Fractured Soul

Chapter 22: Ulma

The whole city just felt…wrong somehow. Everything felt dark, and closed in. The buildings were dreary colors, washed out by the greys that ruled over all: the streets, the clothes, the people wore, even the sky. It made Mella feel very out of place, but the twins were used to it. The people were quiet, eyes downcast, trying not to be noticed by Roxas and Rin. Everyone seems to be hiding from something…

"Keep up!" Roxas called over his shoulder. A soldier pushed Mella forward. She stumbled and walked faster, glaring at the soldier.

The castle loomed above her. It was dark, and foreboding, an enormous affair made of stone and iron. The street they were on dead-ended into a wall that stretched on out into the distance, broken only by an enormous wrought iron gate. I remember this… The twins dismounted from their horses and handed them off to the guards. Roxas pulled a bag off of his saddle and slung it over his shoulder.

Mella recognized it instantly, for it was the bag she had taken from Ryn. She had packed an extra cloak in it. "Can I grab the cloak out of that? Please?" Roxas looked at Rin, who turned away from him in disgust, her deathly white hair hiding her face. Something must have happened between them…

"Fine." Roxas pulled open Mella's bag and threw the cloak at her. Mella caught it and awkwardly pulled it on, flipping the hood up, hiding her face.

"Let's go already! They're waiting." Rin turned to the gates, which swung inward silently.

"Go." Roxas said quietly, slinging the bag back over his shoulder. Mella stepped forward and followed Rin through the gates, Roxas bringing up the back. The gates swung shut. She was trapped in Ulma Castle.

The courtyard was empty. The trees spaced out sporadically to tower over benches were bare. High covered walkways looked down at them through the shadows. A set of massive wooden doors lied ahead of them, but Rin turned towards the edges of the courtyard, where a small door led inside.

Rin led them down corridor after corridor, until Mella was completely lost. She finally stopped outside of a set of double doors and knocked once, twice, three times. She turned and glared at them, as if they were at fault for everything. Roxas blinked. His eyes were back to blue. Rin muttered something in a harsh, grating language. Roxas gasped and grabbed his wrist. His hair started changing color, the red fire replaced with onyx. What's going on with them? Roxas let go of his wrist and looked at his twin. Now they were complete polar opposites, like they had been in Mella's dream from back in Berna. This is so confusing…

The doors creaked open. "Get in here, you lot." A voice commanded. The twins stepped forward, Mella stuck in the middle. Mella was terrified. With the visions and the memories, there was a chance to wake up and escape. But now that chance was gone, and the visions and memories had become the reality.

The room they entered was cool and dimly lit. A few candles sputtered in the corners. The king and queen were sitting in matching stone thrones, their faces obscured by shadows.

Rin turned to Mella and grabbed her wrists, none too gently. The cuffs fell away, showing bright red, blistered skin where they had burned her.

"Don’t try anything." Rin hissed in her ear.

"Rin, leave her be." The king's deep voice commanded. Rin rolled her eyes impatiently and backed away to stand near Roxas in the shadows. "You can use magic if you want, but aim it at any of us, and the cuffs will be back." Mella glowered at the voice and started healing her hands with fire magic. The queen spoke next, her voice as cold as ice and smooth as silk.

"Do you know who we are, Mella?"

Mella nodded. "Queen Ursula and King Stephen of Ulma. Rulers of Rhydona, and the reason why my life is hell." Mella glared into the shadows from under her hood. She actually hadn't meant to say the last part, but her sarcasm had made an appearance.