A/N: Hi, everyone! There'll be a longer note at the end. For now, I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Ella's Point of View:
I wake up shivering on cold tile. I feel too weak to lift my lead-filled limbs, which are bent around me at an awkward angle.
A set of footsteps echoes across the walls, getting louder and louder before halting in front of me. I shiver as I feel icy fingers brush across my forehead as my blindfold is removed. One glance around me makes me realize that everything's real, and that I'm not in a dream...and that I'm not...dead?
My head threatens to break open from a combination of nausea and headaches, and my heart begins to quicken its pace. I'm surprised when I notice that no new handcuffs have been added onto my wrists. I'm only handicapped by a pair on my ankles. Unfortunately, the new pair is now my size.
My eyes adjust to the dim lighting and latch onto a small, pale hand holding a cup in front of me. I nearly jump when I see it. I want to scream, "Get away from me!" but all that comes out is a moan.
My eyes fly up until I see a face. A female face, with wide eyes and slightly flushed cheeks that contrast starkly with her milk-white skin. Even though my brain still feels stuffed with cotton balls, this sight registers as abnormal. It's odd, but I've never seen a female Mog before. The cold glare I've been trying to hold falls away in my surprise.
The hand shoves forward a little, as if ordering me to take the cup. Trembling, my fingers reach out and curl around it, but I don't take a sip. As soon as my fist closes around the cup, the Mog lets go quickly, as if the cup is on fire. When I peer down at it, I hear the quick shuffling of feet as she steps backwards a few yards, as if I'm contagious. I push myself to a sitting position, wincing at the sharp pain in my neck while trying to conceal my agony from the Mog. I shove myself backwards away from her, lifting my arms up in a defensive position like Nine taught me. The sudden movement sends a tingling feeling through my sleeping feet.
I blink in the darkness, desperately trying to make out more of her face. She looks familiar, as if she came out of one of my dreams. Her raven black hair covers her bare shoulders, and I can see some of her bluish veins through her pale skin under the dim light. She's wearing a white, flowing dress embellished with gold lace at the hem that gives her an almost ghostly look. Shocked, I also notice that she looks about the same age as me. My fear subsides a little underneath my astonishment, and my arms lower just a tad. Who is she?
She opens her mouth to say something, but closes it a second later and stares not at me, but at the wall directly to my right. Maybe I could knock her out and run for it. I don't see anyone in my near vicinity, anyway.
I quickly glance over the room. It's a long, long hallway, lined with red and gold tile and decorated with hanging fabrics depicting murder scenes. I shudder as I see on one of them a girl with long, blond hair being stabbed by a Mog. The second tapestry paints the picture of a young girl with her eyes wide, and a Mog towering above her, getting ready for the fatal strike. I tear my eyes away, taking long, steady breaths to calm myself down. I can't look at the tapestries anymore.
This room doesn't seem like what a torture room or a prison cell would look like, but who knows what to expect from the Mogs? I'm sitting on a round, raised platform, large enough for me to lay across, with steps descending down onto the tiled floor on which the girl stands. As my eyes seek out the corners of the room, I see Mogs standing in the doorway, three of whom stand alert, their guns already pointed towards me and awaiting command. So much for my earlier escape plan.
The girl glances back at them, maybe to gain confidence. "Drink it," she tells me once she turns back around. I'm too tired and too thirsty to fight her command. I lift the bronze cup to my lips and gulp down the refreshing, cool water. My parched tongue eagerly licks the last drops until they are all gone. Once I finish the cup, my throat begs for more. I almost cave in and plead the girl for water, but, instead, I clench my fists. They're all Mogs, and they don't show mercy.
The girl stands still with a stone-cold glare. "There's going to be food later. The Great Leader told you to wait and be patient." she says, with her arms crossed. As she turns to leave, I wonder if the water was drugged. I don't feel woozy yet, at least. My eyes dart around the room again, finding no other exits.
"Wait," I stammer. My voice cracks from lack of use. "I-um," I start. I want to ask where I am, but she's never going to answer that. She twirls around halfway, her dress floating around her ankles. I need an excuse to leave this room.
"I-I need to use the bathroom," I mutter. Maybe I can get a better understanding of the situation I'm in once I see more of the area. Then I can plan an escape.
She stares at me in disgust. "Seriously?" she asks. I nod. "Ugh! No one prepared me for this!" she complains, frustrated, already dropping her mask of formality. "Isn't there some pot you can use?" I shake my head, hoping she'll let me out, if only for a few minutes.
A guard from the doorway clears his throat. "Miss?" The girl hesitates, then turns around.
"What?"
"I can go get something," he rumbles. She sighs.
"Go, then." Bitter disappointment fills me up as the Mog guard walks away. I turn away from my thoughts and focus on the girl instead.
I'm kind of curious as to who this girl is. She looks like she's from a family in the upper class, and was probably ordered to take care of me by Setrakus Ra. She probably also wants to kill me.
As if to prove my point, she chooses the silence as the time to turn back and shoot me a chilling look. "I can't believe we're being so kind to this Loric," she mutters under her breath. Her arms remain tightly crossed as she slowly shifts from foot to foot in the cold. Her dark brown eyes flash dangerously in the dark.
"Miss?" the guard calls from the doorway.
"It's Kelly," she calls back, exasperated. I can tell from her tone that this isn't the first time she's told them.
"Miss Kelly, here." He holds out a bucket, waiting for her approval. She nods and points to the corner of the room.
"Just put it there," she sighs, not even looking in the direction in which she's pointing.
"Yes, ma'am." he rumbles. I wonder why the other Mogs are showing her so much respect. Kelly looks almost uncomfortable with it herself.
"Well," she says, directing her thoughts towards me, "That had better be it. I wasn't supposed to do anything other than give you water."
I'm not really sure what to say, so I just nod and tuck my legs in to conserve my body heat. With one last glare, she quietly shuffles across the room and exits through the small door. The guards, after taking one look around the room, close the door with a loud slam that bounces off the walls of my new prison cell.
I squeeze my legs tighter, trying not to hyperventilate. I can't panic. I have to come up with a plan. I have to escape, because I know I'm going to be tortured for information. I slowly shuffle towards the door, wincing as the chain dangling from my ankles screeches against the floor, making a sound like nails against blackboards.
I feel desperate for the first time since I woke up as I realize there's no door handle. I pound the door, and hear only hollow, metallic clangs, without any footsteps. Maybe that's a good thing. My stomach growls in hunger and I clench it in order to stop the gnawing feeling from eating me up.
I sigh and sink to the floor, leaning my head back against the freezing metal door. What would Nine do? What would Marina do? Frustrated, I look down at my small, thin, practically useless limbs, wishing I had an useful legacy.
As my mind awakens further, my thoughts return to my dreams. I shudder. As much as I hate to admit it, I know the reason why I wasn't killed is because Setrakus Ra wants me alive.
Maybe a little worse for wear, but with my heart still beating, and with my lungs still breathing.
He wants me alive, to be his heir.
A/N: Hi, everyone! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope you guys are feeling the suspense! :) Sorry if you guys didn't like this chapter as much! I wasn't as satisfied with it as the other chapters. The next chapter will be better and have lots of action from Sam's point of view!
Does anyone remember who Kelly is? Free virtual cupcakes to anyone who can remember!
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