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墨書 Inktalez
In the Seventeenth Century, a lush primeval forest surrounded Blycheno Manor.
The manor was home to the Saxon Count and his daughter Natalie. The Countess passed away when Natalie was young. As Natalie grew up, she became a beautiful young woman, born into a noble family, and attracted the attention of many young gentlemen. With her handsome features, golden hair cascading over her shoulders, dressed in a sky-blue gown and wearing long-pointed red shoes, she resembled a figure from a painting.
At the age of sixteen, Natalie met her Prince Charming, Matsko. He was a handsome winged cavalryman and the nephew of Duke Frodika. He rode a tall black steed with an air of nobility, his wavy hair framing his deep blue eyes and rosy cheeks. A golden belt adorned his waist, from which hung a small sword sheathed in an ornate golden-ivory scabbard, shining brilliantly.
The two young lovers quickly fell in love, but their happiness was short-lived. In early 1654, Russia mobilized an army of one hundred thousand to attack Poland, while Poland could only muster sixty thousand troops to resist the invasion. Matsko, as one of Poland's elite cavalrymen, had no choice but to join the war and head to the front lines. Soon after, Poland suffered a devastating defeat against Russia, plunging the entire country into chaos and resulting in countless deaths during the conflict.
Despite Natalie's constant prayers for Matsko's safe return, her heart sank when she received news of his death in battle. When his comrades brought back his cold body, Natalie was overwhelmed with grief and nearly fainted.
The war turned many cities into rivers of blood and left corpses strewn across the fields—a sight too horrific to bear. Bodies were piled in open squares, where the air was thick with the stench of death. The gray sky occasionally echoed with the haunting cries of crows.
Matsko's body was also laid in this square. Natalie stayed by his side, weeping continuously until her tears ran dry. She refused to eat or drink; when tired, she lay down beside Matsko's corpse to sleep, only to awaken again in sorrow. Passersby looked on sadly at this lovesick girl.
At midnight, Natalie once again fell asleep on Matsko's body. A melodious tune suddenly woke her up. She looked up to see a woman dressed in black standing in the center of the square, intently playing a beautiful piece of music.
The Black-Clad Woman stood among piles of corpses, her face as pale as paper, with brown eyes and lips as red as a vampire's. As the enchanting melody played on, one by one the corpses opened their eyes and stood up from the ground before forming a line and walking away into the distance. However, Natalie sorrowfully noticed that her lover Matsko had not opened his eyes; he remained still on the ground.
Unable to contain her sadness any longer, she began to weep again.
Hearing the cries from among the dead bodies, the Black Woman shouted, "Who is crying there?"
"It is I," Natalie replied softly as she stopped crying.
"Who are you?" the Black Woman asked again.
"My Lover Matsko died in the war. I am very sad."
"Oh," the Black Woman approached Natalie, looked at Matsko lying on the ground, then sighed and said, "He has already lost his soul, which means he has no spirit left."
Natalie was in tears, her desperate cries moved even the heavens, and the Black-Clad Woman was also touched, asking, "How long have you been crying?"
"I don't even know how long I've been crying; I only know it has been from dawn to dusk, and then from dusk to dawn."
The Black-Clad Woman said, "If he still had a soul, my magic could bring him back to life. Unfortunately, he no longer has a soul."
Natalie stopped crying, her eyes revealing a glimmer of hope as she asked, "If I can retrieve his soul, then you can bring him back to life?"
The Black-Clad Woman shook her head and said, "You cannot retrieve his soul."
"Why not?"
"Because his soul has already dissipated."
"Is there no other way?" Natalie looked at the Black-Clad Woman, heartbroken and desperate.
"Do you love him?" the Black-Clad Woman asked.
"Of course."
"To what extent?"
"I would trade my life to bring back his life."
The woman in black felt a pang of sympathy, hesitating for a long time before saying, "Follow this road south. At the end of the road, there is a lush primeval forest. Deep within the forest, there is a castle. Once you enter the forest, at midnight, you will see a Black Coach driven by a white horse. If you get on the carriage, it will take you to that castle. Perhaps only the owner of that castle can save your Lover."
"Thank you, I will remember this. May I ask who you are?"
"No need to thank me. I am a Witch. My duty is to guide souls to where they need to go through music. However, when you meet the owner of the castle, please bring a lock of your Lover's hair as a gift for them," said the Witch.
Natalie wiped away her tears, not taking the time to tidy her clothes, and cut a lock of hair from Matsko, carefully tucking it away in the most secret place of her garment. She prepared to express her gratitude to the Witch once more before rushing into the forest.
But when Natalie turned around, she found that the Witch had already vanished without a trace.
The dark sky began to brighten in the early morning. The moon was retreating before a growing light, which became increasingly pink and bright. The dew-soaked world, having rested through the night, awakened joyfully. Natalie's world also came back to life.
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