Bride of Adron | ✓

Chapter 16 - The First Battle

They were down in the deep pits, an endless spiral. A vacuum, one that sucked all the life, hope and joy out of the atmosphere. Fear, pain and misery hung in the air as Noelle stood alone in the pouring rain, her eyes closed as she let it beat against her skin.

Any strand of optimism had been cruelly torn away from them, leaving the people of the Lost Forest and those part of the rebellion feeling dejected and afraid. As much as Noelle wished for the opposite, she knew that after the attack and Lolita's betrayal there was no hope of winning the war left. She didn't even know why they still tried, when they were guaranteed to lose. They weren't even players in Adron's cruel game, just ragged puppets pulled at the strings.

"Hey," Karol muttered, walking up to her. He hung a blue umbrella over Noelle's head, and despite trying to smile she found that she could not. "How are you feeling?"

"Not good," Noelle said the obvious answer. There was no use in pretending things were fine when they clearly weren't.

"I know, sorry," Karol whispered, downcast. "I was told to come and call you, we just received another message from Adron."

As much as she did not want to, Noelle had a responsibility. She had to win this war for Dacnella, and only then she would be able to go home. At this point, it was the only thing keeping her going.

"We are to meet Adron in approximately ten minutes at the given coordinates before he unleashes his army upon the Lost Forest. We must work quickly!" One of Delilah's generals urgently said, slamming his fist on the table to add emphasis. "Gather the troops!"

It was really happening. They were really going to fight against Adron, and it was going to be devastating. It was a suicide mission, why did no one see?

Jawad gathered the Hunters, and together they left first to stand against Adron's army. They were followed by the other troops, makeshift weapons clutched in their hands, as they marched out of the forest and away.

Noelle, Roland and Zuzanna walked beside Jawad and Karol on their horses, as they stayed slightly behind the rebellion army. Queen Delilah was in the front in armour and on her majestic mare, commanding the army with bravado and courage.

Noelle swallowed the sickening lump in her throat, reaching for Zuzanna's hand. The girl wordlessly took it in her own as an act of solace. The true meaning behind it, Noelle did not know.

They made it to the top of the hill, staring down at Adron's approaching army. They stalked along the bottom of the hill like tiny worker ants, turning their ugly heads to look up at them.

Then the hellfire started.

. . .

Terror.

Agony.

Fear.

Rage.

Was it possible to feel all at once? A big compound of emotions mushed together into one? As she watched the bullets fly into the air, soaring towards them, Noelle's world slowed down.

To her, it seemed like she was watching everything on a television, and her body did not feel like her own. They had entered an era of pain, destruction and humiliation, and only one of the sides could win.

With horror, Noelle realised that the prophecy she was given by the witches was coming true.

They had been betrayed by Lolita, the first part of the prophecy, and the second would soon realise. They will either win or lose, and with a heavy heart, Noelle had to admit it was the latter. When the third prophecy came true, someone would die, and it would all be Noelle's fault. She suspected who it was. She knew she had to kill King Adron.