Rise Of The Royals || Countryhumans

Cleansing Tides

[Russia's POV]

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From the depths of the darkness, visions of obsidian voids spun right in front of me. Sight surrendered to the embrace of closed lids and the only thing I saw was a dark background, as if my eyes were covered by a black cloth. The sound of silence loudly echoed in my ears. I was too frightened to know what was happening around me, since I fell into a slumber that felt neverending. From what I knew before I went unconscious, I was all alone, trapped in a cage of blackness. The dark had enveloped my body and numbed my senses to the core. It had soon consumed my energy... and potentially my soul, at one point. I could barely move my fingers. It was a negative sign.

My eyelids fluttered open and the black cloth covering my vision vanished in an instant. I was greeted with a somewhat familiar sight. A room jam-packed with golden carved architecture and fascinating pieces of art hanging up on the walls. The tow-coloured light of the chandeliers illuminated my silhouette as my dumbfounded gaze searched through the area. My thoughts were scattered around and I couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà-vu lingering through my mind. Questions began to rise, but before I could interrogate myself further, a mysterious figure slowly approached me. I was too focused on contemplating whether I even belonged in that place, so I couldn't know for sure who it was.

"Hey Rus!" a familiar voice began to reach my ears.

I then lowered my gaze to look at a sky-blue haired boy. His calming golden eyes met mine and I flinched. I then realized he wasn't there to harm me, so I sighed under my breath.

"Ah... Hello Kaz..." I replied and politely greeted him.

My voice radiated disorientation, but Kaz's smile made me feel somewhat relieved. I forced myself to widen my mouth, not wanting to make him feel bad. His face brightened and he waved at me.

"You looked a bit lost earlier, are you okay?" he asked in a worried tone of voice.

My smile faded for a split second. He was right, I got lost in my own thoughts. I didn't even know how I managed to end up in that place I called home, but the mask of facade quickly reappeared on my face.

"...yeah, I'm fine." I replied before looking away.

My gaze landed on a picture with my own figure in the center and 14 other silhouettes that instantly sparked my interest. The image was in the center of a brown frame, standing on the hallway table next to a vase full of crimson roses. Looking back at the picture... those were my siblings. I instantly recognized Kaz who stood next to Rae. Everyone looked so joyful... I wished I was as happy as them. If only I could have gotten out of the void of darkness sooner...

"Would you like to play a game together?" Kaz asked in a gleeful voice.

I quickly turned around to face him and my eyes fixated onto him. Him inviting me to play with him was such a nice gesture... I couldn't refuse.

"Sure." was the only word that spat out of my mouth.

Kaz's demeanour quickly turned to one of felicity as he reached out to hold my hands, putting his into mine. Pure excitement was visible on his face.

"Okay then, follow me! The others will be so happy to see you!" he replied ecstatically.

He then began to lead me somewhere he thought was the secret place to his happiness. He held my hand as we walked through the polished and golden yet neverending hallways of what I called my house. Many things grabbed my attention. The framed picture with Rae and I dominating the wall next to me was a brief example.

We then arrived at a place that almost blinded me by its beauty. Orchids, hydrangeas and chrysanthemums of numerous types formed a delightful parade of colours. I then remembered the name... Everbloom Garden... The heavenly paradise... An enchanting sight to behold...