Veil of Deception
Chapter 1: The Night of Flames
Lady Lucia’s Chamber – Evening
A soft golden glow filled the spacious chamber as candlelight flickered against the walls. Fine silk gowns lay scattered across the bed, along with neatly packed trunks. Yet, despite the urgency in her mother’s movements, Lucia hesitated, gripping the edge of an open trunk.
Lady Lucia Sinclair / FL
(frowning) Why are we leaving so suddenly?
Her mother, Marchioness Eleanor Sinclair, avoided her gaze, folding a delicate shawl with shaking hands.
Marchioness Eleanor Sinclair / FL Mother
(softly) It’s for your safety, my love.
Lady Lucia Sinclair / FL
(pressing) From what? Father won’t even tell me! He barely spoke to me today.
Eleanor sighed and turned to face her daughter.
Marchioness Eleanor Sinclair / FL Mother
(gently) Your father is handling something dangerous, Lucia. He needs us far away, where no one can hurt us.
Lucia clenched her fists. The explanation wasn’t enough. She had always trusted her father’s decisions, but this secrecy—this fear in her mother’s eyes—made her uneasy.
Lady Lucia Sinclair / FL
(whispering) When will we see him again?
Marchioness Eleanor Sinclair / FL Mother
(forces a smile) Soon. Once this is over.
A knock on the door interrupted them. The butler entered, bowing slightly.
Butler
My lady, His Lordship requests to see you in his study.
Eleanor exchanged a glance with Lucia before nodding.
Marchioness Eleanor Sinclair / FL Mother
(to Lucia) Stay here and continue packing. We leave before dawn.
Lucia bit her lip but nodded. As her mother left, a heavy feeling settled in her chest. Something was terribly wrong.
Around midnight, the grand estate stood under the moon’s cold gaze, its towering structure a symbol of power and prestige. But tonight, the air was thick with an eerie stillness—a silence that spoke of danger lurking in the shadows.
Lady Lucia Sinclair / FL
(whispers) Father…?
She tiptoed through the dimly lit hallway, her heart pounding in her chest. The mansion felt wrong. Too quiet. The flickering candle in her hand trembled as she heard hurried footsteps downstairs.
Then...shouts. The sharp clash of steel.
Her breath hitched. Fear coiled in her stomach like a serpent. She turned to run to her parents’ chamber when—
Marchioness Eleanor Sinclair / FL Mother
(urgent whisper) Lucia! Come here, quickly!
Lucia spun around to see her mother emerging from the darkness, her face pale, eyes frantic. She grasped Lucia’s wrist and pulled her toward a hidden passage behind the bookshelf.
Lady Lucia Sinclair / FL
(panicked) What’s happening? Where is Father?
Marchioness Eleanor Sinclair / FL Mother
(shaky voice) No time, my love. You must leave—now.
She pushed a folded parchment into Lucia’s trembling hands. Before Lucia could ask, the crackling sound of flames reached her ears. The scent of smoke. The walls trembled with the force of battle.
A group of masked figures stormed into the hallway, their faces obscured by shadows. One of them—tall, dressed in black—met her gaze.
Lucia's breath froze. That face—why did it seem familiar?
Marchioness Eleanor Sinclair / FL Mother
(shoves Lucia) Run! Ride to the forest! Don’t look back!
Tears blurred Lucia’s vision, but her body moved on instinct. She bolted down the passage, heart hammering, her mother’s desperate cry echoing behind her.
The last thing she saw before stepping into the night was the mansion engulfed in flames.
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Anyway, see you in the next chapter!
Chapter 2: Into the Abyss
The icy wind whipped against Lucia’s face as her horse galloped through the dense forest. The ground blurred beneath her, but she didn’t dare slow down. Her mother’s last words echoed in her mind.
Marchioness Eleanor Sinclair / FL Mother
Run! Don’t look back!
Tears streaked her cheeks, but she clenched the reins tighter. Her home—her parents—everything she knew was gone. The flickering glow of flames in the distance was all that remained of the Sinclair estate.
Suddenly, a howl of voices rose behind her.
Masked Man: (yelling) Find her! She couldn’t have gone far!
Her heart seized. They were following her.
Lady Lucia Sinclair / FL
(frantic) No, no…
She kicked the horse harder, weaving through the trees, her vision blurred by fear. The forest grew denser, branches clawing at her gown. A low-hanging branch nearly struck her face, but she ducked just in time.
The ground beneath her vanished.
Her horse reared in panic, but it was too late. A sharp cry tore from her lips as the world tilted, and suddenly, she was falling—plunging into darkness.
Cold. Unforgiving. The river swallowed her whole.
At The Cliff’s Edge – Moments Later
The masked men on horseback skidded to a stop at the cliff’s edge, peering down into the raging river below.
Masked Man 1
(breathing heavily) She fell.
Masked Man 2
(grins) No one could survive that.
The moonlight barely illuminated the violent current sweeping away any trace of her. One of the men kicked a loose rock, watching it tumble down before disappearing into the black waters.
