Page 11

Ignatia

I had to do a double take.

This is…a shopping mall?

It's a huge building, with an incredible sparkling dome, the cracks of glass that have silver lining between, and a giant silver heart spins right in the center.

There's four sections, two in the front and two in the back, which stand out like towers of a castle, the glass doors accented with white carvings.

Presented in front is a gray statue of a woman adorned in a flowy ball gown covered in flowers, her wavy hair whisking behind her as if the wind blew in front. She has her hands cupped together over the pond below her, water spilling out of them.

I take one final look at the huge concrete block with swirls framing it. Written in a simple cursive is Columba Lacus Shopping Mall .

The books in Somnia's library said malls were just huge conglomerates of stores. They didn't mention they were secondary castles!

Meanwhile most of Somnia's shops are reduced to stands or shabby excuses for walls. Those shops end up falling apart because no one knows how to build a damn building or can't afford the materials.

Our kingdom is so underdeveloped because Amara's kingdom isolates ours. Amara's kingdom is the only way we can reach other lands, because all other ways are just mountains that are too tall and cold to pass. This wouldn't be a problem, if we weren’t enemies of Amara.

We could've had this prosperity in our kingdom!

It's been close to five hundred years since our technology has grown significantly.

We don't have lamps around the city that light up automatically, or cars, or powerful guns that'd kill them in one shot.

We make due with torches, and swords and arrows if our shifted form didn't do the trick. We've been stumped this whole time..

I walk towards the mall and people gawk at me. Raising a brow at them, I follow their stares to my shirt. Of course. It's all ripped up and it's not like everyone else is wearing scraps. They can even see my bra.

I sigh before reaching the door. It's not like I chose to be this way. I’ll just have to deal with the embarrassment until I hit the road again.

I step into the mall, immediately freeze on the spot.

If I thought it was majestic on the outside, the inside is even worse.

Under the glass dome, there's metal bars where white doves coo. Some of them fly around and the others sit bunched together. Amare flower sculptures hang from under them, shining in silver beneath the starlight.

Right below is a stage of live music on a stage. All the musicians are dressed in white suits and dresses. They play fiddles, both small and large, and a variety of whistles with a soft melody could whisk you into slumber.

People lounge nearby in gray leather chairs, many of them sharing the large seats with their lovers and bury their faces into the other’s neck.

I roll my eyes. I don't understand how anyone can fall in love.

Sex and lust I can understand to blow off some steam, but even then it's shitty; especially with the men I've hooked up with.

Anything beyond that though is revolting.

It sounds cute at first, until you recount how many people have been ruthlessly murdered by their lover.

First there's Rayden…then my father…and then countless others…

Very few lovers actually make it out okay.

I wonder how many go home and rip at each other's throats.

Ignoring the performance, I saunter down the halls as the pristine marble floors click beneath my ragged boots.

The stores around here have glowing signs showing off their names, glass windows below showcasing their clothes.

Either they have sexy dresses and suits under dim light, or painfully bright lights that show their more casual outfits.

I've never seen such a variety of nicely made clothes on display.

I catch the smell of something spiced with the faint addition of butter. It brings me back to the smell of the fireplaces in the castle, except there's a sweetness to it that draws my stomach. Whatever it is, I crave it even if I have no clue what it is.

But I can't stop to find it. I need a needle and thread.

Another minute into looking around, I spot a green sign with a clover glowing next to it. Clover's Fabric Store. And below, there's a plethora of colors with all different shades, tints and patterns of fabric.

There has to be a needle and thread here.

I walk in and scan the area. It shouldn't be too hard to find

“Hello! Welcome to-”

I snap my head up to the woman in front of me, who's hard to miss with her bright green collared shirt. She stops and gapes at my stomach.

Didn't take long for her to notice my condition.

I give my tongue a light bite before replying. “I'm fine. It's just-”

“Are you okay?” she gasps. “Do I need to call an ambulance or something?”

I lift my chin high. “No. I'm okay. I just need a needle and thread.”

She steps towards me, lowering her voice even more. “Are you sure? I can drive you to the hospital if you need.”

“No, I'm fine.” I straighten my posture further to assure her. “If you could just direct me to some needle and thread, I'll handle the rest myself.”

Her gaze bears uncertainty as my cheeks warm with embarrassment. After a moment of staring, she reluctantly nods and walks away, only to return a minute later with the very things I need in her hands.

A needle and thread! “Thank you!”

I take the items as she nods her head. “No problem. Don't pay for it either. Just take it and go.”

I perk my brows. “Really?” Not like I have much to trade anyways. The only thing on me are a few dusty black coins with a green shine that I found on the street. I kept hearing people calling them starcoins, so I took them hoping they'd be enough to pay.

She nods curtly. “Really. Just please take care of yourself.”

So she's just letting me steal her stuff? This would never happen in Somnia, no matter what condition you were in. “I do have a few coins-”

“Keep them,” she says with a bright smile.

I pause, stunned by her rejection. She doesn't say anything, only excitingly nodding back. “Thank you.” I say before walking out the store. I've never really experienced that kind of favor from a stranger.

I guess the Amara kingdom is a lot different than what I thought. They seemed more cruel on the battlefield, where they were choking us and shooting our heads.

Back in the white halls, I note how much smaller and cheaper this section of stores are. Their mannequins are wearing obnoxious colors and the materials look thin and easy to rip.

They don't belong in a place that looks like a castle.

I stroll down the hall as I come up with my next plan.

Somewhere in this city has to be a good place for me to stitch.

Somewhere private and safe from onlookers.

Then, I can go about my way to Caelestia.

Maybe I should steal some water somewhere before, or clean out a bottle from the garbage and hope I run into a stream.

The thought of that makes me ill, but what choice do I have?

There's a loud high pitched ringing and the sound of smashing glass.

I snap my head up to the main hallway before me. There's a few screams. Women and children run by with bugged eyes and shaking bodies.

Then there's growling.

I make cautious steps towards the corner of the barren hallway. With a sniff, I catch that firewood buttery scent, and other hungering smells mixed with the natural odor of humans.

Then there's the smell of smoke…

I perk out the hall, and spot the fire. Violet fire. Set on the stage in which the orchestra had played and on the leather seats where couples once sat. It's spread to nearby shops and screaming people close by.

The only fires I've seen Amarian’s use are orange, which can only mean one thing.

There's shadows of dark panther-like creatures, with their sharp horns and long canines, carrying black torches with violet fire at the tip.

Ones without hiss and snap their teeth, chasing everyone, even women and children.

The coppery scent of blood taints the atmosphere as many use their horns to fling their victims over and attack.

I bile rises up my throat. My heart beat pounds my ears. Since when did we attack the Amara kingdom like this? We’ve never gone into the city, and never attacked children!

How did they even get in? Isn't the border protected?

“I didn't think it would be this easy to find you.”

That voice rips my soul out of my body.

The hairs on my back stand up as I slowly turn behind me. My muscles lock in place, only allowing me to look over my shoulder to stare at the woman with a messy brown braid.

Vasilisa?