Laurencia, Sonya turned to the desk. "Alyssssss!!!!!" She called one more time for that name. As the name echoed for the umpteenth time throughout the room, the piles of books on the desk moved a bit before totally crumbling on the ground. Under those piles of books were no one but the girl named Alyss. * Yawn * She was yawning and moving her body, just like someone who got up from a long night, before starting to talk. "Ahhhh~ it's... It's you, So-Sonya!!! Y-you are ea-early ... today." Alyss Liddel, That was the name of the girl. She was a pretty looking girl. Her heterochromatic eyes and top knot chignon were her most distinctive traits. Her bangs were pulled back under a white headband to keep her forehead clear. "You're the one who is late! Wake up already, I have something to show you." While saying those words, Sonya gave her the newspaper she bought. Alyss's eyes were still sleepy, but the moment she gave a look at the big title Sonya was showing her, she completely woke up. "Wait, you're kidding me right? This can't be happening!" "I had the same reaction as you. Well, if it was another edition, I wouldn't trust this newspaper. But its editor was always trustworthy with the information they shared." "Okay, I got it! The information may be trustworthy but let's say we arrive in place... What if we find out that the story was nothing but a made up one?", Alyss was perplexed. Someone with a common sense would analyse the situation like both of them were doing, just to make sure it was true. But to be 100 % sure that it was not a lie, they needed to verify it themselves. It was just like Schrödinger's cat. A cat was placed in a box. There was a probability that the cat was alive, and another probability it was dead. 50/50. And the only way to get a 100 % probability was to open the box and to see it for yourself. "Well, prepare yourself because we need to figure this out... Let's explain the situation to Laurencia. She can pass the message to your sister, explaining why we had to leave before she could come back! And we'll also need to pass by my house to get my bag. Emergency or not, I can't leave like this without any luggage." Alyss didn't wait another second as she hurried and went upstairs in order to make all the necessary preparations. As Laurencia saw her big sister in such a hurry, she stayed silent. Actually, while cleaning the first floor, she kinda overheard the discussion between the two, so she likely understood the situation. Just as Alyss came close to her, she stopped cleaning and listened carefully to her big sister. "Listen, Laurencia! Time is running and I can't explain everything to you but Me and Sonya, we have to go. There is an urgent situation that requires our attention in the county of Lancashire, in Lancaster. Once she is back, explain that to Dedicatus. I left a newspaper on my desk, if she gets her hand on it, she will get the gravity of the situation instantly." While listening carefully to those words, Laurencia's eyes displayed a bit of sadness. Dedicatus wasn’t home yet, and now Alyss was going to leave as well. It was normal for her to feel sadness. "..." "Sorry to leave in a hurry." "It's fine Big Sis. Just promise me to be back safe as soon as possible." Alyss hugged her sister before going into her room. "Yeah, I'll be back.I promise" 30 minutes passed. Alyss came out of the bathroom. Her luggage was already set, all that remained was for her to dress herself up. Once everything was set, Alyss and Sonya were ready for their departure. The previously quiet mansion would become quiet again as they were to make their leave. Laurencia, who was still upstairs went down to the main room for the sole purpose of cleaning and saw the newspaper upon the books on the desk. . .. ... 'Witch Trials have started in Lancaster' That was the breaking news written on the cover page. Was history repeating itself? Was the British Land going to witness another wave of human malice? No one knew the veracity of that information. Great Britain, London, The city of Fog, magic and battle.