I can't speak. Words that I wasn't saying kept coming out of my mouth. I wasn't saying them. I-

"Now, my child. We must wait for a while before you may speak once more."

How long do I have to wait? I also couldn't move. I sat still and just looked at him while he did the same. I couldn't say anything. I couldn't scream. Was I breathing?

I couldn't tell if I was breathing. Was I even alive? Was I dead? I can't tell. I can't tell! I can't do anything!

I wasn't breathing. I couldn't move. Why can't I move? I need to move! I felt my head start to swell up, and I got dizzy. I started to shake. Little black dots were appearing around me. The king started to back away and the person who looked like me was slowly walking toward me.

"Binding him was a poor choice, Venio."

"What was I supposed to do? No child of my empire can keep a promise."

"You are going to get us all sent to unimaginable depths unless he is calmed down."

What were they saying? I could barely hear what they were saying. I was shaking even more than before. My hands turned into fists, I felt my nails dig into my palms.

Why was I keeping my eyes closed? Why was I staying still? I was doing this. I needed to stop. I needed to change. Just an inch. Just open them for a second. Something. I needed to do something. SOMETHING!

I screamed at them, but no words came out. More and more dots appeared around me. I wanted to tell them to let me go. They weren't doing anything. No! They must be! I can't move! I can't move at all!

Let me move!

Let me speak!

Let me open my eyes!

I screamed at them louder but words still weren't coming out of my mouth. They started to get hidden by the black dots that were now grouped together around me. The grey nothingness turned to black quickly.

"He's going to break the binding!"

"That's impossible! He's my subject, he would be forsaking his entire bloodline. That is not something you can will yourself into!"

"Does your memory not serve you at all? Your empire has become a part of a new state!"

I was shaking even more now. My hands hurt like I had been stabbed there. I was trying to force my eyes open. I was trying to force myself to breathe. Force myself to talk. To scream. To do anything. Anything! Anything at all.

When can I move again? What do they mean by "bind"? Subject? Kingdom? Empire? I can't hear them! What are they saying?

"It still should not be possible! I understand the terms of my promise more than any other here, I can assure you that this defiance will not be found within a mere child!"

"Do you not see the storm around him? Your assurance is meaningless. Restrain him before they are summoned!"

"The bind must hold for only a few moments more, then he will be free to speak his mind!"

"I will not stand idly and let you wager what is left of our existence on a bind set by a pitiful king!"

The other people were rushing over. Even the ones who looked like Mister Savard and Miss Daoust who were ignoring me.

I couldn't see them. All I could see was black. I need to see. I can't see! I can't-

I can't think! Why can I never think? Why-

I can't-

I-

I forced my eyes open with all of my strength. The rest of them were running towards me, they didn't look like my friends or my teachers anymore. In the second that I saw them, they all looked scared. I didn't remember any of them, I didn't know who they were any better. All the men except for one had their arms out and their hands open, were they reaching for my face?

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Finally! I could speak! I could say something! I needed to know-

"What do you mea-"

"NO!"

It felt like I was struck by lightning. I heard a loud boom and then I was pushed back. Whatever I was sitting on got blown away, it felt like I actually couldn't breathe. Not like before, I-

I don't know what was happening. Why did I-

It hurts! It- I can't stop hurting! My ears are bleeding, my head is going to explode! Somebody- Someone! I could speak, I felt myself speaking, I- I can't hear! I can't hear myself! I can't see! My eyes are open! I can't feel anything! My chest felt like it was going to explode, I knew I was screaming, but I was in too much pain to hear anything but my ears ringing. My head shaking. My body shaking. Somebody he- I can't! Am I going to die? Please- please just let me-!

I felt the hands all over my body again. Some were on my arms, legs, my back, and three were on my head again. Two were on my eyes with the other over my eyes. The pain didn't stop, but I didn't want to die anymore. Was I run over by some wild animal?

Did the King Chidle come back from the forest and make it here? Why was I being held down again? Why-

I can't stop. I couldn't think and now I can't stop thinking. What is happening? Why is this happening to me? Why can't I just go to school, go to bed? Look at the sun. Look at the night sky.

