"Let her go." Lewis ordered while stepping near Aefia. However, before anyone could touch the chains, she reached a hand out to Henry with wide eyes which almost turned teary. Until a drop fell onto the dust covered ground.
"Henry..." She whispered with a smile. Her blood pooled around her, but her mind was stuck somewhere else. As soon as she spoke his name, a wire snapped inside her mind. Right... I left them because I wanted to die.
She immediately retracted her hands, and looked down at the floor. She felt like laughing at herself—she pushed her brother away and she was trying to crawl back to her little brother just because she missed him. It wasn't making sense to herself, because she was completely in a delusion caused by the drugs.
Her hands ached to hug Henry, but her mind was pulling her back. Then she got her answer.
Guilt.
She was guilty for her actions and she wanted to apologize for it. However, the guilt was so much that she knew he would say no. Resentment washed over her as she coughed up more blood onto her palm, but her mind was in another place. For once, she wanted to get a new identity and flee before hearing Henry say 'I hate you' to her.
Her throat moved unlike her command. A laugh shook her shoulders as she hung her head low. She used her hand to cover half her face as tears fell from her eyes. To outsiders, she would obviously look like a person gone mad.
There were times when the word hate and die hurt the most.
One, when your parents say it. That you are a useless child and you should just die. But in your mind, you knew you had done something that should have impressed them. Like that time during an academic report card day.
She entered the school when half the semester was already done—and still managed to get good overall grades, scoring above ninety percent. (Since her father didn't particularly support her as a girl and getting educated.)
However, because she didn't participate much in curricular activities, she didn't get a prize on stage. Due to which, her parents felt like she was a disrespect and told her that day that she wasn't worth living.
"If you even care, then go jump off the balcony for us."—That was what she was told. It hurt her so much, she didn't even care about giving effort to her education from the next time. She barely made it to eighty percent, but it didn't bother her. At least it didn't hurt how much it did for her back then. For what was their fault, she changed her perspective of school.
And this was the second type. You did something wrong and you couldn't reverse it or make up for it to apologize to the person you are desperately trying your best to change back for. Even when the persom doesn't say it, you can't tell he hates you. That unspoken hate, creates a fear that hurts you. It hurts your ego, your feelings and reminds you of your own wrong doing. It was just that painful.
Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by another wobble. She had bled out faster than she had predicted. The chain was getting colder and colder, making her get frostbites that caused her hypothermia. At this point, her powers were useless. Henry was here—robably hating on her—and her magic that she got from reawakening was not useful anymore.
A lose-lose project indeed. Her mind echoed as she lay flat on the floor. Lewis didn't look even a bit concerned at her situaiton. She lost all hopes of ever trusting him as a brother, right then. Her eyelids grew heavy, but she still forced them open.
Henry's eyes scanned Lewis' blade and then Aefia's side. A childish fury burning up in his mind as he raced forward to check on her even when he had many questions he wanted to ask. However, as he reached his hand out of her, she caught his wrist mid-air with a tight grasp that was bruising him.
He didn't have magic yet. So she would give him.
"As the Guardian of Death, I will bless you with a portion of my magic." She whispered to him, making sure the others didn't hear. He looked at her surprised, but stayed still as a burning sensation reached into his veins. He wanted to shout, even though it wasn't painful enough to make him lose his mind. Once an adequate amount was delivered, her grip on his wrist collapsed and her eyes lost its glow.
He stayed crouched while confused. Since when did she become the Guardian of Death? I haven't seen her since she left for the Island, but does this have to do with her death?
Honestly, he never believed that Aefia was dead. Everyone tried to tell him that she won't come back. And this proved him right.
"Henry. Step away from that—" Lewis spoke while trying to take his little brother away from their sister's pooling blood. However, before anyone could touch him, the kid grabbed their sword and melted it onto the floor.
"Fire... She gave me the element of fire." He whispered to himself while glaring at Lewis. "I want to know more about what happened to Aefia. I had no doubt you had tried to kill her before, but I think the scene I am met with today was worth seeing to expose your nature."
"What are you—she will be fine. She is just acting as I had told her to."
"Don't even act like you don't know that she may already be dead. A stab that deep can never be alright. Five minutes is the maximum time it takes for someone to bleed out. Seeing the quality of blood, I can tell it has a little over five minutes. I don't think that was just an 'act'... Brother Lewis."
***
The next time she opened her eyes, she was all alone at her own room. The scent of blood enveloping her mind. At her side, the injury was half healed—not bandaged. She could tell that she was a burden once again afterall. A simple prop who could be tortured in the guise of help. Her face turned towards the long mirror at one corner of her room where she saw her own face smiling back at her miserably. She pressed her hand into her side where the skin was punched, but not the internal organs. Her mind immediately scurried to one thought.
Daphne must have done it. Afterall, when she is unconscious, the devil took over to guard her body as it got treatment. She could have taken a bit of her reserved healing energy and used it on herself.
Strange to see a devil taking care of its own master so fiercely. She was probably like, 'Bitch! Leave your family behind to rot! I have dealt with them too many times already!'.
However dire the situation was, she was lucky she had a loyal devil by her side. Then thinking back, she also had a human with her magic. Nevertheless, she stood up on her weak form.
Her fingers immediately clenched her side as she fell onto the floor in agonizing pain. Her forehead hitting the floor as she panted. Her fingers came out slick with blood. Aefia reached a hand towards the floorboards below her bed, where she kept her bandages.
