The Choosing

Chapter 36//: Blood War

[ E D I T E D ]

♕✿~♕✿~Chapter 36//: Blood War♕✿~♕✿~

My senses slowly come back to me as I regain consciousness. The first thing I notice is the burning dryness of my throat, begging for water.

The second thing I notice is the dark, murky cell I'm in.

I push myself up into a sitting position quickly, grimacing as my head starts to throb. The corners of my vision darken a bit before going away.

I look down and realize that I'm sitting on a small, stiff bed. What is this place? Where am I? Suddenly, my memory comes back sharply, and my breathing quickens as I start to panic.

The outdoor gathering. The bullets killing the queen and king. Lucas' betrayal. The man from the ball night. The Rogue Dawn wreaking havoc on the palace as I was taken away.

Sydney. Mom. Dad. Were they okay?  They had to be. If something happened to them...

I need to get out of here. The desperation starts clawing at me as I stand up, wobbling on weak legs. I rush to the bars of the cell facing a stone path, and fall against them. The metal bites at my hands, and a sharp burst of pain registers in my mind as I run my hand against a small piece of metal sticking out. I ignore the bleeding cut, and look at what's beyond the bars.

Identical cells meet my eyes, but I can't see into them. The weak lights lining the ceiling of this place barely provide enough light to go by. The air is cold here, and the stone walls combined with the chilly air makes me think of an underground place.

I shiver, though not from the cold. Across from me, in the cell, I swear I heard some rustling. Like someone was stuck in the cell like me. Hope sparked in me. This person was obviously in the same predicament as me and had gotten on the wrong side of the Rogue Dawn.

"Hello? Can you hear me? Please, do you know how to get out here?" I shout desperately, my voice echoing. Silence answers me. I try again to get the person's attention.

"Please! We can work together to get out here! Just answer me, pl-"

"Shut up!" I jump away from the bars as a voice shouts back, annoyance laced in their voice. By the sounds of it, it was a woman.

The hope in me builds up as I try to figure out where the voice came from. I open my mouth to shout again when another voice, this one belonging to a male, comes from next to me.

"They're not going to help you escape. They've lost hope long ago."

A bit startled, I whip my head to the side. That voice had come from the cell next to me. Cautiously, I start to inch towards the set of bars on my right side.

"Hello?" I say, uncertain. The man laughs, and I wince at the sound that does not belong in a situation like this. I continue taking small steps towards the bar, but gasp and stumble back as the man suddenly slams into view.

The man looks to be in his late twenties. His dark, sun-kissed skin looks to be covered in a sickly shade, probably from being here for who knows how long. His dark hair hangs uncut over his forehead, and some pieces stick out all over the place. His eyes, which are a striking green, have a crazy look to them. The way they dart everywhere all at once make me think he's seen things that no one should see in their life.

He's mad, I realize.

I remember where I am, and gain my composure. I step towards the man, kneeling like he is so that I'm seeing him eye to eye. His eyes finally stop roaming, and he stares at me. I resist the urge to shudder under his stare.