Haunted tones of Beethoven filled the atmosphere as Red's fingers flew across the piano. One chasing after the other to catch the perfect tone. The sounds bounced back after striking the high ceiling of the enormous dining hall of her ancestor's 1860s castle-like house. Eyes closed, feet tapping with the melody, Red was lost in the world of tones and lyrics. Tears were on the verge of spilling from her eyes, but she blinked them back. She had to be strong. She would not bow her head in front of these bastards as Nana had taught her. With that thought in her mind, she put on a facade of a calm face.
After a few lingering moments, her ears rang with a gunshot. That sound didn't belong to her Nana's rifle. But one she had heard when her father was killed. She was hidden behind the secret door to the library as one after the other, her family was killed. It only meant one thing: Nana had left her alone. Her mind wandered, imagining the scene in the lobby downstairs. Her Nana's frail body sprawled on the floor, sticky red blood oozing out of her, leaving her once lively body lifeless.
But her fingers continued the melody. She would neither bow nor stop. Sobs escaped her lips one after the other. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm her rapidly beating heart. Red had seen her father, mother, and her elder brother killed. Nana's death was just another addition to the list.
What a damned thing inheritance was! She wanted to run away from this mess, but she was late. Her love for Nana kept her in this dark world. But she was no longer with her. She could run away then, escape from the secret stairs only she and her family knew about. But what was the use? What was life without her family? It was better to die and join her family in the afterworld.
With that decision made, Red held up her head and continued to play piano. She would die while playing the one thing she loved the most.
The last tone of the song was timed just right. As it matches the sound of a gunshot, piercing straight through her head, leaving her body on the piano, her soul rises to meet her dear ones.