• For me, life was nothing but a deep, dark hole, sucking me in deeper and deeper as the years went by. My world was ruled by the shadows, but I longed for the light All I ever wanted was to be free. However, Fate decided against my happiness. It wanted me to suffer, to mourn, and to come to terms with something, but I had no clue what it was. My world was dark, I could not get a valuable lesson learned from within the shadows.
    What am I supposed to do then? How am I supposed to learn this valuable lesson in a realm of pitch black nothingness? Was I going to be forced to trudge along on this dark path I walk alone on for eternity? Was I forever damned to be lonely, afraid, confused, guilt-ridden, and filled with immeasurable fear? Was I never destined to sing with the Angels in a realm of light and warmth?
    The answer was very clear. I was to fall forever, the sharp claws of the shadows digging into my flesh, causing an eternity's worth of pain and suffering. I was to be damned to Hell where I would be punished for crimes I both committed, and did not commit This life…this path, was to be my Fate, decided the day I was born into this world. I understood, and yet, I didn't want to believe.
    ‘This world is slowly descending into the shadows. But if I can save those most dear to my heart, then maybe…maybe I'd be able to change it.’ Those were my thoughts at the time, my wishes, my dream. I worked hard to try and make that dream a reality. However my methods had led me to this, hiding out in a dungeon, in the farthest corner of the cell, huddled in the darkness. What I thought was right, ended up being wrong. The dream I sought out became twisted, warped, changing as my sanity changed. Here, in the dark, I had finally come to terms with the fact that I would never wipe away my sins. I could never override them with the deeds I had done. In fact, I had made it worse; the small sin growing and forming into a terrible beast that stalked me day and night, reminding me of what I’ve done. It was all too much to bear. The pain, the suffering, the sorrow of others, I could feel it all. I picked up the ruby encrusted knife on the floor beside me. I knew one way I could fix this… I positioned the knife in my hand to strike myself. I should have never been born.
    The knife plunged into my heart.


    ~*~~~~*~ This world *~~~~*~ Has Come ~*~~~~*~ And Gone *~~~~*~~~*~~~~*~
    Part One
    Scarlet Spade

    Sirens.
    Their shrill cries a top police vehicles rang through the once silent air, seeming to alert the whole country of Niraesia that something terrible had happened, and that someone was to be punished for whatever crime was committed. Tires squealed against the asphalt pavement, leaving pitch black trails in their wake. The radio console crackled to life, ordering all officers available to assist in the chase. The target of this chase was someone deadly, someone the WCPF (Wonderland City Police Force) has been trying to track down for years now. Known simply as ‘Blood Alice’, this elusive murderer has been able to remain under the radar for eight years, out smarting the police force, and doing what (s)he pleased at any given time.
    However at this time, the WCPF had gotten a call that a civilian had spotted the ‘Blood Alice’ casually walking out of a rural home. They knew this was their chance to finally end the murderers' reign of terror. In an effort to do as such, all squadrons were called out to the field, to try and catch the killer. Choppers covered the night sky, beams of light engulfing the ground in its glow, trying to spot the form of the evanescent executioner. Snipers scanned the ground the light engulfed with sharp eyes, looking for any sign of movement. At last, one of the rooks spotted a fleeting form of red.
    “Attention all squadrons. I have spotted the target. I repeat I have spotted the target. Blood Alice's location is 23 degrees north, heading down Dahlia Avenue. All squadrons immediately regroup and follow the target.” one of the chopper hands reported, speaking into the radio. There was a moment of silence before the radio crackled to life and a reply was heard.
    “Affirmative. All squadrons are on their way, over.” With that a cacophony of sirens invaded to quiet neighborhood, lining its streets with police cars almost instantaneously. A small army of blue-clad officers exited the cars and began to search on foot for the Blood Alice, pistols ready to shoot when necessary. After all, it was well known that the Blood Alice always seemed to have a weapon on their person, though it was never solidified as to what it exactly was that (s)he killed with. That aside, the officers began their on foot search, hoping to corner their target and bring him/her in.
    As they ran onwards, several officers heard a noise, a soft, ghostly chuckle that made them shiver. Several cops turned their heads and glimpsed a red-clad figure out of their peripheral vision. Charged with renewed vigor, the officers called out the alarm. A group of twenty or so officers were gathered for this mission, with plenty of back up, and soon they were heading down the dark, dank alleyway they saw the infamous killer go down. Footsteps echoed all around them in an inharmonious symphony of sound. They ran quickly, hoping to catch up with the Blood Alice. One officer, quicker than the others, ran forward and around the corner. All officers were told to stop, the alleyway going as quiet as death itself. The air around them grew thick with tension, to the point of a near-suffocating aura that made all the officers hold the breath that was in their lungs, begging to be released.
