Deep inside of a darkwoods forest. A mansion resided in a clearing. The mansion's air was lively. It was a noble's vacation home that only had servants living in it, due to the business of the owner's schedule. This forest was between the stellar empire and the Vrasta empire.

  The Vrasta empire, the closest empire to the nether planes and the main orchestrator of the periodic defending and purging of the demonic stampedes. It was where all those that participated in the subjugations gathered, at their borders giant city walls stood.

  The mansion was quite the extravacant piece of architecture. Its walls, created from cobbled stone, dark wood and many magically reinforced items. A servant, a maid with a basket of damp clothes, was hanging the clothes to dry up, using the sunny day for her advantage. "Hm~Hm~Hm~" She hummed an unknown melody to herself. Her hands worked, picking clothes and hanging them up.

  She picked up the basket, holding it up against her waist as she looked down. Not much left. She released a satisfied noise as she smiled. Almost done~ I'll have a nice hearty meal when as a reward! I'll ask the chefs. She placed her hand onto her lips laughing softly.

  "Ah, Serina! You're drying the laundry again?" A second voice resounded behind the first maid. Now, known as Serina. She turned back towards the second maid and smiled cheerfully.

  "If I don't do it who would? Nobody is living here. We get to enjoy paid lives and fresh supplies all day. So what's the harm in doing a little work every now and then." She reached into the basket, pulling out damp black pants, meant for one of the butlers. She hung it onto the ropes, set for the chefs and the maids to use, either to dry jerky or to hang clothes.

  "Hmm~ I mean, I guess you like distracting yourself." The second maid, a woman with slightly tanned skin, brown eyes and disheveled hair, she looked to be in her thrities. Her voice was playful as she released a soft chuckle that was swiftly cut off, a worried expression creeping its way onto her face.

  Serina continued with her task, unhindered by the idle chatter between her and her colleague. "So, is there anything you need Radia?" She asked throwing a glance behind her.

  "Well, since you're responsible for the medical supplies. I want to know where you put the special sedatives." Radia had a troubled look on her face, "I need them right now..." She seemed to fidget with the hem of her dress as she tapped her foot impatiently. Serina had noticed her strange behaviour at first. She wondered why she looked panicked...

  Radia was a maid that came from the southern empires of the great deserts. She came here for a chance to find a job and she did... However strange it may be...

  Serina turned towards her fully once more. "What do you need them for?" She asked as she wiped her damp hands with a towel that was hung on a chair's back rest. "The sedatives aren't needed often... Unless..." A worried look crossed her face. Radia looked the same as her. Though, a little more troubled as she was the one responsible for the task of...

  "The lady is waking up." She said, it was as if the words that escaped her mouth immediately plunged the friendly air between the colleagues into a serious talk. "So tell me where the sedatives are quickly." She spoke hurriedly, panic setting into her voice.

  Serina's forehead creased. "Uhhh... I think I put them in my closet that's in my room..." She spoke as she pressed her fingers to her temple, as if that would ease the tension in her expression. "Hurry up." She shooed Radia away.

  The tanned maid nodded and swiftly took her leave. Serina took in a deep breath before exhaling. There was one more person living in the mansion besides the servant... It was someone who they called the lady. They had no idea why she was called that. They didn't know what her origin was, nor what her name is. But she was kept here for a reason. It was so they can look after her.

  That lady, needed to be kept in a constant state of sleep with extremely powerful sedatives. Serina almost felt bad for the lady. Because she was nothing more than a child. A five year old child. She was a beautiful blonde and sweet little kid. Serina even talked to her for a few minutes when she was awake. The lady only had a few moments of complete consciousness every few weeks.

  The person who had this operation going was a heartless person. This lady... No... This child didn't know any better. But to keep her in such a state... Serina pursed her lips. It was none of her business, she gets paid triple the amound for normal servants to keep her mouth shut. Just as the other servants in the estate are as well.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  They would keep a constant monitering regiment on the lady, injecting her with sedatives whenever needed while also keeping up appearances on the outside. It was a noble's mansion, nothing more, nothing less. Serina threw a glance back at the direction where Rania had run off, towards the servant's residence.

  She took in a deep breath. "Hopefully she's not fired for not giving the lady her sedatives on time..." She exhaled. They didn't even know who their employers were. A person dressed in a full black suit would come periodically to check on the state of the lady and to see if her sedatives were given on time. The person that comes isn't always fixed.

