Daffodils and Hyacinths (3rd book in the Forgotten Truths series)

24. CAUGHT.

~Hebe~

My head hurts.

My muscles ache.

My feet are bound.

My hands are bound.

My hope, well it's gone.

I remember running. Just running, and running. Trying to escape the jaws grasping us for our sins.

I remember a lover of mine, how I was once told of the gods. The all-good beings who created this world. Trying to make sure everything went as planned.

I remember holding onto a hand. Two hands. Pulling them along. Trying to give us hope for our fate.

I remember failing. I remember being pulled down. My face in the dirty ground. Trying to tell myself that was not where I belonged.

Now what has become of me?

Now what has become of Mus?

Now what has become of the others?

We— I failed. I was supposed to be a guardian to them. To not let us get caught. To not let the jaws of evil tear into us... yet again.

While, at first, I did not trust the ones who came into my house, I soon found that fate had destined that to happen. I soon found my lowly self being placed to bring back good into our world.

— I failed.

~*~

A silent breeze moves past us, from the direction of Atlanta. She looks at her bounds, and small currents of wind are generated, in a futile attempt to break the bounds.

She grits her teeth in frustration a bit, as she was trying quite hard to break it with the silent winds. It was almost impossible to break the bounds with just weak, silent winds.

"Atlanta, quit it!" Hidden hisses to her. A worried expression covers her face. "The guards will catch you trying to... I really don't know,"

The guards all sat at a table. They laugh at their catch, and drink booze. Now and then, they would turn to make sure we were still there.

I hang my head a little lower. We were in a bar. Mus told me of these before, but I never chose to go to one. Some women, with perfect bodies in our society, sometimes broke free and sold themselves to places like these.

If Mus and I were forced to live on the streets, maybe I would have sold myself to one of these places, too. A last resort, though. My "father" was often absent, wasting himself at places like this.

My older sister, or really... late sister, was like a shield for me. She never wanted me to have to experience the real, cruel world. At the time, I was so foolish. So little and naive.

I built fantasies about the world we lived in. I lied to myself, and said that everything was fine. That what happened to us, was perfectly fine. For this flaw, I was not able to be there for her, Clover, as her name was, when she needed me the most.

I had been the cause for her to loose her sanity.

I had been the cause for her death.

Just as I will be the cause for all of our deaths.

"Aye!" One of the guards snaps, taking my attention away from my thoughts. "What are you doing?"

He walks over to Atlanta. I wince. I don't know what will happen. That scares me.

Atlanta hisses at the guard in a threatening tone. She shifts her winds to attack the guard, and push him back. In an attempt, she tries to choke the guard. After, Atlanta takes her chances to grab a weapon from the guards, in hopes of finding a way to escape. But it was one, bounded woman against many guards, how could she beat them?

"Backup!" The first guard calls.

A group of three more come in, and stop Atlanta. They make her bounds tighter. One even put cuffs around her hands.

The tightening of the bounds causes for Atlanta to wince a bit. She, now in pain by the tightened bounds, is unable to focus steadily. The cuffs seemingly almost completely restrain her.

"Where is Myeong?" Ken'ichi mumbles to himself during the chaos, his eyes gleaming with obvious worry. He rocks back and forth, probably pondering about Myeong and her whereabouts. It hurts to know if someone you care about was in danger, and you are left, incapable of doing anything. That was probably how Ken'ichi felt.

Silence lingers in the air for a few moments to come, as no one chose to speak any words. The lingering silence was then shattered, like glass, by the sound of the door breaking itself open.

As if she had just emerged from nowhere, Myeong-Jun walks into the area. Her eyes instantly catch sight of Ken'ichi, and skim past the guards. Her gaze then drifts to the bounds on everyone, and she finally notices the guards. She lifts her right palm, and kindles a fire. In a hostile tone, Myeong warns the guards, "If one of you dare to come close to me, I will burn you till nothing but your ashes remain."

Just as surprising as when Myeong entered, I am shocked — Maybe even a little more — when Her Majesty enters.

"Watch out!" I call, but it is already too late.

With a small bottle in her hands, she knocks out Myeong-Jun cold. I bite my lip to keep myself from wincing again.

She tisks, "How cute. You all are trying to save one another, but fail, miserably!"

Myeong falls to the ground with a thud. The fire of which she had ignited ceased, and she laid, unrestrained but unconscious on the ground. If she were still conscious, she would've be bickering and sending threats to the queen. However, she wasn't. She laid, out cold, on the ground. In utter disbelief and shock, Ken'ichi just stares... in a worrisome way.

The Queen flicks her hair off of her shoulder. "Tie this one up, and knock out the others,"

The guards watch her. Despite how dangerous she is, she does look.. gorgeous. She wears one of those fancy dresses, that hugs her body. It must be made from gold.

For a moment, I just choose to admire her. For, at my old community, I know no woman would get such power.

After this, I go back to despising her. As powerful as she is, she let it corrupt her. Slowly, she will destroy our entire world.

She claps her hands, "Quickly, quickly now! Also get the arena ready, and let's all prepare for a show."

I watch as the guards efficiently knock us out. One pulls Myeong away to tie her up. I reach out my hand to Mus and Hidden.

A sharp pang goes through me.

Everything goes dark.