I hadn't eaten since I found myself in this world and the guards here weren't kind. They didn't offer me any food or water and the temperature was practically identical to hell. The heat made breathing painful and my clothing stick to me. The two guards were stationed outside the crate and I could hear them talking about the water they had and how they couldn't wait for their break so they could go stuff their face. They knew I was suffering… This was their amusement. Sunset eventually came and that was when I heard screaming from outside.
"What do you mean a fire?!" I heard Lamia shout and slap the person she was talking to.
"My deepest apologies my Queen… One of our watch towers was attacked and all the men stationed there were killed. The only clue we have to who could have done it is the fire itself." His voice sounded rough and it seemed like he was close to losing it.
"Stop wasting my time. Spit it out already." She was in no mood to receive bad news.
"My lady," The man hesitated, "the flames were black."
There was a long silence. I figured she had not heard what she wanted to hear. "Get everyone at the square immediately. It's about time we started this ceremony." That meant I was leaving this cage… right?
"Shall I console the families of the men killed?" He asked.
"You think I actually care about them? Those morons couldn't even do their job. They deserved to die. Now go round everyone up!" She hissed and the man took off immediately. I could feel her disgusting presence turn towards the guards.
"We'll be starting soon. Keep an eye on her and make sure she isn't completely dead. That would defeat the purpose of tonight. When it's time, carry the crate. She is not to be released under any circumstance, is that understood?"
"Yes ma'am!" The two said in sync.
So the ceremony started at sunset but my death wasn't until nightfall? It pissed me off that I might actually be some kind of closing act.
As Lamia instructed, the men carried the crate to the square, where I had previously taken a beating from her. I could hear the sound of everyone cheering and screaming, their voices competing with the roaring sound of drums on either side of me. I was able to catch a few words which I really wish I hadn't. They shouted "burn her" and "tool of chaos". I didn't really know what the latter meant but I certainly knew what the other did. I had already known that this would result in my death but the fact that I would actually be burned had me in a panic all over again. My arms had gained a significant amount of feeling in them so I tried tugging them in an attempt to break the chain. When it didn't work, I felt myself going insane. I started thrashing about, anxious to get out. The crate was dropped onto the floor, causing me to fall over on my side. I was so preoccupied with all the pain being inflicted on me that I completely forgot about my gash. I groaned and sat up.
Lamia was speaking, "…my loyal subjects!" She paused, letting the crowd roar. "Tonight, we will see the fall of Celeste's empire!" Everyone went nuts. I could hear the sound of weapons thrusting into the air. They plan to attack the village after my death… She walked over to the crate and kicked a hole in the side so I could barely see her. "…but first!" Everyone hushed quickly. "Let's get rid of this tool! This... thing... is what keeps us from victory! Celeste allows such a monster to roam this world freely and slaughter our men. No more will the cycle of the Princess continue!" I received angry shouts. She raised her arm, "Let's see how Erebus will aid Celeste now..." Lamia gave a small laugh and lowered her arm and shoved something through the hole she had made. Terror quickly filled me. It was a lit torch. The box rapidly became engulfed in flames and I found myself yanking at the chains again. The burning wood caused so much smoke to gather and I felt myself suffocating while trying to break free. Burn her! Those words rang through my head. I started to yank harder, crying in a desperate attempt to break free.
"LAMIA!" Someone yelled and I could tell by the sound of their voice that they were running towards her. That voice sounds familiar… The chain around my wrists started to burn my skin, causing me to scream in agony. I kept kicking and stomping at the fire to prevent it from consuming me.
"Release her at once!" ...Johan!
The crowd roared, ready to attack at Lamia's command.
Lamia started laughing hysterically, "Why should I? She's probably already cooked. You heard her scream yourself."
I coughed and struggled to yell over the crackling of the box, "Johan!"
I heard what sounded like two swords scrapping against each other. "This is the last time I'm telling you Lamia. Release her."
She kept laughing, as if almost out of control. "I'm afraid I can't, you see... My serpents are hungry."
I heard a bit of clashing between swords and eventually Johan yelled out to me, "Nyx, focus on the flames!"
"Shut your mouth!" Lamia said, swinging her sword at him again.
Focus on the flames? Why? The smoke was already making it difficult for me to breathe; I doubt I could concentrate on anything.
"Trust me!" He was further away but I could tell he knew I was confused.
