Fantasy The Velenrose Estate

[Mist Demon]

[ Prologue ]
The Crimson Ticket​

In the modern day metropolis of Nirvana, in between the constant hustling and bustle of the city that seemingly never sleeps, there probably isn't a single denizen that has not at some point in their stay stopped to gawk in pure amazement and awe at the Velenrose Estate hidden away from the rest of the city behind its walls and forest. The manner sits neatly nestled upon a hill at the dead-center heart of the city for as long as anybody could really remember. Historical accounts are kind of spotty, but some particularly acute historians have noted that from what records the original pioneers left behind it is said that the Velenrose Estate was already overlooking the barren swamp and wasteland when the pioneers made first landfall into the area. A city was formed by the name of Murkwood and the original inhabitants were said to suffer from horrible blights and difficulty cultivating the harsh landscape. Many were said to have succumbed to their hunger and starved.

However, those that survived were said to have noted a drastic change within the surrounding area. The landscape soon turned bountiful with harvest and lush with animals easy to hunt and prey upon for game. Fortune and luck itself seemed to finally fall within the hands of those that were said to have struggled so much with trying to carve out a life so far from the rest of civilization. This trend only seemed to continue, as the small town of Murkwood quickly changed into the industrial powerhouse and sprawling metropolis of Nirvana that it is today. It is said thousands of tourists from across the world stop by to see what quickly became the greatest economic hot-spot in the country.

Moreover, there is nothing more renowned or famed than the yearly Velenrose Estate party. It is said that only once a year the Estate opens its gates to a highly select few that are graced to step foot upon its grounds and partake in what is said to be the night of their lives. As the time grows only closer and closer, the party becomes the topic of discussion of just about everyone in the upper classes of society within Nirvana. There are those explaining why they deserve to receive their invitation this year, those that claim it doesn't matter anyways, and those that brag about supposedly having been invited to attend in the past.

Alas, this year somehow you have managed to get your hands upon one of the legendary invitations to the Velenrose Estate. It was just... kind of odd to say the least. The ticket itself was crimson red and already had your name seemingly charred into it. It was also not delivered by, well, normal means to say the least. Moreover, as you picked it up you clearly remembered the paper pricking your finger and drawing just a touch of blood that landed upon the ticket...

Are you prepared for what waits for you within the Velenrose Estate?

 

[Mist Demon]

Prologue - Velenrose Estate 10:30 PM
Jay Drestor
To say that Jay was dedicated to his work would likely be that of a vast understatement, as the reporter had already been standing outside the front gates leading to the estate for over an hour despite the constant on and off downpour throughout the night. Moreover, the invitational crimson tickets had specified that attendance would only be granted at exactly eleven o'clock on the dot which meant that the reporter would still be waiting at least thirty more minutes for his chance of a lifetime. Despite this and the light drizzle of rain pelting against his coat, Jay could not be more excited or determined for what was to come.

There were tall gates surrounding the entire perimeter of the estate that had brick bases with interlocked, metal bars protruding out of the base to keep unwanted solicitors out. This culminated in a brick archway facing directly towards the street where the main gate into the grounds resided. Despite there being no visible lock or other mechanism keeping the doors closed, no matter how hard Jay had pushed against the front gate it would not budge even in the slightest.

Still, this didn't deter the reporter. The slits between the metal fencing around the exterior were enough to at least try and snap pictures through, and the reporter worked to do exactly that as bright flashes of an old Polaroid camera lit up the dreary night. The front of the estate itself couldn't be seen from the road, as a rather impressive small forest obscured any chance of a direct view. However, the estate was grand enough that the upper floors of the building could be seen defiantly rising up from the treeline that otherwise worked to hide it away.

The man, as his work would have it, was too occupied to notice when a young Asian child walked up entirely alone to the front gate of the Velenrose Estate from the sidewalk of a highly populated and busy metropolitan city.

Peter Akimoto
Confusion and fear washed over the teenager hand in hand as Peter took in his surroundings as if for the first time while looking at the metal gate before him and the reporter idly snapping photo after photo beside him. The last thing Peter remembered was getting into his family's car to leave back to their hotel while the sun was still up and now he was here and it was nearly pitch black and slightly raining. His clothes were soaked but luckily he was still holding the skateboard he had been riding around with in the park. Yet that wasn't the only thing Peter was holding, as he idly placed his hand into one of his pockets and felt the familiar crimson ticket that he had spit out from eating a candy bar.

With no phone, no clue where he was, and nobody he even knew in the city all Peter could do was curl up against the brick archway beside the main gate while he thought about what to do.

Diana "Velenrose"
Across the street from the front entrance to the Velenrose Estate just happened to be a couple businesses lucky enough to have gotten spots so close to the heart of the city. One of which happened to be a quaint coffee shop, where Diana just so happened to be watching the front gate from an outside table while sipping slowly upon her hot beverage. In truth, she was closely watching who all would arrive for this event and when would be the exact perfect moment to make her grand entrance as the star of the night. For the moment, however, all there was to see was no doubt another annoying member of the paparazzi eagerly taking pictures and what looked like a street urchin hanging out beside the gate.

Unbelievable. Diana didn't know how she was going to make it through the night if these were the only people that were going to get the honor of being in her presence, even if for just long enough to watch her walk through the gate and smear it in their faces that she received the highest honor of being invited.