Winter's Dead Bride

Chapter Twenty-One

I remember it. This familiar face. He is my friend...

But we both had the same enemy as we spent our days together, laughing and playing with each other in the fields of snow. We both had our dreams to become a part of the King's Palace. But maybe I was the only one who couldn't take it anymore... Even though he was quite an open man, I knew that the King's Advisor, my master, Respected Zūn, was hiding something and I single-handedly destroyed the Palace's treasures, hammering down the statues of the gods and kicking away all the ice ornaments but...I couldn't find the thing to prove it. All I knew was that my master wasn't who he seemed.
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In an instant, a foot was kicking me down to the floor and I fell down in shock, not paying attention to the pain as I looked up at my leader who was barking at me, his eyes frightening as they narrowed at me. I tried to speak up for myself but all that came was a whimper as the pain started to make an impact on my body. He put his hands to his hips, looking done with me as he sighed impatiently, towering above me from the second stair step. His long, black coat made him look more menacing as he made his way down the stairs, reaching me within seconds as I turned my eyes to the ground, ashamed of my actions. He hunkered down beside me, a small distance away from me as he stared coldly into my eyes. I stirred up the courage to keep maintaining eye contact in the hope that I could hypnotise him as my eyes started to sting with the tears. He began ranting about being of higher standing than me and I only looked back, unable to defend myself. After disobeying my own common sense, I perked up, speaking in a cool manner.

"It was nothing," I reassured but with one sigh, he was already storming back up the stairs again, his back to me as I remained put on the ground.

I had to tell him...

"Leader!" I called out, making him stop in his tracks.

This gave me the chance to scramble onto my feet as I bowed my head down, limping over to him, feeling awfully stiff in my heavy armour.

"Leader...I, I heard that we have a traitor among us..."  I began, clearly gaining his interest. "It's Master Zūn," I informed, daring to peek up now as he kept his back to me.

"He's a traitor," I repeated, only to be met with a heavy slap that I didn't see coming.

I turned away to the side, staring at the ground as I panted.

"Traitor?! You dare call our Master a traitor?!" he demanded, his voice booming inside my head as my hair became undone.

He walked down the steps again, taking hold of my collar as he made me look into his freezing stare. I was taller than him but he was just too powerful as he crushed my ironed shirt under his grasp. He was yelling so hard that I didn't quite hear what he was saying but the slaps kept coming until he took hold of my chin with his hand, pressing onto my skin hard as I felt colour rush from my face. He was insulting me as he poked my forehead with his index finger and I could only reply with my silence. The last thing I remember him telling me to do was to get the hell out from there and I didn't hesitate because I was already closing the heavy gates of the palace behind me with no regrets. I promised to prove that they were all wrong one day. I would certainly prove it...
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I sliced his throat with my knife and he lurched back, grasping his neck in pain. I laughed like a maniac, bitter tears flowing as my ex-leader banged into the wall and I swiftly made my way over to him, knife clutched in one hand as I pressed him against the wall. His lips were cold dry as he breathed fast, trying to slow down the amount of blood escaping from his body.

"Even if you finally get your so-called power...you, you are just a pest...a useless thing that can never awaken the real strength of your sweet reward," he wheezed, his eyes drowsy as he blinked slowly at me.

This angered me as my eyes widened with the madness and I thrust the blade into his stomach, hearing him groan helplessly as I covered his mouth so he wouldn't make a sound. But his muffles haunted me as I twisted the knife within him and in an instant, he died of the shock.

"I will be the hero of this story!" I yelled, feeling eyes on my back.

I turned to see my friend looking horrified as he covered his mouth in disgust, his face pale. My heart seemed to stop as I dropped the knife, my hands trembling. Guilt overtook every limb.

"I-I...Teí...you saw it yourself...he, he wasn't listening to me," I stuttered, my lips becoming chapped as I spoke.

His burning eyes seemed dim as he still stared at me in disbelief. Did...did my only friend hate me now? I began stepping away, in fear of my own actions, throat drying up as my sin started to get the better of me.

"You killed him," Teí stated bluntly, staring dead into my eyes.

I swallowed hard as he outlined the bitter truth.

"Yes but —," I started, trying to defend myself but his silence scared me a lot more.

I looked at him, desperate as other members of the town began to appear, almost on cue, pointing over at my leader's corpse as it lay pale and unmoving a few inches from me.

Teí glanced up at the cloudy skies as the clouds turned the scene more tense and dark. I shivered as the wind's whistle provoked a lot more fear inside me.

"You killed him, Azalea!" he shouted and the heavens shook at his words as the shards of rain fell onto his face.

He looked devastated as the crowd began to grow, murmuring among each other and giving me accusing looks. I backed even further away as the truth was being cruelly planted into my head. No. No, I didn't. I was the hero. I, I was going to save everyone. He didn't get it... They had hypnotised him too...

"Teí...," I began but stopped as he turned his back against me and he began walking away as the Palace Guards were pushing through the crowd, making their way towards me.

"For your own mistakes, you are going to be executed, my friend. And "heroes" can't be lucky all the time! That's a rigid system we forcibly believe because we are taught that everyone fails at least once and for him who is weak, he will keep on failing," he said in an ominous tone as the guards trapped me, making me fall on my knees as my red hair sprawled out behind me like a fox's damp tail.

I cried out with the pain as I tried to struggle but they were far too strong. My tears blurred my view as I stared at my friend who seemed to keep disappearing, getting further away.

"I will have my revenge!" I screamed aloud, pleading for a miracle to happen.

I saw Teí turning to look at me as he ascended the staircase.

"Then I'll wait to see that happen...! Wait for me for a thousand more years and I'll make sure that you become my bride!" he smiled, a sad look in his eyes.

I was silent again as I was heaved off the ground. Bride...

"Just believe me when I say that we'll meet again for sure!" he called out to me, making my heart thump painfully inside me.

But I still managed to smile a little, despite feeling so crushed. Because I didn't trust him one bit. He... he wasn't even trying to save me in this life. How could he save me anywhere?
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