change my fate

four

Things were starting to look up until I ran into the Queen of Hearts' daughter, Red, the following morning. She was muttering to herself and had what seemed to be a watch of sorts in her hands. 

I took this as an opportunity to introduce myself. "Welcome to Auradon."

Red glares. "Okay." 

I shook off her attempt of acting tough and continued to follow her through the halls of the corridor. 

"I'm Ophelia. Daughter of-"

Red stops and turns around. "Look, you can play nice all you want. I've got more important things to focus on right now."  

From around the corner, Cinderella's daughter Chloe appears with an expression full of both worry in addition to some kind of anger. "This is all your fault!"

Red stares her down. "My fault? Oh, so it's my fault your mother opened her mouth knowing she was going to have to pay the consequences?"

"I knew Uma letting you Wonderland people have a chance was a bad idea!" Chloe cries out, reaching for her sword. 

"Uh, Chloe-" I start, but the two girls interrupt me. 

"Shut up!" Red barks. 

"Not now!' Chloe argues. 

I take a step back from the daughters of queens when I realize that the clock in Red's hands started glowing. 

"Girls?"

They don't hear me. They keep bickering at each other about the Queen of Hearts' proclamation regarding all those who hurt her. The tension in the room is palpable, crackling like the storm outside. Their voices overlap in a chaotic symphony of accusations and defenses, each person trying to assert their perspective. 

The clock in Red's hands continues to glow without anyone noticing, but when I try to get Red's attention again, she pushes me off to the side. 

"Not now, whatever your name is!" She yells while Chloe struggles to pull her sword out of its holder. 

"Red, your watch!" I try to tell her, but my voice is lost in the wind. 

Suddenly, a golden cloud of mist surrounds us three. All of our voices get lost in the mist, the world evaporating in a cloud of nothing. The mist is warm and luminescent, swirling around us like an ethereal veil, muffling our heated words until they are mere whispers in the void. My heart races as the familiar room dissolves, replaced by an overwhelming silence and a surreal sense of weightlessness.

The mist begins to morph, coalescing into solid shapes and forms. Before us, a castle shimmers into existence, its walls and towers glistening with a radiant, otherworldly gold. The structure is magnificent, with ornate spires reaching towards the heavens and large, intricately carved doors that seem to invite us in. The castle radiates an aura of ancient magic and untold stories, every inch of it pulsing with a golden glow.

As the last wisps of mist dissipate, we find ourselves standing on a grand marble pathway leading up to the entrance of the castle. The air is filled with the scent of blooming flowers and a faint, melodious hum, as if the very stones are singing a welcoming song.

Red and Chloe, previously embroiled in their argument, fall silent, their eyes wide with astonishment and a touch of fear. The grandeur of the place demands reverence, and the earlier bickering seems trivial in comparison.

The sun shines on top of us like a blanket of warmth, a crowd of kids walking in and out of the castle building. 

"Where are we?" Chloe asks, looking around. 

In that moment,  the world seemed a little less quiet.