Haunted King

FIFTEEN | my accident

Magic was like wishing on a star and the wish immediately coming true. Melody's mind absorbed the knowledge from the first spell and altered it into wind, fire, earth, and more. She didn't know how or why foreign words were spilling out of her mouth but she embraced it.

The world wizzed by as Melody pulsed fire out of her hands and shot forward and out of the library like a rocket. She laughed ecstatically at her new discovery. She spun around in the air as she flew into the sky. Her mana had depleted long ago but now she was drawing her power from something else. Something far more powerful.

She flipped in the sky and squealed when she nearly crashed into a bird. Her hair flung about like it had a life of its own. She wore a white dress that looked similar to her night gown. The fabric flapped and swung around her waist. This was freedom. Nothing could ever compare to this feeling.

She looked down to a dazed Gabriel calling to her. She couldn't hear what he was saying and honestly she didn't care. She heard words resembling, "don't make me come get you," before she flew away from the castle.

Melody took in the view of the capital. She never got the chance to see the world of Fallen Angel before she was kidnapped. Now, a part of her never wanted to leave this world. It looked like a dream. The contorted and wonky buildings with various vibrant colors stood out even from a distance.

The sun reflected off the colorful ceilings, creating a rainbow hue on the ground. It was a dreamland. People in fancy dresses and hats pranced through the streets. It made Gabriel's dramatic attire seem modest. This was the world of Fallen Angel.

She had helped Gabriel through the hard beginning years after his coronation, so she knew just how far this country had come. It wasn't just the capital that was this luxurious. Gabriel had lead the kingdom to immense prosperity. He was a psycho, but a smart psycho.

He was also a very fast and very angry psycho. He was flying towards her at a way faster speed than she thought possible. He looked in pain, defeated, and extremely angry.

Melody tried flying away from him but he was too fast. His grip on her arm was too tight to get out of. "Melody!" He was floating with such ease. Melody's hands had started to burn from the constant fire she was emitting. He pulled her hands to his chest and the fire extinguished. Melody's eyes were wide. The clothes on his chest had burned away completely. He didn't have a single scratch. 'Just what is he made of?'

"There is a reason why magic is restricted for new magicians," his voice was low and authoritative. He pointed to the ground. Melody looked down and felt her body freeze. She had set the rose garden surrounding his palace on fire. The flames climbed little by little as maids and knights used water magic or ran back and forth bringing water buckets to quell the fire.

Gabriel held Melody to close to him. This time there wasn't a hint of seductive intent in his actions. He pulled one of her hands up and into the air. Her finger tips had blackened. "This is what happens when you use too much mana. It's called a Mana Curse. Once you run out of mana you begin drawing from your life force. If you go to far..." he paused. A solemn expression washed over his face. "You become an undead."

•••

Gabriel put out the fires and Melody was back in her cage. This time she didn't kick or scream for release. A part of her was kind of sad to see that the number over his head had decreased back down to 100%. 'Does that mean he isn't obsessed with me anymore?'

Gabriel sat in a chair across from Melody and stared at her. He was contemplating what to do with her. "The parliament is going to scour the whole palace to find you. What you did was basically terrorism. They see you as a criminal."

Melody's heart sank. She bit her lip, "What about you?" Gabriel straightened his back in the chair and adjusted his robe. "What about me?" Melody looked at her hands, the black was slowly starting to fade. "Do you see me as a criminal."

The question was double sided. Gabriel knew she was really asking if he planned on imprisoning her. Gabriel smiled, a sad tinge remained in the creases of his face. "No. I don't see you as a criminal."

Melody smiled and crossed her legs comfortably on the green carpet. Gabriel's heart pulled at her hopeful expression and even more at the decision he was about to make. "I'm a king. You know that right?"

Melody rolled her eyes, "yes. Of course I know that-." He lowered his voice, "then when I make promises I am legally bound to keep them. Do you understand?" Melody slowly nodded but she wasn't sure where this conversation was going.

Gabriel walked over to her and unlocked the cage. He put a finger under her chin to raise her eyes to his. "I promise I will protect you no matter what." He leaned down and kissed her forehead. She didn't fight it. Her heart was so anxious from the idea of going to prison that she was holding onto his promise like a life boat.

She heard a small snap in her mind.

Suddenly everything around her began to swirl together. For the first time in days she was finally feeling, sleepy. "Gabriel?" For some reason the fact that he was letting her go made her more uncertain about the situation. "I love you," he whispered. That wasn't what she wanted him to say. She wanted him to tell her everything would be okay. That he wasn't putting himself in danger by helping her.

She tried calling out to him again but her words were lost in the darkness of sleep.