The Girl of Many Worlds | (Story formerly known as "Multiworldcial")

Chapter 23

My uneven breaths resounded loudly as my feet planted in the middle of the simulation room. With a glance towards the window towering above me, Arden and Zander engaged in a hushed conversation. My palms grew sweaty when Arden nodded and said, "Yes, let's do that."

I squeezed my eyes shut as the room came to life, dragging me off to an unknown place.

The scent here was different... familiar. Light filtered into my opening eyes, slightly blinding. The vanilla smell that I was becoming so used to flooded into my lungs as I glanced around me.

This place is where I met Petra. And he somehow brought me here.

My mind went blank, and I tried desperately to keep any thoughts of her out of my mind. I remembered she didn't want me to expose our secret. And then she handed me a bracelet. A bracelet!

I looked down at my wrist to see the thin gold chain and golden-purple gem at the center. My eyes snapped up. I had to do anything to keep Arden out of my mind. It shouldn't be too hard either; all I'd need to do is stay focused and–

"Princess, why are we here?" Arden asked. He stood beside me, his gaze traveling across the scene around him. The red leaves swayed in the warm breeze.

"I thought we were here because of my training?"

"We are," Arden said and then clicked his tongue. "But why was this the place your mind dragged us to?"

Dumbfounded, I mumbled, "What?"

My thoughts were quiet, even throughout my panic. Something told me Arden was trying to sift through them, revealing the secret of why I'd ever been to this place. I couldn't let him know that. If he did, I would have failed the one thing Petra told me not to do. And then what would happen? I didn't want to find out.

"Why are you so quiet?" he asked.

I shrugged. "I'm nervous and have nothing to say."

"That's not what I meant," he said. "Why have you closed off your mind?"

Nothing. I had absolutely nothing to tell him. If I even dared to think it, he'd know.

That wasn't good enough for him.

He closed the space between us and placed two fingers on my temple. It was the strangest sensation. It felt like he was coaxing my mind to give in to him–it almost felt like a gentle massage on my brain, luring me into a false sense of safety; it felt better than any other scalp massage I've received, and also better than when my friends have gently played with my hair.

I felt myself losing control. Slowly, Petra and her alcohol-like tea sprang to the forethought of my mind. I kept our conversations quiet–muffled–so that I couldn't even make out the words as he tried to recall our discussion together.

Come on, Princess, don't try to fight this. It's not a battle you will win.

It was one I had to, though. I yanked myself free of Arden's probing fingers and let out a startled gasp. I was a mess. My brain felt like mush as I tried to regain composure. Collect your thoughts, damn it! Get it together!

Arden didn't give me enough time. He pushed me against the nearest tree to us. The bark pressed into my back as his fingers pressed into my temple again. Only this time, he wasn't so forgiving. His other hand reached the other side of my temple. The coaxing was more powerful, bringing up my first dream with Petra. I let my head fall against the trunk and squeezed my eyes shut to control the memory vomit coming out of my thoughts.

He played the interaction in my mind, getting closer and closer to the conversation Petra and I had in our second interaction, one where he'd realize it was real and not just dreams. He was closing in, about to spill the truth out of me.

Letting out an angered scream, I shoved him hard away from me.

"You have no right to violate me as you did," I snarled. Arden looked slightly taken aback.

"Princess, no one was violating–"

"Yes!" I cried. "You were. And you had no right. My thoughts are not yours to rummage through like a box full of crap!"

"Lower your voice," he cautioned.

"Don't tell me what to do," I snapped. "Never treat me that way again! If I close my thoughts from you, then you stay the hell out of them!"

A tense silence crept on us. It hardly bothered me. I took the opportunity to collect myself and still the chaos he caused within my head.

"What are you going to do about the monster?" he asked. His eyes fixated on something behind me. Looking over my shoulder, I caught sight of the monster he was referring to.

It rose on its hind legs, its feather-looking things billowing around its face. It was a deep red color with a single black streak running down the middle of its body. The outer half of its eyes lay on the red part of its body, while the snout, nose, and teeth blended into the black streak.

The teeth were razor sharp as they clenched beneath the creature's snarl. "Arden... what is that?"

"It's a Quillroper," he said. "One of the most venomous creatures to exist on Antika."

His form started to fade beside me, and I desperately reached out for his hand. I grabbed nothing but air.

"Arden, don't leave me here with this thing," I begged. He remained silent.

It lunged for me, and without understanding how, a glow of purple light shot out of me and into the creature. It screeched and was launched a few feet away from me in a crumpled heap.

I gaped at the creature as I stood over its body, smoke rising from the wound.

The simulation immediately ended, and Arden's hardened expression examined my entire body. "How did you do that?"

"I-I don't know," I replied honestly.

He looked me up and down and then grabbed my hands, running his fingers along them and his fingers along my wrist. I thought he was about to figure out the bracelet was there, but he apparently couldn't feel anything, as his hands started running up my arms to anywhere else he could think to examine.

"Your body from your wrist just shot out an energy source from an assistive asset," Arden said, locking eyes with me. "Where is it? How do you have it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Arden."

"Jade, why are you lying to me?" he snapped. My stomach churned, and I said nothing for a few agonizingly quiet moments.

"Sire, she may genuinely not know how this happened. She's a multibreed, after all. Who knows what they're capable of?" Zander's words seemed to ease Arden's mind as he regarded me coolly again.

"I suppose I've reacted a little harshly; forgive me, Princess," Arden said with a slight bow. He joined Zander, and then the scenery around me shifted.

I was preparing for the next simulation training when a knock pounded on the door. The simulation ended, and Arden approached a figure.

Arden's father.