Why did I just accept that my life would be horrible? Why is my life horrible?

Why am I thinking any of this?

Why did my Mom have to die? She couldn't live?

Why did people care? Why do I care?

Why am I alive? Why am I thinking? Who-

"CLOSE YOUR EYES!"

The hands that were on my eyes forced them closed. After my eyelids were forced together I tried to keep them closed as hard as I could. My eyes felt sore, but the pain from the rest of my body got better and my mind stopped racing. The ringing in my ears slowly went away as well.

Each time it sounded different. The ringing.

Why did it sound different? It was just me being unable to hear wasn't it-

"Soon enough she won't be able to protect you."

It sounded like... me? I heard my voice. I looked up at where it was coming from, but I didn't see anything. Everyone else was there, but the voice came from nothing. Maybe from the air, were we speaking to a bug?

Could a bug speak?

"Then I shall lie in wait for that time. My anticipation far exceeds yours."

The king of Penilago was the one speaking to it. I barely was able to move my head, the king was no longer holding my ears and my eyes also weren't covered. I saw a few of them, they all looked scared, the same way that they were before, but none of them were moving. Were they like me? Did this bug do something to them? I heard myself laugh, it wasn't me. It was the bug. It didn't sound like a real laugh.

"You couldn't even know the excitement I have. Tearing down millions of kingdoms couldn't compare to the rush I will feel when she finally steps away."

"Well, I'm quite delighted that you find comfort in sharing your interests with us all. You certainly have found yourself in the right environment."

I chuckled again.

"Your wit seems to never fail you, Penilago. If only the others knew how you played them for fools. If only they saw your gloating."

"Bold of you to speak of gloating."

"Alright. Have your short-lived victory."

"I will."

"I'm not going to let you have the last word."

"Are you a child?"

"I'm far more young than you. A considerable margin, in truth."

"Don't- sto- whatever. I'm leaving."

I heard another boom sound, and I felt my entire body shake. He had left.

"Well, another crisis averted."

The hands had gotten off me again. I didn't have any trouble standing up. The rest of them started to walk towards the king, but the one that looked like Elle got there first. She put her arm all the way behind her back just to slap him as hard as she could. The sound echoed across the entire place, and I heard some of the other people gasp. The rest of them stopped walking towards the king.

"You- you! You absolute imbecile!"

"Quite the display of gratitude."

"Gratitude? Gratitude! You subject us to him and you want gratitude?"

"Why am I the target of your blame? The child that has become an object of your adoration summoned him to this [ ]."

I felt the same pain when he said something I couldn't hear the first time, but I didn't fall to the ground. I put my hands on my eyes and stared down for a few seconds, and the pain went away. When I looked back up again she had turned towards me, but when she saw me look at her she turned back to the king.

"First you blame an innocent child for your blunders, and then you subject him to more harm? Does your depravity know no bounds?"

"What is with you and this excessive exaggeration? I have kept the child alive, have I not?"

She paused for a second, her hands that were waving around while she was yelling at him froze and turned into fists. When she spoke again, she wasn't screaming, but I knew she was angry.

"Do you truly think that any individual here believes that statement? The one you so rashly made just now?"

"Your beliefs are meaningless to me. You asked a question, I provided an answer. What reason do you have to want more?"

"You are ridiculously insufferable. A millennia spent and I can not bring myself to acknowledge a single aspect of your character that I find pleasant."

"Likewise."

"Do you wish to be slapped once more?"

"I still do not understand why I must be held responsible for this incident, that child asked a question and was unable to abide by the terms of my answer."

"As if any child would be able to bear the weight of this whole world on his shoulders, especially the child of a deceitful man. Did it not cross your mind to simply refuse his request? No, you believed it fit to engage in a [ ] with an adolescent."

The pain came back again, but it was even less this time. I didn't even move my hands over my ears, I just flinched and then went back to standing normally.

"Well, if I were you I'd be lamenting about how "depraved" you are. You must be glad that I don't assume such an unsightly guise."

She slapped him with the other side of her right hand, even louder than the first.