Oneirataxia • [on-ear-a-tax-ia]
The inability to distinguish between fantasy and reality.
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The first few seconds are an utter blur. I refuse to let my eyes meet the onslaught happening below. Gripping onto Max for dear life, I feel as though all of the air has been punched out of me. An irrevocable pain seeps deeply into my chest. When the shock passes, my fight or flight finally decides to kick in.
I try to shove Max out of the way, try anything in my power to cease this madness. Mylithia won't live to see another day if I don't. But he grabs my arm again before I nearly trip over my dress, preventing me from moving any further.
"Let me go, Max!" I scream at him, attempting to pry his fingers from my arms. I'm prepared to punch him in the face if he doesn't listen.
He shakes his head, anger rising in his irises, "I'm not letting them kill you, too."
My eyes accidentally find the manslaughter happening below us and bile rises back up my throat. Bloodshed is everywhere and hundreds—if not thousands—are being murdered before us.
How could my father be so stupid, so indecent to choose his own pride over his people? If we make it out alive, I plan to make sure he never sees the light of day again.
"There's nothing you can do, Max," I say to him, nearly choking on the words. He knows I'm right—knows as humans we have no power over these beasts. Whatever the aftermath of this will be, we won't be on the winning side.
To my left, the rest of the royal court is being protected by dozens of guards, but they won't hold for long against our attackers. It takes seconds before Samuel's warriors charge into them, picking them off one by one. Some even transform themselves into wolves right before us, digging their canines into the downed guards. My eyes grow wide at the sight—at the mere potential these creatures possess. I was so confident to face them, but now fear is all I feel.
Max's arm slinks around my torso as his tight grip only proves just how terrified he is as well. He looks around frantically, searching for any exits—any possibility out of this mess. But the hopeless look in his eyes tells me all I need to know.
What remains of the guards is a pile of bodies on top of a pool of blood. I gag at the sight, unable to stop myself from sobbing.
Samuel's warriors take hold of Bianca and Jace along with all of our parents, shoving them against the wall and holding large claws to their throats. My heart shatters, nearly breaking my soul in two.
No, no, no. Stop it, please.
I can't make the words form on my lips at first, can't find the strength to stop them from slaughtering every person I've ever loved. An emotional wave rides through me unlike any other as I finally find the courage to speak.
"NO!" I cry out. Bianca is sobbing, ready to collapse, as Jace is trying his hardest to push the large men off of him. Our parents don't even struggle though, don't even fight the warriors. They're giving up—waving their white flags.
A strong force makes my knees want to buckle, but Max keeps me steady. I hold their lives in the balance of my hands. I have the ability to stop an irreversible incident from happening, I just need to say the correct words to make it happen.
"Please..." I sob out, choking on the broken phrase, "Please don't hurt them. I'm begging you...Just take me and don't hurt them."
My wet eyes blur my vision and my voice is scraggly with every breath that makes its way into my aching lungs. I don't have the will to watch my family and friends be murdered before me. Innocent guests are already dead because of my parents' stupidity. Once again, I'm being forced to carry their burdens on my shoulders.
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