ONC Shortlister 2023!
There are few rules in the Kingdom of Kadotaru, and punishment is not kind, even for the young prince who wishes he was anybody else. Tied to the crown, to his family, to his kingdom, there isn't much he can do. He isn't born t...
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Pain, it's a funny thing.
Rinley wakes slowly, agony stretching across her back, head, and over her wrists. For a moment, she's lost. Unsure of why she's hurting. But it comes back to her, along with the tears she shed the night before. Whether it's from the pain or the aftermath shock, she can't tell.
Sun filters through her window, the breeze making the curtains dance. She tilts her head to the side, squinting at the brightness. It must be at least noon. Why hasn't anyone come to wake her up?
Dread suddenly shoots through her. No, they have to be safe. Those other Jix returned to Kadotaru. There's no way they actually came back to hurt them all over again, is it?
With a cry, she swings her feet over the edge of the bed, cringing and closing her eyes as she tries to breathe away the agony. When she finally places her feet on the ground, something pierces the bottom of her foot. Again, she cries out. When she looks down, she finds a bunch of greyish gems with polished surfaces. With a frown, and lots of effort, she retrieves it from the ground.
But she tosses it onto the bed and forces herself onto her feet. She's wearing basically nothing by a thin shift, which wasn't what she was wearing the night before. Rinley bites her lip. Suddenly remember Aramis's hands, and—
The curtains pull shut as her breath gets stuck in her throat.
Focus.
Pulling on a shawl, her hand shakes as she reaches for the doorknob. Her tears from before have stained her cheeks, but fresh ones threaten to fall. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she turns the knob and enters the hallway that shows the rest of her siblings' rooms.
Trembling, she knocks and opens every door. "Lela? Cyra?" Both of their rooms empty, slightly messy. "Bentley?" Empty. "Cygnus?" Soot covers the ground of his room, bedsheets thrown everywhere, a pair of burnt clothes on the ground. She puts a hand to her mouth.
She steps backwards, knees buckling. The ground doesn't meet her, but she leans heavily against the wall, grimacing in pain.
"Rin?"
She looks up, finding Lela standing at the end of the hall, where the living room begins.
"Lela," she breathes, fighting her tears. "Is everyone safe? Is everyone o-okay?"
"What do you mean?" Lela asks, coming down the hall. "Of course, everyone is safe. But it's noon, no one's home at the moment. Ma and Pa are at the bakery. Cygnus is helping rebuild the Harrin's estate with Bentley. Cyra is with Nadeline, picking out silks for her ceremony dress."
Rinley's chest deflates. And she's on the ground.
"Rin!" Lela reaches for her, knees hitting the floor with a thud. "Are you okay?"
She nods faintly. "Nightmare... I just had a terrible, terrible nightmare."
Lela mimics her nod, helping her get back to her feet. "No one woke you this morning because you looked feverish. But if you're feeling up to it, we need help in the bakery. With the boys helping the Harrins', and Cyra keeping Nadeline the satisfied betrothed, we're a little overwhelmed. All those helping the Harrins' are hungry."
