BLOODY THRONE

Cp 1

Deuglasia is a land filled with more immortal creatures; emperor Theo Oberea rules it. Once a few hundred years, there would be an heir to the throne that would take the place of the previous emperor. After waiting so long, the prophecy finally came. Two candidates from two different kingdoms, this is the first time in the history of Deuglasia.

Unknowingly one of the two Kings was exposed to the legendary curse of Deuglasia, and he finally chose war to take the throne. Several decades after the inauguration of two future heirs, fighting broke out in a field of Sar.

The sound of swords shaking and shouting echoed in the middle of Sar field, the voices merging into one, not knowing it was the enemy or friend. Blood stewed, and the bodies of soldiers littered everywhere.

"She died...." The loud cry reached his companion, and the victory cheering spread through the field of blood.

A man carrying a woman's already pale face, the man shows no expression. When his army celebrates victory, he cannot feel victory at all.

Crying came over the shouting of joy, the piercing cry, and they roared over the girl he was carrying.

***

Skies have become hostile over the last few days, a black cloud continues to be detected, but a drop of water has not yet fallen. The cold makes some students lazy to go to school.

"I thought you weren't coming in today." A shoulder-haired girl had been left near and stopped in front of the locker.

"Do you think I won't come in just because of bad weather?" She asked flatly.

"Who knows." She shrugged.

It's a bit windier this morning than usual, but it's not likely to be an excuse not to come to school.

"I think I know who will not come." The tall, short-haired girl said to her friend.

"Who?"

"Who else but our friends."

Just as she had said, a message reached Vina's mobile phone, often called Lavina, and quickly Vina opened a text message from a close friend; she sighed and looked at Ferra.

"You're right, Ashley, not in today." She picked up her cell and showed her the message Ashley had sent to Ferra.

"I'm right." Ferra closed the locker and locked it. Then leaned against the locker while waiting for Vina to finish putting the book in her bag.

"Do we visit her after school?"

"How about tomorrow? I can't today."

"You have practice today?"

Ferra nodded. "Yes."

"Okay. Let's do tomorrow."

Vina texted Ashley back after she finished heading to class with Ferra. Ashley's best friend does have a weak physique, and she is very sick. She should not be too tired because it could make her sick the next day. But today may be due to severe weather; many also get sick if the weather changes suddenly.

On top of the bed, a beautiful girl lies there, she fell ill two days ago and today is the worst. Ashley's head seemed to burst, but the coughing had subsided, so she didn't like how she was in such a weak body; it was easy to get sick. She refused to lie in bed for long and had school to attend.

Ashley straightened her back hard and leaned her back, and she looked to the side and saw three loaves of bread covered with cocoa butter and a glass of chocolate milk on the table. She glanced at the clock at half-past two, and her mother must have gone home and prepared a meal for her.

She reached for a loaf of bread, staring at it for a long time. That girl's appetite is not there yet, but her stomach must be filled. Ashley bit the bread slowly; she chewed it with no enthusiasm.

"Why? Am I so weak?"

She took a deep breath; her attention focused on the window across the bed. The sky looks very dark, and there will be a heavy downpour.

She is alone now; her mother and father work while her sister is undoubtedly not home from school. Just the sound of a clock filling Ashley's room. She took another piece of bread and then drank all the chocolate milk. She probably had a long night's sleep on her head.

As Ashley drifted out of the room to the living room, she got tired of being inside the room. She's still limp but better than yesterday. The girl sat on the sofa and turned on the television. Before long, an open front door closed again. Ashley turned her head and found her sister Alice staring at her with a frown.

"Why are you here? You're not going anywhere yet."

"I'm bored in the room."

"You're still sick. You better go back to your room before mom finds you here." Alice passed the way from her older sister, putting on an upset face in her room.

Unwilling to get Alana to lecture her, Ashley returned to her room after turning off the television. In the room, she was restless, and she would change her sleep position, face the right and then left repeatedly. The raindrops were heard loudly, and Ashley switched her sleeping position to the window.

She loved the rain so much that it made her feel calm and nostalgic when she had no shower memories. She also didn't understand; there was something inside her she couldn't explain in words. Well, she loved the rain.

The girl just remembered the message she sent to Vina this morning. Ashley reached for her phone on the table and saw if there was a reply, and there was. Vina and Ferra will visit her tomorrow, and she smiles knot; her two friends are always this caring.

***

"Let's go home!"

"You guys go on ahead." He said curtly.

"Why?"

"It's rain. Don't you realize?" replied the friend who still put the book in the bag.

"I forgot." He smiled awkwardly. "But how long will you be here? It looks like it won't be raining any time soon."

