Chapter 27 ♚ Me

"I can hear wails of agony inside," I mumbled, but the absurdity of my words makes me have second thoughts.

Axel looks at me with his forehead creasing.

Can he not hear it?

'Or maybe it's just the wind echoing from inside this cave,' I said internally trying to convince myself, but the cries of anguish and suffering is still lingering in the air. It's faint, but nonetheless, loud enough for me to hear it. 'No! It's just a wind...Yeah, that's it,'

'If it's just a wind, why does it sound like that?' My subconscious debated. Even though a part of me thinks that entering this cave was a bad idea, I choose to ignore the warnings that my gut instinct is telling me.

"I- never mind," I told Axel before letting go of his shirt.

My eyes suddenly wander on his shoulder and saw some blood stains with a mix of dirt on it on his shirt. It was ripped open because of the gunshot, but it surprise me that I can't see any open wound. Before he could even stop me from what I'm about to do, my hands are already on his shoulder and ripping his sleeve off.

Impossible!

"Where is your wound?" I suddenly blurted out.

Are my eyes deceiving me? There's not a single scratch on his shoulder, but I clearly saw it earlier that it's bleeding.

"I-" he started, but before he could even tell me anything, we suddenly heard a loud scream coming from inside the cave.

I recognized that voice. "Was that Benny?" I said with worry.

Axel nodded his head. "Let's go," He said, but before I can even react, he's already walking inside.

"Wait! Was it safe for us to enter?" I said, but he ignore it and continued walking.

I hesitated whether I should or should not follow him inside. It gives me the creeps just by looking at the cave and it didn't help the fact that only I can hear the screams. Not to mention, Benny's scream from the inside.

Suddenly, I heard something move in the bushes not far from where I am standing.

"Oh, my gosh. Axel wait!" I screeched and starts following him, but the moment my feet landed inside, my surroundings completely changes.

Like magic, it seems like I got transported to somewhere else because there's no way that I'm inside a cave. From the dark and spooky cavern earlier, I'm currently in the middle of a ballroom where people are dancing. The screams earlier were replaced by a classical music played by the orchestra.

Where am I?

My eyes travel in the ceiling and saw the familiar glittering chandelier hanging at the top.

'I've been in this place before.' I told myself. It's the same ballroom from my dream weeks ago. A sudden chill run down on my spine when I remembered the events occurred.

"Your highness," I heard somebody says. I immediately turn around to look for the owner of the voice and saw a small group of people.

Relief washed all over me. I thought she's addressing me, but when I caught a glimpse of the person she's talking to, I froze. Those green orbs and golden brown hair won't go unnoticed on my radar. Her regal stature as she stands in front of other people still goes unwavering, and the intimidating aura she emits that can make other people feel inferior about themselves looms around her.

Why is she here!?

"Thank you for inviting us, my queen," The woman said before giving my mother, the Queen of Atlantria, a bow.

The queen presented her a smile. From the other people's perspective, it looks like she's smiling genuinely, but I know her better. Beyond that regal smile lies a woman who doesn't know the real meaning of affection or even appreciation. I am not bad mouthing my mother or anything, in fact, I love her, but sometimes you just cannot please everyone, even your parents.

"I should be the one thanking you for joining us in this important event," She said while keeping her smile.

"Yes, yes, Not only lucky in power and wealth but also gifted with a kindhearted and intelligent daughter. It's truly a blessing from the heavens," The woman praised. If I didn't know any better, I would have been fooled by this woman's compliment, but I'm different.

"It was a blessing indeed. I'm glad I still have my daughter Samantha to do everything right," The Queen says proudly.

"You will never get her affection," A familiar voice said from behind me. Even if I don't turn around, I know that voice very well. "What's wrong? Why aren't you turning around? Don't you miss me?" She said, but the tone of her voice is far from being genuine. It sounds like she's taunting me.

I clenched my fist, but I still refused to look at her.

"Don't you want to see your little sister after being away from her for so long? Now I'm wounded, sis," She said, but I know her far better than anyone else.

I close my eyes hoping that everything will go away. Everything's just a dream. It's impossible that she's here. This setting is far more different in our palace's grand ballroom.

Suddenly, an image of a girl appeared in my mind.

"Finally," Somebody said out of the blue, and startling me in the process. When I opened my eyes, astonishment and confusion filled my thoughts. The once crowded ballroom is now empty with only me inside this dim lit room.

"W-what? Where is everyone?"

It's true that with my mother and sister gone, I felt relieved, but I can't help but feel nervous. Everything that is happening is just surreal. If everything is just a dream or a nightmare, there's only one thing that I want to happen, and that is... I want to wake up.

"Do you really want to?" A voice suddenly asks. If I'm not mistaken, it's a voice coming from a little girl.

Suddenly, a small figure wearing a cute frilly dress appeared in front of me. Since it's dim inside, I can't clearly see the upper part of her body.

"I-I beg your pardon?" I asked. I want to be sure what's she talking about because somehow, her question sounds like she heard my thoughts.

"You said you want to wake up from... this," She said then extends her arms like she's telling me that she's talking about this place. "Too bad, I like this place," She added with a sad tone. "Because when you dream, be it a nightmare or not, it's the only place I got a chance to see you,"

My eyes rounded at her statement. She what? "Who are you?" I asked. Fear is evident in my eyes. I don't know what to do anymore. So many questions flooded my brain like an avalanche. 'Who is she? Why am I in here? Can she read my mind? ' Those are only a fragment of thoughts that is swirling my head.

Suddenly, I heard a giggle. It was coming from the little girl. "I can't believe this," She said. "Is this the current you? You're so confused and oblivious to everything that is around you,"

If her words are meant to insult me, then she's hitting a nerve. It reminded me of everything that is happening to me ever since I met Axel. I'm always confused why did he bother associating himself with me when it's obvious that he doesn't need my aid. Oblivious, because I just recently felt the need to know what's going on. When I tried to confront Axel earlier, he changes the flow of conversion smoothly and the next thing I know, the conversation is drop.

Hearing this from a little girl who's not even half my age, makes me feel annoyed and at the same time, embarrassed.

"Can't you remember? I told you I'll be watching you," She said. "To think those incompetent knights place you in this kind of situation," She added and then sighed.

My forehead creases by her statement. When did she told me that?

"But don't fret, because," she said and took a step closer. My eyes widen when I finally saw her face. "I'm here to fill the gaps those incompetent knights failed to tell you," She said.

"You..." I started. "You're,"

"Me?" She finished with a smirk. "Right, I am you," She declared. "But before I tell you anything," She started to say and disappeared from where she's standing.

She caught me off guard when she suddenly appeared in front of me with a gun in her hand. She didn't even give me time to react when she pointed it at me and said, "Please, die," and pulled the trigger.

End of Chapter 27

Unedited 

Next Chapter : Chapter 28- Warning