She stopped appreciating the only person who sees her and loves her until that person's life was taken away.

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Even as the weather was quite cold under the afternoon sun, there were a few numbers of customers–mostly consisting of families and friends alike–walking in and out of the carnival. Wandering from stall to stall indulging in hot, savory foods and steaming beverages.

At the center of the stalls, tents, and caravans, a large tent stood tall. From our location, the faint music and muffled cheers of the crowd could be heard from within.

Right at the moment Aiden and I entered the Winter Carnival at the Central we were greeted by a shout.

"You! The child with silver hair!" The person was pointing directly at me.

Aiden and I were in a cloak hiding pretty much of our hair and face. Having a gut feeling that this person might know the answers I'm looking for I turned and went up without thinking twice.

The old woman sat on an ancient-looking mat, her crooked index finger was still pointing at me. The oversized robe hangs over her skeleton-like body. I should be concerned about how malnourished the old woman was but even under the thin layer of clothing, she wasn't shivering in cold at all. She looked more warm than I was.

Aiden who quickly followed stood beside me, looking at the old woman with pure suspicion upon seeing her eyes.

"Child, you are destined to die young," the old woman spoke staring in my direction with unfocused cloudy eyes.

I glanced down at her crystal ball. It has cracked and dusty as if she never actually uses it. Perhaps it's just a decoration since she's blind... What kind of fortune teller is this?

"What do you mean my sister will die?!"

"I think so too," I gravely agreed.

"Sister! Why are you agreeing to this nonsense?!"

"It's her destiny, your highness," the old woman calmly said moving her white irises towards the prince.

Aiden took my hand in alarm.

"There's nothing to be wary about. I'm just a harmless old woman." No one bought it though. She looked back at me again. "But you're walking away from your destiny. Changing little by little, that's why you're here with your brother."

Change? Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

"But you'll face plenty amount of death. Be prepared, Abandoned Princess."

Was she telling me that I'll suffer?! And it's not one-time big time but plenty!!!

"Let's go, Elaine. We shouldn't waste our time with this foolishness," Aiden glowered as he dragged me away.

"Wa-wait!" I pulled my hand but he didn't let go.

Aiden stopped dragging me and glared saying, "Don't tell me you believe her?"

I ignored Aiden. "D-do you perhaps know how I could go back?"

Back to where I belong. To the holy land, at the side of the Goddess of Light and my sisters.

The old woman smiled. "You are back."

My forehead furrowed. I am back?

"You don't have any sense of direction, Elaine?" Aiden asked.

"Huh? No. No, that's not it. I have a good sense of direction," I said suddenly getting defensive.

He stared with his gold-colored eyes. He didn't look convinced. "It's your first time here so stay close to me."

"Ah, yes, don't let go of each other's hand, especially today. Run along now, children, enjoy the Winter Carnaval," the old woman said in a warning tone before calling someone from the crowd. "You there! The man who's dating his wife's mother!"

At the end of the day, the warning was forgotten and Aiden was no longer with me.

The snow was like white rain, slowly falling outside the window shop.

I stared down at the box of chocolates in my hands with half regret and guilt. Aiden will definitely be panicking by now after realizing I was gone.

He'll be fine, right? To leave him... with that maid and her daughter.

After stumbling across the prince's maid when we were about to go back to the palace, she immediately bribed me giving a gold coin as her daughter hog over Aiden. She whispered, "Princess, I heard you love Kook's Chocolat and Tea. Why don't you go and buy yourself some?"

In short, she meant, 'Stop being a nuisance and leave us be.'

"Wow, you came prepared," I said under my breath.

"What was that, princess?"

"Hmm?" I looked at her with innocent eyes as I took the gold coin.

In short, I had succumbed to the temptation. But who wouldn't when your favorite food is given to you for free?

I released a sigh. I'll be in trouble in the future if I'm easily swayed like this just because of chocolate.

The snowfall was getting heavier so I decided to go back to the palace alone rather than to look for Aiden.

