Page 28

Ignatia

"So everything is alright?" Amias says as he puts his shoes on.

“Yes.” I have become a little more fond of him after our encounter at the park. He proved he had some guts back there. We’ve made progress. Even though he was a little timid at first, he braved through it to see the truth.

If I'm able to convince him of the truth, maybe I should stay. Having the prince on my side could bring so much change to Somnia. It would be worth the risk of living in a death trap, more so than escaping to Caelestia.

He could possibly help me save my kingdom.

Amias came over today with food and checked up on me. He's sweet and understanding, the kind of person Somnia needs, which is incredibly strange considering his grandmother.

"Okay, good," he grins putting on his white sneakers which match his sweater and his blue jeans. It's cooler than usual for summer today. "That's perfect. Just let me know if you need anything."

"How is dreamscreecher research going?" I haven't had the chance to ask.

The blue seemingly drains from his eyes, like the gray ring around his pupils had grown and smothered it. “It's going alright. I've found some evidence…”

I bite my tongue as his left foot starts to tap. Evidence? “What kind of evidence?”

“I mean, you said you wanted sources right?” He shrugs.

So he's been indoctrinated again? “What did you find?”

“I found an article discussing genes that make dreamscreechers violent.” He takes out his phone and faces it towards me.

I clench my teeth. I thought we were making progress! What kind of propaganda do they have now?

I snatch the phone from Amias’ hand and read through the article. Dreamscreecher blood has been tested. DS52 contains DNA never found before. It is linked to their behavior proven by experiment…

Lies, lies and more lies. I groan. “It's just propaganda.”

“It's not propaganda Clara,” he scoffs. “It's real, tested science. Top scientists in the world have-”

“Yes it is!” I skim through the article once more. “How do they even know it's linked to their behavior?”

“They've done tests and experiments! I've seen them myself!”

“What kind? Has it actually been verified that they've done it?”

“They compare different genes and how they interact with the rest of them! This article says everything we need to know.” Amias sighs. “We just have to accept it. Those dreamscreechers are pure evil and we have proof of it!”

“Don't tell me you actually believe this shit.” The back of my scalp feels tight, as if my skull is pressing against it. “You're not even going to question it?”

“Of course I do! I just…” He drops his shoulders, staring at the floor. “I want to question it. I want the article to be wrong, but this is science! This has been tested for who knows how long or how many times. Besides, we've seen how violent they are. We were in one of those attacks, remember?”

I ball my fists. “Those incidents don't define a whole kingdom!”

“But it doesn't help when that's all you see of them, and then you get evidence of it being encrypted into their DNA.”

No. There has to be a way to disprove him. “Then why would you want the article to be wrong? There has to be a part of you that doesn't believe it.”

He becomes silent, directing his gaze to the floor. There is something that makes him hesitate.

“I encountered a dreamscreecher…” He says when he makes eye contact again. “The dreamscreecher didn't harm me. I almost got to touch it before it ran off.”

Yes, and I thought that would have led him to the truth. “And you still believe those lies over what's in front of you?”

He shakes his head. “It's hard to believe when there's evidence. I'm not a scientist. I don't study this stuff. And there's no way grandmother would have people lie about this stuff. Who am I supposed to believe?”

There's a jab in my chest, along with my cheeks flushing.

I should've known. I should've known the prince of Amara would be so easily brainwashed again.

“You're doing exactly what they want you to do.

They want you to keep your mouth shut because you aren't a scientist, Amias.

You're a stupid naive little boy. You don't know shit!’ That's what they want you to think!”

“ Mind you that I'm doing my best here!” He scowls.

“You know how much distress these creatures have caused my family?

What they have caused for the kingdom? I know a poor girl who's family is in the grave because of those creatures!

I've heard countless stories about how dreamscreechers have done nothing but destroy!

You can't expect me to switch up so easily!”

“Why? Because you'll hurt their feelings?” I tense, the desire of changing into my dreamscreecher forms bubbling in my stomach. My teeth dig into my tongue and my fingers ache to become paws.

No matter how loving they are, never,and I mean never, trust an Amarian.

How many times does Amias need to prove me wrong before I actually listen to my father? I keep expecting things from him to be different, but he's clearly like everyone else.

His brows lower. “Maybe if you knew people who have suffered from these creatures, you would understand.”

“And maybe if you were listening, you would know not all dreamscreechers are like this!” I feel as though my skin would burst. “If you want to believe otherwise and be stupid, then get out! I don't want to be around you.”

He twists his lips, his feet planted on the floor. After a few seconds he finally sighs. “Fine. I don't need to be surrounded by your delusions anyways.”

I turn away before he walks out the door. If I had looked any longer, I might've slapped him. How could he be such a fool? How could he think that way?