Regardless, I did as he told. The flames were bright and harsh but I saw the more I focused, the darker they turned. My concentration was interrupted multiple times by the fire reaching my legs, blistering them. I couldn't focus and keep the flames back so I tucked my legs against my chest and looked towards the fire again. My eyes widened when they transformed completely black. An instant flash back came to me as I remembered what the man had told Lamia about the watch tower being burned by black flames. Why did everything connect back to me in some way? All these things were happening and I was getting no answers. Do this and do that… That's all I was ever told… The new flames burned the box and chains completely, releasing me into the world again but still consumed by smoke. I crawled out coughing and hit the floor hard. I inhaled too much of that poisonous gas.
"Johan…" I looked around for him but the gas was messing with my head.
Someone stood above me and I could tell it was Lamia by the way she spoke to me, "Let's put you to sleep again for a while until I am ready to deal with you." The instant she touched my head, I blacked out.
I woke up in a hospital. White walls surrounded me, the curtain pulled open around my bed. I was hooked up to machines by several tubes and an oxygen mask was placed over my mouth. I was a little relieved to see Johan had managed to save me.
I looked at the person next to me, resting their head on my bed.
"Lon..." I said, removing the mask so I could speak. I was glad he wasn't injured.
He looked up, "Ana!" He jumped up and hugged me.
"What happened?" I asked, unaware of what was really going on.
He separated from me and looked at me confused. "You don't remember? Apparently you fell off the roof, hitting your head pretty badly. Are you alright Ana?"
The roof? He's... not Lon. I'm not Nyx?
The nurses came in and Andrew left to get my parents. They started to run some tests. I couldn't piece together what was going on and I felt myself losing my mind.
"What's going on...?" I asked no one in particular.
One nurse came over to me and took out a flashlight, "Alright Ms. Ana, would you please follow my finger, I need to check your vision."
I didn't listen and proceeded to yank out the tubes in my arms. The nurses started panicking as I proceeded to move about, lifting my shirt up to look for my gash.
"It's not there..." My heart started to race and my breathing shortened. I didn't understand... What's going on...?
"Ms. Ana, we're going to have to ask you to calm down or we'll have to give you some medicine." I looked over at the nurse who spoke up then at the nurse preparing an injection.
"Stop playing games with me!" I screamed, letting my voice spread through out the entire hospital.
The nurses surrounded me and pinned me down. Right as the needle neared my skin, the door swung open. Once again, it was Johan here to save me.
"Excuse me but I'll be taking her from here." He pushed his way through and picked me up, quickly leaving and ignoring the nurses threats.
We didn't even make it down the hall when the alarms went off. Doctors, nurses and security guards all came after us. Johan wasn't as fast as Lon but he was still incredibly fast compared to a normal human. I saw Andrew running towards us screaming to let me go.
"Please don't hurt him too badly." I figured he would ignore me since Andrew wasn't technically real but he didn't, probably knowing I was mentally fragile.
Johan kicked him to the side and proceeded running to the visible exit. I braced myself and tightened my grip around his neck. The doors had been locked so I figured he planned on forcing his way through.
"Don't worry." He said, as he jumped toward the door. There was no crash, no shattering of glass, no noise, nothing. We literally went through the door.
"Johan... Please..." I couldn't take it anymore. I needed answers.
He ran a bit further, slowing down once we were at a safe distance. "Right now, you are unconscious. Lamia should be here soon since I've entered your mind as well. This world runs at a faster time than our own, that's why you were confused when you first woke up. Lamia had you for a week but it felt longer to you because you were in this world frequently. I want to find a safe location to rest. I'll tap into your memory and see if I can get you to properly remember everything. If I fail, I'll teach you about your eyes."
I looked at him for a minute as he continued to search for a hideout. He headed down a busy street. People stared at us oddly and I figured it was because of his attire. He was dressed as the Prince of Celeste. I looked forward and saw we were headed towards an old abandoned bridge. Cars honked and people shouted at us. I couldn't blame them since Johan was jumping on the hood of the cars, some what refusing to use the sidewalk.
"Johan... What do you mean I was in this world frequently?" I asked, remembering what he said before people started to slam on their horns.
He slid down a small hill next to the street. "You were awake for that week she had you. You might not remember because she spent that time blocking off your memory. Memories cannot be erased but they can be forgotten temporarily. They are always retrievable. She knocked you out before Lon got his hands on you. In fact, she is also the one who gave you that gash..." He set me down below the bridge and sat down beside me.
"...but I thought I got this when I was seven?" I placed my hand over my stomach but then remembered it wasn't there anymore. I looked like Ana again...
