Engraved In Fate

43. The Royal Decree

'Why do you always look sad even when you're being funny?' This had been the question that I had asked him instead of many others that I could've.

However to see the previous playfulness in his features evaporate away -- leaving a momentary residue of bitterness and anguish -- had me feeling a bit regretful. Though he was quick to mask it away behind a frigid icy look in his eyes.

Abruptly his eyes shut close and his face was left barren of any emotions. It was set in usual stony visage, brimming with indifference and penchance for brooding. I could feel a looming sense of forbidding aura around him. It frightened me but at the same time, I wanted to hold his hand and ask him to trust me.

But all of it washed away when he muttered quietly, "It has nothing to do with sadness or having a bad day."

He began walking briskly, his hands clenched in fists and the intimidating demeanour crumbling at the seams as though no one had asked him about this ever.

Before long I heard him speak up lowly, "It's like being stuck in an endless bad weather. It's just always there in you and you just can't shake it off."

Waves of water roared and rolled down, crashing onto the shore with a soft hiss; peeling away at the deep bronze sand beneath my feet. The gentle wind caressed my face, along with ruffling my hairs messily.

"I just don't know how to explain it," He gave me a smile that didn't quite reach his eye, "It's like people just keep pointing how colorful the world is while I'm color blind to it. It feels like I'm drowning deep into the ocean while everyone else around me is breathing."

He suddenly let out a chuckle that didn't hold any humour. His gaze flickered to the beautiful beach and he kicked on the sand harshly, cursing under his breath.

"Actually so I had a pet fish which suddenly died in the ocean one day so I feel sad sometimes." He frowned mockingly with his lips jutting out in desolation.

How did he have a pet fish in the ocean?

"Your pet fish suddenly died in the ocean. How outlandish is that!"

Jayden shrugged nonchalantly, his hand reaching out for mine, before he let it fall limp by his side. "Sometimes, the places you are well-accustomed to are more poisonous than the ones you've never been before."

For a second, I was left staggered with his words. Mostly because of the truth behind the few sentences had me feeling stumped. I was reminded of Astorasia where despite of it being my world, Aunt Kora managed to fling a vase at me and then pushed me down the tower. Then Uncle Philips tortured me in seek of something I had no idea about.

An obsolete prophecy no one cared about.

Nonetheless the dark witch showed up to rescue me but ended up messing it up by having sent me here. But even then, I was still safe. I met Denise and Lisa who were so nice and caring. And even if Jayden wasn't exactly all that on the front, he was perfect in his own way. And I was fortunate to have made friends like Abigail, West, Joanna and Miles.

Being a logical person, I could easily guess that the dark witch knew about these humans. The human world was boundless and scary for a seventeen year old girl with no powers. I refused to believe that it was a coincidence that Denise found me in the driveway of Hayes Foundation. Perhaps it was just because dark witch knew that Denise would never leave me there lying unconscious.

Jayden kicked on the sandcastle that some kid must've spent time in building during the day. "Mostly everything is replaceable in life. People, feelings, circumstances, choices and so on. Life fucking goes on."