The Broken Ball; A Dark Academia Story

5

The days soon blended into weeks, and the weeks into months so that soon enough I couldn't even keep up with what time it was.

But like all good things mine and Adrastos's rule was coming to a close. The people around us were filled with smiles and bows, but under that their rage grew. And then it struck out.

Tonight my dress was white, my jewelry sticking out like a drop of blood on a bed of fresh snow.

Adrastos and I were laughing together when I felt it. The terrible pain.

I gasped, I stopped dancing.

Adrastos held me up by my arms.

"What's wrong? WHAT'S WRONG-" he cut himself off. I followed his gaze to my gown. It was turning red.

"There's a knife in my back." I whispered.

My legs completely gave out then, and Adrastos sank to the ground with me. He pulled the knife from my back, leaving it on the ground. There were angry shouts around us as we were surrounded by our subjects. They began to ravage our beautiful kingdom. Our beautiful world. Fountains of wine were smashed, leaving the sweet liquid to coat the floor. And it kept coming.

Then Adrastos surprised me. He took my heart from around his neck and held it against my wound.

Instantly my breathing slowed, and the pain disappeared.

But before you could do anything else, you were ripped from my arms, my heart falling to the ground. I watched as it shattered to a million pieces.

And with it, my own ruby heart shattered, the gold and red jewels gone with it. The people found their voices, but they didn't become the familiar monsters. They became a mob.

We were brought to our thrones in shame. You were put upon yours, I upon mine.

The ball was no longer made of melting gold or poetry or nightmares or even rubies.

It was made of mistakes.

"We're no longer monsters." I whispered.

"No... now we are nothing. Cece, I'm so sorry." Adrastos hung his head.

"No... we're simply not monsters anymore. But we are still Cerelia and Adrasros. We can get out of this. We can escape."

Adrastos crawled from his throne into my arms and cried. I held him tightly, looking at the chaos below.

"We'll make a break for the windows, and from there the gardens. Take me back to your home. We'll be free there." I whispered reassuringly to Adrastos.

He looked up and nodded, his face stealing over. I wiped the tears from his eyes.

That's when the mob stuck. Adrastos was pulled from my arms and cries filled the world.

"Kill the usurper!"

"Kill the murder!"

"He has defiled our ball!"

"Kill the king!"

I screamed, and reached out for Adrastos only to be held back my two men.

Adrastos looked to me, calm. He saw the knife. And he smiled.

I broke free and slid to my knees as his body hit the floor. I cradled his head.

"Adrastos. No! No, we have so much more to do."

"I... I made all your impossibilities come true. That was all I really had to do."

"No! No! I-I've never called you a nickname! Only ever Adrastos."

"So you were speaking to another when you said 'my love' and 'my king'?"

"I-I-I'm not free! I can never be free without you!" I sobbed.

"And that's where you're wrong. I told you from day one, love. You are the most powerful piece of the board. There is no one who can imprison you. Believe me, I tried. I kept your heart locked up around my throat, and it still managed to break free."

"Adrastos, no." I whispered.

"Break. Free." He commanded, then closed his eyes, heart beating weakly.

I leaned him against the cushioned stairs and stood up.

Around me, the mob flowed and surged, shouts of joy rising up as dancing began in the room.

That was until I walked forward.

Once upon a time I was candy so sweet it stuck you lips together, made of wishes and melodies. Once upon a time I was rubies held together with melting gold, poetry, and nightmares. Once upon a time I was dead.

I'm not any of those things anymore.

Now, I was nothing but darkness.

My dresses flared from blood stained white to black and ink dropped from me with every step I took. The dancing in front of me turned sour.

Then I whispered. One by one hearts began to fill with black ink, mimicking the empty hole inside me. Blood flowed, ink quick to replace it.

I didn't stop whispering till everyone was down, drowning in the pool below. I hurried back over to the throne, my ankles splashing up a mixture of blood and wine into my dress.

I sank beside Adrastos, leaning my head against his chest where despite all, his heart still beat.

"Cerelia... I love you."

And then his heart mimicked my own. Silence.

And so I screamed, and the world came crumbling down. But it didn't matter anymore.

There's a reason the queen is the most powerful piece on the chessboard. And a reason that the game ends when the king is killed.

The world was a ballroom of sweet wine, sour dances, and bitter blood.