World Ender

Chapter 2: Dark Emerald

I've always struck myself as invincible.

It was natural—a magic practitioner with infinite growth potential, several inborn abilities, and royal blood. I was handed everything on a silver platter. My life was perfect. I had a loving family, enough wealth to buy anything I wanted, and a high social status where everyone revered me. It didn't need to be anything else. It didn't deserve to be anything else.

It. Was. Perfect.

But invincibility can be a dangerous illusion. I felt it shatter in that single moment.

I opened my eyes to a dining table. Fine porcelain plates and silver cutlery sat atop the intricately embroidered scarlet table runners. Magical flames and orbs served as candles and chandeliers, their grand presence graced the room with cheerful brightness.

Even the food was sumptuous. The scent of roasted chicken wafted to our side of the table from Father's, the warmth of broth, pork, and lobsters populated us siblings, and as usual, Mother stayed silent eating her salad.

Servants and sapphire-clad guards surround the premises. Behind each of them was a set of golden pillars whose carvings tell the story of our kingdom's accomplishments, its towering magnificence led up to the glass ceiling that featured the bright cosmos.

There were five spots; Our parents sat across from each other on the narrow sides of the table. Brother Valor and I sat on the right of the king, with our sister staring at my fruitcake from across.

If I were to guess, I'd say she's eyeing the strawberry on top.

I looked over to Valor with pleading eyes. He avoided my gaze, having already eaten his fruitcake.... He liked strawberry as well.

Cheeky fucker.

With a bubbly pout, my sister leaned over and asserted, "I'll trade it for soup!"

"W-Why would I? It's mine!"

"It's not fair! How are you allowed to eat dessert and I'm not!"

"Because you haven't eaten your food yet!"

Father laid down his wine. "It's fine Valen, it's just strawberry."

Valeria's eyes glittered, "See!"

Sigh~ We spoiled her too much. Not like I had any choice to begin with. The moment she took notice of my fruitcake, it was already over. Farewell, my sweet Fragaria.

"Look, I'll even feed you!" She scooped up a piece of meat from her bowl and offered it to my mouth. "Say ahhhh!"

"How foolish... You ought to learn how to negotiate before you trade, young lady," I groaned before leaning toward the spoon.

Just when it was about to meet my lips, a strange red liquid leaked from the meat, replacing the broth. In a blink, the brown beef I had been looking at turned into a smooth white sphere. A sinister chill ran up my spine.

I looked over to my family to see their sockets devoid of their eyes. Dark blood ran down their cheeks as they grinned from ear to ear. They stared at me, unmoving.

"What's wrong, Veevee?" asked Valeria. "You don't like soup?"

The orb in the spoon turned around, revealing a beautiful blue bloodshot eye.

A cold damp caress kneaded each fiber in my body. Its invisible fingers found solace on my chest... and snatched me with overwhelming strength.

.

.

.

And just like that, I awoke with an airless grasp.

Streams of bubbles shot out of my throat as an aggressive thumping invaded my lungs. The suffocating abyss loomed over, each particle of water pressing down with an almost sentient weight. Panic struck, I kicked the murky darkness below me and flailed my arms.