Chapter Text
When Furina received the news that she was getting the role of Focalors in her favorite play, she was beyond excited. Masquerade of the guilty had been her most favorite play, having grown up watching it. It was a classic that she never got tired of seeing. And even better! She was going to play as Focalors, the devious and cunning villainess who had been her favorite character in the entire story. So naturally the art of playing her came easily to her.
The day of the audition, she had given her all, channeling her theatrical heart to its fullest. The judges had been so thoroughly amazed by Furina’s ability to play Focalors that they had immediately given her the role. Her cast-mates threw her a celebration party, knowing just how much she loved the play. And she had the best time. Even her upcoming exams couldn't tamper her good mood. Though she had to juggle her law degree with her theatre acting, Furina found a good balance of both; she'd study in the morning, giving her all, and then at night, she'd sing and dance and act.
Of course it wasn't easy. Furina had a bad habit of neglecting her own health when she got too determined to complete her work, whether it be her studying or her acting. She had spent an entire month, having overworked herself to the point of exhaustion just to prepare for the play. Her sleep deprivation couldn't stop her excitement, however. As she arrived in the theatre, the rush of people overwhelmed her.
“Hey! Furina! Over here,” her cast mates called her, bringing her attention to them. Some were preparing the stage while the others handled the clothing. Masquerade of the guilty was set in the 1800's and as such, the clothing was elaborate and every little detail needed to be perfect.
“How's everything? I got stuck in traffic for too long, I hope I didn't take too long,” Furina asked.
“No worries, we're still waiting for the rest of the props to come by,” Aimery, one of the actors, said. “Better start getting dressed now. All the actors are going to get ready in a moment's notice.”
“Is everyone present then? No one's missing, are they?”
“No one but you, our lead villainess.” Aimery said. She was going to play the part of Clorinde, a secondary side character. Meanwhile Giselle, who was going to play as Navia, the play’s heroine, could be seen getting her hair ready. Luc, the lead hero, was making rounds across the theatre, probably getting the last minute errands. There were many more, both actors and behind-the-stage members, but she couldn't see them in the haste. There was only less than an hour remaining.
Furina let out a breath of relief. Pressing a hand to her chest, she said, “Oh, good. I hope there's no issue for the rest of the night. We all have been working on this for very long. I don't want anything to go wrong!”
“Don't worry, everyone's going to do their best! You just focus on your part.”
She nodded, grabbing the outfit for the first act, an intricately designed blue gown, and rushed to the changing rooms. The hairdo would have to wait since shuffling around with the clothing would surely ruin her hair. She dressed quickly, unable to marvel at the craftsmanship of the dress which looked quite beautiful. Since she was on the shorter end of the average height, she had to wear absurdly high heels that a normal person would stumble on. But Furina was a theatre girl ever since she was young, this was nothing for her to handle. Next was her hair which was practically a nightmare. Her shoulder length white hair wasn't enough for the elaborate hairstyles that Focalors wore throughout the play. For that, she needed to wear hair extensions. Furina took her time curling and styling her hair, and then her character's signature eyelashes. By the time she was done, she was transformed into Focalors, a divine and cunning empress blessed by the gods. And not the law student/theatre fanatic Furina.
Pursing her lips at her reflection, she made faces of ridicule and vanity, embodying the part of a villain. She had often asked herself how a villain would act. The best acting wasn't always boisterous nor was it always quiet. The best actor will decide for themselves what method suits the character. For Furina, it was obvious that to play the part of Focalors, she would need to be truly something evil and capricious, someone vile enough to subjugate her people and keep them under her iron fist. A shrewd and devious woman who entertained herself through the sufferings of others. Furina would be her, then. She knew she had what it takes. She smirked at her reflection, giving a maniacal laughter.
“I am Lord Focalors, the Regina of all waters, kindreds, laws and people,” she said, practicing her lines. “Hmm…it doesn't sound as regal as I wanted. Let me try again.”
Clearing her throat, Furina tried again. ‘I am the divine empress of Fontaine, the most magnanimous ruler you will ever witness in your life! Yes, that was perfect. I need to channel more regality and elegance into my speech.”
She continued practicing, nailing each dialogue line until she had it perfect. She lost track of time entirely, forgetting about the play. Furina panicked, fixing wrinkles in her clothes before she rushed out.
