It was evening in Saulbine. The sun had sank below the horizon, but it still peered above it. The last few moments, or maybe an hour, of clear light lingered for now. But the buildings of the elegant capital of Saulbine, Renton, cast plenty of shadows in the fair city. It was bathed in darkness. While many still went about their business, in recent times... fear had gripped people. There had been a rash of property damage, attacks, and even murders... Rumor had it that there was something far beyond the natural world at work in the city. But others dismissed these rumors, and still went about their business. They were certain it was something that the police could handle, after all.
They were so very, very wrong.
Renton's King Clock, the immense clock tower in the city's center square, ticked away, as the slivers of light slowly began to grow dimmer and dimmer, the sun vanishing over the horizon.
----
It was always so easy. Even when the maids figured out how to bar the doors, Cynthia could always find her way out of the mansion. She'd been cooped up all day, stuck doing her studies or whatever... It was all so boring! Nothing new or exciting happened when she just sat around at home, so the natural choice was to lockpick her way out. And there she was, quickly heading down an alleyway and into the deeper parts of the city. Now the only thing was to decide what to do! Meet one of her friends? that could be fun, but it might also be too obvious... what if the maids guessed that she might do so? No, no, she had to come up with something surprising and unexpected! It was the only choice she could think of now...
... And then her foot caught on something. Cynthia tripped and hit the ground, swiftly rolling over and scooting back to try and see what had happened. She liked this dress, what had she... huh...?
It was an adult. A man, black hair... and he looked weird. Clammy or something, just... there was something not quite right. And he'd tripped her! What a... what a bastard! Cynthia didn't care if that wasn't proper language for a noble lady at the best of times, and she certainly didn't right now. Her dress was a mess and some adult had tripped her, what was he thinking?! She quickly got to her feet.
"What's wrong with you?!" she snapped, pointing at the man.
He inclined his head to the side.
"Well, I just saw some trouble I could cause... a young girl, all alone? I bet no-one would... find the body..."
Cynthia took a step back. Had he said...
"... Wh-what...?"
The man smiled. There was nothing friendly about it. "You heard me."
Cynthia took another step back. Was he... really saying...?
Even as fear began to well up inside her... Cynthia had no idea that she was seconds away from an intervention she never expected.
----
The world... rippled. That was the only way to explain it. Everything rippled around her. She felt weightless... and everything seemed so muted. The world was colorless around her. Blurred, figures seemed not to exist... so this was what Entrance was like...? Whatever. It didn't matter. What mattered was finding her anchor. Her Doll Master. Finding someone who would never say no, someone who wouldn't refuse...
VV saw her.
She knew this was the only option. For her purpose, she was perfect.
And so it began.
They were so very, very wrong.
Renton's King Clock, the immense clock tower in the city's center square, ticked away, as the slivers of light slowly began to grow dimmer and dimmer, the sun vanishing over the horizon.
----
It was always so easy. Even when the maids figured out how to bar the doors, Cynthia could always find her way out of the mansion. She'd been cooped up all day, stuck doing her studies or whatever... It was all so boring! Nothing new or exciting happened when she just sat around at home, so the natural choice was to lockpick her way out. And there she was, quickly heading down an alleyway and into the deeper parts of the city. Now the only thing was to decide what to do! Meet one of her friends? that could be fun, but it might also be too obvious... what if the maids guessed that she might do so? No, no, she had to come up with something surprising and unexpected! It was the only choice she could think of now...
... And then her foot caught on something. Cynthia tripped and hit the ground, swiftly rolling over and scooting back to try and see what had happened. She liked this dress, what had she... huh...?
It was an adult. A man, black hair... and he looked weird. Clammy or something, just... there was something not quite right. And he'd tripped her! What a... what a bastard! Cynthia didn't care if that wasn't proper language for a noble lady at the best of times, and she certainly didn't right now. Her dress was a mess and some adult had tripped her, what was he thinking?! She quickly got to her feet.
"What's wrong with you?!" she snapped, pointing at the man.
He inclined his head to the side.
"Well, I just saw some trouble I could cause... a young girl, all alone? I bet no-one would... find the body..."
Cynthia took a step back. Had he said...
"... Wh-what...?"
The man smiled. There was nothing friendly about it. "You heard me."
Cynthia took another step back. Was he... really saying...?
Even as fear began to well up inside her... Cynthia had no idea that she was seconds away from an intervention she never expected.
----
The world... rippled. That was the only way to explain it. Everything rippled around her. She felt weightless... and everything seemed so muted. The world was colorless around her. Blurred, figures seemed not to exist... so this was what Entrance was like...? Whatever. It didn't matter. What mattered was finding her anchor. Her Doll Master. Finding someone who would never say no, someone who wouldn't refuse...
VV saw her.
She knew this was the only option. For her purpose, she was perfect.
And so it began.