Disclaimer: This story contains a desire for revenge, death and a fantastic universe. It is recommended that those who want to read it should read it with these in mind.

They say everything that happens first is very difficult. That first word when you start writing, the first steps, the first tooth, the first losses But when one gets used to it, the pain becomes less and one forgets it immediately, but I will not forget it.

"Nora, the carriage is waiting for you."

When she heard the angry and impatient voice coming from the door, the girl quickly put her notebook back in her bag. Adrenaline was rising inside her. She got up from her old bed and looked at the room where she had spent 20 years. The room was empty except for a small bed with gray sheets, a dressing table, a broken full-length mirror, and a desk. Knowing she would never return to this room, Nora took one last look at herself in the mirror. She looked like a maid, complete with a long black dress and a white apron. 'The show is starting,' she said to herself and left the room.

"You finally made it, if you behave like this in Kurayami you will be thrown into the dungeons without any revenge. Belegost does not like to be kept waiting."

Her uncle was annoyed by Andrew's angry speech, but she started to speak in a calm and cautious voice.

"Don't worry uncle, it will be no problem."

"I hide your star map and blocked your energy chakras. As long as you don't do anything stupid, no one will know."

Her uncle followed Nora out of the shabby, inconspicuous cabin. The carriage was on the road where the trees met the path. The carriage was old and faded. The horse was obviously old and tired. Nora was beginning to feel too tired to argue. It was as if she had taken a sleeping pill and it was slowly taking effect. As the carriage began to travel, Nora couldn't help but close her eyes. The world began to darken and Nora fell into a deep sleep.

Wc: 329

The universe of Alceria consisted of four main kingdoms—Solas, Tamashī, Shizen, and the Kurayami kingdom. When the carriage started to rattle, she slowly opened her eyes, she put her bag on her arm and waited for the surroundings to become clear, and then stepped out of the carriage.

Kurayami Castle stood out with its black, thorny vines and the colors of the night. The castle garden resembled a horror movie. The grass was dry, and the dim light was enough to penetrate Nora's soul. The soldiers walking around. They were carrying barbed spears, the country's offensive weapon, ready to attack at any moment.

Andrew got up from the front and walked over to Nora, squeezing her arm tightly and leaning in close to Nora's ear.

"Don't show any feel. Remember what you taught you about hiding your feelings."

Nora had been taught to keep quiet about this, but she freed her arm and did the same.

"Actually If you act like this any longer, we will be caught because of you. For a professional, you're a novice, uncle."

Andrew opened his mouth to speak, but was stopped short as guards approached them. The knights, hidden in their black armor, their faces hidden, moved closer. The intricate symbol of the country on their chests was the only silver on their black armor. One of the guards spoke in a cold voice.

"You must be the new servant that King Legorast has been waiting for."

The two guards examined Nora and her uncle for a while, then the guard who spoke before nodded to the other guard, and the guard went to the castle with Nora while the second guard disappeared into the garden.

Nora scanned the long corridors as she walked toward the throne room, seemingly staring at herself in the dim light of the torches that adorned the walls. Surrounded by more silver and thorny ivy. The guard didn't speak to her along the way, he was just carrying out the tasks given to him, and his barbed spear next to Nora showed that if she made a wrong move at any time, he would neutralize her without hesitation.

When the great, silver-adorned black doors opened, the guard bowed his knees and exited the throne room. On the central throne, his raven hair showing white streaks of white. He wore a silver and obsidian crown. King Belegost, clad in expensive robes and a cape, sat to his right. Her long brown hair was pulled back into a tight bun. Queen Morana, in a flowing dark green gown that reached her feet, wore a magnificent crown, though not as magnificent as Belegost's. Her long, pointed nose was slightly raised. The other silver throne was empty.

Nora stood in the middle of the room, trying to remain calm, grasped the hem of her maid's dress, bent her knees, and bowed to the king and queen. Belegost and Morana regarded her. After what seemed like long minutes, Belegost spoke.

"You're so puny. You'd never fit in with the other maids."

Nora's heart began to pound as she realized this was a rejection, but the thought of humiliating herself in front of them was too much to bear. She spoke in a calm, respectful, and confident voice.

"Physical attributes can be deceiving, your majesty. You can't judge a book by its cover, and I know I can handle any task you throw at me."

King Belegost's expression was unreadable, but he reluctantly admitted he was impressed. He glanced at Morana and then waved his hand in the air, causing a shaft of yellow light to appear in Nora's hand. When it dissipated, the to-do list appeared in her hand.

