ＥＴＥＲＮＡＬ | OC story

01

"It's cold", I say quietly as I lay in the snow with a smile. Snowflakes fall onto my face and clothes as my eyes slowly start to flutter shut. Never would I have guessed that this is how my life would end.
A figure stands above me. Dark, short black hair, two horns on its head, white glowing eyes, smooth body with a carved symbol in its chest. It turns to me with a frown. "Rest well."
It steps towards my now lifeless body which lays in bloody snow. The dark figure kneels down next to me, moving the loose strands of my hair out of my face. It then starts picking up the gems that lay around my head, my fallen halo.
It turns around, ready to leave, yet looks at my body one last time before disappearing into the ground as a liquid.

...

722 Years prior

I wake up to a faint yelling from outside of my room. I sit up in my bed. 'Estiban..', I say, my eldest brother was causing a commotion yet again. If I'm already awake I suppose going back to bed won't be needed.
As I hop out if bed I feel how cold my room is, it is winter after all. I walk to the window in my room and look outside. It's a beautiful view, over the gardens of our estate, over the town. Sometimes it is nice to be royalty, but not when you never leave the estate grounds.
I touch the cold glass, the flowers are all frozen and dying, I've never seen them bloom before. After opening the window for fresh air and getting dressed, a black suit as always, with a long black coat lined with black fur, hinted with little specks of white for warmth, the walls of the estate are freezing, it's never warm here, I make my way down to the dining room.
I walk down the cold halls, the white snow reflecting the moonlight on my ruby halo, making them shine brighter than they already are. I stop in front of a painting between two long windows, a family portrait. I was only 17 when my Father had asked for this painting, how much everyone has changed over the years. I was lost in thought as I noticed how quiet it had become, the yelling from earlier had disappeared. How long was I staring? I resume my way into the dining room.
I push the door open, seeing everyone sat down at the long table, my Father's seat empty. No surprise there. He's always absent or late for most of the nights, therefore at least Mother is always here for us. "Good morning Alyon, sleep well?" Speak of the devil. My Mother stood up from her chair and walked over to me with a smile, her teeth were as white as the snow outside. I give her a faint smile back, nod and reply quietly: "Yes, Mother." I move to my seat swiftly before my Mother tries to hug me again, I avoid any physical contact from my family after I turned 36. It's all because of Father. Most things are because of Father. I wanted to explore the outside ground around our estate back then, bad idea. The punishment? Father was not very happy let's say.
I shrug off the memories and sit down. Since that event I barely speak either, there's barely anything to say in this house anyways.
Mother sighs and sits back down, "So, children, your Father will be returning this evening. And as always, I expect you to be on your best behavior!", she chuckles. My eldest sibling, Celeste, looks towards Mother, "Of course we will Mother! We always are on our best behavior when Father returns." More like an act. "Do we still have to do that ridiculous greeting? It's just Father.", Estiban retorts. Celeste rolls her eyes, "Yes. Especially because it IS Father." Mother sighs and presses her fingers to her forehead, "We just had an argument Estiban, we will not have another!" He slouches into his chair, "Apologies.. Mother."
"Damon, how is it that you share a room with Estiban and you haven't evolved into a stuck up brat like him?", Nikolas whispers over the table, my third eldest brother. Damon, my second eldest brother, who had his eyes closed and was seemingly sleeping, opens an eye and looks at him. "Because I'm not blonde.", he said, snickering at his joke. Nikolas giggles, "True that!"
It is a little funny how Mother, Celeste and Estiban are the only ones with blonde hair, Father and Damon share silver hair meanwhile Nikolas and I have both black hair.

About 30 minutes after finishing breakfast, we are allowed to our classes. We are all homeschooled. Celeste has singing lessons with Mother, Estiban left to the library in the main hall to read, even though Celeste is the older twin of the two, Estiban is still the first heir to Fathers crown, so he studies with Father when he returns. Damon had art lessons, Nikolas learned hunting with bow's and I had violin lessons, later tonight I had fencing lessons with Father.
I had went to my room to grab my violin case and returned to the music hall. Celeste was in the second hall above the first where I would have my lessons, which is lucky, I can always hear her and Mother sing. I always match my melodies to their voices echoing in the halls. I grabbed my music sheets and propped them on the stand. I sit down on a stool and start tuning my violin. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Concerto in D major, that was the violin piece I was told to learn by Father. I enjoy music so I don't mind these lessons, but fencing, I hate it.

4 hours after lessons

I was still playing the violin in the first music hall and forgot the time, lost in melody. I hear a loud thud as the door was opened with a strong push, I was startled and quickly stopped playing, packing my music sheets and violin away. A tall figure stood in the massive doorway. Long silver hair, dark red and cold eyes looking at me, a long, dark blue coat with a pocket watch hanging from the blue and gold embroidered waistcoat. Father was back. Due to being so lost in melody, I forgot Father was even returning today. I was half an hour late to my fencing lessons with him and I didn't greet him when he was due to return.
"Alyon von Drednacht.", Father says loudly, his voice echoing in the music hall. I gulp, he does not sound very pleased. "Father..", I say quietly, he stares at me. "Good to know you can play the music sheets I gave you.", he then started walking to me very quickly, I stepped back, "That DOES NOT excuse you not coming to great ME or not showing up to fencing lessons!!", he yells. Surely everyone in the manor can hear him. I try to speak, yet no words come out. He continues: "How dare you. How DARE you not greet your FATHER. As my child you should respect me. Everyone else was capable of greeting me, all but you.", he hissed the last words. His eyes seemed to glow bright with anger. "I-I apologize Fathe-", before finishing my sentence, a loud slap echoed through the room. In my field of view now, the piano, Father had slapped me. I don't turn my head back towards him and I keep my focus on the piano, thinking of a melody to play on it as Father continues to lecture me. Why should I care? I don't like fencing anyways and greeting Father is a waist of time if I have all my important classes to attend that he gave me. 2 Minutes after draining out his complaints about me with piano melodies I'd love to play, I turn back to Father, "I apologize Father. Another mishap like this shall never occur again.", I say quietly, still avoiding eye contact. He huffs and leaves swiftly, he's too angered now to even bother to start fencing lessons now.
I take in a deep breath and grab my violin case, quickly running out of the music hall and upstairs into my room. I stumble inside and lock the door, if anyone needs me they might as well just knock instead of barging in.
I look out my window and see the moon is almost setting. It's been almost 8 hours since I've woken up. I quickly pull the curtains closed in front of my window and take off my fur lined coat, placing it down on a chair as I sit down on my bed and think to myself:

I might as well get some rest if fencing isn't happening anymore today.
Tomorrow is another day.
A new day, without mistakes.