Masked Man 1
(nods) It’s over. Let’s go.
They turned their horses and disappeared into the trees, leaving only the sound of the river echoing into the night.
In A Small Cottage – Dawn
The crackling sound of a fire filled the tiny wooden cottage. The scent of herbs and damp earth lingered in the air.
An elderly woman sat beside a small bed, wringing out a cloth before pressing it gently to the forehead of the unconscious young woman lying before her.
Mrs.Turner
(softly) Poor child… she must have been through something terrible.
Her husband, Mr. Turner, stood near the window, his face lined with worry.
Mr.Turner
We found her just in time. The river nearly took her.
Mrs.Turner
(nods) But she hasn’t woken up. It’s been a whole night…
Mr. Turner sighed, stepping closer. The girl had bruises along her temple, and her gown—once elegant—was torn and covered in dried mud. Whoever she was, she wasn’t from the village.
Then, a faint noise. A soft groan.
The old woman leaned in as Lucia’s eyelids fluttered open. Confusion clouded her green eyes as she blinked at the unfamiliar ceiling.
Lady Lucia Sinclair / FL
(hoarse) Where…?
Mrs. Turner smiled gently, brushing damp strands of hair from Lucia’s forehead.
Mrs.Turner
You’re safe now, dear. You were found by the river. Do you remember what happened?
Lucia's lips parted, but no words came out. Her mind felt heavy, fragmented, like scattered pieces of a puzzle.
Lady Lucia Sinclair / FL
(whispers) I… I don’t know…
Her heart pounded as she struggled to grasp a single memory, but all she found was emptiness.
Lady Lucia Sinclair / FL
(panicked) I don’t know who I am…
Mrs. Turner exchanged a worried glance with her husband.
Mrs.Turner
(soothingly) It’s alright, my dear. You’ve been through an ordeal. You’re safe now. Rest.
Lucia clutched the blanket, her breath shaky. Safe? Then why did it feel like something—someone—was still chasing her in the shadows of her mind?
Chapter 3: Whispers of the Past
The Turner Cottage – A Few Days Later
The scent of freshly baked bread filled the small cottage as morning light streamed through the window. Lucia sat at the wooden table, staring at the cup of tea in her hands.
She had been here for days, yet nothing felt familiar.
Mrs.Turner
(gently) You should eat something, dear.
Lucia glanced up, offering a small, apologetic smile. The elderly woman had been nothing but kind, yet a deep sense of unease still settled in her chest.
Lady Lucia Sinclair / FL
(softly) I… I don’t feel hungry.
Mrs.Turner
(sitting across from her) It will take time. You’ve been through something difficult.
Lucia nodded, but inside, she felt lost. Each time she closed her eyes, flashes of fire and distant voices haunted her, but when she reached for them, they slipped away like mist.
Later that evening, as she lay in bed, she absently traced the delicate embroidery on the dress Mrs.Turner had washed for her. It was torn and stained, but it was the only piece of her past she had left.
And then—her fingers brushed against something.
A small lump in her pocket.
Frowning, Lucia sat up and carefully put her hand in the pocket of the dress. A folded piece of parchment slipped into her hands.
She opened it with trembling fingers. The ink was smudged from water damage, but some words remained readable
Lady Lucia Sinclair / FL
(Reading loudly) "My beloved daughter… If anything happens to me… you must never forget… the truth is hidden… trust no one but…"
Lucia’s breath hitched. She pressed the parchment to her chest, trying to remember—but her mind was still a fog.
What truth? Who had written this?
A sharp headache pulsed through her skull, and she squeezed her eyes shut. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t remember.
But a deep feeling in her heart told her this letter was important.
The Village Market – Two Years Later
The small village bustled with life. Vendors called out their wares, children ran through the cobblestone streets, and the scent of roasted chestnuts filled the air.
Lucia walked alongside Mrs.Turner, carrying a small basket of vegetables. She had grown accustomed to village life, yet a part of her still felt incomplete.
She had remembered her name, bits of her childhood, even the warmth of a mother’s embrace—but not why she had ended up in that river.
And then there were the nightmares.
Dark figures. Flames. The feeling of running, always running.
She stopped in front of a mirror at one of the stalls. Her reflection stared back—a young woman with striking green eyes, her long dark hair braided neatly. She looked ordinary. And yet…
Lady Lucia Sinclair / FL
(thinking) Who was I before all this?
Her fingers brushed against the small pouch she carried under her dress. The parchment was still there, kept close to her at all times.
She didn’t know why, but she had to keep it safe.
Mrs.Turner noticed her hesitation and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.
Mrs.Turner
Still thinking about the past, dear?
Lady Lucia Sinclair / FL
(softly) I have to know, Mrs.Turner. I need to find out where I came from.
Mrs.Turner sighed, as if she had expected this day.
Mrs.Turner
Then you must go to the city. Someone there might recognize you.
Lucia nodded, determination filling her heart.
She would return to the world she had forgotten. And she would uncover the truth.
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