But I was still far from the palace wall. I walked bent over from the cold as my skin became icy. My face stings against the cold wind.

I looked around. I need to find somewhere I could shelter in the meantime. Somewhere warm would be great.

There's an old church nearby surrounded by vacant lots. I doubt that someone's living there. I was about to turn when I saw a man carrying a child. The boy was struggling to escape while he opened his mouth as if he was screaming but the sound was weird.

The streets were almost empty because of the snow leaving for no one to see the two enter the church except for me.

I turned without much thought and walked away from the crime scene. I wouldn't be able to help the boy if I went there like some kind of hero, it might as well harm me for doing so.

I'll just have to find a guard and—

"You'll report it to the guards, aren't you little one?" A man crept behind me. "I don't think I'll let you do that. How about you come with me quietly so no one would get hurt?"

If I run there's a high chance that I'll get caught and even hurt myself.

Pursing my lips into thin line I nodded stiffly and turned to face the man.

"Smart move, little girl. I thought you'd run away," the man said as he played with a dagger in his hand. He then quickly hid his weapon when a woman passed by. "Come now little one, it's time for our daily prayer."

The woman glanced in our direction as my eyes caught sight of the cross necklace around her neck.

"..." I gave a small nod in response. "We'll be doing the Prayer of Divine Praises, right father?"

"Huh? Ah, yes! Of course."

After the woman walked away he quickly half-dragged me towards the church. It was old and dark but wasn't empty. The oak door was full of splinters and fractures due to nature and time. Upon entering, the strong smell of blood and the whimpering children greeted me. Immediately I forgot how cold I was while my body became rigid from the horrible sight of a dying child lying on the altar

"Don't worry little one, you'll be next," the man behind me said and took my chocolate out of my grasp. He pushed me towards the side. "Just wait for your turn."

Fear sinks deeper and deeper as we trudge down the aisle, not for my life but for the lives of these children.

The children were silently crying on the long bench, shaking from fear, as if they were threatened not to make a noise.

"Bring the next one!" The man, who I saw dragged a child in front of the church a while ago, ordered as he pulled the dead body and threw it on the side.

The children screamed when the dead child's head made a cracking sound after hitting the wall. The body slumped above the two more lifeless bodies.

"Didn't I tell you not to scream?!" The children immediately covered their mouths.

Based on how they dressed and looked–tattered clothing, scars here and there, didn't even bother to hide their faces–they don't look like they're part of a cult, that sacrifices innocent lives for the sake of summoning demons, but more likely a bunch of rag-tags you usually see on the dark alleyway.

I was the eighth child in the queue and will now be in the seventh.

"Plea-please spare me. My-my m-mom——" the child cried pleading as she was forced to lay on the altar. The child's word cut when the man plunges a dagger into her heart without hesitation. "Uugh! I-It hurts..Mommy save me. Please! I... I don't want to di—"

My stomach twisted at the scene unfolding before my eyes. Clenching my fists I cursed myself for being useless.

If only...

One by one they begged and one by one they died.

I closed my eyes tightly as the little boy who was about my age asked the broken statue of a goddess to avenge his and the other's death.

"Just shut up and die quietly will you?!"

I bit my lower lip that it starts bleeding.

The boy next to me covered my hand with his small thin hand. With little strength that he had, he gripped my hand as if telling me that it would be alright even though he himself was scared.

The boy was covered in dirt all over his skin and boned body. He then looked at me with tears in his clear bluish-grey eyes and opened his mouth saying, "——"

A soft yet shaky grunt came out of his mouth.

The child was mute.

"Let go of me! Do you know what I am?! I'm a priestess, a noble priestess! I'm different from those dirty slum children!" The girl who claimed to be a priestess screamed as her tears continued to fall. "Release me and I'll bring plenty more lives to take."

The leader laughed like a madman. "Excellent!"

Relieved washed the priestess's face. "Re–really?"

"Of course! But... You're the main sacrifice. Be grateful oh noble priestess that you are the star, a key ingredient in activating the curse! Then I can take every life whenever I want with my cursed magic."