~Chapter 11~

~ I need you to be strong ~

As we walked out of the castle gates, ready to leave, Miland came trotting out, puffing heavily and struggling to keep up.

"Wait!" he called, hugging his sides as he caught his breath. "The king has something important to tell you," he added, a grin spreading across his face.

Moments later, the king marched out of the castle, followed by thirty or so guards.

"Maddox, Melody," he announced."I have new orders. Unfortunately, I cannot let you leave."

Seeing the overwhelming number of guards surrounding us. This was far too many to take on right now, especially on our own.

we raised our hands and surrendered.

The men carried us to a holding cell in New Molina. On our way there, the setting changed dramatically. The streets went from rows of broken houses and starving people to smiling faces and exaggerated laughter. Kids ran around, singing as adults enjoyed themselves. Huge castles stood tall in every direction. The difference was night and day.

We rode in a horse-drawn carriage. Two guards sat in the front while we were locked in the rear, with two more following behind on horseback.

I glanced at Melody, and I could tell she felt the same as I did.

Kimora and Neptune sat with us, which was confusing since they seemed to have some sort of relationship with the king.

"You're wondering why we’re here with you, right?" Kimora asked.

I nodded silently.

"The king has...a twisted nature when it comes to punishment," she said, glancing away. "In his eyes, the more the merrier. So, we’re all stuck in this now."

"I'm so sor—"

“I can’t go back,” Neptune interrupted, his voice shaken, his face frozen in shock.

Kimora reached over to comfort him, and the look in her eyes hit me harder than I’d expected. It wasn’t anger or resentment—it was a look of hopelessness, a silent cry for help.

I didn’t know what they had been through, but it was clearly a lot.

For a split second, I saw Eliza, Bethany, Ethan, Ola, and Ren. I saw all of them in Kimora's eyes. Their hands seemed to reach out to me, and just as I tried to grab them, they vanished.

By the time I snapped back to reality, my hands were firmly clasping Kimora's. Tears began to fall from her eyes as she tightened her grip.

That day, I made a promise to myself. After all the friends I’d lost, I would make sure I didn’t lose these people, too.

Melody looked at me, and I could tell she understood.

“Madoxx...help us,” Kimora whispered, tears filling her eyes.

"Of course, I will," I said, leaning in to comfort her.

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"Melody," I called.

“Right,” she replied, getting into her fighting stance.

Kimora and Neptune watched closely.

I summoned a huge spike of ice and shot it through the front of the carriage, blasting it open. Melody jumped out, touching the solid ground, which allowed her to summon her rock fists. She launched herself at the guards on horseback.

She landed on the first one, punching him off with such force that he hit a wall and passed out instantly. I quickly jumped out as well, freezing the second guard in place before kicking him off. Once I’d tamed the horses and slowed them down, I grabbed Neptune and Kimora, helping them into the carriage.

"Neptune," I asked, looking over my shoulder, "where can we lay low for a bit?"

"Ride east," he said, pointing to a building in the distance.

We rode for a while before ditching the horses and walking the rest of the way.

The building was on the outskirts of New Molina. It looked abandoned, which was strange since there were no other rundown buildings in the entire city.

“We can stay here for now; no one will look for us here,” Neptune assured.

“Are you sure? If I were a guard looking for escaped prisoners, I’d probably check the one abandoned building in the whole city,” Melody replied dryly.

"Not where we’re going," Kimora said.

As we entered the building, we saw broken tables, shattered glass, and books scattered across the floor. The room was thick with dust, and a burned-down staircase led to the second floor. Bloodstains marked the floor where two chairs stood, each with a dismembered body slumped on it.

"What happened here?" Melody asked, her voice uneasy.

"What didn’t happen here?" Kimora replied, her voice cracking.

“Over here!” Neptune called.

He was pointing at a bookshelf. “Help me push,” he said, gesturing to me.

Together, we pushed it aside, revealing a narrow staircase leading down into the ground.

Once we stepped in, a lever beneath the bookcase returned it to its original position. It was dark, and I could just make out the staircase spiraling downward.

We descended for a few moments until we reached a hidden room. Shelves full of books and mapping materials lined the walls. Kimora lit a few lanterns, making the room easier to see. On the far wall hung a massive map, and a desk held a sculpture of a woman. The rest of the room was covered in boards with strange scribbles and unreadable runes, while a few sleeping bags lay spread on the ground.

“How do you know this place?” Melody asked Kimora.

“This…” Kimora let out a sigh. “This used to be our home. But don’t pity me,” she added, her voice steady.

“No, please. Tell me what happened,” Melody said, moving closer to comfort her.

Kimora hesitated, then began. “It all started the day I was born.

“My father worked as a guard for the king for fifteen years before he met my mother. They became close, and soon after, she was pregnant.

“It’s a bit hazy, but my father lost his job after an argument with the king, just three weeks before we were born. He didn’t mind, though. We had enough saved for a peaceful life here. My dad had always wanted to farm and live quietly; he never wanted a life of war. But guard duty paid well back then, so men rushed for the chance to serve.

“My mother hadn’t expected twins, but there we were.

“Eight years later, a man started visiting. Every time he left, my father seemed more troubled. This went on for weeks until, one night, Father came home looking terrified. He told my mother we had to leave.

“‘Was it him again?’ she asked. My father just nodded. ‘They’re not asking anymore. We need to go.’

“A new law had been passed, and it had everyone on edge.

“We planned to leave that night, but things didn’t go as they should. My father had stepped out to gather a few last things, and when he came back, he was bloodied and bruised. He barricaded the door and said, ‘Honey, your mom and I need to take care of something.’

“I remember my mother, panicked, questioning him through her tears.

“‘I need you to be brave,’ he told us.

“Then the banging started. Father picked us up, carried us down the stairs, and whispered, ‘Stay here until it’s safe. And don’t make a sound.’

“I was scared, but I trusted him. My mother looked down at us, her face etched with something I’ll never forget. ‘I love you, my sweet angels,’ she said just before she closed the bookshelf over us.

“For hours, we could hear their screams. They didn’t give in. They died protecting us,” Kimora finished, tears running down her face.

Then Kimora whispered, “Sometimes I think... if I hadn’t been born, my father could have had the life he wanted. They could’ve been happy together.”

Melody’s voice was firm. “You’re wrong. Your parents sacrificed everything to give you a chance to live. That was their choice, and they wouldn’t want you to waste it.”

“They gave you both a gift—the chance to live the life they wanted for you,” I added, moving into the embrace. “Don’t ever question that. Live for them.”

Kimora and her brother broke down crying loudly letting it all out.