His Prophecy

II

⚠️ TW: descriptive gore, including to children

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My mother is screaming. She is screaming louder than she did when she found out her husband is dead. She is screaming with such horror that I turn to check that she's not possessed.

When I face her, however, she is not looking at Otto, or rather, Otto's remains. What is she screaming about if not the supernaturally mangled corpse on the ground?

I once again shove through the crowd, reaching my mother and brother. Atti's face is whiter than the marble on which we stand, and he looks as if he's not breathing. He's looking in the same direction as our screaming mother, and as I follow her gaze, I suddenly want to scream with her.

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On the ground beneath her lay three small children, the state of their bodies the same as Otto's. The same black liquid is bubbling out of their mouths and creating a river mixed with blood beneath our feet. I'm going to throw up. This is too much.

From the spot my heels are frozen to the ground, I see various priests and priestesses of the temple make their way towards Otto's and the children's bodies, immediately dropping to their knees and praying over them. Their crisp white robes grow crimson with blood and the mysterious liquid.

My mother finally stops her screaming, but only because she drops to the ground unconscious. I am terrified her fate has succumbed to that of the corpses on the ground, until I see she has merely passed out. I don't blame her.

I start kneeling down to help her, when I hear more screams from the opposite direction. I whip my head around, my dark braid hitting the side of my sweat soaked face, scared of what I'll find.

A woman is now on the ground, convulsing with her eyes gauged out and the same black liquid spurting out of her mouth. Instead of the immediate cut on the neck like the past four victims, it appears that her neck is being slowly cut from the inside, enough for her to be alive to feel it.

It's now that I see a small bundle on the ground next to her, soaked. Oh no. Please, Gods no. Don't let that be what I think it is. The bundle starts crying. My heart drops.

I start sprinting towards the woman, not caring that my dress is now dripping. The crowd is circled around her, keeping their distance, no one making a move to help the baby choking on it's mother's blood next to her. They think it's contagious. Well, if it is contagious I surely would've got it by now. I scoop the baby up and immediately use my sleeve to wipe the baby up the best I can. I look around for the possible father, but everyone avoids eye contact with me, not wanting to take responsibility for this "contagious" baby. Well, baby, looks like both of our fathers are pieces of shit.

My adrenaline is through the roof right now, and for the first time in my life I am lost. What is going on? I am past the point of horrified; not even my worst nightmares could have dreamt this up. I may be a murderer, but at least my father deserved it. These people though? These people are innocent. My body can't decide if it wants to throw up, pass out, cry, or all of the above. I know I can't though. I am the future Queen of Thebes, and I need to be a leader right now, especially because the current queen is unconscious.

"Atti?!" I call out, not being able to see my brother through all the chaos of the crowd. I see some ladies in waiting escorting my now conscious mother back into the castle and I feel slightly better. The smell of blood is still so thick it's hard to breathe, and I need to get this baby out of this crowd, as well as get the crowd out of here.

"Atti?!?" I call again, growing more panicked by the minute.

"Lia!" I hear as my brother finally comes into view. I can't help but embrace him, careful not to hurt the bundle in my arms, my body filling with relief. I stare at his bloodshot eyes as he wipes tears off my face. Huh. Since when was I crying?