Hide Your Fires - ONC 2023

Chapter Five- What's done is done

TW- demons, violence, blood

Cyrus

Cyrus was not a magic expert, but from what he could tell, everything had gone to shit. Runa's face had crumpled underneath her beautiful mask, the one he had seen right through the moment that she entered, as she watched a red-haired man accomplish the best impression of an evil laugh Cyrus could think of. Secondly, there was the whole laugh thing which meant something wrong, for lack of a better word.

Oh, and the sky was almost blood-red. For some reason, Cyrus didn't think that was supposed to happen.

"You- You lied!" Runa sobbed, standing over the shattered remains of his father's crown. The one she had destroyed seconds ago, for a reason he did not have the brainpower to process right now.
"It's not like I lied about everything- I omitted some things. It's not my fault you didn't look further into everything." The man spoke- ceasing his sinister chuckle but giving Cyrus further reason for his instant dislike of the guy.

Something howled in the distance. The candles flickered and fell prey to the merciless iced wind that swept through the gigantic hall. And within the darkness, despite all the clear signs he'd listed about things being wrong, a shiver ran down Cyrus's spine. There were no wolves in Eletonias. That unearthly growl was something else- something more.

The lights flared back on.

People's screams began and died at that moment.

Hundreds of those creatures from the shop now filled the beautifully curved staircases at the centre of the room. Their bloodlust and rage hung in the stale air, its scent palpable in every ripple of fear. No one dared move, breathe or shake, though Cyrus was sure the same thought ran through everyone's minds. Run.

The second wave of dread came as a woman he could only describe as terrifyingly stunning sauntered onto the gap at the top of the stairs. Blood-red streaks flowed in her moonlight-white hair, only broken by the exquisite ebony crown resting upon her head. It was like someone had taken Cyrus's worst nightmares, sculpted them into a creature more beautiful than life itself, and then unleashed the creation upon the world. He could not call her human, for the horns curving out of her skull were not of something natural.

"People of... What's the name of this place again?" she spoke, her voice a deceptively sweet but powerful melody. "Whatever, it doesn't matter. The message is the same regardless; your saviour is here. I am Makaria, Queen of the devils and demons, and this world is now mine. You can continue to live unless you get in my way or bore me. Now, kneel before your Queen."

Still, no one moved. The man Runa had spoken to earlier was the only one who complied, his knees hitting the marble floor and echoing- through the emptiness of the atmosphere and beyond.

"Oh. You. Do you have the money you promised, or is this going to be a waste of my time?"

"Here you are, my Queen." The man presented a pile of money thicker than a book. Given that his father had ensured that as little paper imaginable comprised each note, that was quite the achievement. What was even stranger was the sickening delight that now lay on the Queen's face. What the hell would a Demon Queen need money for? It wasn't like she would need to go to the shops and buy something. Did they even have shops in the realm she came from? How did their economy function? Was she a tyrant or a fair and just ruler to her demon people?

The sight of his father shaking stopped the spiralling of his thoughts. For as long as Cyrus could remember, the only emotion his father had shown was mild disappointment or annoyance. He had always been a symbol of strength to him somehow- the King who always did what was right. The lack of emotions was just another way of protecting his people, a refusal to fall prey to the weakness Cyrus was so prone to. But there his father was, shaking like an autumn leaf against its inevitable doom. Because that's what this was, right? All this was just how his kingdom would fall, how his people would suffer and die.

"Are none of you assholes going to kneel?" Makaria had turned her attention back to the crowd, though most were trying to sneak out of the archways. "Come back in here! It's no fun if I haven't got anyone to rule over."

Red shutters fell through the doorways almost instantly. If some people had escaped, it couldn't have been many. His stomach churned in an emotion he barely recognised as guilt. He should be doing something, right? But what? He was nothing- the people had told him enough times. Cyrus doubted there would be an easy way to kill a demon queen. There had to be some level of power that he needed to overcome to stop her, one which he didn't feel within him. But Runa- if she had brought Makaria here, could she not send her back?

"Take the girl and get out of here," his father whispered, almost as if he had read his thoughts and suddenly appeared beside him.

"What?" Surely his father couldn't want him to leave everyone behind!

"Get to the island where the sea meets the sky, and the gods' mercy alone keeps the land afloat."

"Once again, what?" Cyrus hissed, but the King had already disappeared as quickly as he had approached. Trust him to be overly cryptic and then leave.

When Cyrus saw where his father went next, his heart froze. The King had jumped, sword in hand, straight for the demon-covered stairs. The image of the shredded body from the night in the shop flashed through his mind: the gore, blood spilt across the floor, the unrecognisable face. The King- his father was going to di- No. He would survive, save everyone and then things would return to normal.

Cyrus moved without thinking, grabbing Runa's arm as she continued to cry, and running through the nearest archway as soon as the barriers fell away. She followed without protest or question, her mask clattering to the ground as the hallways blurred into nothingness.

The palace was empty, white stone still wrongly lit with that vicious red, still silent where the buzz of the court should have been. Every hallway they ran through, every moment that blurred and faded in their memories as soon as they entered, would be prey to the demons and their Queen within hours. Cyrus dared to glance at the flowers, smiling at the ones he had planted with his mother many years ago. But even they, under the bloody sky, became threatening- their thorns sharper than the softness of their petals. Sorrow coursed through his blood, soothing the stinging of the acid in his muscles. He could not fail his people. He had to return the peace to his home and his heart.

He did not dare look back, only forward at the wild grey winds that tore through his golden hair. His mask clung to his skin, the material itched- restrictive but protective against the rage of the atmosphere. If Cyrus had cared, he would have thought it a bad omen- a warning to turn back instead of facing destiny's wrath. Fortunately, he worried a lot more about what his Father had said than how the arrows of fate pointed for him.

Cyrus did, however, look back in the end. Once he and Runa were past the gates and on the ancient road to the city, he couldn't see the harm in spending one precious moment glancing back on the life he had to save. Cyrus practically drank in the sight of the glowing red sky and the storm clouds protecting it, the way his bedroom window reflected the ocean even now. But, most of all, he held on to the sight of the flowers and ivy growing up the wall, fighting against that horrible feeling in his stomach that this would be the last time he saw them.
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Chapter word count - 1346

Total word count - 8054

So, I may have said I was giving up on this yesterday, but I changed my mind after reading If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio. I don't know why, it just inspired me somehow lol. Also, I got over the test I probably failed by realising it was just a mock and I can hopefully improve. I think I definitely overreacted to it but I was just really upset because I'm quite a bad perfectionist. I don't know if I am going to finish this in time for ONC, but at this point I know I'm not going to win, so I don't mind.

Thank you again and sorry for the announcement the other day,

RJ 🪶