SUNSET OF BETRAYAL | HELIX'S 500TH POST EVENT + private for now

[font=century gothic][b][font=georgia]AND I KNEW THAT SOMEHOW I WOULD FIND MY WAY BACK
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[fancypost bgcolor=; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; width: 480px; margin-top: -10px; font-family: verdana; line-height:85%; font-size: 9pt; text-align: justify;]It is the first time in ages since such excitement has gripped her mind and her heart, and for the first time in what has seemed like an eternity, a lilting laugh bubbles from her throat—one that is light, joyful, and everything wonderful and pure—and resounds throughout the vicinity like a pleasant-sounding melody, before it is picked up and carried off by the winds. Anyone listening in could have easily mistaken the noise for that of a child simply expressing their elation over whatever little trinket or toy they had found to amuse their beautifully innocent minds. Children were such simplistic creatures, though in such a way that it was usually quite endearing. It took little to entertain them, little to make them happy; they were capable of seeing the best in those around them, and tended to favour the more optimistic outlook in any situation to the contrary—regardless of whether that situation happened to be reality or one described in a fairy tale. In fact, according to what she'd seen, that was what most liked to think they lived in: a fairy tale, where heroes and heroines battled monsters to save their friends, a world where anything and everything was possible through hard work and friendship—a universe in which the virtuous creatures were always blessed with the happiest of endings, where romances were eternal and could never go wrong.

In reality, life wasn't perfect, of course. Eventually, even children came to learn and accept this fact. However, that typically happened a little later, after their childhood, after they'd been able to get a taste of what it meant to be truly happy, with not a single care in the world. She, on the other hand, had been denied a proper childhood. Instead, she'd been given power. Though, it was just like the old saying said: with power, came great responsibility. In her case...the responsibility had been a burden that had been far too heavy for her to bear. At the time, the Intention of the Abyss had possessed no more knowledge than that of a newborn child, and therefore she had been too young to even comprehend the fact that she had essentially been a gift from her mother to a much more powerful entity—little more than a cog in the machine that was greater scheme of things. If only she'd been born to any other family than to the Baskerville dukedom...then she wouldn't be in the mess she found herself in now. These days, she could usually be found wandering aimlessly about the woods behind the cabin she shared with her mother and twin sister, and she was almost always miserable. She was certain that Tama, or rather—Candyfangs—was to blame for her foul mood, and the same could be said for a number of other individuals, namely Jack, Levi, and Glen. They, however, had possessed enough sense in them to know to not show their faces here. Perhaps she ought to cut her aunt some slack, but frankly, Alyss had thought that it was far too convenient for the white serval to have developed amnesia so soon before her return to blizzardclan.

Oh yes, even now, even after decades and centuries had passed (she didn't know the exact amount of time that had lapsed, but what meaning did time have for someone who did not age?), Alyss was still looking to collect what she was rightfully due. Candyfangs had never kept her end of the bargain, in exchange for the task she had so graciously completed for her all those years ago. It was for that reason that she had stolen her left eye away from her, and she had intended on doing the same to her reincarnation, but unfortunately her mother had intervened, and had insisted she refrained from harming the blizzardclan leader in any way, shape, or form. This had been quite disappointing to her in several different ways, but...no matter. After all, there were several loopholes that she could easily exploit, given her abilities. Perhaps she herself wasn't allowed to attack Tama—her good-for-nothing aunt—but Lacie had not said she had qualms with her sending others to do the job, had she? She was admittedly quite forgetful, but she would never allow anything so important as a direct order from one of the only creatures in this wretched world who had power over her and had the ability to dictate her actions. So, yes, that was certainly an idea that she would keep in mind. Though, there was another option, one that she thought to be slightly more...exciting—at least, from her point of view.

Tama, she'd noticed, was quite the kind-hearted individual (she possessed the type of kind-heartedness that Alyss so envied, for it remained unattainable to her despite all her power, for reasons she still had yet to ascertain). She came across to her as the type of girl who would do anything for her friends, and would rather suffer in their stead than to subject them to any sort of pain. Therefore...in order to harm her without attempting to lay a single paw on her current vessel, all she had to do was torment and inflict pain on those close to her, like her adopted family (which she supposed was technically her family as well, but Alyss had never been one to enjoy acknowledging those her relatives chose to take in—nowadays, she found herself unable to fully trust anyone but her own flesh and blood). Today, she had chosen her first victim—he was someone who interestingly enough happened to be the reincarnation of a Nightray heir, and had come into the possession of a Chain. Those two things had ultimately been the deciding factors for her, because yes—she did, in fact, have a bone to pick with the once-'illustrious' Nightray dukedom (and all those pitiful excuses for nobles that associated themselves with it or carried the name), and anyone who had ever forged a contract with the Abyssal entities she had created inherently had ties to her, as well.

The ghostly femme could be found sitting poised upon the steps of her current residence, silently musing about what a delightfully eventful morning she'd had, planning out her course of action. This prompted a sly little curl of her delicate lips, followed by the slightest tilt of her head, as she shifted to fix her ethereal lavender gaze on the sun dipping below the treetops on the far horizon. Night would be here soon, wouldn't it? Night was the optimal time for darker intentions to manifest themselves, as the blackness would obscure the truth of events and instill fear in the minds of those who lacked the ability to remain calm in a state of uncertainty—all things that Chains so happened to be attracted to, no? That was, if her presence alone wasn't enough to do so (for after all, it was almost every Chain's goal to reach the depths of the Abyss, in hopes that she would grant them power in exchange for bringing her contractors). Right now...all she had to do was wait. Eventually, that Chain would come to her with its contractor in tow, and once that happened...

Well, the answer to that was quite simple, was it not?

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