"You only have one month to prove yourself, and if you make one mistake, I don't want to tell you what situation you'll be in."

Belegost summoned a maid to show Nora to her room. The maid appeared to be several years older than Nora. Her black hair was braided into a braid, and her bangs covered her forehead, almost reaching the edges of her green eyes.

The girl looked at Nora curiously as the two of them left the throne room and walked down the hallway.

"So, what's your reason for coming here? Does your family owe a debt to the king? Or are you here to atone for your family's crimes?"

Nora shrugged nonchalantly. "I came of my own free will."

The maid looked at Nora in disbelief. She thought she'd have to be crazy to work for the request here.

No further conversation took place along the way. When they finally reached the bedroom, the girl opened the door and they went in.

They entered the room. It was in the west wing. A very comfortable-looking black bed with a dark blue bedspread was the color of night. The walls were stone, but this time, there were no ivy. Next to the bed were a nightstand and a closet. Another door in the room led to the bathroom. A bookcase was fixed to the wall. When Nora approached the window, she saw the knight training camp training below. Nora came to her senses when the maid cleared her throat loudly.

"Tomorrow work will start at 7 AM. Don't be late. Lady Morana dislikes latecomers and will give you the most difficult tasks as punishment."

After saying this, he smiled before leaving the room. Once Nora was alone, she took her potion from her bag, drank it, and sat on the bed.

WC: 920

Nora opened her eyes in her comfortable bed in the kingdom where darkness reigned. It might have been one of the most comfortable beds she'd ever slept in, so she'd slept in the cleaning clothes she'd arrived in yesterday. She grabbed her bag and went to the bathroom.

She turned on the oil lamp in the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. Just as she'd expected, her brown hair was beginning to turn lighter, and her short hair was growing longer. To stop this, she drank the bitter potion. Nora had to fight back the urge to vomit. After a few retching breaths, she finally relaxed when she saw the familiar short brown hair in the mirror. She rinsed her face with cold water and left the bathroom.

When she reached the window, the sky was still dark, but the sky had turned a light navy blue, indicating morning. This was the closest thing to "morning" in the Kurayami Kingdom. As Nora watched the garden, she saw someone working at the guard training grounds early in the morning. Nora didn't know what time it was, but she knew it was still very early.

His raven-black hair, longer than the other men's, appeared to be pulled back at the nape of his neck. He had dark blue eyes. His light, wheat-colored skin and hair were like a perfect blend of melody and music. Nora felt her heartbeat quicken as she examined the boy. He was trying to hit the moving targets with an arrow in his hand. She hadn't felt another emotion in a long time. Curiosity got the better of Nora, so she put on her shoes and made her way through the stone-walled corridors, trying not to step on any vines.

The idea of ​​trying to get out was harder than Nora had thought. The hallways were all similar, and the black vines made a noise as they moved, confusing her. After what seemed like hours, she finally managed to get out.

The guard training camp had a section displaying arrows and daggers, along with the barbed spears—the weapons of each kingdom. There were also target boards. When the raven-haired boy spoke with his back turned, Nora found herself staring at the back of his black muscle shirt.

"I should have thought something would have happened if you hadn't come a little longer, little nightingale."

Nora couldn't hide her surprise. Did the boy know she'd been watching him all this time? She must have been silent for a long time before the boy spoke again.

"You're the new maid, aren't you? Your hair is pretty short. If I hadn't sensed you at the window, you'd be bleeding on the floor right now with an arrow in your heart."

Nora held her nerve at these words and immediately grabbed the bow and arrow from the boy's hand. She pulled a black cloth from her dress and blindfolded her. She tightened the band until she felt complete darkness. She turned the bow in her hand and, feeling the protrusion where the gap was, brought the arrow back into its normal position. She readied the arrow, focusing on the sound of the moving target as it moved. When she felt ready, she released the arrow.

When she removed the blindfold, Nora looked at the target. She saw that she had hit the bull's eye. She made eye contact with the man, who was grinning smugly and looking at her in surprise.

"Before you judge a woman you need to know what she is capable of. Cuckoo."

She thrust the arrow into the man's hand and turned to walk back to the castle that looked like something out of a nightmare.

"Be careful when you feed the dragon, he's moody. As if being late for Queen Morana wasn't enough, if you anger her favorite pet, she'll give you hell in the castle."

The boy's words sent a chill down Nora's spine. She had no idea what time it was, or how late it was; she hadn't even mentioned where the maid had assigned her duties yesterday. She quickened her pace and began running toward the castle.

