It was an early morning
Dew covered the leaves, but the forest didn't show the sun
There was just enough light for them to see
Autumn lay around a dead campfire
Smoke slowly rose into the air
They were beside the wrecked wooden house
Some of its wood had been used to make the fire
About 20 meters away from the fire
Sat Thomas
He leaned on the tree
Arms hugging his knees
He was staring at the distant wreckage, where he and Leo fought
Blood from his forehead had run down to his cheek and dried on his skin
The ominous forest remained completely still
Almost as if you could hear the trees growing
The cool air blew softly on Thomas all night
But he never flinched
His eyes were dark and heavy
Almost like he never slept
"Thomas?" A hand rested on his shoulder
Thomas flinched, jumping away
He landed 10 meters away
Fists tightened, and his teeth clenched as he focused on the target
Suddenly the tension was released, his eyes flickering with recognition
"Autumn...you okay?" Thomas asked
Autumn was hovering just inches from the ground
"You didn't sleep last night," she said
Thomas stepped closer
"Oh, well it's just...I couldn't" he answered
Thomas's eyes wandered towards her wrists
The were red and slightly swollen
Autumn caught his gaze and moved her hands behind herself
"They're fine" she said looking away
"Don't tell me that," Thomas says
"I'll get you out of this forest, then we get you help" he added
"No!" Autumn said abruptly
"What do you mean?" Thomas confusedly asked
"We have to find Leo" she answered
Thomas clenched his jaws, eyes slightly twitching
"After what he did!?" he replied. "Can't you see he's crazy?"
Autumn hovered closer
Looking deep into Thomas's eyes
They were dark and unsteady
Always scanning
"Leo looked straight into my soul and begged for help," she said
"He could've killed me...but he didn't"
"D-don't tell me you didn't see that" her voice cracked
Thomas looked down, avoiding her gaze
Autumn raised his chin
"He needs our help, just like we need his"
Their gazes met
A tense silence reigned
...
Thomas's eyes flickered
"F-fine.." he breathed
Thomas remained unfocused
"I'd do the same for you," Autumn said. "Leo too.."
Thomas took a step back
Then pointed
"He ran off there"
Autumn looked; the forest was deep and unsettling
The type of quietness that would make you go mad
They started walking into the deep forest
LEO'S POV
The candles were dim, in the mostly empty throne room
The room was dark and quiet
In the middle of the room, at the far end
On the throne sat a king
His head rested in his hand, while a glass of wine sat in the other
He was blonde, with patches of hair turning grey
The golden crown on his head had a large red jewelry inside, which seemed to swirl the longer you look at it
His blue eyes looked pale
The lines in his face were deep, contrasting with the circles under his eyes
There was a long scar across his face
Two fully armored knights stood tall
One on his right, one on his left
Just behind the throne on the wall
Were words engraved into the wall
'The one who remembers nothing
will be remembered by everything.'
'He will walk where others cannot see.
He will bleed, yet not end.'
'And when he is called by name,
the world will answer.'
The king sat there, slowly sipping his wine
Letting out a deep sigh
Before he could take another sip
He felt it
The guards tensed, gripping their halberds
The king looked
Just at the corner near the throne's entrance,he looked
A pocket of space was being opened
An infinite swirling purple void was seen
The king didn't move, nor did the guards
Slowly a figure stepped through
Fully cloaked in a dark robe, heads low
The pocket portal vanished
The king slowly set his glass down
No sudden movement
Just a tired breath
"Another one"
The knights tightened their grip immediately
But the king didn't stand
Didn't even look worried
His eyes stayed on the cloaked figure
The red jewel in his crown shimmered faintly as he tilted his head
"Assassins… cultists… or prophecy?"
He leaned back slightly
Still seated
''I've had all three"
The throne room stayed silent
The wine glass rotated slowly in his hand
"So tell me," he continued, voice calm but sharp underneath,
"which one are you?"
