The Allure of Darkness

14

Hello everyone!! This chapter has an attempt of suicide. Just wanted everyone to know before reading!

Azia

I walk through this house, my prison as the speaker goes off. Telling everyone to go to the front gates.

Will they kill us there? There are too many people in these houses.

Everyone in this house already disappeared leaving only me. What will they do to me if I'm late?

I lean on the door frame looking out the front door.  I could run and try to live what's left of my life.

I look down, my arms reminding me of my fate. I will always be the king's property now. With the number thirteen on my right arm and on my left is the king's crest; an eye with a crown into it with tiny vines weaving through it. This brand leaves me with two options.

Run or stay.

I'm choosing between two different live sentences. If I run, will I ever be safe? If I stay, what will I become here?

They're both terrible options but there is still one more option. A better option. One where I will get to see my family again. Where I will be at peace.

I look out in front of me, seeing a path leading to the road. And I turn back to go inside the house, the door shuts and I lock it. Leaving me here alone but at least it's not outside with the enemy.

There is only one way I will be leaving this house and it won't be through a door.

I ran back upstairs to where I slept. I never had belongings, nothing sentimental. My mom would say if you had nothing they could take then you were worth nothing to them. But they still kept taking and taking even when I thought I had nothing left.

But being nothing to the enemy is better than being something.

Something they could take, something they could break, something could shatter, something they could remake.

I grab the blanket off the ground and tie a knot. It was a tight knot. Like the one my uncle had around his neck. But mine will be tighter. Mine will hold my life in its knot.

Life can easily break you but once it breaks you hard enough, it can't do any more harm.

I broke when my family was killed, when my kingdom got taken, when my camp got destroyed, when I got taken, when I got two brands. I've been broken for a long time and I never noticed.

The world keeps taking and I don't know how to fight back.

I look for anything to wrap the blanket over.

I look out one of the windows and see the front gate with everyone there. They look like sheep going to the slaughter. That would be me.

I look down and see two familiar faces coming towards the house. I have to do this quickly.

I look all around the house until I spot the kitchen. There's a rod holding up a bucket high above the fire. It looks to be eight feet high. I'm only around five feet. This is the only time where me being short comes in handy.

I grab a stool to my right and get on top of it. I throw the blanket over and tie another knot. Securing my fate. My death.

I hear the door shake. I hold my breath.

I put the blanket around my neck and step off the stool.

My thoughts are blank. My eyes are unfocused. All I can hear is my heart beating and that is soon going to fade into nothing.

"AZIA OPEN THE DOOR."

I ignore the order. I will not be ordered around, I will not become a slave.

My eyes start to become fuzzy, black dots start to fill my vision.

A singular tear runs down my face, it's the only thing I have left to give the world. This cruel world.

I close my eyes and I hope I will see my family soon. I hope my sister will still look at me with love. That my mom will still try to comfort me. That my dad will still look at me with affection in his eyes. I hope to be a family again.

I hope the world suffers and I will have peace. Can I have peace when I'm dead? Is that possible?

I opened my eyes one last time. Once more I will see the world that destroyed me in every way it could. But all I see is the door wide open and faces clouding my vision.

The pressure I felt on my neck once is gone. My chance of escaping this world is gone.

In this world only the mighty live, only they can win in this life. Where I have to suffer to live.

"I'm sorry Azia." A voice that sounds like air says to me.

A pinch forms on my neck. I'm in someone's arms.

My vision that was once colorful is fading. Darkness creeps up onto me. I'm not scared. Why would I? When all I've ever felt was emptiness.

A voice comes into my head. Don't think you can get away that easily.

That voice ensures my imprisonment. Ensures that I will face more problems before I die. Ensures me that I should have died when I had a chance, when my family died.

And when darkness forms in my eyes, I close my eyes and dream.

Loki

I look down at my arms. I see Azia laying still in them. Her breaths are barely moving her chest up and down.

I look up at Emrys and I see his mask down. The mask he has spent years perfecting.

I see a piece of the boy that wasn't corrupted. That was still my brother. That still cared for who he hurt.

That's all washed away when he looks at me. He turned his one second of caring into anger.

"We have to get back to the front gates, father will love this." He has excitement in his voice as he speaks. His eyes shine with amusement. "She should have tried harder to die. Father won't let her die, this will become a game to him." Emrys looks once more down at her and smiles. "Let's go brother."

I nod once at him.

I hope she dies soon or else she will have a bigger problem than before. She will have a problem with the king.