Haven And Chaos

36) An explosion

"Why do you ask?"

"Oh nothing. I just wanted to confirm whether it's true."

Silence.

"But I'm not Mia's servant," I clarified without being asked. Felt it'd save the both of us some questions in the future.
"What about you? Which house are you from?"

"Well, one could say I'm from the imperial family. I'm a distant cousin of Prince Abel. My family doesn't hold much political power. We only manage some of the royal businesses on behalf of the Emperor."

"Wow!" I murmured surprised. "So, you do meet with the prince, right?"

Nikolai shrugged. "Not really. I'm focused on the tasks given by my dad plus my new studies to pay attention to anything else. But I have met him at several family gatherings."

That was good. At least my sneaking out and risking my neck would benefit me in the future. If he had ties with the imperial family, I could use that to my advantage.
I only needed to plead with the prince and beg him to order Gale to pardon me wholly. Nobody in the entire country would refuse the next Emperor. Or maybe I could approach the empress. She may plead on my behalf, woman for woman.

No!
She was too far up. Trying to catch her attention would take me decades.

"Why do you ask? Do you like him?"

"Wha- no!" I squealed defensively. "Don't misunderstand me. It's just that, only he can help me with something urgent."

"Oh?!" Nikolai looked my way and I caught his questioning lifted brow from the corner of my eye. "Are you in trouble, Maya?"

"N-no. I... I have this childhood friend who admires him. She's always wanted to meet him. With her big day approaching, I thought I'd surprise her after learning you're his cousin," I blabbered nervously.

Nikolai just laughed returning his focus to the road. Some traffic was beginning to form ahead, raising questions as this street never experienced any traffic, especially on a Monday.

He slowed down, a frown surfacing on his face. I tore my attention from Nikolai and tried peeping out my window. Something felt amiss. What exactly? I didn't know.

All of a sudden, a loud explosion pierced the air, followed by several cars blasting in the air. Screams, cries, smoke...everything horrible followed. I didn't even realize I was among those screaming, or that Nikolai had his arms over my head, shielding me from any danger that would have come my way.

Smaller explosions from the burning cars ignited another round of screams from those nearby.
Cries of help filled the atmosphere which was rapidly heating up due to the fires.

"We need to get out!" Nikolai screamed over the noises from everything and everyone.

I couldn't move, every part of me had been drenched in shock.
While Nikolai struggled to undo my belt, my shaking eyes looked around us at the mess that had been created by the explosions and the fires. The car right ahead of us had been crashed by another and I could see the dead couple inside(or parts of them).
My stomach churned at the sight of death. But more because of how close the Grim Reaper felt. It was as if I could feel him trying to take my hand.

No, that was just Nikolai hauling me from his side so we could exit the car.

Thick smoke had already integrated with the air we were breathing, making it difficult to take in any fresh parts of it.
"Don't look that way!" Nikolai yelled when I tried to see if the people in the cars close by were alive. He made sure my focus was only on the thin space along the lane line where the fleeing drivers and passengers were using.

Distant sirens came, announcing that the much-needed help was quite near. But the dead were already gone. And the lucky ones Nikolai and I were fighting to get out of the danger zone.
It was still unclear what had caused the explosion, but it had been a few cars in front of us. If the traffic hadn't been there, our bodies would have been among those that would be counted as victims of an explosion.

I had survived. Just like I did when the car Cindy and I were in flipped and rolled, killing her and leaving me alive.
Why? Why was death playing with my mind?

"Maya? Maya?" Someone was calling my name. That voice felt calming and so familiar. Who was it?
I raised my head, a disoriented sensation eating me up from every corner of my soul and body. Where was I again? What had happened?
Right. The explosion.

My eyes stretched over the burning cars that the firemen were still trying to take care of. At the police cars and ambulances littering the street. I was sitting on one myself alongside Nikolai as paramedics checked our vitals.
Everything was pure chaos.
Noise. Smoke. Bodies. Blood. Reporters. Cops. Civilians. Cameras. Honks. Sirens. Yells.

Everything was rapidly making me dizzy and further disoriented.
I had had a brush with death for a second time and lived to watch the aftermath.

I wanted to just close my eyes and wake up from this nightmare. 'It's all in my head. I'm still in the car with Nikolai and we're heading to-'

"Maya!" A loud deep roar rippled through the already noisy air, startling me back to consciousness.

My head snapped in its direction, catching sight of a furious Gale striding towards the ambulance we sat in while the civilians stood and watched from behind the barrier tape. Anyone in his way bowed and scurried off. Watching him walk at me with that angry expression made me want to vanish within the walls of the ambulance.

He got to me, red-faced like a boiling kettle, and when he jerked his hand to grab my arm, I didn't try to hop away. This was the same anger that had corrupted his face when he came to the accident scene a year ago. As if reliving that first horrible NDE, tears welled up in my eyes and without thinking, I willingly embraced him.

"I'm sor-ry," I whimpered digging my face into his chest.

"What are you doing? People are watching!" He hissed on my head but that didn't make me retreat. Fuck everyone. Fuck Gale.
After all the sex we had had, was hugging me in public the biggest of his worries?

"My Lord..." Came Nikolai's voice from behind me. "Maya is a little shaken up. She's just-" he began pulling me away from Gale and I let him, "-dazed from this horrible experience. Please forgive her."
He did have a point though. I wouldn't have embraced Gale if in my right sense of mind.

Gale didn't stop him either, which was relieving, but the annoyed face was still on.

"Get her in my car, I'll be there in a minute," he ordered glaring at Nikolai, then back at his guards. "Escort her." With that, he walked off to the next ambulance.

He was the archduke, that came with heavy responsibilities and duties towards the common people. Which was exactly what he was doing here. He probably hadn't intended to hug me, maybe scold me for sneaking out of school and getting myself mixed up in this chaos.

"Don't worry, you're unharmed," Nikolai whispered assuringly as he walked me toward the direction in which Gale's bodyguards were leading. "I'm sorry I almost hurt you. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, I'll take responsibility for you, I promise."

"It's okay," I managed to talk after what felt like an eternity of madness. "Wasn't your fault," I said in a raspy voice.