The Fall of Dawn (Manuscripted)

## Chapter One - Rayna

His raw shoulders slumped on the uncomfortable couch. He smiled at me sadly, as if unsure whether or not to tell me a grave secret. One that could change my life forever. I liked to believe that I could read people, just like the Blank Minds. The Blank Minds had rejected my cousin, and after that, I trained harder and harder to be one of them.

The Blank Minds are an elite group that can read people. They can tell when they are having thoughts of treason or deserting the Empire, they could take a glance from across the ballroom and tell that you don’t like potatoes.

So when I hear the news that they were recruiting, and were coming to our town, our tiny town of Colmar, I felt strangely hesitant to tell my father. However, his gaze unsettles me.

“Father?” I ask him, my rag-covered knees shaking and which he notices, “The Blank Mind is coming here to recruit,” My father’s head lowers by an inch, as if upset but not wishing to see so. My eyes ask a silent question and my father notices it.

“Rayna,” His stern but gentle gaze settles into mine, “They won’t notice you,”

“That’s not true!” I scold him, knowing well that it is true, “Can’t I ask them to recruit me?” At this, my father laughs and shakes his head.

“There’s always a recruitment contest,” My father lies easily but I catch it, noticing my expression he sighs, “Rayna, sometimes it doesn’t happen.” At this, he looks sad, depressed, angry and I don’t know why.

“I can try,” I insist and he flashes me a rare smile, “Mother will be home soon, perhaps she can cook? I want to see-” My father puts up his hand to stop the flow of my words.

“No, Rayna,” Father frowned, “You cook, me and your brothers must tend to the field.” Despite my anger I nod, my father told me so much, I should do as he asks.

The farmhouse is now warm from the fire, and the smell of pies, potatoes, and beef fills my nostrils, but I’m too distracted to think about who just knocked on the front door. “Come in!” I say, believing it was my mother, but a strange, unfamiliar hand grasps my shoulder, “Sorry, uh, who-”

They don’t wait for me to finish my sentence, instead grabbing a cloth and covering my mouth with it.

“Do not resist, it will only make things worse,” It’s a masculine voice, I can tell. Looking into the windows’ dirty glass, I catch his reflection.

He has fair skin, and dirty brown hair (although that may just be the glass), and his eyes seem to be green and gentle as if compensating whether he or not he wants to do this. But what catches my eye is the pin and cloak he is wearing.

He is a Blank Mind. I think in awe and he glances at my face and pauses there, seeing my awe. “Do… you know why I am here?” He asks me and I shake my head in answear, removing the cloth that covers my mouth he continues. “Good, neither do I.” His eyes twinkle mischievously into mine, “What’s your name? Full name, please.”

“Rayna Marie Gaul,” I manage a small smile, now focusing on the fact that he was in my house, close to me and with a cloth at the ready, “You, dear sir,” I mimic a curtsy and he cracks a smile.

“Just… you don’t want to know,” He turns away from me, letting go of my shoulder, forgetting what he was sent to do. What was he sent to do? I realize with a jolt and he notices, reading my expression with obvious difficulty.

“Weird…” He mutters and I frown in response, before I ask why, another Blank Mind woman appears behind me.

“Eliott, dear,” The woman says with fondness, “Don’t take so much time kidnapping girls… I’m bound to come around,” Eliott glances at me then her.

“This is Rayna Gaul, Arthur Gaul’s eldest and only daughter.” Eliott says to the woman, who was standing taller than he. She looks impatient, nodding as she turns to my gaze.

“Well, Eliott, you were correct about her,” She smiles coldly, almost jealous, “We must take her back.” I move away from their grasp and they look at me in surprise.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, Blanked Ones,” I start, attempting to use their proper title but they snuffle a laugh in unison, so my face turns red, “You said you were kidnapping me? You knew my father; however, made me check to see what my name was?” They lock eyes, staring at me. I take in the woman's appearance.

Noble features with dark ginger hair, gold circlet that looks like a crown of daisies, peachy skin, and covered with freckles, however, a small scar covers the edge of her left eye. The curiosity bubbles inside of me like an overflowing potion. A small pin, the glowing mind shimmers on her dark green cloak, just like Eliott’s. However, unlike his, she has a name tag.

**`CINDEE GOLD`**

I stare at it, and then glance at her. “You, are Cindee Gold?” She blinks in alarm.

“Y-yes!” Cindee now smiles, “Do you know of me?” I nod and begin explaining how she was the one famous Blank Mind member that even outsiders knew of.