Chapter 5: The Man Himself Was Completely Gone
Sora climbed the grey stone steps to her father's tower. Everything that passed after her horrific realization seemed hazy like a dream. None of it felt real to her. A part of her felt that at any moment she was going to snap out of this dream-like state and wake up to reality but another part felt as if she were going to open the door to her father's rooms and see him working in his study as if nothing had happened. However she knew the truth was hiding there in the back of her mind. Her father was dead and gone.
Time it seemed was standing still to torture her. And all that was left in the space around her was her shallow breathing and the thumping sound of her heartbeat against her chest as she ascended the stone stairway. Before there was the flapping of wings and noisy buzzing of air speeders outside but now all that remained of the exterior world was silence and darkness and it was all looking in on her.
Sora stood by the door of her and her father's apartment for some time. She tried to give the fear that was building inside of her stomach a moment to simmer down before she entered. Wrapping her small delicate hand around the silver door handle she turned the key and gave it a shove. The door always would stick but the force Sora applied allowed it to pop open easily. There was no gust of wind that filtered through the crack of the open door and no noises to be heard from inside the room, everything was silent. Sora felt emotionally numb as she entered the room. Everything was as she had left it this morning. It was like the house was waiting for her to return.
She made her way to her father's bedroom. Nothing was in slow motion anymore, nothing was hazy or dream-like. Sora was very aware of her surroundings now and of the reality of the situation. She knew what she was about to see and what that meant to her. Pushing the door of her father's room open she entered.
Once Sora saw him laid out on the bed, his arms folded on his chest, she did not feel sad or shocked, she felt the absence of feeling. The fear she had before left her and she couldn't seem to let in her grief. She was caught in the dead space between emotions. The only thing that was apparent was the fact that her father was dead.
Sora just stared and breathed, waiting for something to happen, secretly wishing that the pain would never reach her. A breeze from an open window chilled her a bit, the white cotton curtain floated in the air as the wind entered the room. Pulling her long blue coat around her Sora approached the bed. Her father was in a different world now and there seemed to be no trace of his spirit left behind in the room. All that remained was his body, his container.
Sora's eye were downcast in realization. There was no reaching her father anymore. He was truly gone, leaving her all alone. Her position in the palace was now uncertain, her whole life was turned upside down. She knew that her path was now being chosen for her at this very moment. Council had convened only minutes ago and she was not permitted to attend. Now she was completely unable to defend herself and her life was to be decided by someone else. Finally emotions started to flood back into her, the first being anxiety, the next being panic. Sora was being suffocated by it.
A/N: Hello everyone! I'm back! I hope you like this sort of short chapter. I have more that are almost ready to be posted so please please please review 3333 I tend to work a lot faster when I get feedback. Thank you all for reading btw. It means a lot : )