And to her surprise, it was gone.
Fuck! He knew and he did this purposefully to make me suffer!
She gritted her teeth while curling up into a tight ball on the floor. Sweat drenching her forehead as she reached under her sleeve to pull out the hidden container of fentanyl. She did whatever she needed to do and took the painkiller, without giving a mind to the amount of doze she took in one entire day.
Immediately, her nerves cut off from her brain and her hands slid down from her wound.
Out of all types of injury... I got a stab.
Her mind ventured back to the time from the hunting competition. It came to her that the delay was a moment to teach her a lesson to her. She let out a loud laugh before standing back on her two feet.
The phoenix that Puppet had gifted her flew onto her shoulder. "What are you doing..."
"Dying." She answered back while grabbing her knees to stabalize herself.
"Are you that desperate?" He asked again, flying down to her forearm as she straightened out and stared into its eyes.
"If you are in agonizing pain... Would you rather suffer through it to see another second or choose to just free yourself?" She asked it back. When it was silent, she headed towards the door with one last glance at her blood stained room. Her eyes tracing the places on the floor that was always drenched with her life force—making her think it may be a smaller more liveable version of a torture chamber.
Maybe one day after she becomes a ghost, she would venture around this room and haunt whoever stays in it.
She shut the door behind her, walking out into the open halls to lead herself out to the exit. The phoenix flew off her arm to search the area around the palace. A simple stroll became a taxing thing. So she decided to sneak into the medical room and steal a few bandages. Then walked towards an empty guest room to wrap it tightly around her wound before heading out with a pristine look—as if she didn't just wrap herself up without the help of anyone.
Like how the servants were speaking around her, she immediately realized the empress and the countess were already imprisoned. Apparently, everyone thought the empress had tried to kill Aefia. Everyone already knew about the contact, the execution and the abuse she faced everyday. They even thought that the empress was trying to keep Aefia dead to the eyes of others because she might just expose her about how she was treated.
And Lewis—on the other hand—was seen as the darling brother.
Aefia clicked her tongue as she walked past them. She wanted to grab them by the throat and speak it into their ears that he was just an power hungry bastard of a kid who wanted the throne thinking it was just for fun. He was seen as the darling brother after having slapped Aefia across the cheek twice, then stabbing her, trying to kill her twice, calling when a fraud.
Meanwhile, the empress was someone who did something bad to her and then repented a short while later. She had helped the wrong person—but the empress still needed to learn her lesson since Lewis took over her completely.
As she walked towards the main gate, a bunch of guards appeared in front of her—blocking her exit with spears.
"What did I do?" She asked while narrowing her eyes down. They didn't say a single word, just hanging her heads low at her direction. She was deeply confused, what if Lewis was planning to trap her in this palace to save his position after what he had done.
Then another variable clicked into her head. "Where is George?" She asked openly while tilting her head to the side. They flinched at her word.
So he removed him too. How strange... And here I thought I knew exactly how he was. Dang! What kind of a twisted brother and son is he?! She stuck her tongue out in distaste.
As soon as she did, the guards returned to their rigid posture as a shadow fell over Aefia's head.
She immediately grabbed her short sword and turned around. Her fingers twitching at the blade to drive it into him. As if on queue, Lewis appeared right behind her.
If matters could go worst... Why this worse?
She lowered her weapon while stepping back, bowing her head in respect since she wasn't a member of the Imperial family anymore.
"Where are you going?" He asked while tapping his chin.
"Home."
"Do you have one?"
"Yes."
"I see..." He grinned while looking down at her. He then patted her head like a pet and straightened her up by her shoulders. "You are my sister. You have to act like one."
Yeah right! And then what? You will send me to the dungoens too? Oh hell naw! I rather go find a life for myself before I find one for you! She puffed out as she let out a sigh.
Aefia lifted her gaze at his face and stayed that way for a few seconds, until he decided to open his mouth again.
"I was thinking as of lately... Since I have no grudge on you, I will let you go with a single option."
"..."
"How about you become a knight for the Smod Empire? A person as powerful as you could be a valuable asset." He spoke with a childish smile while glancing at her bloodied finger and her drenched clothing. "Plus. You will be able to use and grow your powers on the battlefield much like how you usually enjoy."
She stayed silent while glaring at him. Really? Now I am an asset to you? You just called me your sister... Five seconds ago.
"Is it the only reason?" She asked while tilting her head sideways in question.
"You are quite smart about this. But also... I had told you about my wish to have a younger sibling who could accompany me to a battle where I would raise you and look after you. We will defend each other and we will have a good time together." He answered while holding out a hand. "How does that sound? Want to do your brother a favor? ... Your life has been wasted anyways."
She stared at his hand for a fleeting moment. Then, her fingers reluctantly reached out to wrap around his palm. But for a completely opposite thing.
Shing!
Blood fell to the ground from where her blade pressed against skin, piercing it. Lewis looked terrified at her, shocked. Seizing the moment, she said one thing.
"Does it hurt... Lewis? Doesn't it?!"
She pulled out her blade from inside him as the guards pointed their swords at her blood-stained throat. But that wasn't enough to put some fear in her mind.
"I am still wondering if your slaps and stab was even coincidental or accidental. Because of you hadn't purposefully meant it, you would have hesitated multiple times."