Beneath the Surface [ON HOLD]

Chapter Three - The Prince Without a Soul

Chapter Three - The Prince Without a Soul 

"Hello? Is anyone here?" I step inside cautiously, half expecting something to jump out from the shadows. 

My eyes widen as I look around me, greedily taking in the beautiful sight. 

The castle's marble staircase stretches out before me, the stained glass windows above me turning the sunlight streaming in into vibrant colors, bathing everything in a warm glow. 

"Is...Is anyone here?" I call out, wincing as my voice echoes off the looming, dust-covered statues that line the walls. 

I walk hesitantly up the cold marble steps, my footsteps echoing in the empty castle. 

"Hello?" I repeat uncertainty. 

A shadow moves gracefully in the long winding hallway to my left and my eyes snap towards it, my heartbeat spiking. 

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to intrude... I just..." I trail off, suddenly self-conscious. 

The shadow pauses, flickering slightly.  

Its shape distorts suddenly, sliding to the floor and slithering along the hall like a pool of ink. 

I suppress a shudder, and hesitate before following it, the statues seeming to follow my every move, their dead eyes staring out blankly, just like the castle they reside in.  

I see a stone hand clench around its sword. 

A slight move of a frozen head. 

A small smile on cold lips. 

I walk slowly, taking in every detail, my eyes forever darting from every dark corner, to every face in a painting and every swirl on the vast ceiling.  

I can't help but feel distantly calm as I follow the disappearing shadow down the winding hallway, my mind oddly unfocused. 

The red carpet beneath my feet seems to emit a faint cloud of dust every time I walk - rising up around my face, making me cough and my eyes water. 

Paintings hang from the walls, depicting gruesome scenes of war - a horse trampling it's rider as arrows fly overhead - a man standing over a fallen king, his plated armor twisted and dented.  

I pause suddenly and study this particular painting, hanging in the deepest shadow as if purposely forgotten. The man standing above the fallen king holds a gold topped sword in his raised hands, the tip positioned above the king's head, a cruel smile gracing his scared face. The man's white blond hair seems to swirl around him in an invisible wind and his deep blue eyes are dark with hatred. 

An icy finger trails down my spine and I gasp, whirling around, my eyes wild and my heart pounding.  

The shadow swirls before me, an inch away from my face. I take a step back immediately, my throat going dry. 

The shadow isn't inky black like I first thought - but its depths swirl with a throbbing mass of dark reds and glinting silvers - of bloodstained grass and bloodstained banners.  

Of sunlight glinting off steel and the clashing of swords.  

Of nothing and everything.  

Of death and bloodshed.  

And of the screams of the dying. 

My shoulders begins to shudder uncontrollably, my whole body going numb. I can feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins, making my knees shake and my breathing hitch. 

I'm looking in the face of death. 

I take a deep breath to scream, but it seems to get stuck in my throat - chocking me. I can't help but feel like this thing is my punishment for avoiding death with at the hands of the beast. 

I back up against the wall and I feel a ripple go through the castle, like it's only now waking up. 

The shadow still stands before me, filling my head with images of destruction and devastation. I whimper involuntarily, and immediately bite down on my lip until I taste blood.  

I am not weak.  

I glare at the thing in front of me, ignoring the cold chill that rips through me.  

"I am not weak." I whisper, "I am not weak." I repeat, my voice gaining strength. 

I grit my teeth and shut my eyes, trying to block out its influence - but if anything, everything amplifies, increasing tenfold.  

"Iamnotweak.Iamnotweak.Iamnotweak." I chant to myself, the thought echoing in my head.  

My eyes fly open as I feel it move towards me, it's slimy presence passing over my skin like rotten seaweed.  

I gasp as its mind connects with mine - I can feel the screams, I can feel the last gasping breaths of the dying.  

I can feel death. 

The stench of it makes me want to cry, makes me want to scream.  

A sudden emptiness washes over me and I can practically see all the color draining out of the world and the sudden ache in my chest makes it hard for me to breathe. 

Everything goes abruptly quiet and the sound of my labored breathing and pounding heart fill my head.  

I slide down the wall utterly defeated, my whole body drained - I can see my father's face in my mind, his kind eyes filled with tears as he waits for my return that will never come. 

I see my mother's blurred face, her dark hair cascading down her back - her green eyes filled with laughter.  

I remember the day I woke up and she was gone. I remember my father sitting in his rocking chair, staring blankly into the dying flames in the fireplace. 

I remember the insults.  

The cruel words and pitying stares. 

I remember the sadness 

I remember the anger. 

I remember every single painful moment. 

And suddenly my life doesn't seem worth living. 

In the back of my mind I know these are not my true thoughts - not my true feelings. I can feel the shadow's influence in my head - a dark presence dredging up old, buried memories. 

It was then that the realization hit me - I'll never see my father again.  

Never see the changing seasons.  

Never see another sunset again.  

Never smell freshly baked bread or the smell of rust and oil that my father always seemed to carry with him. 

I was going to die and nothing was going to stop it. 

That was - until he walked in.

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A/N: HI GUYS ! Okay so I'm back :) (for the moment - I still have some exams next week, but wattpad was just calling to me.) Originally this chapter was joined with chapter 4, but when I forced (ha. just kidding. Not.) my little sister to read it she said that it was waayyyy too long. SO! I had to kinda split it up, which I feel awful for doing because you're probably sitting there wanting to throw a spork at me...

DON'T HURT MEEEEEE!!!

Anyhoo! I just wanted to thank RachelS8766 and hopelessRomantic69 and anyone else for commenting/reviewing/voting, and to anyone else reading this, don't forget to comment/review/vote (etc. etc. etc.) it really means a lot. A lot with sprinkles on top. Okay - shutting up now (: x