When she arrived at the castle, there were twenty maids lined up in a single file in front of Queen Morana in the hall. All were dressed like Nora, but unlike the others, Morana, who wore a long, layered, aquamarine gown to mark her superiority, and whose fingers were adorned with various jewels, made eye contact with the short-haired girl. She gazed at Nora like a predatory eagle watching its prey.

"Miss Nora, can you please tell me why you were 4 minutes late on your first day when everyone else was here?"

Her voice was authoritative and dominant, but the fact that she sat silently next to her husband made the gender discrimination here even more evident.

"Since I wasn't told where the missions were assigned, I had to wander around the castle and you must admit, Your Majesty the Castle enjoys confusion. With that in mind, I think it makes sense that I'm late, Your Majesty."

The other maids were shocked, knowing she hadn't come here for the purpose of her visit, but Nora hated the constant humiliation she felt.

The vein on Morana's head stood out. For a moment, Nora thought she was going to attack, but instead, Queen Morana divided the cleaners into groups. These groups were assigned tasks like cleaning the floors, cooking, organizing the library, archiving the study, or cleaning the weapons in the guard training camp. Finally, when only Nora was left, Morana approached the girl and smiled slyly.

"And finally, you, little troublesome new servant. Your first task is to go to the kingdom of Solas in one day and bring me light dust from there, but don't worry. My son Blake will accompany you or you might get lost in the kingdom. You can come in, Blake."

When the door opened, Nora was again met with the same blue-eyed man.

The kingdom of Solas is also known as the kingdom of light. It was known that they lived on the highest mountaintop to be closer to the sun. The country drew its power from light and energy. Women could sense energies more easily than men, and women could more easily understand someone who drank a potion of concealment and went to the kingdom of Solas.

Now that she had time to go to Solas's kingdom, Nora hurried as quickly as she could through the tangled vines and repetitive corridors to her chambers. She drank her potion and changed out of her maid's outfit into her corset. She tucked a small pocket within reach of her leg, where she hid a sharp dagger embroidered with a silver dragon. The dagger was hidden from view because she wore a long, plain red dress.

When she got out, she saw that Blake was already outside. He was wearing climbing gear. His raven black hair was loose and he must have been waiting for a long time because there was a bored expression in his dark blue eyes.

"You finally made it in. For a moment I even began to think you'd fallen asleep."

Nora sighed in exasperation and rolled her eyes. Did he really have to be so annoying? She replied in an angry and sarcastic tone.

"Sorry 'Prince' cuckoo, but the castle is very big and confusing, as you can imagine."

***

Nora looked out the window. They had just passed the clouds, and now she felt as if she were truly flying. Because the road was long and bumpy, they were traveling in a royal carriage driven by Pegasus, flying horses.

"Have you never traveled on a Pegasus?"

Blake's playful, easygoing tone was getting on Nora's nerves. She hadn't spoken a word the entire ride, just stared out the window. She had simply rolled her eyes. She just held on to her bag a little tighter. A faint fire burned in her green eyes as she stared at herself in the mirror, but she managed to control herself and walked out of the room.

When the carriage stopped, the coachman opened the sleek silver and black door and bowed low to Blake as he stepped out. When Blake made a gesture, the coachman straightened and led the Pegasus and the carriage to a nearby inn.

The Solas kingdom was a five-minute mountain walk away. The silence was becoming suffocating. She was moving behind Blake so she could only see his green hunting outfit.

"Why do we need light dust?"

The light dust was made from particles of the sun, and the sun controllers were immune to this dust, but this was a very delicate task. One wrong hand movement could kill.

"You've finally graced the conversation, little nightingale, but since I'm the gentleman, I'll say it. Just because the kingdom is in darkness doesn't mean we don't need light. Our access to sunlight was banned some time ago. Our kingdom relies on light dust. We need to replenish the light dust every 10 months."

When they finally arrived at the kingdom, they found themselves in a plain nestled within the mountain. The gardens had more plants and produce than those in the Kurayami kingdom. They used more yellow and more vibrant colors throughout. The houses were mostly two stories high and appeared spacious. A little further on, a magnificent castle stood, visible to the whole kingdom.

"Where are we going?"

Nora asked curiously. She didn't have to pretend to be curious since she didn't really know the answer. Blake didn't answer, just walked towards the castle. It was as if she wanted this mission to be over quickly.

When they entered the castle, Nora was most surprised by the lack of guards. Then she remembered that the kingdom of Solas was known for its trustworthiness. Because it sensed energies, it could immediately tell who might be an enemy.