“Is everything ready?” She asked the fellow members, noticing that the audience was already starting to take their seats. The play was going to start in just a few minutes.
“Furina, why did you take so long? Everyone was asking about you. The actors are already on the stage, waiting for you. Go hurry.”
Furina didn't need to be told twice, she hiked up her massive dress and scurried to the stage where the curtain hadn't been pulled yet. She had a harder time to navigate herself in the darkness with her high heels but she managed to get to her spot. Her heart was clamoring in her chest, like a wild bird desperate to flee. She took in a deep breath, reminding herself to forget everything else, everything but her role. She closed her eyes. Now she was not Furina, she was Focalors. It was imperative to hold on to that line of thinking, because even before the audience looked at you, you became that character.
Through the thin separation of the curtain, she heard the ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ of the crowd, patiently waiting for the play to start. The hushed murmurs became amplified and she could feel that sound through her. The murmurs became noises, turning into a cacophony, humming through the stage. A lot of people must have come here then, the noises were never this loud. But that was a good thing that so many people came to see her favorite play. They'd leave entertained, that was guaranteed.
The sound engineers were supposed to start with the music but for some reason, the only thing Furina could hear was the thrum of her erratic heartbeat and the cacophony of the crowd. She had yet to open her eyes, waiting for the curtain to be lifted before she began with her act.
Seriously, what is up with the engineers? Shouldn't they start the music yet?
And then, half an eternity later, the curtain lifted. There was only silence, the crowd turning eerily quiet. Even her fellow members were silent. Furina resisted the urge to scowl. Did they really mess up their big night? She didn't spend so many nights practicing her part so effortlessly only for them to ruin everything at the last second.
Frustrated, she opened her eyes, only to gasp softly. In front of her, the stage was no longer the one she practiced on religiously. The familiar wooden floor was polished tiles, the size having tripled in length and width and…Furina stared aghast at her own spot. Gone was the prop throne, now replaced with a real one, made of gold and the plushest cushion for her to sit on. She whirled to see the audience only to find a motley of well-dressed people, sitting in their stead. How…what the…
The crowd stared back at her, and she could feel the wrongness. They did not look like the usual audience nor did she recognize anyone from her theatre. They began murmuring between themselves, giving her strange looks.
“What is wrong with her?”
“She was supposed to give an important speech, wasn't she?”
“Why hasn't the court proceedings begun?”
Furina stared at her surroundings with wide eyes, shocked and befuddled. This was not where she was moments ago. The entire stage had changed, shifted, moulded in a different place. And she…
“Your Majesty, why have you stopped speaking all of a sudden?” Furina flinched at the sound, turning her head to the side. Next to her right, sitting in a similar but less magnificent throne, was Prince Neuvillette. But instead of her friend, Luc, he was a stranger. His eyes, a silvery purple, looked down at her with cold impassion and disdain.
Her throat turned dry, unable to muster a word. Who in the world was he? Where was Luc? Now that she noticed it, no one present here looked familiar to her. Every single person was a stranger. She turned to see Aimery but found a stranger in her stead, a tall woman with dark hair. She felt true horror settling in her bones.
“Your Majesty?” the unknown man, dressed in the clothes of Neuvillette, spoke again, startling her. When she turned her gaze back to him, she was uncomfortable with the sharp look in his eyes. It was…scary.
“Huh–?” she managed to speak finally, her heart jumping out of her chest. “The…the play…”
The crowd's murmur turned louder until she was utterly overwhelmed with the noise. What were they saying? And what was going on? She was supposed to act for tonight's play. Where were the other actors and behind-the-stage members? Why were they strangers here?
“Your Majesty, I implore you to speak. Since you brought us all here impromptu, I deduct it is something important then.” The stranger—or Neuvillette, she should call him, responded.
It then triggered in her, the adrenaline rush from being ambushed by strangers and petrification from being in an unknown, unfamiliar place had made her totally forget about her lines. Wait, wasn't there a line like this Neuvillette said to her? According to the play script, Focalors began the act one by throwing a party, causing the whole story to happen. The pieces fit in her mind instantly. But could it really happen? For this to play out exactly like the story she was rehearsing for? What were the odds?
Realizing that Furina had been silent for well over a minute, she had to do something. And so she improvised. She threw her head back, laughing all the while the crowd and the members of the gentry looked at each other in confusion.
