I felt a hand gripping my shoulder, but it was like my body was drifting, unable to respond. My eyes felt glued shut, my voice trapped somewhere deep within me.
"Maia?" I tried to whisper, but it was barely a thought, more than a sound. The hold on me tightened, harsh and unyielding. I could faintly hear shouting echoing from a distance—were those Maricar and Rainier’s voices?
Why couldn’t I focus? My mind felt clouded, and I struggled to command my limbs to move. I forced myself to listen, to understand what was happening, but all I could make out was chaos. Then, I heard Maia scream, sharp and raw, slicing through the haze.
Maia! Was she hurt? Oh, God, please let her be okay.
Someone shouted for everyone to be quiet. The voice was menacing, laced with authority and venom. What was going on? What had happened to us?
I was laid down on a cold, hard surface. The chill seeped through my skin, a biting reminder that I was still, somehow, here. I heard my name, faint but persistent.
“Allie? Allie?”
Maia. I knew it was her voice, but I couldn’t respond, no matter how much I tried. It felt as if my voice was locked within me, screaming but soundless.
"You bastard, Lloyd!" Tam's voice rang out, laced with fury.
Lloyd? Why was Tam shouting at him? What had he done?
Suddenly, a sharp, constricting pain coiled around my neck, followed by the icy touch of metal. A chain? They were chaining me, binding me like a prisoner. Panic surged through me, and I tried to summon my powers. But my strength was sapped; I was weaker than I’d ever felt, as though every ounce of energy had been drained from my bones.
"You look lovely, Princess," a mocking voice sneered. The tone was chillingly familiar, but I couldn’t place it. I could feel his satisfaction, his vile pleasure at my helplessness.
"Bring her to the dungeon. Move her companions to different cells," he ordered.
Dungeon? They were taking us to a dungeon? Why? What had we done to deserve this? My friends—no, they couldn’t suffer because of me. Tears stung my eyes as helplessness clawed at me. I couldn’t save them. I couldn’t even save myself.
---
When I finally woke again, the reality of my situation hit me like a tidal wave. I was in a damp, dark dungeon, lying on the cold, unforgiving stone floor. The weight of chains hung around my neck and wrists, heavy and brutal, binding me to this dismal place. My breaths echoed in the hollow silence.
“H-Hello?” I managed, my voice hoarse and cracked. I strained to listen for any response. “Maia? Maricar? Anyone?”
Nothing but my own echo replied. With a groan, I forced myself to sit up, shielding my eyes as a blinding light suddenly pierced the darkness. Heavy footsteps followed, pounding steadily toward me until they stopped just outside my cell. I looked up, my heart leaping with a desperate flicker of hope.
"Aunt Lhara?" I breathed, recognizing the queen’s familiar face.
But that hope was shattered the moment her hand struck my cheek with blistering force. I tasted blood, metallic and bitter, as it seeped from the cut on my lip.
“You deceived me!” she spat, her eyes blazing with betrayal and fury. “You made me believe you were my niece. How dare you!”
"Aunt Lhara, please! I am your niece," I pleaded, my voice breaking. The woman before me was nothing like the loving aunt I had met. Her gaze was cold, hardened with suspicion.
“Believe me, Aunt Lhara,” I whispered, tears welling up. “I saw my mother in your memories. I am the daughter of your sister. I swear it.”
She glared at me, her voice a venomous hiss. “Then prove it! If you are truly my sister’s daughter, show me your powers. Tomorrow, you will stand before the kingdom, in a trial to prove who you claim to be. And if you cannot, you will be judged as an impostor.”
“Aunt Lhara, I lost my powers,” I whispered, desperation seeping into my voice.
“Because you are not the real princess!” she yelled, her words laced with hatred. “You’re nothing but a fraud!”
Every syllable cut into me, tearing at my heart. How could I make her believe me?
Desperately, I asked, “What about my sister? My friends?”
Lhara composed herself, her face indifferent. “Lord Ehann is with them. You may hear from them later,” she replied coolly, turning to leave. The cell door slammed shut, and the light vanished, plunging me back into darkness.
As her footsteps faded, silence swallowed me whole, broken only by my own shuddering sobs. I felt trapped, both by the chains and by my despair.
Suddenly, a piercing scream shattered the silence. It was a cry of raw pain—a sound I would recognize anywhere.
“Maia!” I screamed, my voice strangled with terror.
YOU ARE READING
𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐑𝐀 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝟏- 𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐇
Fantasy(FULL ENGLISH VERSION) An eighteen-year-old girl is transported to another world-a world on the brink of collapse, and only she holds the key to saving it. ***** Allie was just an ordinary teenage girl. Though she didn't always get along with her si...
