"The Insignia" - Defiance: Breaking Chains Of The Unwritten

- MC's POV -

They brought in the Crownwardens– towering figures draped in black armor, their visors hiding whatever expressions they had. Heavy boots slammed against the marble floor.

THUMP

Each step echoed in my ribcage like someone was kicking my heart from the inside.

My brain? Useless.

My body? Shaking like a wet cat.

My adrenaline? Going feral, screaming one word on loop:

RUN

But my feet? Stuck to the floor like I'd been super-glued there.

And that's when it hit me– this wasn't just repeating like a dream. This was a rerun with the same script, the same stage, the same ending… unless I snapped it in half.

My body wasn't taking my orders anymore.

It was like the brain sent an email that just… bounced back.

Error 404: Control Not Found.

I couldn't hear. Couldn't speak. Couldn't even see properly. The whole world felt like a blurry mess smeared across canvas.

And then...

I just ran.

Legs moved on their own like some cursed autopilot. Skirt flapping, crown wobbling, dignity? Dead.

SPEED UP

Those were the only words hammering inside my skull. No strategy, no thought, just pure, uncut survival mode.

I ran and ran and ran– like there was an endless path stretched out in front of me, daring me to keep going.

The marble halls blurred into streaks. The roaring voices faded behind me. My lungs screamed for oxygen, my heartbeat slammed like war drums, but I didn't stop.

I didn't know if I was being chased.

But one thing was certain.

I did not want to stay there.

I kept running and running.

And suddenly, everything went blank. Like someone yanked the plug on reality.

The next moment, I was back in my quarters, gasping for air like a fish on land. My hands clawed at the sheets. My breath hitched. Tears rolled down my cheeks like they'd been waiting for their big moment on stage.

Then I heard it. Those words. Again.

"Your Highness–"

The same voice. Same tone. Same cursed lines.

NO. THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING. THIS CAN'T BE REAL.

This time, I tried to be smart. As soon as the priestess left, I bolted, barefoot, crownless, everything. Thought I'd outsmart the system.

Didn't work in my favour.

Because the next thing I knew, I woke up again, gasping, in my room.

Knock, knock. Same priestess. Same polite doom in her voice.

I tried different ways to escape.

Pretended to be sick.

Tried to barricade the door.

Even attempted my best "possessed by demon" impression.

Nothing. No change.

The same thing kept happening.

AGAIN

And… again.

I lost count somewhere between the tenth breakdown and the fiftieth fake fainting spell. My mind was going feral. I wanted to die. I'd basically turned into a suicidal little gremlin but even that didn't work.

All my attempts failed. Over and over.

I was lost. Completely, pathetically lost.

I even dug through every damned page of that damned holy book, Blood Of The Eternal Crown, like a student cramming for finals at 3 AM.

Nothing.

No mention of such a thing.

No mention of anything that could help me.

Just blank pages where hope should've been.

The same thing repeated itself again.

I woke up in that room. At this point, it didn't even feel like my quarters anymore. It was a prison. An asylum. My personal little hell loop with fancy curtains.

I bolted for the washroom and puked like my stomach was trying to evacuate my soul. No matter how many times I'd experienced it, I would never get used to it. Ever.

That's when I noticed something.

The Insignia of the Eternal Crown glowing faintly on my hand.

"Wait. Hold up. Why is this on my hand? Isn't it supposed to be passed down after the coronation is complete? There hasn't been a single time I've completed their insane ritual. Then why has it already appeared?"

Such thoughts stormed my brain like angry bees.

Then, of course, came the priestess's voice.

Like clockwork.

Like a cursed ringtone you can't switch off.

I froze. "No, this isn't the time to think about it. I have to do something."

Then it hit me like a slap from divine wisdom.

The book had said it. The Sovereigns can contact each other using The Eternal Crown Insignia.

"Oh bless that dusty old textbook. All hail the book almighty," I muttered under my breath, practically kissing the glowing mark on my palm. "I might actually be able to get some help from outside!"

For the first time in this nightmare, a tiny spark of hope flickered in my chest.

I ran back into the bedroom like my life depended on it because, you know, it kinda did.

I dove for the nightstand, nearly tripping over my own royal robes, and snatched up the book. Blood of Eternal Crown, my only friend in this clownery.

I plopped down on the floor, heart hammering like a drum solo, and started flicking through the pages like a maniac.

FLIP

My hands were trembling so badly the paper nearly tore.

"Come on, come on, come on… give me something," I muttered, practically growling at the ink. "How the hell do I use this stupid glowing tattoo thing? Give me somethingggg. I'd even settle for a cursed ghost tutorial at this point!"

My eyes darted from one ancient diagram to another, scanning over scribbles of past Sovereigns, weird symbols, and ominous warnings I absolutely didn't have time to read.

"Please. Just one instruction. One spell. Even a hint. I'm begging you," I whispered, flipping another page so hard it almost flew off the spine.

Then all of a sudden, a page in the book started glowing out of nowhere.

I swear, it happened so suddenly I almost yeeted the entire thing straight out of the window like some cursed hot potato. My heart leapt, my hands twitched. One wrong move and the only useful clue I had would've been bird food. Thankfully, I didn't actually do it.

I turned to that page, my eyes squinting against the glow, trying to see why it suddenly decided to light up like a divine LED lamp.

And there it was.

The thing I'd been clawing through these pages for.

A spell.

My soul nearly jumped out of my body right then and there. Honestly, I'd have been thankful if it did. At least it would've escaped this nightmare.

I clutched the book tightly like it was a lifeline and read the words slowly, clearly, as if mispronouncing them might summon a demon with bad customer service:

"Velithra en'Kael."

The translation sat right below it, neat and calm, like it wasn't the most dramatic moment of my life:

Through the silence, let us be heard.

Silence. Dead, heavy silence.

Like… nothing happened.

I blinked. "Huh?"

Tried the spell again.

Nothing.

Again.

Still nothing.

My only hope, my one glittering, shiny little lifeline, was shattering like a cheap glass plate dropped on marble. My hands were shaking. My heart was doing gymnastics.

And then–

Bzzzzzt.

I froze.

What was that?

Another bzzzt-bzzzt, like an old radio trying to get a signal during a thunderstorm. Great. Just what I needed, a ghost FM channel in my head.

The static grew louder, warping around my skull until, finally!

A voice.

"Ugh– Seriously? What the hell?"

- To be continued -

Chapter 4 - "The Insignia"