Rise

15

*Elora's POV*

I laid on my bed and stared up at the concrete ceiling. My mind was wandering wherever it wanted to go. I needed out of here. I couldn't stand being in this cell any longer. It was going to drive me insane.

Plus I was hungry.

I tilted my head back and looked out of the opening in the other side of the room. I bet I could make that jump. I walked over to it to test the distance. I wouldn't be able to land on it, but I could probably grab onto the stairs and pull myself up with whatever energy I had left.

I walked to the door and turned around. I can't do this. I'm going to die if this doesn't work. All I want is to walk around.

I leaned forward a bit and gave myself a countdown. 3...2...1. I ran and my feet lifted off the edge of the cell.

My hand barely reached the edge of the stair, but they grabbed hold and hung there. I took a breath of relief and swung my leg up and onto the stair, finally pulling myself up all the way.

I laid on my back on the stair. Why did you do that? You could've died! But I didn't. I took a risk, on my own this time. I sat up and started to walk upstairs. If any of them were up there, I was dead. There was no coming back from that. I escaped.

Of course I could just jump back into the cell but, why would I do that when I wanted and needed to be out of there. Being stuck alone in the dark and cold with nothing but my mind doesn't help mine, or anyone's for that matter, sanity.

I slowly creaked open the door to the main floor and peeked out of it. I heard footsteps and moved my head away. I saw out of the crack when they passed, that it was a guard.

Once his footsteps faded, I took one last look and waited a few seconds for stepping out into the open. I quietly closed the door and found my way to the very familiar kitchen.

I opened the pantry and grabbed some cookies. I had been eyeing them since I first got here. No one has bothered to eat them, as they weren't open to this day. I grabbed the box and went back to the door to get to my cell. I looked around to make sure no one was coming when I went to open the door.

I opened the door and in the entrance I saw a smirking Vivian. I dropped the box, "Shit." I murmured to myself.

"Did you think we wouldn't know?" She asked me, "We were starting to think you wouldn't even try to get out."

So this was a setup, "Hey, listen. I wasn't trying to escape the palace, I was just hungry and wanted food. I was coming back down."

"I'm aware, but you aren't allowed to leave at all." She said. Vivian took me by my arm and dragged me to the throne room. Amara was sitting in her throne and Caden was standing to the right of her. My heart was pounding, I was in deep shit. She threw me to my knees in front of Amara.

"Why have you brought it here?" Amara asked.

"She tried to escape."

"I tried and did escape," I corrected. I knew I was done for so why not have some fun with it.

"Shut up!" Amara shouted. She faced Vivian, "Show her we don't take rule breaking very well." She made a devilish grin.

She smiled and walked back up to me. She picked me up and threw me back to the ground with a ton of force. I was laying on the ground in pain.

She picked me up again and I put my hands on her arm, sending an electric shock to her body. She feel to the ground, screaming in pain. I used magic. I fell to the ground, using up all my energy.

She stood up laughing, "Is that the best you got!, mage?!" A ball of ice formed in her hand and she threw it at me. It hit my foot, delivering a nice bit of frostbite to it. I cried, it was excruciating. She threw everything she got at me.

I managed to breathe out, "I wish you brother would've left me to die." I tilted my head backwards to see him. His face had worry written all over it.

"But then we wouldn't be having so much fun!" She continued to throw magic at me, "Fight back!"

"Put me out of misery." I said. I was ready to die. I didn't want to do this anymore. I knew she wouldn't be able to control herself.

She was enraged. Lightning was dancing off her fingers, sparks falling off around them. She started screaming and she pushed her hands toward me.
The last thing I saw and heard before I blacked out was someone crying out "No!" as Caden rushed in front of me, throwing his arms out to shield me.

My eyes fluttered open. I rubbed my head and sat up, taking in my surroundings. I was confused as to why I was back in Caden's room. Just then, his bedroom door opened and he walked in with a towel.
He looked over and saw me sitting up, "Oh thank the gods you're awake." He sat on the bed with a worried look, "I thought she killed you."

"I have no clue what happened after I blacked out," I admitted.

"You blacked out and ran in front of you to stop you getting hit by her lightning. That stuff is known to kill and you were already so close. I put up a shield." He said, "I just couldn't see you die."

I smiled and he leaned down to give me a little kiss.
"Did you really mean it when you said you wished I left you to die?" He asked me.

"Well yes, better that than all the shit I've through in the amount of time I've been here. I mean look," I pointed to my hair, "It's grown to the middle of my neck now. The fact I went through that and emotional shit everyday is rough, you wouldn't want to be in my shoes."

"I'm sorry that you have to go through that. But what about me?"

"Okay, get rid of everything but you. You just have to be sweeter next time."

"Okay." He smiled and kissed me again.

I laid back down, my head had a nasty headache. Caden put the towel on my head, which was wet and hot, "I want to go home."

"You can't," he stated, "If you do, things will be worse."

"It can't be worse than this."

He sighed and lowered his head, "Vivian thinks you deserve it."

"I don't even know what I did!" I exclaimed.

"You really don't know." He was finally starting to believe me.

"No! I don't know!"

"Elora, your mom and dad murdered our parents."