“My dear citizens,” she started, her chest nearly jumping out of her ribcage, though she tried to show none of that. “It is time for me to announce that the annual grand ball will be happening and just like always, it will be grander than the last one.”
Next to her, she could feel Neuvillette's questioning gaze, probing over her.
Furina continued anyways, saying her dialogues as if everything was fine and she wasn't in some strange place. “As your benevolent empress, it is my duty and honor to promise every one of you that it will be magnificent. The wine shall flow endlessly and so will the entertainment. So let us enjoy this year's ball.”
Though the crowd looked confused, she hoped that they'd at least be convinced that everything was fine, that she was fine and not a doppelganger. C'mon, everyone, I am your empress, believe in me.
“Your Majesty, were you pretending to be shocked then?” One member of the gentry asked, the people around him clearly thinking the same question.
Furina wracked her brain, wondering what the hell she was supposed to say or do. She rehearsed to play the part of Focalors but could she really act as her when she didn't have the script to help her? She laughed again, hiding her nervousness. “Of course, my dear, I was simply acting to surprise everyone. Weren't you all shocked and confused?”
It was a good thing Furina had spent an entire month perfecting the speech of Focalors, down to the cadence and drawl of her voice. Her explanation must have been enough for them because the crowd started whispering among themselves, confused but not suspecting anything was wrong.
Satisfied, she leaned on her throne, wanting to comfort herself but didn't want to let her nervousness show. Nonchalant. You must be nonchalant, Furina.
But if she thought she got away with her blunder scot-free, she was mistaken. Because the man beside her who was quiet through the entirety of her speech, now turned his whole attention to her. “What was that?”
Furina jumped, turning over her shoulder to meet his face. His expression was icy and unreadable. If this man wasn't played by Luc, then she had to assume that it was…the real Neuvillette. Shivers went down her spine. Though she wasn't completely sure that everyone here was replaced by the actors (somehow excluding her), the way he looked at her told her a lot of things. For starters…he must hate me.
It was obvious in the way he looked at her, peering down at her like interacting with her bothered him greatly. That and the way he spoke to her.
If this truly was the real Neuvillette and she found herself in the actual story, then she was in so much danger. The real Neuvillette loathed Focalors for…well, everything. He was the one who took initiative to overthrow her reign and worse, he had been the one to kill her. And if this wasn't him, if this man in front of her wasn't the lead hero of the play, even that wouldn't change the quiet, cold anger brewing within him.
“Focalors?” He inquired again, his tone stoic. To get out of this mess, she needed to get his attention away from her.
“What? What was what? You'll have to be more specific than that.” Furina tested the waters, internally debating what the hell she did to deserve to be in this dilemma.
Neuvillette drew closer, until his face was inches away from hers, his voice practically a hiss. “Is this another one of your pathetic games?”
What was she supposed to take from that? Furina pondered about any context clues from the script that might help her. Neuvillette came from a country that was taken over by Fontaine's rule, leaving the crown prince without a crown nor a land to rule. It was Focalors who asked him to marry her, signifying the peace between the two. But of course there was no peace between two powers that were unequal. Which was exactly the criticism the play was trying to do. They were not equals and everything reflected their power imbalance. No wonder he hated her then…
She looked at the man, taking her time inspecting him. Tall, imposing and stoic, he was someone you could not look away from. His long silvery white hair was meticulously tied behind neatly, his clothes a deep blue and black. A truly enigmatic and impressive man.
Her eyes landed on his gloved hand where a ring sat. Aha, so as she guessed. This too matched with the script. Focalors and Neuvillette were engaged by this point of the story. But that also meant Furina was engaged to him now.
“You've been acting very strange this evening. What is wrong with you?” Neuvillette questioned, his handsome features sharpening with suspicion.
“But my games are at least entertaining, no?” She made herself say, leaning towards him flirtatiously. But only she knew just how terrified she was. Everything she was saying could jeopardize her. She might be ruining herself with every word that comes out of her mouth. But silence would only make her look suspicious. Neuvillette was already suspicious of her, an inkling of something wrong. Who knew just how little it would take for it to grow?
“Tch,” he made a noise of distaste, turning away, ending the conversation. Furina let out a breath of relief. Interacting with this man could give her an aneurysm. Dear gods, she needed to get out of this room.
She stood up, drawing everyone's attention to her. “Please, excuse me.”
