Cherreads

Chapter 2 - CHAPTER 2: Not Human

[Scene: Blackmoor Manor – Morning – Snow still falling outside]

FX: Wind gently brushing against the windows 🌬️

FX: Fireplace crackling in the background 🔥

[Wide shot: Grand hallway]

The manor is cold and silent. Thick stone walls. Dim chandeliers. Old paintings watch from above. The snow outside is still falling, but inside… it's unnaturally quiet.

[Visual: Elara stands in the center of the hallway, a feather duster in hand. Her movements are smooth, almost robotic.]

[Close-up: Her feet move without sound. Her eyes never blink. Her breathing is shallow but calm.]

Elara (thinking):

"It's peaceful here. But he's watching me."

[Cut to: Kaelith standing at the top of the stairs, arms crossed, silently observing her.]

[Kaelith] (coldly):

"You've been cleaning for three hours."

[Elara] (without turning):

"There's dust in the upper corridor. I thought you might dislike that."

Kaelith (thinking):

"She answers like a machine. But her voice… it's gentle."

He walks down the stairs slowly.

FX: Footsteps echo in the silence 👞👞👞

[Scene: Kitchen – a few moments later]

Elara pours hot tea into a porcelain cup. Steam rises. Her hands are steady, graceful.

[Kaelith watches her from the doorway.]

[Kaelith] (quietly):

"You haven't eaten anything since you arrived."

[Elara]:

"I do not need food unless you command it."

[Kaelith] (irritated):

"That's not how the body works."

She turns toward him, still holding the teacup. Her hands are red from heat — visibly burned.

[Kaelith] (sharply):

"Your hands—! That kettle was boiling!"

[Elara] (softly):

"It's okay. The pain is nothing."

She kneels again, offering the tea with her burned palms.

[Close-up: Steam rises. Her face remains calm, but her hands tremble slightly.]

Kaelith (thinking):

"She's hurt, but doesn't complain… like she doesn't even care if her body breaks."

[Scene: Study – moments later]

Kaelith pulls a healing balm from the drawer. Elara kneels silently on the rug. He applies the ointment to her hands, slowly, carefully.

[FX: Soft rubbing, silence heavy in the room.]

[Kaelith] (quiet):

"You're not human, are you?"

[Elara]:

"I was. I think. Before the contract."

[Kaelith]:

"You don't remember your past?"

[Elara] (shaking her head):

"No memories. Just the bond. Just… you."

[Cut to: Flashback — blurry, washed-out visuals]

FX: Distant chanting. Crimson magic circles. A girl in chains.

Elara (voice echoing):

"They told me… if I gave everything, I'd belong to him."

[Scene: Back to the study]

Kaelith finishes bandaging her hands. He steps back, unsettled.

[Kaelith]:

"And you trust me? Just like that?"

[Elara] (smiling faintly):

"It's not about trust. It's what I am now."

[Scene: Training Hall – That Night]

Kaelith trains alone. Sword swings through the air with sharp, graceful speed.

FX: WHOOSH. SLASH. THRUST. ⚔️

Suddenly—

FX: CRASH! — the training dummy explodes into wooden splinters.

From the shadows… Elara appears.

[Kaelith] (not turning):

"You're watching again."

[Elara]:

"I wanted to learn. In case you ever need protection."

[Kaelith] (mocking):

"You think you can fight like this?"

She walks slowly into the moonlight. Her movements are quiet, controlled. No shoes. Bandaged hands still red. But her eyes — glowing.

[Kaelith] (raising a brow):

"Alright then. Come."

[Scene: Training match — Kaelith vs. Elara]

He tosses her a wooden blade. She catches it mid-air.

[Kaelith]:

"Show me what you can do."

He lunges.

FX: THWACK! CLASH!

She dodges every strike, weaving like a shadow. Her body bends low, spins, parries. Elegant. Clean. Unnatural.

[Kaelith] (eyes wide):

"Where did you learn this?"

[Elara] (breathing softly):

"I didn't… I just know."

Kaelith (thinking):

"No wasted movement. No hesitation. Like she was made for this."

One final strike.

She drops to one knee, places her wooden sword at her neck.

[Elara] (bowing):

"Victory is yours, Master."

[Scene: Balcony – Later that night]

Kaelith stares at the stars, arms folded.

Elara stands beside him silently.

[Kaelith]:

"You obey like a machine. But you bleed like a human."

[Elara] (looking at the sky):

"If I can bleed for you, that means I still have worth."

Kaelith (thinking):

"That's not loyalty. That's… something else."

"She's not a puppet. She chose this. Someone made her forget, but the emotion is still real."

[Elara] (softly):

"Do you… wish I wasn't here?"

[Kaelith] (pause):

"…I don't know."

[Elara]:

"Then I will stay. Until you do."

[Scene Cut: Elara's Room – Midnight]

She lies on the bed now. Still not sleeping. Just watching the ceiling.

Elara (thinking):

"He's kind, even when he hides it."

"If I was born just to serve… I'm glad it was him."

[Cut to Kaelith — still awake at his desk]

He closes an old book on cursed bonds.

[Kaelith (quietly):

"Elara… I'll figure out what you are."

[Final shot: Outside the manor]

A figure in the forest watches from the shadows. Red eyes glowing faintly.

