A QUEST OF DEATH : Dawning Darkness

08 | The Story Of A Monarch • Part 1(edited)

The pounding of her heart reverberated through her chest, fueling her frantic sprint. The forest around her was cloaked in an eerie darkness, obscuring any path to safety. A bone-chilling silence enveloped the air, broken only by the sound of her ragged breaths and the crunch of leaves beneath her feet.

As she sprinted, her head snapped back, scanning for any sign of her pursuer. The icy wind whipped against her face, and the long white dress she wore billowed around her. The delicate feet were now bare and bloodied from the desperate race.

A voice, both familiar and haunting, echoed behind her. "Don't run, Eru. I'm trying to help you."

She dared not look back, her voice trembling as she replied, "Leave me alone."

But there was something strange about her voice, something that betrayed her own recognition. It was as if her words had transformed, regressing her to a fragile child. And the attire she wore added to the confusion-how did she end up in this white gown, the one gifted by her grandmother on her fifth birthday?

Strangely, the darkness of the forest was punctuated by the ethereal presence of roses. They bloomed in abundance, forming thrones of delicate petals. The air was thick with the sweet fragrance of roses, creating a surreal juxtaposition to the ominous atmosphere.

"Please, Primrose," the voice pleaded. Hoarse as it was, it brought no assurance, no thought of sympathy.

"Back off, you monster! I know you're only after the Luna Pearl. You never loved me," she shouted, her voice filled with defiance.

Yet, the second set of footsteps echoed in perfect synchrony with hers, drawing closer and closer.

"It wasn't me," the voice protested. "I didn't mean to harm anyone. Let me explain."

"No!" she screamed, her terror mounting. "Leave me alone."

And then, like an unwelcome omen, her peculiar companion arrived. Misfortune. It had never left her side. Especially on such occasions where trouble loomed or death threatened, this friend of hers would always emerge.

She barely had time to register him closing on her when she stumbled on her own feet, her ankle twisting painfully. She cried out in agony, grasping her injured leg, and a scream that remained trapped inside her signified her hunter's imminent arrival. Closing her eyes tightly, she braced herself, unwilling to witness the talons tearing into her, draining blood from her pallid flesh, ripping her heart from its fragile cage. In her desperation, her fist clenched tightly around the small pendant hanging from her neck.

"Grandma... Help me..." she murmured, a tear escaping down her hot, sweaty cheek. Her energy waned, and she tightened her grip on the Luna Pearl.

"No... Ada..." the haunting voice cried out her name.

Her surroundings started to descend into a murky darkness. The wavering shadows closed in, and the ferocious screams of her pursuer mixed with the deafening thunder of earth-shattering explosions. The ground beneath her gave way, and she found herself teetering on the edge of a precipice. Desperate, she screamed with all her might, fingers clawing at the crumbling earth to hold on. But in an instant, her grip faltered, and she plummeted into the void.

In the blink of an eye, her back collided with an unyielding object, eliciting a sharp whimper that escaped her lips.

Ada woke up gasping for air, her body drenched in sweat, and her heart pounding in her chest like a drum. Disoriented and trembling, she stared up at the wooden ceiling above her. She struggled to sit up, trying to make sense of her surroundings.