Word Count: 1354

The tension mulling around in my stomach doesn't leave me, even as I wake.

Marek haunted my dreams all last night, and apparently my first waking hours. It were his eyes, usually a warm, cornflower blue like the wildflowers that grow endlessly along the line of the forest, now like chunks of sharp ice, a dagger like glare chasing me through my nightmares. His intentions, etched permanently within my mind.

He wanted to kiss me. Did I want to kiss him? It surely felt good, but only for the fleeting moment I allowed myself to be carried away with the magic, the heat of his body and that heady, addicting scent.

I need to occupy myself, to escape this overwhelming feeling.

Dragging myself from bed, I focus my attention upon the pens and paper Tai gifted me. I've tried drawing, and I wasn't particularly good at it. Right now, as I feel like my mind is about to burst, I pick up a pen and begin tentatively writing.

I'm not sure how long I sit there, writing down a flood of emotions, entwining them into my own imagination as I create a nonsensical story.

By the time I'm finished, my hand aches, and my head pounds, demanding to look anywhere other than the ink swimming around my page. I'm too frightened to leave my room, to risk bumping into Marek, even if I know I need to. My stomach is starting to growl in protest.

Pushing the pages to the side, I release a long breath, steading myself. Morning has sunken into afternoon, a warm buttery sunlight flowing through the room as I finally get to my feet.

I can't avoid leaving the room any longer.

No one graces the hallways as I wander through, eyeing the oil paintings surrounded by ornate gold frames I have become increasingly familiar with. Tentatively I sweep through the upper level, where my room is, and down to the middle, not straying from the guest quarters and into the workers. Marek's room is near the rest of the Hunter's, so as long as I keep my distance, I shouldn't run into him.

With my head bowed, trained on the dark carpet beneath my feet which then transitions to slick chestnut wood, I hardly notice the figure pass me, knocking my shoulder with a strange amount of force. Holding my shoulder, I whirl around, a mumble of apology getting lost in my mouth as I realise what I'm starting at.

Myself.

Blinking once, I let my gaze fall upon the mirror image of myself standing before me. Blonde curls tightly wound back against my head, crimson tinted lips with cheeks to match...It's an exact replica.

This is a Summoner, taking my appearance to frighten me. Death usually follows swiftly after this, if I'm not already convinced that this is Marek.

"Marek...I don't know what you're trying to achieve by doing this," I say tentatively, stumbling over my own ankles as I back up.

Is this a sick joke? Either he is trying to clear the air between us, or this is far more sinister. Perhaps he's getting back at me for pretending to be Vaia. Or maybe even the wretched Princess put him up to this.

However, the perfect image of myself doesn't fade back to Marek. It remains still, the expression ice cold with a gaze of lethal poison. The silence that stretches between us has a chill falling over me, as I consider the fact that this may not be Marek, and I may be staring at a rogue Summoner in the middle of this estate, all alone.

The exact moment it reaches behind it, footsteps sound from behind me, rapid upon their descent down the stairwell and down the hallway approaching where myself and the Summoner stand.

I hardly have a moment to gasp as the creature lurches for me, my own hand disguised to be wielding a sharp dagger coming right for me. I manage to grasp their wrist, forcing all my strength into battling them away, a method I had been taught from Marek only a few nights ago. However, it's not enough, as the blade of the knife hits, slicing across the right side of my forehead before it's lost from the Summoner's grip, falling onto the carpet.

Swiftly, the Summoner pries my fingers from its wrist, skin swollen and soft beneath my touch. It's looking over my shoulder now, the blue eyes it's duplicates now fading to black, the disguise melting away.

I don't follow its gaze as the person approaches, finally turning to join us in the hallway.

"Akara," they say absently, before their assured tone falls away at the end. "Summoner..."

Whirling around, I glimpse Tai and his bewildered expression as he drinks in the sight of two of me before him. The Summoner doesn't wait for a response, it's voice a predatory purr. "Next time, King."

And then it runs, disappearing around the corner just as my right side vision turns red. Warm, rich blood drenches my hand as I reach up to touch the wound, snaking down my fingers, my palm and down my wrist, leaving scarlet trails. It's only a surface wound, but my mother's warning rings loud in my ears. I thought I told you not to climb that tree. Head wounds bleed more than others.

My world spins, colours of crimson and ebony consuming me. Once my vision clears, I'm on the ground, leaning against the wall with Tai kneeling before me, wincing as he examines the wound which spouts a profuse amount of blood.

"Are you okay? What happened?" He asks. Tilting my head, I eye the empty hallway, inwardly cursing my muddled mind which struggles to peace together what just happened.

I was attacked. By a Summoner.

"You're not going to go after them?" I question, tipping my head back.

Tai shakes his head, fabric covered palm pressed against my forehead. I realise at this moment that he's shed his jacket, having torn part of it to help to the bleeding. "You're more important right now."

"It's just a scratch," I tell him numbly, even if the blood covering my hands makes my stomach twist uneasily. "Who was that? What was that?"

"I'm not exactly sure. Let me escort you to the nurse and alert the guards to close the border. They won't get out," he tells me firmly, all very King-like.

Hooking my arm over his shoulder, we stand, my body swaying uneasily on my feet. The fright of it all, the blood...It's almost too much for me to handle. I've never been attacked before, and my only experience with violence was with one of Tai's guards. That feels like worlds away now.

"Were they targeting me?" I ask, the words hardly making it past my lips as fear seizes me.

With blood soaked eyelashes weighing down my right eye, I examine Tai with my other. He looks grim. All healthy colour has seeped from his face, as we stumble uneasily down the hallway.  He's strong, effortlessly holding most of my weight, not fazed by the blood I'm now sharing with the expensive fabric of his button down shirt, the golden thread and silver embroidery likely ruined.

"Of course not," he breathes, although I don't miss the flicker of concern in those emerald irises. "It said King. It was an assassination attempt on me."

I don't have the energy to ask by who. I just can't help but shake that cold feeling that Tai is wrong. That maybe the Summoner was here for me.

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If you guys want to read ahead, you can read more of KING'S POSSESSION on Radish! It's chapters ahead of Wattpad (:

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I'm officially rewriting Alpha Jasper's story now on Radiah! It will be following the same storyline with the same characters, but with revised scenes and some new ones!

I love Jasper's story so much that I wanted to go back and rewrite it. I hope you guys will enjoy it, you can find it now on Radish (:

Instagram: Sophie_Midika

~Midika 💜🐼