She stood beside the newly crowned ruler, her gaze drifting over the sea of faces that filled the grand square. The cheers of the people reverberated through the air, a cacophony of voices that should have stirred something within her. But instead, there was a strange emptiness, a void that muffled the sounds and dulled the colors around her. The world seemed distant, as though she were observing it from behind a thick, impenetrable barrier.
The ruler, dressed in regal finery that glinted under the sun, raised his hand to silence the crowd. His voice, rich and commanding, echoed through the square as he addressed his subjects, thanking them for their unwavering trust and loyalty. He spoke of an age of prosperity and safety, of a future where their lands would flourish under his rule. The people hung on to his every word, their eyes filled with admiration.
She listened to his speech, but the words washed over her like a tide she couldn’t grasp. They slipped through her fingers, leaving only a faint impression of meaning. Even as the ruler’s voice rose in fervor, promising greatness, she remained detached, her thoughts adrift in the haze that clouded her mind.
When the ruler finished, the crowd erupted in applause, their cheers deafening. He turned to her then, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction as he took in the adoration of his people. “Look at them,” he said, his voice low and almost intimate, as though sharing a secret. “See how they love me, how they trust me. Isn’t it wonderful?”
She stared at the crowd, her expression blank. The ruler’s words seemed to come from a great distance, their significance eluding her. She wanted to respond to the enthusiasm in his voice, but there was nothing—only a deep, unsettling silence within her.
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The ruler chuckled, the sound sending a shiver down her spine. “You’ve done well,” he said, his tone laced with amusement. “Always so disciplined, so obedient, and how wonderfully useful. My favorite child, without a doubt.”
She didn’t respond, couldn’t respond. It was as though her voice had been stolen, leaving her with only the faintest echoes of what she was supposed to feel. He continued to speak, his voice soft but edged with something sharper.
“Your brother, though… he’s been troublesome, hasn’t he? So defiant, so unruly. It’s a shame, really. But you understand, don’t you?” He leaned closer, his breath warm against her ear. “You know what must be done.”
The words pierced through the fog in her mind, sharp and clear. A single command, cutting through the emptiness like a blade. Her heart tightened, her breath catching in her throat as the order settled into her consciousness.
She nodded mechanically, her body moving of its own accord. The fog in her mind seemed to coalesce into a single, sharp point of focus. The ruler’s command, his will, became her own. There was no room for doubt, no space for hesitation. Her purpose was clear.
The ruler gazed down at her with satisfaction. “Good girl,” he murmured, his voice a mixture of pride and something darker. “I knew you wouldn’t disappoint me.”
And with that, the barrier in her mind solidified. A single tear slipped down her cheek, unnoticed by all except herself. The tear carried with it the last remnants of a self that was slipping away, dissolving into the darkness that now consumed her.
The order echoed in her mind, relentless and absolute: eliminate Alaric.