Elodie couldn't feel her body. Her eyes were too heavy to open. Her breathing was constricted, as if somebody was forcefully blocking her throat. She felt like she was floating in the clouds, except there was nothing soft or pleasing about it…the clouds were on fire. It was so painful that she wished to end it all. She couldn't even tell if she was still in the living world or one of the dead.
There was a thin line between life and death. Same with trust and betrayal. One could be talking to you one second, and die the next. One could be laughing with you one second, and then in the next second, they would wait for you to turn your back so they could stab you. She thought this with a grave heart, finding it hard to believe what Meredith had done to her.
When she used to speak of Meredith, she used to feel so much happiness. But now, all she could feel while thinking of her was an immense heartache. Rage. It was too much for her heart to absorb. Too much to accept.
And then she felt like she was falling at speed. All the while, her body felt like it was tied up. She couldn't even move a finger, let alone open her mouth to speak. Suddenly, her body crashed on a hard surface, and it was then a yelp tore from her dry throat after feeling a shooting on her back. She could hear whooshing sounds and some commotion of people and the sound of chairs scraping the floor. Screams of a woman. It was all so chaotic to her already racing mind.
"Holy shit!" "What the-" "Where the hell did she come from?" "I think she was hiding under the table this whole time!" "What? Hell nah!" "She must've waited until the lights were turned off for the projection. "Who the hell is she?" "Is she mad?" "Does she look sane to you, Lily? Look at her!"
And although she could understand some of the words they were saying and there was a lot she wasn't aware of, they were speaking a language she could understand. And it did nothing to make her any less worried and forced her sealed eyes to open.
And when they finally do open, she is met with a dimly lit room.
"Whoa! She opened her eyes! Dave, she opened her eyes!" "I can see that, Lily. You don't have to yell into my ear!" "Gosh. She is so beautiful. Is that even real hair?" "Lily, focus!" "Boss, should we call the police?" "Hold on, is she a paparazzi?" "Who knows, Lily? Will you please spare us your stupid questions?" "Take a chill pill, Dave. I'm just curious."
The loud voices made her even more alarmed than she already was. Her heart was drumming in her ribcage, and her shaking body began to sweat. Elodie has never felt this much fear before. And without her power, she knew how vulnerable she was. These people around her could harm or kill her, and she wouldn't be able to defend herself. Her eyes warily followed the sound. Of the people, and she suddenly sprang up shrieking, and so did the people around her jump and shriek back at her in unison.
The four men and one woman in their business suits stood a good distance away from her, watching her like she was an alien. Shocked and terrified of her. They hadn't even seen how she ended up on top of their conference table, while the business meeting was ongoing inside the conference room.
How she magically just appeared left them utterly shocked. Except for their cold boss, who was sitting with a deep frown on his face as he watched the woman as if he were analyzing his financial report charts. Dissecting every part of her.
Elodie's eyes ping-ponged between the people. They were all wearing weird clothes. And the woman…her eyes grew large in size. Why was she half-naked? She stared at the woman who wore a high-waisted button-front mini skirt with a plain tucked-in shirt, and paired it with a matching jacket and heels.
Back at her realm…men would wear tunics with belts at the waist and braies as undergarments. Women wore long corset gowns, which allowed them freedom of movement and covered their nakedness from prying eyes. The only difference was in the quality of the fabric material, like wool, silk, linen, and leather. Depending on their social classes. The royalties and the nobles wore silk and leather, while the commoners and the peasants wore wool and linen.
The more she looked at the woman, the worse she felt for her. Why were her legs all out in display before all the men standing beside her, while the men were fully dressed without showing any skin? Was this how shamefully men were in this realm? Why does anywhere she goes, women always get treated the worst?
The woman who was getting scrutinized by the green restless eyes of the mad woman started to feel conscious of herself and scurried off to stand behind the four men. Just in case the mad woman decided to lunge at her.
Elodie's timid eyes moved around the room. Then a gasp left her mouth. Several monsters were standing tall with several eyes. What were those creatures? Her heart picked up a rate, her eyes bulging out of their socket.
"What is she doing?" The scared woman, Lily, behind the four men whispered. "I don't know, cooking?" A man who was close to her, Dave, replied in annoyance. "Wait, is she thinking of breaking the window and jumping out? Like committing suicide?" she added. "She wouldn't be able to. It's a ballistic glass. Not easily broken." Another man added with a serious tone, folding his hands over his chest, his eyes studying the mad woman's every movement.
Elodie's eyes landed on the projection display at her front. She narrowed her eyes on it. "Po-portal," she whispered, newfound hope brewing inside her chest. She could finally get out of this scary place full of weird people. She gathered herself and stood up on the table. This caused the five workers to move further away from her in defense.
"What the fuck are you doing?" A deep voice made Elodie stop dead in her tracks. The room went silent. With only Elodie's heavy breaths filling the entire space. She knew that swear word very well, and the fact that it was directed at her left her shocked. "Are you that eager to die?" The voice came again. And this time it carried so much malice that it made Elodie shiver.
She willed herself to turn behind her, and her feet lost all the remaining energy she had. Her ass hit the table, and a scream tore deep from her throat. A string of profanities left the man in the head seat. He was the only one who remained in his seat this whole time, watching the clusterfuck happening. And now he was running out of patience. The man stood up in all his glory, towering over Elodie's shaking frame. His bloodshot eyes glared at her. All he wanted to do was snap the woman in half for the stunt that she pulled.
Elodie, on the other hand, was a trembling mess. Blood drained from her face, leaving it pale. Tears formed in her eyes, which were wider than saucers. Her heart was beating in her ears. It was so loud that she wouldn't be surprised if it leapt out through her throat and past her mouth.
"I…I…you-" She couldn't form any word, even if she tried. Because the man before, the man who was looking down at her as if he was a second away from taking her soul, was the same man whom she had run away from. He was the beginning of her worst nightmare.
The nightmare seemed to be never-ending. He was the reason that she ended up here. And to find him already here as well made any hope left inside her evaporate into thin air. How did the Dark Prince of the Red Nation end up here? Her heart sank. She ran away from him, only for him to find her again. Tears broke free and streamed down her pale cheeks like a waterfall.
What has Meredith done? She thought, taking in the tall, devious man before her. Dark eyes framed with long dark eyelashes and eyebrows, a pointy nose, and thin lips that were bracketed with sharp jaws. His dark, mid-layered hair looked like he had run his fingers through it. Broad shoulders and muscles that were defined by his weird clothes. He was him.
The best-looking man she has ever met, but she knew never to let his good looks fool her. Elodie and everybody else back in their realm knew that he was a devil in disguise. He would charm you with his beauty and then gut your throat like a pig. He was indeed him. Prince Adrian. The man she was betrothed to. The man she ran away from. Her worst nightmare. Standing tall in his deranged glory, ready to end her.
With that thought in mind, Elodie gathered herself up, holding the front of her dress to balance her steps, and started to run on the other end of the long table. The man behind her growled. But it only came as motivation for her to run faster.
"Hey!" "What is she doing?" "Oh my God! I'm recording this." "Hey ma'am, stop!" "Shit! She's lost it."
Elodie's eyes expectantly shone with her tears as she looked at the portal before her. It was her only chance and hope. And then, without thinking…she lunged herself on the wall where the projection display was flickering.
Gasps echoed in the whole room.
Only that the results she had calculated didn't come. And in its stead, extreme pain that made her howl like a wolf on the floor came. The pain shot all over her body, making her squeeze her eyes shut.
"That must hurt like hell," said Lily with concern, peeking from behind the men.