Promises or Lies, Tiffany S. [manga ereader .txt] 📗

The sun slowly falls down, giving its final light to my hazel eyes. My eyes catch a bundle of auburn hair laying at the tip of my shoulder. I screamed and fell to my knees. Blood.
I felt tears at the blade of my eyes. I rubbed them hard, unaware of Tear’s presence next to me. I was sleeping on a stranger’s bed, next to a boy I met only three hours ago, and the room we were in was like that of an prison cell.
I felt Tear’s eyes follow my own lost pair, but my mind didn’t seem to mind. I was more dumfounded about the dream a second ago. No, it wasn’t a dream. It felt too real. It must have been a vision. Surely it must have been from the past. But I couldn’t remember an incident where I actually feared my red hair. If I had to compare it, it would’ve been to a velvet red cupcake or a sea of pepperoni. I couldn’t ever think of it as… blood.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Tear’s voice woke my pondering to reality, and for some reason, I felt relieved.
“Nothing. How did I get here?” I asked with a lazy expression on my face.
“You don’t remember? I threatened you so you could come with me.”
I unconsciously looked down to the sheets covering my laps.
Tear smiled. I thought it would be one of his sly, dangerous grins, but it was a gentle, friendly version. “Don’t worry about the experiments you’ll be taking. They don’t hurt as much as you imagine, and besides, you’re kind of a special case.”
“What do you mean?”
His smile turned a bit different. It turned… sympathetic. “Nothing. You’ll know about it later. Come-we need to visit the boss now that you’ve been fully rested.”
I followed Tear out the door, knowing I had no choice, and across the stretching hallway until we met a grand door that reached up to three grown men stacked over each other. It was decorated in shimmering beauties of rare gems and jewels of different kinds. It was soaked in ripe peach and white strawberries. I flinched at the strange and lovely sound of pure bells that rung peacefully when the door creaked open. It was definitely an enchanting melody, harmonizing the beauty of this universe. In front of my eyes was something so beautiful and breathtaking, it was a sin. It was so dashing, my eyes felt blinded-the light jingling of gold and silver treasures that have been displayed, bright colors of sunset and midnight, flower decorations of all colors and shapes, the sweet aura of apples and caramel and cherry blooms.
I scrambled behind Tear’s broad shoulders until he stopped and kneeled so formally I thought he was a knight. I looked up at a man with such a strong aura my stomach fell. I stood frozen at the man on the throne. I bowed my head, not so sure how else to react. His brows were drawn in a straight line above his dark chestnut eyes.
“Is this the girl?” The respected man’s voice echoed across the room.
“Yes, sir,” Tear said.
“Come, young girl.” The man motioned with his fingers for me to come forth, and so I did. His eyes were draw to my furious hair. He gently waved his hand down my soft hair. A maid next to him handed him some kind of amulet in a cautious manner. The man retrieved it and hung it around my neck. The maid walked behind me, fluffed my hair out of the chains, and returned to her master’s side. I looked down at the silver stoned necklace. It was in the shape of a royal crown, belonging to a queen. I embraced it carefully into my fingers, enjoying the gems and cold, yet precious shiver on it. I looked up, clueless. The man smiled faintly and said, “It is a mark. A mark of your powers.”
“Sir, I’m afraid the girl is not informed yet.”
The man’s brows twitched in surprise. “Oh-that is not expected. Well, taking things slow is not bad.”
“Who are you?” I asked to the man, surprising him even more to the point where he seemed intrigued to experiment me himself.
Tear’s left eye twitched, probably irritated at me for being so blunt, especially to the person who he calls “sir”.
But the man just laughed. “Tear was right. You are the most interesting out of all our candidates for the J-Project. I am Tylrine Will Hedrianne: the grandson of Hide’s finder and its current leader. And you?”
I wasn’t expecting that. He looked younger than I imagined Hide’s boss as. His hair was long and jet black. His forehead was neatly hidden with side bangs, and his skin was fairly peach. Besides his outstanding clothes, he looked pretty next to the dazzling light of the room. He was probably in his early thirties. I stopped myself before staring any longer and replied, “Jamie Timer: sixteen. And I came here to see why I am needed for your experiments. Oh, and I hope you don’t mind being called Will.”
I could see Tear’s temper growing. But Will just smiled. “Jamie, I do hope you can reason with Hide. Because you are a Rose.”

Publication Date: 01-16-2012

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