"I can wait."

"Alone? Right here? Come on." His forehead is shriveling. The friend left without an answer.

"Wait for me." He joined his friend.

"Damn both of them."

The three handsome men stopped before the chastisement building, and the rain grew heavier. Louise looked down at the drops of rain falling without pauses.

"Maybe we just wait; there's nothing we can do." Galan took.

"Okay."

"Let's go to the library."

From where they stood in the crowded library as if those there were also waiting for the rain to stop. Louise lazily follows Galan from obeying Dale. Along the way, Dale gets the girls' smiles, and of course, Dale comes back at them, no less.

Galan was doing the same, but he was taking it easy, not responding and smiling as much as possible. Louise was the only one who did not smile or turn away. He did not even think of anyone as curious, but he never responded to them.

"Again, he doesn't think we exist, and I would love to see him smile."

"I want to see it too; it will be so beautiful."

"He'll smile at me, just watch," quips one of them.

"Don't be overconfident." Her two friends retorted.

They speak softly but still can be heard by Louise and Dale. Dale glanced at his friend and sighed.

"Are you completely expressionless?"

He didn't answer, and he said nothing to Dale, that looked up. Dale shook his head. He knew enough about Louise's, hisacter, his friend's fairer showed an expression other than that showed faces. He was freezing and irate.

"I-i'm sorry. I am..."

Galan nearly colith a girl. This girl appeared out of the blue in front of him. The book the girl had fallen, Galan lowered his head to get the book and handed it to her.

"T-thank you." She grabbed Galan's book without seeing his face.

"If you walk, you'd better look ahead, Vina. Don't look down too often."

Heard her name mentioned, Vina looked up. She saw a tall man in front of him.

"Galan ...." Suddenly, the jar was gone.

"Where are you going? What's the hurry?"

"My mother is waiting outside; I don't want to make her wait any longer." She said. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." 

Vina's voice fell smaller; she stared frantically at Galan.

"Am I that horrible?" Galan raised his eyebrows.

"N-not that way." Vina is behaving herself. She wasn't scared of Galan. She just felt terrible."

"All right, get going. Your mother must have waited a long time."

Vina blinked. 

"I'm sorry, and thank you again for getting my fallen book." Galan nodded.

Vina abandoned the three, Galan watching her until the sweet girl was out of her sight.

"Am I creepy?"

"It's not like that. Vina was always nervous when talking to other people." Dale said.

"But we, you know, go way back."

"Yes, but not close."

Dale walked ahead of Galan into the library, looking for an empty spot, where he found a table by the window and went straight there. Galan sat before him, taking out his book; he had some lesson material to write down. He wants to continue at home, but now that there's time, why not?

"Where's Louise?"

"He went to the bookshelf."

Dale nodded. "Wake me up when the rain stops." He placed his head over his hands and closed his eyes.

Louise was motionless in the corner of the library at the back of the bookshelf by the window. He gazed blankly out.

"It always rains the same way. Always bringing back those bad memories."

***

"Does Ashley sick?"

"Yes. I'm going to visit her tomorrow with Ferra."

"Stop by the shop, please bring her some cake." 

Vina had a big smile. 

"Thank you, mom. Ashley will be pleased that she always liked mom's cakes."

"That's why mom's going to the store first."

The rain came down, reducing visibility; Ms. Cashel lowered her car. The roads were pretty quiet, with just a few vehicles passing by. Very carefully, Mrs. Cashel proposed her car.

Lousy weather is frequent in the city, not knowing the seasons, but it's usually the worst during the winter solstice to spring. Because of frequent traffic accidents, local authorities set limits on driving in bad weather.

Suddenly Mrs. Cashel stopped the car, shocked, irregular pulse. Vina's almost asleep immediately snapped.

"What's up, mom?" Her brow is furrowed.

"Mom disposition, I think I hit something." Her face was white as a sheet, the fear of being printed very clearly on her face.

"Mom, get out first."

In a hurry, Mrs. Cashel unbuckled her seat, grabbed the parasol behind the driver's seat and opened the door, and walked to the front of the car holding the black parasol. She wanted to confirm something she had hit earlier.

She doubled her forehead when she didn't see anything there when she was so sure she had hit something. Mrs. Cashel saw a black shadow right in front of her car, but she didn't know if it was a human or an animal because of the heavy rain, so the glass became blurry.

Convinced that there was nothing there, she got into his car. There was a sense of relief, but she was also surprised by what had happened. Without a long wait, Mrs. Cashel went back to her car. She didn't realize anyone was watching her from across the street with those sharp eyes.