A Kingdom of Bloodshed

*¬*Chapter Thirty Nine*¬*

...Eternity. It rips the world from around me as colours and feeling and sounds I've never heard appear. That world, that in-between place where peace and time are endless, has returned. Taking in the surroundings and this place of endlessness I am tempted to stay here forever. Spinning in place I absorb the colours and feelings of being free. Truly free. But that sensation doesn't last long when I hear a familiar voice call out to me.

"Hello Thea." Whirling I see Myra standing before me. Her hair cascading down her back in loose curls, hands buried in her pockets. "Myra? I thought I'd never see you again."

She smiles at me and strides forward. "You weren't supposed to but, you've activated the Crown and therefore have called upon me for my powers."

I frown, "But I don't need your magic. I have my own. I also have demon blood in my system. That was a shock to learn about."

She chuckles, "Indeed it was."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it wasn't the right time nor did I think it would ever be important enough to bring up. But I guess you can never trust a demon to keep their mouths shut about anything."

I laugh, "Indeed." We are silent for a moment as we regard each other. "So what now?" I ask. Myra smiles and brushes a loose strand of hair from my face.

"Now you must decide. Do you accept that power of your bloodline or do you reject it?"

I frown, "What are the consequences of this decision?" She sighs, "Would you like me to show you?"

Shivering at the tone I swallow but nod anyways, hoping it's not as bad as I'm imagining it to be.

⤗

It's worse. It's so much worse than I could have ever imagined. The scene I'm showed leaves me feeling sick. Myra stands behind me, her hands on my shoulders as she whispers, "Look Thea. Look at what could happen should you reject the Crown."

I'm looking.

Death. Eternal, unrelenting death. That's what awaits everyone I love. That's what will happen if I don't save them. Curseclaw destroys this world by summoning a legion of his own demons and they wipe us out. Every last one of us.

Watching my loved one dies one by one takes my breath away; it shatters the fragile wall of my ribs and sends me to my knees, screaming for it to stop.

"Make it stop!" I cry. But Myra only squeezes my shoulder, "Look."

"I don't want to."

"Look, Thea." I do.

Arrow is swinging her sword, her face gritted in rage and agony as she battles around my prone body upon the ground. Her tears streaming from her eyes. I watch as the male she's fighting feigns left and Arrow tries to dodge his swing but isn't fast enough.

That hell sword plunges into her side and I watch as she falls to her knees, gritting her teeth as she hisses, "For my Queen. All hail Thea."

Right as that male slices the sword up her side cutting her in half.

My screams are endless. My shattering heart bursts within my chest and I'm gasping for air.
"Make it stop. Make it stop." Sobbing. Ugly tears are pooling down my face and I'm numb. Empty, empty, empty.

Arrow was my first friend here, she was my favourite person and they cut her in half like she was nothing more than a block of cheese.

"Thea." Myra says, "NO!" I roar as I rip her hand off my shoulder and push to my feet. Scrubbing the tears from my eyes I whirl around and glare at her, "What the hell was that?"

She sighs, her hands falling to her sides, "I'm sorry child, but you had to see what would become of your friends if you rejected the Crown. You asked to see."

"I didn't need to watch them die. Watch Arrow die. I... I wasn't going to reject it. I just wanted to know what would happen if I did."

Myra frowns, "You weren't going to reject the crown?"

"No. I was going to accept it, to call upon the very magic that runs in my blood and use it to save this world. My people."

She strides forward, her hands cupping my cheeks as she whispers, "Then say it. Say it quickly as time is running out."

"I accept you. I, Althea Alinac, accept you Myra as my extra strength and my source of unlimited power, to be used for good and save this world. To rid it of evil and send the very demon back to where he belongs."

Myra sighs and places her forehead to mine, as she closes her eyes she whispers, "Be careful Thea. Once we are joined, there is no undoing this. We won't see each other again. The Crown is powerful and dark too, it may corrupt you. Don't let it. Know your limits."

Then, as if an invisible breeze sweeps through the place, Myra begins to turn into ash. Her body floating away into the endless expanse around me but her voice still whispers to me; calling out, Remember who you are Warrior Blood. Don't loose yourself.

Breath.

One singular breath exhales from my lips before this beautiful place around me begins to tilt and squeeze, as a vacuum of life sucks me back towards the reality of what I was leaving behind.

⤗

Breath.

I take a singular breath and taste the salt in the air. The iron that stains the ground. One breath before the Crown, that's nestled in my hair purrs: Hello beautiful Queen, time to rise.