Tears slip down my cheek, landing on his hand. As a strangled whimper escapes me. His nails digging deeper into my skin, piercing through my flesh. He pulls my face in closer and whispers in my ear; "What's wrong, can't handle a bit of pain?". His voice deep, blooming with satisfaction, feeding on my fear, my pain.
"Let. go of me." I spit out rage and agony trembling in my voice
"I warned you, now didn't I darling?" He paused for a second, drawing his claws from my skin with cruel patience.
"What a shame there won't be a next time anymore..... no?"
I grab my face as he lets go of me, blood gushing out of the holes he'd dug in my skin, tears flowing down my face, my body trembling.
My knees buckled beneath me, the pain finally catching up. I hit the ground hard, breath ragged, vision blurred. He didn't move. Just watched. I wanted to scream. To fight. But all I could do was bleed.
I couldn't give in, not yet, not now, not while, knowing I could end this.
He was too busy savouring my suffering to notice the way my eyes latched on to the dagger hanging on his belt, this is my chance. It's now or never.
In a swift second I lunged for the dagger - ripping it off of his belt.
Before he could react I slashed his ankle with it hard, cutting deep through his flesh , making him fall to the ground groaning in pain.
Without waiting another second, I got on top of him and drove the dagger into his chest, deep and mercilessly. "You were right, there won't be a next time". I spat the words, taunting, his monstrous screams echoed through the place as his blood splattered across my skin, soaking my swim suit, streaking through my hair, burning into my eyes
The sides of his lips curled upwards: "You don't just get away after killing the son of the king, better watch your back". He said his voice, barely audible as he coughed out blood.
I watched as he took his final breath, as his eyes closed, as his heart stopped.
I turned him around, as I took off his black cloak and tore the bottoms of it and bandaged it around my face to stop the bleeding, my head throbbed as I took off his brown shirt along with his belt that carried a secret compartment in which his weopons were hidden all of which was covered in his black blood, I cleaned all of them with water along with his shirt and his cloak, I let them dry out for a while, as I sat beside his corpse watching as the sky turned red, as the stars took over the sun.
I broke down in tears, sobbing. I can't do this anymore, I just wanna go home, I never fucking asked for this, I never asked to be brought here. My mind repeating the moment I drove the dagger in his chest.
"I had to". I told myself repeatedly in a whisper. As I recall a memory from before all this, when I was happy.
"Mom! I had to teach that boy a lesson he stole from me and I did the same, makes us even doesn't it?!" I complained "No sweetheart that's not how things work" My father chimed in." No, you know what, you're right darling and since you did such a good job teaching that boy a lesson let's go get some ice cream?" my mother defended me, "HEY! that's not fair, you guys scolded me when I hit a guy to get revenge. Elina my sister began out of nowhere. "My father laughed, his soft laugh echoing in my mind.
I wanted to stay there. In that laugh. In that warmth. But reality dragged me back.
I got myself together as the pain settled, I wore his shirt over my swimsuit and then his cloak over it, not so surprisingly it was still really big on me even when i'd torn of a huge chunk of its bottom. I tied my long hair up in a bun and covered my face with the hood of the cloak.
I looked back to check if the fire was till spreading, never the less it was spreading faster than before, I looked at the oblivion, his body still, just as how I'd left it.
I turned back around and didn't look back. Just walked.
I walked through a large gate, leading to what I assumed was the place I first arrived in. With the same structures, the same illustrations, flowers and beauty. I walked around with my head held high, half of my face covered by the dark cloak. My eyes scanning each face. I see a structure, similar to a shop I step inside it and occupy a chair, observing.
A sharp siren blared through the air - shrill, urgent. The people outside froze. Then chaos erupted. A voice crackled through the speakers overhead, cold and commanding.
"Attention all citizens. A fire has broken out in Scarvelator . Emergency units are being dispatched. All able-bodied individuals are required to assist."
The crowd stirred, murmurs rising. Then the voice returned, sharper this time.
"And - " A pause. "The son of the king has been found dead."
Silence. Then panic.
Gasps, screams, shouts. People scattered like ash in the wind. I didn't move. Couldn't. My heart thudded against my ribs, but my mind was already racing.
They'll come looking. They'll trace the blood. They'll find me.
I stood, cloak heavy on my shoulders, and slipped out the back of the shop. I had to get to the citadel. To him.
The man in the basement. The one they kept chained, hidden. The one who looked at me like he knew something - like he'd been waiting.
If anyone could help me escape this place, it was him. I can't do this alone.
I moved fast, weaving through alleys, ducking under archways, ignoring the sting in my face and the blood still crusted in my hair. The fire was spreading. The city was unraveling. And I was running straight into the heart of it.
This time the place was empty, almost, I pretended I was one of the oblivions moving fast along the ones that saw me, I headed right to the basement, I took one look at the man and felt my heart jump out of my chest, he was covered in blood head to toe, in bruises, slashes, cuts. He sat on the floor his knees tucked in between his hands. "Are you there?". I said carefully approaching the cage. " You're back". He said his voice trembling.
"Do you need help?" I began, reaching for the candle lit in the corner and return back to him with it, beside him there was another girl in a cage, the one which I was once in. "Y. .yes please get me the hell out of here please." The girl pleaded. I took a step closer to the man. "do you know how to get out of here"? I asked the man my voice filled with hope, he shook his head no and began " But I know someone who might."