"Esther!" He said sharply, with a hint of disappointment
The figure jumped slightly at the sound of their name
For a brief second they remained still
Before taking the hood off
"Guess I don't have to hide then, your highness"
She pulled her hood off
She was also blonde, blue eyes
She walked into the middle
Stepping onto the long purple carpet
She bowed slightly
"To think, that you would be the one to betray me.." The king said softly
A faint smile appeared on her face
"I was wondering when you were finally gonna show" the king said again
"Do you know how many laws you've broken just by existing in front of me right now?"
Esther remained calm
A faint smile formed
"Laws.." she half laughed "you think the city is held together by laws?"
"It never was."
The king narrowed his eyes
"Be wise of the next word that leaves your mouth," The king said sharply
Esther smiled playfully, slowly stepping closer
The guards tensed
The king didn't flinch
"It seems you forgot what protects this throne"
The jewel on his crown pulsed slightly
"Even your little tricks don't reach me here"
Her smile faded
She regained her composure
"I didn't come to reach you."
A step closer
"I came because you're in the way."
"…Of what?" The king asked, leaning forward
A pause
"The prophecy?"
He watched her reaction closely
"You've been reading it wrong"
She looked at the wall engraving
"All this time… thinking it was about you"
A soft exhale
"How tragic"
"It named a ruler!" The king said sternly
"No" she replied
"It named an arrival"
She looked up at him
"People who don't belong to your world at all"
"You've been preparing for a throne that was never promised to you"
"Nonsense." The king said waving her away
"…You've been listening to outside whispers again"
"There is no 'outside' " The king stood tall
His red robe was so long it just piled all over the floor
"There is now" Esther replied
"And it's already inside your city"
The jewel in his crown glowed
He stretched his hand outward
"Guards!"
Red pocket dimensions opened up
Guards marched out
About 30 of them
They stood ready In front of her
The two knights beside the king didn't move
The king sat on his throne
And started stirring his wine
The guards started marching step by step
Esther didn't move though
Her eyes started to glow
Her blue eyes glowed bright
The guards stopped
A few of them were trembling, some started to sweat
Esther didn't move, she just stared
Suddenly one of the guards used his sword and slashed another in their neck
The guard fell to the floor bleeding out
All the guards stayed cautious from the one that had drawn blood
The same guard stood there trembling and mumbling, his pupils shrinking
He gripped his head screaming
Suddenly another guard stabbed another
Then another
Then all the guards started killing each other
And Esther just stood there
Eyes glowing
The two knights beside the king exchanged glances calmly
The king sat there watching as blood spilled from one end to the other
"Enough!!" He stood up shouting
His jewel glowed red, and all the men stopped fighting
Some were confused, and shaken up
But then the king pointed
"Kill her!!" He ordered
But suddenly, he felt it
Something moved past him pretty quickly
Then he realized
The hand he pointed with
Was gone
His blood slowly dropped to the floor
His heart skipped a beat as his eyes widened
The two knights beside him suddenly dropped limp to the floor
Blood pooled from around them
Blood started gushing from his hand, almost like a pipeless tank
He fell to the floor
Pain swarmed him, and his vision started to blur
But in the corner on the wall
Was a boy
He had his fingers dug into the concrete to keep himself up
And in his mouth was the king's hand
The king's vision blurred again
Footsteps caught his attention
Esther was slowly walking up the stairs towards him
The guards had already started killing one another
He watched as Esther smiled
Slowly stretching her hand towards him
Then it all got dark
THOMAS'S POV
It was very dark in the forest now
Probably evening by now
They followed Leo's tracks pretty well
Every broken branch or small sign of destruction
They followed
At one point they wondered if Leo was an animal
But here they were now
Standing In front of giant city walls
"Holy shit," Thomas could hardly believe his eyes
He looked weakly at how tall the wall was
And how dark and eerie the city was
Thomas looked at Autumn
They both looked at each other
"...Here we go again," Autumn says softly
The two cautiously started walking towards the city
End