[??? (unknown voice)]

"So… the soul weapon still breathes."

[Scene: Blackmoor Manor – Morning – Snow still falling outside]

FX: Wind gently brushing against the windows 🌬️

FX: Fireplace crackling in the background 🔥

[Wide shot: Grand hallway]

The manor is cold and silent. Thick stone walls. Dim chandeliers. Old paintings watch from above. The snow outside is still falling, but inside… it's unnaturally quiet.

[Visual: Elara stands in the center of the hallway, a feather duster in hand. Her movements are smooth, almost robotic.]

[Close-up: Her feet move without sound. Her eyes never blink. Her breathing is shallow but calm.]

Elara (thinking):

"It's peaceful here. But he's watching me."

[Cut to: Kaelith standing at the top of the stairs, arms crossed, silently observing her.]

[Kaelith] (coldly):

"You've been cleaning for three hours."

[Elara] (without turning):

"There's dust in the upper corridor. I thought you might dislike that."

Kaelith (thinking):

"She answers like a machine. But her voice… it's gentle."

He walks down the stairs slowly.

FX: Footsteps echo in the silence 👞👞👞

[Scene: Kitchen – a few moments later]

Elara pours hot tea into a porcelain cup. Steam rises. Her hands are steady, graceful.

[Kaelith watches her from the doorway.]

[Kaelith] (quietly):

"You haven't eaten anything since you arrived."

[Elara]:

"I do not need food unless you command it."

[Kaelith] (irritated):

"That's not how the body works."

She turns toward him, still holding the teacup. Her hands are red from heat — visibly burned.

[Kaelith] (sharply):

"Your hands—! That kettle was boiling!"

[Elara] (softly):

"It's okay. The pain is nothing."

She kneels again, offering the tea with her burned palms.

[Close-up: Steam rises. Her face remains calm, but her hands tremble slightly.]

Kaelith (thinking):

"She's hurt, but doesn't complain… like she doesn't even care if her body breaks."

[Scene: Study – moments later]

Kaelith pulls a healing balm from the drawer. Elara kneels silently on the rug. He applies the ointment to her hands, slowly, carefully.

[FX: Soft rubbing, silence heavy in the room.]

[Kaelith] (quiet):

"You're not human, are you?"

[Elara]:

"I was. I think. Before the contract."

[Kaelith]:

"You don't remember your past?"

[Elara] (shaking her head):

"No memories. Just the bond. Just… you."

[Cut to: Flashback — blurry, washed-out visuals]

FX: Distant chanting. Crimson magic circles. A girl in chains.

Elara (voice echoing):

"They told me… if I gave everything, I'd belong to him."

[Scene: Back to the study]

Kaelith finishes bandaging her hands. He steps back, unsettled.

[Kaelith]:

"And you trust me? Just like that?"

[Elara] (smiling faintly):

"It's not about trust. It's what I am now."

[Scene: Training Hall – That Night]

Kaelith trains alone. Sword swings through the air with sharp, graceful speed.

FX: WHOOSH. SLASH. THRUST. ⚔️

Suddenly—

FX: CRASH! — the training dummy explodes into wooden splinters.

From the shadows… Elara appears.

[Kaelith] (not turning):

"You're watching again."

[Elara]:

"I wanted to learn. In case you ever need protection."

[Kaelith] (mocking):

"You think you can fight like this?"

She walks slowly into the moonlight. Her movements are quiet, controlled. No shoes. Bandaged hands still red. But her eyes — glowing.

[Kaelith] (raising a brow):

"Alright then. Come."

[Scene: Training match — Kaelith vs. Elara]

He tosses her a wooden blade. She catches it mid-air.

[Kaelith]:

"Show me what you can do."

He lunges.

FX: THWACK! CLASH!

She dodges every strike, weaving like a shadow. Her body bends low, spins, parries. Elegant. Clean. Unnatural.

[Kaelith] (eyes wide):

"Where did you learn this?"

[Elara] (breathing softly):

"I didn't… I just know."

Kaelith (thinking):

"No wasted movement. No hesitation. Like she was made for this."

One final strike.

She drops to one knee, places her wooden sword at her neck.

[Elara] (bowing):

"Victory is yours, Master."

[Scene: Balcony – Later that night]

Kaelith stares at the stars, arms folded.

Elara stands beside him silently.

[Kaelith]:

"You obey like a machine. But you bleed like a human."

[Elara] (looking at the sky):

"If I can bleed for you, that means I still have worth."

Kaelith (thinking):

"That's not loyalty. That's… something else."

"She's not a puppet. She chose this. Someone made her forget, but the emotion is still real."

[Elara] (softly):

"Do you… wish I wasn't here?"

[Kaelith] (pause):

"…I don't know."

[Elara]:

"Then I will stay. Until you do."

[Scene Cut: Elara's Room – Midnight]

She lies on the bed now. Still not sleeping. Just watching the ceiling.

Elara (thinking):

"He's kind, even when he hides it."

"If I was born just to serve… I'm glad it was him."

[Cut to Kaelith — still awake at his desk]

He closes an old book on cursed bonds.

[Kaelith (quietly):

"Elara… I'll figure out what you are."

[Final shot: Outside the manor]

A figure in the forest watches from the shadows. Red eyes glowing faintly.

[??? (unknown voice)]

"So… the soul weapon still breathes."

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