The throne room was surrounded by large windows. To the left of the room was a huge hourglass, filled with golden sand. Unlike the Kurayami Kingdom, this time it was adorned with statues of Sun Gods and Godness.

The throne was decorated with golden sun carvings and colorful energy stones. King Aarush sat on the right throne. His blond hair was neatly combed onto his head. His light-colored robe, characteristic of their country, was adorned with sun emblems. His crown was golden, its crown adorned with colored stones.

Queen Soleil had softer features than Morana. Her light brown hair cascaded over her shoulders, and instead of a tiara, she wore white pearls. Her yellow tulle dress was clearly designed to allow her to move more freely.

From the moment they entered, the queen's eyes had been watching Nora. Nora was filled with fear. King Aarush broke the silence. He spoke neutrally.

"Just because we made a sun dust agreement with the Kurayami kingdom doesn't mean anyone from the kingdom is wandering around here."

"I can't believe you don't want to see such a handsome face around. I'm so hurt"

Nora thought the king would be angry, but instead, King Aarush laughed affectionately. Queen Soleil chuckled quietly. The kingdom of Solas was kind, even to its enemies.

"How nice to see that the harshness and coldness of the Kurayami kingdom has no effect on you, Blake."

King Aarush speaks with a hint of disgust and calls a guard over. The guard is wearing normal clothes except for a gauze mask covering his face. This time the queen spoke, her voice soft as if she were singing.

"Guard. Please show the way for the prince to get the light dust he desires. We need to talk to the young lady for a moment."

The guard nodded and walked out of the room with Blake. Nora swallowed hard and looked at the king and queen.

"You're alive, so that's incredible."

Loiel was surprised and spoke to herself to make sure. When Aarush looked at his wife, he couldn't hide the surprise in his eyes. Everything had fallen into place.

"It would be truly foolish to consider fooling a Solasian with an easy potion of concealment."

Nora spoke calmly. She had to adapt to the situation.

Sitting up a little straighter on his throne, Aarosh could see the girl's appearance under the potion more clearly. Through the faint, transparent energy, the girl resembled someone from the true Kurayami kingdom, with her moonlight-white hair, her pale blue eyes, and her clear, water-fairy eyes.

"I really see the perfect combination of Aldrich and Melantha. You were 6 years old when I last saw you."

Nora smiled. The mention of being compared to her family made her feel proud. Loiel winced as he sensed her energy and emotion.

"You are following the wrong path, heir. Alceria would never condone massacre or murder. Sooner or later, you will suffer the consequences. Do not let revenge blind you."

"I just want back what was rightfully mine. That throne was rightfully mine."

Nora could feel the anger boiling inside her. She finally had the chance to vent the anger and despair she had been harboring for years.

King Aarush spoke with a frown. His eyes showed a hint of recognition for an old friend. But he quickly hid it. His normally warm voice, with a hint of menace, caught Nora's attention.

"There's a fine line between revenge and cruelty, little moonlight. If you apply the same punishment to those who wronged you, it's called revenge, but if you add innocent souls to that punishment, it's called cruelty. I see you've taken on the stubbornness of your family. These conversations mean nothing to you. But if you cause massacre or trouble, I will not hesitate to bring justice."

Nora laughed when she heard this. She bent her legs and continued laughing. When the king and queen looked at her, they saw only the madness within her. It took Nora a moment to compose herself before she spoke. When she was finally ready, she straightened up and wiped a single tear from her green eyes.

"I suppose your sense of justice doesn't just apply to you, does it, King Aarush?"

She couldn't help but laugh again. Every time she spoke, she felt like she was getting closer to going crazy. King Aarish's face turned red. He spoke, trying to control his anger. His normal calmness was gone.

"I don't understand. Speak more clearly."

"I thought I was speaking clearly, your majesty. You were loyal to my family and withdrew the light energy from the Kurayami kingdom after the massacre of the king and queen, and what you did is not revenge, because as you said with your own mouth, it would be unjust if innocent souls were involved, but you did not punish yourself. Your own sense of justice does not suit you."

Before he could say anything, Nora flipped her short brown hair over her shoulder and turned around. She grabbed the hem of her dress and bowed mockingly. Just before she was out the door, she turned her head and looked at the king and queen with her brown eyes.

"When the cuckoo knocked the nightingale out of its nest, they needed to know if it wasn't dead, they needed to consider the possibility that it would return to the nest to seek revenge."

She walked out the throne room door. This was just the beginning. She tried to hide the fire inside her as she waited for Blake to arrive. The time for Nightingale to ascend to the throne was approaching. She cursed herself for not seeing the state of the king and queen.