    Then, a soft ‘thump’ echoed ominously off the dark, dank walls of the alleyway. The sound continued, signifying that something was bouncing towards them at a slow, lazy pace. Already tense, each officers pulled out their pistols, ready to shoot, even in the absolute darkness that they were in. The sound continued until the lead investigator felt something hit his shoe. His pistol turned towards it as his partner clicked on the torch to life, and angled it down.
    There, by the officers feet, was the decapitated head of the rookie that went ahead of them. His eyes were gouged out, and his faced was caved it, but it was definitely him. The officers scrambled back in surprise, their heads snapping up one by one as the sound of boots clicking against the pavement resounded down the alleyway. Again they readied their pistols and turned all flashlights to the source of the noise. In the light was the figure of the murderer, rather, murderess they've been searching for.
    The first things that registered in each of their minds were A: the scarlet red dress she wore, accompanied by a crimson stained apron, B: the woman's deep, dark brown, almost burgundy orbs, the color of dried blood, and C: the decapitated body she dragged on the ground by her side, the body clothed in a police officer uniform. The woman let a dark, spine-chilling smiled appear on her crimson colored lips, the gesture mocking and malevolent. Her lips slowly parted, as if to speak to the officers.
    “I believe you dropped this.”
    Her voice was low and melodious, and tantalizingly hypnotic. It was hard not to be entranced by her voice. She was extremely beautiful after all, but evil, so very evil. A soft, eerie chuckle escaped her lips, and in one graceful movement, flung the body over to the middle of the alleyways.
    “Have fun boys and girls.” she said in a trenchant manner before turning on her heel, away from them. That was when they regained consciousness of what was going on.
    “Freeze!!! Blood Alice, you are under arrest!!! Put you hands in the air!!” An officer shouted out, finally regaining his senses. All revolvers were now on her lithe figure. She let out another soft chuckle and raised her arms over her head, then turned to look at them out of the corner of her eye.
    “Catch me if you can.”
    With that she sped off, disappearing around the corner promptly. A curse came from the lead investigators lips.
    “Selis, stay here, get the ambulance. The rest of you, after her!” the man ordered. All personnel nodded, the one ordered to stay behind doing so as everyone went to chase after the one murderer who dared to mock the police force so cruelly.
    Once again, a disorganized symphony of footfalls filled the silent streets, all trying to catch the same person, who seemed to be a half a mile ahead of them. They all tried to quickly catch up, shooting their guns as they ran, trying to hit her legs or another part of her body to slow her down. Peals of bangs echoed, one after another, trying to hit their target. However the murderess seemed to easily dodge them, as if being shot at didn't bother her in the slightest.
    A frown graced the woman's lips when she felt one zip past her cheek, singeing the end of her short, chocolate brown locks. What bothersome people. The Blood Alice thought for a moment, formulating a plan, before a smirk graced her lips once more. She knew just what to do. Gripping her sword by her tightly, she veered off to the left, listening intently for the sounds of her pursuers. Hearing their rapid footfalls, the woman's burgundy orbs flashed in satisfaction as she came near to her destination, the Diamond Forest.
    Every person in the country of Niraesia knew that the Diamond Forest was the Blood Alice's domain, her property, and anyone who dared to venture in, never came out. With a smirk, the owner of the forest bolted into the forest, blending in with the trees and foliage almost immediately. Without a second thought, the officers entered as well, trying to catch her by any means necessary.
    It seemed that the longer they searched, the more officers they lost with each passing moment. The Chief of Police gritted his teeth in anger. They were never going to catch her being so reckless, and with so few numbers. It seemed like a whole battalion of people could not get to this woman. The Chief thought of a new plan as he made an announcement for everyone to pull back.
    Once all remaining officers were safely out of the forest, each one sighed wearily at some point, mourning over the loss of their coworkers. The Chief of Police sighed and turned to his police force.
    “Let's pull back. She'll die from starvation eventually in there.” the Chief said in a soft manner. Each officer seemed to either sigh in relief or look at the dark, seemingly pitch black forest behind them. Would the Blood Alice really perish from such a little thing as starvation? Would she come back? Would she hunt each and every one of them down because they knew what she looked like?
    Only time would tell.
    In the forest, dark crimson orbs watched as the group of justice personnel went off one by one, going back home. A low, spine-chilling chuckle escaped the watcher's lips, the sound seeming to be carried by the wind itself.
    And so the game begun.