In the Midst of Chaos

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Melora's eyes slowly adjusted to the dark lighting of the place she was forced to call home. Iron bars replaced where a wall might have been in a normal house, and concrete walls did nothing to protect her from the chill of the snow falling outside. A small gap in the wall, a place where a window should be, was no bigger than Melora's head, allowing her to see very little of the outside world.

Unlike many of the others who dwelled here, Melora did not keep a tally of her days etched into the concrete surrounding her. She didn't need to, for she was reminded of such things each and every day without fail.

"Ah, my favourite prisoner," said a smug voice on the other side of the iron bars. Melora's head snapped up to meet her captor's eyes.

"Good Morning, Elavier. What have I done to deserve your company today?" she deadpanned.

"I was hoping you'd ask," he replied, smirking at the girl. "Today, my little ice drop, marks the fifteenth year of your stay here in the prison of the Winter castle. How do you feel about being under my rule for fifteen years?"

"The same as I did the day you brought me here. Cut the small talk, Elavier, and tell me why you're really here. We both know that reminding me of something I already know is not the reason you have graced me with your presence. Tell my why and leave, so I can go back to being in peaceful solitude," Melora snapped, rolling her eyes from her place across the room. The man sent her a wicked smile, sending even more chills into the already cold space around them.

"Your tricks don't scare me," she huffed, sending him a glare.

"I am quite aware. In fact, this is why I'm here."

"To demonstrate my lack of fear for your methods of manipulating ice?" Melora added sarcastically.

"Do you want to know, or not?" Elavier grounded out. Melora stopped talking immediately. "That's what I thought. Your 'lack of fear' as you call it, means great danger to me and my power."

"Of course, it does," she muttered under her breath.

"I cannot risk having you compromise my leadership of this realm. Since you are not scared of my threats, I must use other methods to threaten you into remaining here for the rest of your life."

"And how do you think you will pull that off?" she asked.

The evil look he sent her made a shiver run down her spine. "Your mother."

Elavier waved his hand to someone she couldn't see down the hallway. One of the men he had made his slaves pulled someone in chains to in front of Melora's cell. The woman had aged a lot in the past fifteen years, which was understandable in the given circumstances, but Melora recognised her the instant she saw her.

"Mama!"

"Melora!"

Both women raced to the bars to meet each other. The once blonde hair on her mother's head had greyed over the years, and lines of concern were etched into her face. "They told me you were dead," Shay whispered. "That I'd never see you again."

"They told me the same thing." Melora grasped her mother's hand. A cry of pain from Shay's mouth stopped Melora short of words.

"What did you do to her?" she yelled at Elavier. "You beast!"

He cackled and shot a ball of ice from his hand. "This is one of many things I can do to torture and even kill your poor mother," he taunted. "But I will refrain – if you never try to escape, nor do anything I would class as suspicious."