Strangely Familiar - The Stolen Fate | On Hold

Chapter 7

"You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it." — Margaret Thatcher

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Naina stood on the land of the Median, her feet planted firmly on the ground and her spine straight, feeling a sense of relief that Shaurya had not brought her to the Opal. Still, she couldn't help but feel a little anxious.

The Royalty stood across from her, his gaze upon her with a mixed expression. His eyes, which had been usually so vibrant and sharp, seemed to take on a certain dullness as he looked her over. His full lips were pressed together in a tight line, and Naina felt her heart skip a beat, despite her best attempts to stay calm.

The sky above them was an ominous gray as if the space was scowling down upon the two of them. The land beneath them had been reduced to a barren wasteland, devoid of the once lush landscape that it had boasted. Darkness was seeping into the bits of particles, lying carelessly like it was their only home. Naina could feel her confidence slowly slipping away with each passing second, even though she was trying her best to remain collected.

Shaurya's eyes continued to roam over her, and Naina realized, with horror, that he was in fact looking for something in her. She felt the urge to shrink away from him, to protect herself from the unknown that he wanted from her. But still, she stood there, her gaze fixed on him, never wavering. He knew!

Of course, he knew!

She saw the Royalty's expression transform from one of suspicion to curiosity. His dark eyes sparkled with a newfound understanding, and his lips curved into the faintest smile as he realized he had what he was searching for.

Losing patience with time he clearly had in abundance, she spoke in a firm voice, "Well, go on!"

When he queried her in silence, she responded. "You did not truly bring me here to take a stroll, did you? You want something as always. Out with it."

"The tone you have in the presence of Royalty is both daring and foolish, Akira." He said sternly, his eyes fixed on her in disapproval. His brow furrowed and his lips thinned as he sighed heavily, shaking his head. "One would think you would have learned by now."

Naina found herself speaking without stopping, the words tumbling out of her mouth as if they'd been locked away for a year. "Is that so? Must be because I was in this thing called a magical coma for the past year, so pardon me for my undaunted speech," she said in a mocking tone unable to help herself. "It was quite diabolical of that person to take hold of my death and use it to their advantage after denying me any help. Very cunning, I must say!"

The next thing she knew, he was face-to-face with her. His hand reached out, grabbed ahold of her curled locks, and yanked them back,  "I suggest you stop before I lose my patience with you." His voice was rough.

Naina met his gaze without flinching, her expression hard and unyielding. She was no longer the naive girl he remembered – with a sharp glint in her eye, she seemed to be daring him to test her strength. "What you gonna do? Have me killed again?"

His fist unclenched on its own as he saw her eyes flaring with anger, but beneath her fury, she felt betrayed. She had trusted him, and her inner emotions were clearly visible in her eyes.

He snapped, "If I'd wanted you dead, I wouldn't have let a year go by without doing anything. Even though I knew exactly where you were."

"You couldn't have. That place is untraceable," Naina said quietly.

"Really?" Shaurya questioned, curious to see how she would respond. Watching her intently as she worked through the implications of what Bran had told her.