Mumbling, she rushed out of the hall, unaware of where she even was going. All she knew was she must get away. Furina paid no mind to the voices rising at her escape from the court, she just hurried until there was some quietness. She found her sanctuary in an empty room beside boxes and carts. Dust motes swirled in the air, nothing but furniture laying around uselessly. Furina immediately slumped as soon as she shut the door.
She buried her face in her hands, wanting to cry. “Where have I landed now? What is this place? I have no idea who these people are…”
It terrified her when she opened her eyes to see a crowd of strangers. How was it possible that she was here, probably in the world of the play she was going to act in? What were the chances? But somehow she was here, still playing as Focalors. Did that mean she swapped places with the character? Had she…replaced Focalors in this world?
In the middle of her breakdown, Furina didn't notice when the mirror in the room began to shift. There was no warning for the voice that echoed through the small room.
“Furina…”
Her neck snapped, eyes wide with surprise and fear. That was her real name. She turned to the origin of the voice and gasped. The mirror…how did it change…
“Come here, Furina…” the voice, or rather the figure in the reflection, called out to her. In a trance, she made her way to the mirror, shocked. There in the reflection, stood a different person. A woman.
Focalors.
The realization befuddled her mind; how in the world was Focalors here? But it had to be her. She dressed similarly to Furina, except her outfit was simpler. But Furina could still tell that the person in the reflection had to be her. Because she was dressed as her.
Focalors turned her complete and undivided attention to her, a figure in white and blue. “It's nice to meet you.”
“You…you must be Focalors,” she mumbled with uncertainty.
“Indeed. And you are Furina, aren't you?”
Her throat turned dry. Why and how did she know her name? Her real name. No one had addressed her as ‘Furina’, only as ‘Focalors’. And that made sense since the story featured Focalors and not her. Then how could Focalors know her?
“How did you know my name?” she asked, hesitant.
“I have my ways,” Focalors responded airily. “But what's more important is the current problem.”
“Wait! But can you explain everything? Why am I here? What is this place? How did I get here? And are all of you actually the real characters in this story?” Furina questioned.
The other woman went silent. At first, Furina assumed that she said the wrong thing. But then, Focalors said, “The world's a stage and we are all characters, are we not? We all play a part and keep doing so until the very end.”
“That…doesn't explain anything. I was supposed to be Focalors in a play but I found myself here, in the actual story. What is the reason behind this?” Furina placed a hand on her chest, on the verge of tears.
Focalors eyed her without showing any emotion, leaving her to wonder what the other woman was thinking. “You are here in this world because I need you.”
“You need me?” she repeated unsurely. “But why?”
In the reflection, Focalors began to pace around, her steps betraying her nonchalance. “Because what I must do requires a second person and you, my doppelganger, will be the perfect for that role.” She stopped pacing, drawing closer to the mirror. “Furina, you are my final piece.”
Furina couldn't help but back away, uncomfortable with the look in her eyes. She reminded herself of the fact that despite Focalors being her favorite character, she still was a villain. An usurper, an empress who ruled with an iron fist. Throughout the story, Focalors made many cruel and callous decisions that inevitably led her to her death. Any sort of plans made by her must be sinister. “What do you need me to do?”
“Let me bring you up to date with everything. There's been a prophecy that involves me. A prophecy that tells of my nation's doom. Everyone will die when the primordial sea comes to kill everyone.” Focalors said, her voice somber.
“A prophecy? But this wasn't in the story.”
“Sometimes there are changes in a story to make it more entertaining. But I assure you, every danger is as real as I say it is. So do not take this as half-heartedly.”
Furina turned silent, pondering about everything. A prophecy that spelled doom for not just the empress but for everyone. And what did she mean by ‘changes in a story’? Who was the author of the story, capable of adding changes as they saw fit? If everything was as real as it felt, then didn't that mean the story was real too? Focalors insisted that the dangers were real but how much? And why was the story real to begin with? Was the story a living, breathing thing then?
“You said the prophecy involves you. What does it mean?” She asked instead.
Focalors sighed. “What I mean is, this prophecy is supposed to predict my fate. My nation, my people, nothing will remain. This is my punishment for my sin. But that's not important. You, my dear, need to help me avert this crisis.”
“Me? But why? I'm no one.”
“You can pretend to be me. You said so yourself, you were going to play as me. Then do so. Pretend to be me and I will ensure the safety of my empire.”