  But, what those that paid them a visit had in common, was that they all ported a black complete suit. Serina had wondered if it was just for formality so she asked one of them. They said it was their uniform, they wouldn't divugle anymore information. She sighed.

  Rania ran through the halls, the sedatives in hand. Two large syringes that she held in both hands. Please don't be awake yet. She closed her eyes shut, desperation clawing at her. She took a sharp turn and continued running as fast as she could, gripping the ends of her maid dress to run better. She passed by a few servants who glanced at her strangely for a few seconds before turning away.

  She burst through a double door. It was the master room, where the lady was kept. The area inside was strange to say the least. It was a decorated and luxurious room, but the strange part wasn't that. But the several strings hanging from above. The strings were attached to wooden dolls. The dolls were similar to those used by a tailor.

  She bit her lower lip. She didn't know why they were here. But when she tried to remove them while one of the people monitoring them was present she was told off sharply. The tone they used was so harsh that she couldn't ever think of touching these dolls again.

  Her eyes darted around, landing on a wooden doll that was on the bed nightstand. She shifted her gaze towards the large queen sized bed. She had often thought this wasn't suitable for a child of the lady's size. She approached the bed. The bed had several curtains all around it with a few poles extended at each end to keep the curtains up.

  She reached towards the front curtain, slowly sliding it to the left, revealing several blankets, their fabric soft to the touch. The bed looked like a surface of clouds with how white the sheets were. Her fingers curled into the curtains, creasing the opaque sheets. Something at the end of the queen sized bed stirred, ruffling up the neatly placed sheets.

  Her eyes landed on the groggy figure of a golden haired child. Her hair was messy, as if she had just awoken. Her mouth opened wide in a yawn as she finally opened her eyes. Radia's eyes widened. This is the first time I'm seeing her awake.

  Her eyes widened even more when the child opened her eyes only to meet Radia's. The child kept staring, her eyes unblinking. It was uncanny, extremely uncomforting. Radia's chest tightened as her throat closed up. She opened and closed her mouth, the words she wanted to speak lost in a sea of uncertainty. "..."

  The child's eyes were of an unconceivable colour. Like many colours and hues of yellow were merged into one golden, sparkly sea of gold. There were seven rings around her pupil. The hues gradually turning denser, more pronounced from the far ends of the circle to the pupil.

  The child held against her side a doll, a wooden doll. This one was different than all the others laden around the room. It was well worked, as if a carpenter put his life's work into making it. The doll had a face, similar to human, yet so far from it that it drew a feeling of uncanniness in Radia. The doll had clothes on it.

  "Where am I?" The child spoke up as she looked around the bed. Her soft silky golden hair bobbed with each movement. She tightened her grip around the wooden doll. She was surrounded by plush pillows that Radia was jealous.

  "Who are you?" The lady asked as she regarded Radia with a long creepy stair. A tilt of her head, displaying her curiosity innocently. Radia's breath hitched as she was adressed directly by the person she's been injecting with sedatives for half a year now. She was feeling guilty. Not once had she spoken with the lady. She took in a deep breath and she tightened her grip on the syringes in her hand.

  "My lady..." She glanced around nervously, her eyes darting around as if she was looking for an escape route. But she knew she had to do this. Whoever they are, the ones orchestrating this whole operation to keep one child asleep, they were powerful. She gulped before she quickly moved around the dark room, walking to the side of her bed.

  "M-my apologies!" She apologized sincerely as she placed her hands on the bedside, falling to her knees, her head bowed. "I apologize sincerely for waking you my lady." Radia's voice shook, betraying her nervousness.

  "I'm... I'm a lady?" The child tilted her head tot he side. She almost looked cute if not for the strange, detached look in her gaze. "I just want to play with my doll..." She tightened her grip around the wooden doll in her grip before pulling it up onto her lap.

  "A doll... My doll..." She spoke, her voice soft like a whisper as if she was just realizing something. "What's your name?" Her trance was cut abruptly as she turned her gaze towards Radia. The woman felt her body shuddering under her gaze.

  Why does she want my name? "I-Radia, my lady..." She stuttered as she kept her head bowed low. After a few moments of silence, she raised her head to look up at the lady. The child seemed to ponder for a few seconds.

  "Radia..." She tested the name on her tongue before she placed the doll in her hands back on her lap. The lady shuddered slightly as she opened her mouth to speak. Her face, for some reason unknown to Radia, gave off the feeling of deep, unresolved resentment, masked under the visage of an innocent child. She probably doesn't even realize her own hatred...

  "Have you ever felt like a doll?"