Freed (Magics AU - Part 2)

Chapter 6 - Emily

The emotions boiling like raging fire inside Emily's chest were like none she had ever felt or even dreamed of experiencing before. She was furious, she was exhausted, she was petrified, she was lost, she was defeated, she was heartbroken, she was hurt. She felt stranded in a sea of wild emotions that were stronger than her, her feelings like waves that were tossing her around mercilessly. The physical and emotional pain that she felt was like none she'd ever believed could exist, and it was worse than she could ever imagine. 

The princess tried to tell herself that she could have it much worse. She reminded herself that there were unfortunate people who lived horrible lives every day, and those people worked through it without even a thought of complaint. Emily tried to convince herself that what she was going through wasn't as bad as she thought, it simply seemed bad because she grew up without such pain. She was a princess, unknowingly spoiled in almost everything. How could this compare to the sufferings of more unfortunate people?

And then her mind would tell her that this was the worst thing that could happen to the whole entire world, and her short-lived enthusiasm vanished again. For two years, Lights and humans fought against these monstrous Darks to win back their freedom, and for a good reason. These horrid people - humans turned evil, quite literally - were like nothing this world had ever seen. In comparison to the hard times other people experienced, this was far worse. 

It was like an endless circle of emotions and thoughts. Every day, it was the same thing - the realization of defeat, the terror of the unknown, the anger of her predicament, the fleeting reassurance that things could be worse, the sinking feeling that they couldn't be, and the crushing weight of sorrow. 

In between those feelings, Emily would have sudden mood swings that resulted in panic, terror, anger, or sadness. She wasn't sure where they came from, but she guessed that they were normal given her circumstances. There were many times where she would suddenly feel anger and terror, so uncontrollable that tears would streak down her cheeks endlessly. As much as she hated them, there was nothing she could do to suspect or stop them. They were always so abrupt that sometimes it scared her. 

And the worst part of it all was that her parents weren't there to comfort her. She wished, she longed, with all her heart that her parents could be here with her. She missed their faces, their gentle touches, their loving embraces. She wished they could be here to hug her, to tell her that everything would be okay. 

Often, she found herself wondering if they were okay. Especially her father, who was Turned into a Dark against his will. Most of all, she wished that she didn't know the full extent of his situation. She would have preferred to be ignorant of his fate, because it only hurt her when she thought of him. She wished it didn't have to be that way, but whenever she pictured his face, she couldn't help but think of what he would be like as a Shadowbeast. Would she ever see him as her wonderful father again?

Emily wished for a lot of things, and she knew that none of them could come true. 

That realization hurt her more than the restricting chain on her neck. Even though she was trapped all alone her own room, Emily didn't feel in the least bit at home. She wanted her parents, and she wanted them badly. She knew it sounded like a little child's complaint, but she couldn't tell herself that it was wrong. She just wanted to see her parents again. 

Closing her eyes and cuddling with the pillows and blankets that she was blessed to still have was the closest thing to the relief of hugging her parents again. She did this often - imagining that the objects she was clinging to were alive, were hugging her back, were her parents. Were Marcus and Ruby. The king and queen. 

Sometimes it brought her comfort and relief, while other times it simply tormented her with the truth that her parents weren't there with her. 

Like it was now.