GLIMMER AND DECAY [COMPLETED]

CHAPTER 24

THE ROYAL GUARDS THAT surrounded the palace entrance bowed the moment they saw her. They were still unaware of her identity, but knowing that only the royals of Corona had those distinctive green eyes, they assumed that she was part of the royal bloodline.

"Please stay here, my lady," the royal guard said after they entered what seemed to be the waiting area.

Rapunzel didn't answer him. Her gaze was directed to the intricate designs of the room; from the carpets on the floor to the vases decorating it.

How evil of them to be living in a luxurious place like this, while she, their daughter was living a life losing the people she loved most.

The door was soon forced open and a woman wearing lavish clothes ran towards her. She was followed by a man wearing the same clothes. Rapunzel remained still, not bothering to even lift a finger or a hand to hug them back.

"Oh. My child," the woman breathed as she caressed her back.

Everything that was happening was quite fast for her. After a warm-hearted meeting at the waiting room, she was brought to a room. A temporary one that was located at the highest part of the palace. The rest of the rooms were being reorganized and the only room available was at the highest floor.

With the huge window in the room where she was staying, she felt the familiarity of the room she had at the tower.

Rapunzel felt empty.

Despite being found by her real family, she felt empty. She laid down on the bed, eyes locked on the ceiling above her. She couldn't hear her mother's voice again.

She wanted to hear her voice and tell her how wrong she was for believing that the world was half good and bad. That no one was kind with bad intentions. And she was wrong for believing otherwise.

Everything the book had taught her was all a lie. Lies fed to children in order to spend money on those useless acts of poetry.

The sadness that endeared her after Eugene's betrayal—if that's even his name, has disappeared. She was now just in pain. A human shell filled with nothing but pain and hatred and anger.

Why was she chosen to receive all the suffering that the world has to offer? Was she born just to experience all this? Was there even a moment or point in her life when she was genuinely happy?

Oh. There was.

When she met Pascal, and when she began to spend her days with him. All those times were pure happiness for Rapunzel.

But he had to die. Why? Why did they take him from her? Was it because of her selfish desire to see the floating lights? She only needed a day to go outside, why was she given an eternity of pain and suffering?

Rapunzel exploded from laughter as she recalled the memories she had with Pascal.

"Mother was right," she whispered. "I should have listened to her. I should have been satisfied staying in the tower with my precious friend."

A loud, exasperated sigh escaped her lips as she pulled herself up from her bed. She was getting tired of all the obnoxious things happening to her.

Rapunzel reached for her hair. It was still braided, the one that those little girls did for her.

One by one, she plucked the flowers that adorned her beautiful, blonde hair. Strands of her hair fell on her lap, on the bed, and on the floor as she unbraided it.

She wanted to release all the pain that's inhabiting her heart. She wanted the world to know how much they ruined her and how miserable she was right now.

Rapunzel, with her hair down, walked towards the huge window. Her gaze was on the royal family celebrating with their citizens.

"Ah. It must have been a special day for them," she murmured while she tucked a lost strand behind her ear. "People are really evil. They will take advantage of you for being weak and naive. How fun must it be for them to play around with fools like myself?" Pain accompanied her voice as she spoke to herself.

Her mother had proven a point. And all she needs to do is erase those who have taken everything from her. The stone on her necklace glowed as Rapunzel chanted her lullaby.

"Flower, gleam and glow."

Her hair slowly glowed from the roots, the golden light spreading all through her locks. She turned her back from the window and took a step towards the door of her room.

"Feel all my despair."

The golden glow that her hair emitted soon turned into a silver light, reproducing the light of the pendant she was wearing. Her extensive hair swept the ground, bringing darkness to the path she was taking.

"Break all of their souls."

Rapunzel left all the clothes that were presented to her in the room given to her. She left her room wearing nothing on her feet and only the dress that her mother gave her. And each step she took, darkness followed her.

"And drown them in misery."

The pain that pooled on her chest soon made its way up to her throat, accompanying the words leaving her parched mouth. And all the healing capabilities she had were replaced with only sheer agony.

"Take away their hope."

The ground began to shake as black spiked rocks bloomed on the face of the earth. Rapunzel's eyes were turning darker, her hair losing its silver glow as it turned black, like the spikes appearing on the ground.

"Bend and break their wills."

Screams and shouts filled the air as Rapunzel stepped out of the castle. The spiked rocks were making its way around the whole kingdom, blocking any possible routes that would let anyone escape.

"Show them no mercy."

Their pleas of mercy and cries of pain were like music to her ears. Rapunzel couldn't hide the ominous smile painted on her face as she ventured to the path leading back to the forest.

"And feel all my suffering."

Darkness occupied the lands and the spiked rocks filled every part of the ground, killing all of the kingdom's people. Rapunzel didn't allow anyone to escape her hands, as she was the one playing with their lives now.

The terror and horrified voices that danced in the air soon evaporated. And there was only silence, like Rapunzel's world that had nothing but emptiness.

Scars filled her bare feet as she traveled back to the tower. The black rocks followed her, forming a circular spike around the forest where the tower was located, protecting her from anyone who would trespass her home.

"I'm home, mother, Pascal," she greeted them as soon as she climbed through the window of the tower.

She flicked her fingers and the black rocks made their way up to the tower, bringing the dead bodies of the royal family to Rapunzel.

"We'll become the happiest family now," she grinned from ear to ear while she placed their lifeless frames on the couches and chairs she gathered.

The tale of Corona Kingdom's destruction spread across the world like wildfire. Troops that made a brotherhood pact with their kingdom soon dispatched their soldiers to find out the truth about the fall of Corona. But no one survived the journey.

Questions were unanswered, and truths were buried. And even as the years went by, the mysterious catastrophe that befell the kingdom was unsolved.

THE END.