He held my hand and looked at me, "Lamia wanted to prove her strength and capability to Ravana. She tried to assassinate you. Lon and I intervened right before she could finish you off."
My main concern now was changing back and regaining my memories. I wanted to deal with Lamia head on now.
"Princess of Celeste... Please lend me your other hand. I will now begin to restore your memory." I did as he asked and looked into his eyes. They looked very similar to mine but his seemed colder. Had being the Prince caused him more pain than happiness?
"As you know, we both control our environment with our eyes. Keep focused on mine so that I may undo Lamia's damage." He pulled me closer and rested his forehead on mine. I couldn't help but turn red. I had never been this close to another person before, let alone another boy. Johan's eyes lit up and I could feel this weird energy enter me. I felt myself getting drowsy. As soon as my eyes began to slowly close, he nudged his head up a bit.
"Stay awake, Nyx." He gripped my hands tighter but it was no use.
Nyx... The sound of my name leaving his lips... Is this what happens when someone tampers with your mind? I heard him repeat himself but I was already gone from reality.
When I woke up, I found myself alone and back to my original form as the Princess. I heard ruffling from above the old bridge. Crawling out, there was a terribly familiar voice. Lamia. I stayed hidden in the shadows while she spoke.
"How long will you keep protecting that tool at the cost of your people?! You have the power to end this war. Why do you chose to keep her alive?!" She screamed angrily. I could hear a bit of her disgusting witch half speaking. She would have a beautiful voice if it wasn't for her deformation.
"You wouldn't understand, coming from a hateful and blood thirsty country and you never will. Face it, you won't win as long as I'm alive. I will protect her until my last breath. Every one of my people think the very same. They know the risks but they've agreed for my sake. Save your time, Lamia. She is not a tool... She is a precious vessel. She is the very person who can save this world. You've spent all this time trying to conquer the other countries but what is really needed is to unite us again. Tell me, Lamia... Are you that threatened by her? What is your real reason for targeting her?" Johan... He thinks all that... about me?
I slumped down, a little taken back. A few sticks snapped under my weight and I was sure they heard me.
"You!" Lamia screamed, flying down towards me with her gigantic sword. Johan managed to beat her to me and blocked with his sword, which looked similar to the one I used with the snakes. He simply stared at her coldly.
"So why are you really targeting me?!" I shouted, standing up defensively. I really wanted to know because she seemed to be going to extreme lengths just for an enemy. I mean, there are other ways instead of kidnapping me multiple times.
"Are you really that stupid or has the Prince been keeping it a secret from you? You're a tool. Within you is a sleeping monstrosity!" She growled.
"That is not true, Nyx. He is not a monstrosity. He is a God. His spirit has been split, half lying dormant within you." Johan turned to look at me.
"What about the other half...?" I asked.
Lamia laughed, "You really can't remember anything! You idiot, the test to becoming the Prince and Princess is simply determined by who is capable of withstanding the God's power."
That means Johan holds the God's other half. That's why our eyes are the same. We're both connected by this God... I felt a small shock in my head and curled up in the fetal position. Everything was coming back in painful flash backs. The whole ceremony I went through with the other children... How Johan and I were chosen by the God and Celeste. How I was kidnapped and nearly killed by another girl who was going through a ceremony of her own.
"Nyx... Are you alright?" He couldn't comfort me because he was already occupied with blocking Lamia.
I opened my eyes and looked at her. I felt like a completely different person. Now I knew who Erebus was. He was the God within Johan and I. He was the explanation for our eyes. I was never afraid of Lamia. She was afraid of me. She screamed and squirmed backwards, gripping her head. This time, I was the one inflicting pain on her. I searched her memory, looking for the one that held information about the week she had me. It poured into my head rapidly and I saw myself strapped to a table completely beaten. There really wasn't an Andrew, Black or Ana. She had spent that week rewiring my memory, my thoughts. My entire mind. I couldn't hold my focus and she broke free, growling angrily.
"How dare you! How dare you look into my mind! You filthy tool!" She started running toward us again but Johan grabbed me and took off running.
"How do we get out of here Johan?" I asked, gripping his neck again.
"Just wake up Princess. This is your imagination. I can leave whenever I want." He said.
Just wake up? Easier said than done... I shut my eyes and concentrated. If this worked, I needed to be prepared to run with Johan. On the other side was an entire village waiting to see my death.
I wasn't afraid though... How could I be? Johan was with me.