Honor and Glory | ATEEZ

050 TREASURE

Reaching a corner after corner, I took turn after turn as I made my way through my childhood home, a ghost of what it used to be, now empty and hollow instead of sprawling with memories of better times.

I realized that I had left the crown behind on the windowsill.

The thought alone made the corners of my lips turn up in a triumphant smile as I tried to control my breathing while running.

It was still sitting exactly where I left it, just as cold as the marbled stone beneath it, silver, grey, black, and devoid of any warmth.

Fighting wasn't futile, I told myself, letting out a breathy laugh as I finally made it to the stairs.

I ran, jumped, and skipped steps all the way down to the ground floor of the palace, seeing tempestas and men in black in the streets through the passing windows.

Agora was in turmoil, the reawakening of The Source of Iseda bringing back some of the fighting spirit in the elementals as they took to the streets in order to fight back.

I ran down the stairs, catching occasional glimpses of flames, splashes of water, the rumbling of stones, light, and darkness flickering, the smell of nature, and gusts of winds as the temperature dropped.

I finally made it out of the palace, bolting into the streets, finding myself in the middle of the battle.

But this wasn't my battle, I told myself.

What my people needed was for me to succeed, and in order for that to happen, I needed the others.

I needed an army.

And so, running toward the hill in the distance, towering into the purple sky above Agora, I threw one last look over my shoulder, a smile making its way to my lips.

The war was coming, and I was going to fight with every last flame I had in me.

I sprinted back in the direction where I knew The Source of Iseda would be, dodging fights and elements clashing as I made my way through the familiar streets.

My gown billowed wildly behind me as I ran, and I once again cursed out Daios in my head, once again reminded of how much I hated the dress.

I could feel the power radiating off the source from a great distance away, and the feeling of fire burning through my veins made my smile grow even bigger.

I barely noticed the tears that sprang to my eyes as I got closer and the feeling of the elements' strength and intensity got stronger.

Ancient powers were at play on top of that hill, and I could feel my inner fire longing to be united with the source as I kept running, completely out of breath by now.

I ran past the borders of the city and into the previously lush landscapes outside of Agora, now dark and gloomy.

The trees that flanked the last part of the path separating me and the others flew by so fast that they were nothing more than flashes of green, the different hues standing out against the dark purple sky.

I couldn't breathe, but I still didn't stop as I stumbled up the hill, once again cursing at the dress.

I barely had time to register the fact that I had finally made it to the top when I froze at the sight in front of me, the tears now flowing freely down my burning cheeks.