Furina stared at her, concerned. This sounded too good to be true. Just pretend? How long and why? Was Focalors not aware of her reputation as a cunning and evil woman? How was Furina supposed to keep up the pretense without potentially getting murdered in the name of revenge?
“You want to ensure the safety of everyone? But I thought you were…” she trailed off. A villain.
“You must be referencing my reputation, then. I'm aware of how much I am considered a shrewd and devious woman, cruel and capricious.” Focalors said, not sounding bothered with being called either.
“Are you not?” She couldn't help but ask in a meek voice.
“Does it bother you? Me being known for that?”
Furina clasped her hands into fists. “It does. You are not someone who means well, that much I'm sure of. How do I know if you aren't just lying to me about everything?”
“Huh, that's a good question. What if I am lying to you? But I'm not. And that's all you need to know. Because in the entire empire, I am the only one who can save everyone from the prophecy. Because it involves me. No one else has a fail-safe for it. So if you refuse to comply with me, then I assure you that you and the rest of the empire will die. And if you still believe that you can handle it on your own, then it will do you some good to remember that you're now playing as me. My reputation and my foes are now yours.”
Furina gritted her teeth. There really was no end of this dilemma, was there? What was she going to do? Focalors wasn't to be trusted but what if there really was no one else that could stop the prophecy? What if by not agreeing with her plans, Furina doomed everyone?
The fight left her and she hung her head, tired of everything. “What do I do then?”
“Do you want to save everyone, Furina?”
“Yes, I want to. What should I do?”
“You need to play as me and fool the people of Fontaine.” Focalors replied, and she must've been hallucinating because Focalors sounded gentler.
“Why do I need to fool them?” She asked.
“Because that is how I plan to avert the prophesied doom. You need to distract everyone while I handle the prophecy.” She told Furina.
“And how long am I supposed to keep the facade?”
Focalors was silent, showing her discomfort. Did she not have much faith in her own plan? “I don't know how long it will take.”
Furina was losing faith in her plan as well. Dejected, she asked. “When does this story end?”
“I don't know. All I know is that this story must reach its end. One day it will all end, reaching a brilliant finale. Until then, my dear, you must keep going.”
She sighed, looking down at her feet. Her fists tightened but she understood that it needed to be done. And somehow in the most tragic turn of events, it had to be Furina. She needed to suffer. For a brief moment, she wanted to refute the idea, wanted to say that she didn't want to suffer. But for the sake of others…
“I get it. It's for the people's safety. If me pretending to be you will help you stop the prophecy, then I will do my best.” Furina said. “But please, can you promise me that you actually meant what you said? About saving everyone?”
Focalors held out her hand in the reflection. “I knew you were the right one. Your heart is truly the purest, my darling. I'll give you my word if that will make you believe me more.”
“Then I will hold on to my part of the deal,” she replied. “Wait, if I need to pretend to be you, what happens to the rest of the chara–I mean, people?”
“You can't let anyone know about this, Furina. This has to be a secret. Between you and me.”
Furina nodded. “I understand. And…are you sure that you're okay?”
“With what?”
“That I'm replacing you,”
Focalors laughed. “I may be vain but I understand that in order to save everyone, this is necessary. I don't hold any resentment towards you for this necessary evil. Besides, you're more than I could ever ask for, my darling.”
She turned around, clasping her hands behind her back.
“So it is decided. In order to turn the tides of fate, you will replace me and deceive everyone. But even if no one else knows, from now on, it will be you who rules Fontaine. So in a way, it is not Focalors who is the empress any longer, it shall be you, Furina. I'm leaving this in your hand now.”
Before Furina could speak, Focalors disappeared in the mirror, leaving her alone in the room. She stared at the mirror that only showed her in the reflection, and not the evil empress. So many thoughts swirled in her head, confusing her. When she ran away from the court, this wasn't what she expected. But no matter what, she couldn't run away from this duty now. She needed to keep up this farce for gods know how long. The thought of it tired her.
Well, she needed to return to the court. She was sure that people were getting worried about her. Furina was going to open the door when someone else did it for her.
“Huh—?”
A tall woman stood on the other side of the door. If the hat fashioned on her head didn't tell her who this person was supposed to be, then the manner she carried herself would.
“Your Majesty, why are you hiding here?” Clorinde, the champion duelist of the court of Fontaine, narrowed her eyes, glowing radioactively in the darkness.