I storm to my bed and throw my body on it. I can't believe that is what they teach these people. For a kingdom of love, they are fucking ruthless.

If this is all considered love, then I've certainly read the wrong definition somewhere.

◆◆◆

I bent my knees, expecting to bolt at any moment. Or to freeze in panic. I really didn't know how to feel if he found what I thought he would find.

I was outside of a shabby house, the wood peeling and the roof caving in. Clarissa had been missing for days now, and it worried Kaius and I. We knew she went to visit her family, which she wasn't allowed to do in the first place, and we had covered for her.

But seeing as she hadn’t come back yet, Kaius and I had to check.

Kaius insisted he'd do it. I insisted I could handle it if we found her dead, but he didn't want me to deal with seeing that. So I watched from the outside, as Kaius crept past what you could barely call a living room.

The floor creaked as Kaius made his way forward slowly. "Claris,-"

He took a deep breath, before his arms twitched. He picked up his pace, and went to the farthest door, yanking it open. At the entrance, he stood still and gasped, his trembling arms falling to his sides.

I stood still in the silence that followed, the scent of blood reeks the air… as well as the familiar smell of mint….

Ice crawls up my back.

Clarissa…

I knew what was in the room. Thankfully Kaius' back blocked my view. I didn't want to see how mangled she was.

Tears stung my eyes as I stabbed my tongue with my teeth. I did it hard enough to the copper taste of blood but I didn't care.

It was nothing compared to what was in there.

Kaius dropped to his knees, releasing a soft sob. His weeping only got louder the longer he sat there.

I stumbled away and collapsed on the stairs, clinging onto the railing. I whimpered quietly with the violent shaking of my limbs.

She told me nothing was going to happen to her. She told me she'd live to see me as queen. She told me she would live to have a family with Kaius and serve me as a knight.

Now… she'll never have the chance to do any of that…

"I see you've found Clarissa."

I snap up to the recognizable feminine figure in a long black ball gown. Her hair was in a bun and her head was held high. Her eyes were green then, wearing a small but taunting smile on her face. "It's a shame too. She could've been a great knight if she had just followed the rules."

I scrambled to my feet, and though every part of my body was weak, I attempted to stand tall.

Vasilisa.

"Y-y-you did this?" Air clawed its way in and out of my lungs.

"Of course, Ignatia. There are consequences for breaking my orders. You really thought she was gonna get away with it?” Vasilisa chortles. “How pitiful…”

She approached and stepped on a stair. I stepped backwards, swarmed with ideas of how this situation might end.

Would she kill me next?

"Oh…have you become pitiful , Ignatia?" she hummed, as her smirk grew wider and sickly. "Come on now. You look so weak ."

I shook my head, my heart pounding. My body could've collapsed any moment.

"But you're crying," she pouts. "You don't agree that she was sick, do you? You followed her more than you do me, didn't you? You followed her more than Godusa herself!"

“No!”

“You’re not the fiery I named you to be! You're weak! I think you need another lesson, Ignatia. Maybe I'll lock you back in that cage for another month!”

“No!” I can't go back into that empty rusted cage! "She was sick! She was a sick person!” I choked out, taking another step back. I clutched onto the railing like I would die without it. Tears leak despite biting my tongue to hold them back. “I only follow you!”

Vasilis should've been the corpse in the house.

I would exchange her for Clarissa any day.

I open my eyes, waking from the dream with a gasp.

Pale walls. Pale blue walls.

My breath quivers as I glance around the room, from my nightstand to my bed, to the walls. Realizing I’m safe in my room, I settle down and think over the memory.

I release a sob, hugging my knees as the images of Vasilisa's smirk and Clarissa's beaming face fill my head.

I wish I had killed Vasilisa before Clarissa left.

I wish I had followed Clarissa to visit her family.

I wish I was there to protect her and take her away from that fucking shithole of a kingdom.

All the things I would do to get Clarissa back…and yet Amias would say that she's evil.

Fuck this. Fuck Amias. Fuck everyone in this fucking kingdom! How fucked up is it to have escaped the claws of death only to come to a kingdom that would murder you because of some stupid propaganda?

I scream, clenching my trembling hands. I want to punch Amias’ stupid fucking face. I want to tear myself away from my body. I want to fly away from this stupid place and be free, running beside Kaius and Clarissa in the form they call a monster.

How could someone say that we’re the evil ones after all we’ve suffered through?

Through tears, I scan the room. I can't keep lollygagging in this death hole. Do I have a death wish?

I need to leave for Caelestia. There's no reason to stay. Amias won't change. There's no hope for me here. I need to leave before I'm discovered and killed

At least there, I'd be with people who think I'm just as humane as them.