Chapter 10 — Princess of Haldorre and He's Talking

"Princess Yohan!" I screamed and I, once again, doesn't know what to do. "What's wrong?! Tell me!"

She looks very, very pale. I mean, her reddish skin started to fade and the color is slowly changing into pink. I held her face and the blood escaping her eyes wetted my palms. It brought fear and I couldn't settle what to do to her because she was so unresponsive. All she gave me was a terrifying fast and ragged breaths as if she ran the longest marathon and had a hard time catching it.

"Princess..." she spoke. I bit back a sob and leaned closer to her.

"What is wrong with you, Princess Yohan? How? How can I help you?"

"Listen..." she struggled to say again. "Everything that I showed you... is everything that I know..."

"Don't talk about it just yet. Tell me, how can I help you? Because for heaven's sake, you are crying blood!"

"I won't last...long."

My jaw dropped upon hearing that. I felt the same fear and extreme worry like what happened to Cassio. Fear of losing someone that made you feel okay the most amidst the trouble this world has!

"Don't tell me that!" Seeing that I can do nothing alone, I climb down of bed. "I'll call Yulen!"

I was about to go when I felt her hand wrapped around my wrist. It was weak, cold, and shaking.

"N-No, don't go... you have to listen to me..."

"Yulen!!!" I screamed, tears pouring from my eyes. I went back to her and she's getting even worse!

"I beg you to l-listen to me..."

That made me still. I shakily climb up to bed again, beside her, and held her already weak hands. She smiled but it turned out as a cringe.

"Go... find them... Help these p-people so they... will no longer be stuck in this curse..."

I shook my head terribly. "No! Why do you all have to say goodbye to me?! Don't die on me, okay?! Yulen!!!"

"Along the way... you'll know what you really are..."

She lifted her hands to touch my face. Her soft and palm barely touched my skin so I helped her. Princess Yohan smiled and even made her fingers trace my left eye so I had to close it.

"You aren't cursed yet, Princess Yohan..." she breathed. "Every Castherra...needs to be cursed..."

I don't even want to digest what she's saying. I don't want to hear her last words because that would only cause me pain. I don't want to accept that she's bidding her goodbye. I know I just met her the other day but that it doesn't need a long time for her to be important to me. She helped me and this place obviously needs her! She can't leave! She can't die! And thinking that she just became like this after showing me that illusion and memories makes me think that I did this to her!

Is this my fault again? Am I responsible for another death again?! That thought made me shook uncontrollably.

I heard the elevator door opened and Yulen's snarling. But before I can turn, Princess Yohan grabbed my face and said, "Take the curse of the Hymea... Help this people and they will help you..."

"W-What do you mean?"

"Witches are coming for you... They will curse you... but I will do it first..."

Before I can process anything, she pushed her forefinger in my left eye and there was a sudden searing pain that attacked it. It was excruciatingly hot and I felt my body lost its ability to support my weight. I felt the mattress at my back as I clasped my left eye. It was burning, as all I can see are red flames that seemed to burn everything in my sight. It was almost unbearable, that I even wished that I'd just be knocked unconscious. But I'm not.

"Yohan, i-it hurts!" I cried out with the extremely painful sensation. As if my eyes were poured with gasoline and lit with fire. I don't know how long it took for the pain to subside. I was just there, focusing on the pain that almost eat me alive, crying helplessly. I heard nothing but my screeching voice. Until the pain started to fade away. As if the burn is slowly put off. My eyes and my throat are both sore as I began to relax and ease. And all that's left is my sobs.

"Princess Ciara..."

I gasped when I heard Princess Yohan's voice. In the darkness of my closed eyes, I saw her floating and glowing with a faded red to pink color.

"W-What happened?" I heard my shaken voice. She smiled and inched towards me.

"I gave you the curse of the Hymea witch on me..."

"But why did you do that?!"

"For you to see everything that I showed you, I need to use my strength. But I didn't know that it would use up everything that I have... seems that I had little left as time passed by..."

She continued to go nearer until she's an inch away from me. Her eyes aren't red anymore, but a pair of gray ones. That's when I realized that she looks different now. Not a red tiny creature but a beautiful princess in her white floating gown. Her auburn hair are curled that reaches her hips. Her face pale, fine nose, lips, and delicate skin that matches her serene eyes. But no matter how she looks now, the princess started to fade away. She started to look transparent in the dark. Yet, a smile manage to creep on her lips.

"Seek for the truth for my people, Princess Ciara. And seek for yours..."

"Why? Where are you going?! You can't die! You can't leave this people! Your people!"

"But I'm already dead..." she smiled sadly. "And this might be the last time that we'll see each other again..."

"No, Princess Yohan!"

"I will leave everything to you... Find Theruel Kostav, the mage at Anestherra. He'll be expecting you... he will help you..."

"Princess Yohan!" I cried. She's becoming more invinsible in the darkness. Started to leave me alone. Alone and confused. How can I do this all?!

"You are brave, Princess Ciara... Coming here in Haldorre is brave enough and I know you can do more... I believe you will discover the truth of the mystery the witches have implanted to our nations... Free my people and free yourself from this binding curse..."

"I can't, okay?! I cannot do this all alone! You need to help me!"

She shook her head and smiled. "You aren't alone... Help the people and without doubt, they will help you..."

Her figure is now gone and all I can hear is her fading voice. Earning an even louder cry from me. "Yohan, please. Don't leave!!!"

"I'll be with you... the new princess of Haldorre..."

And there were no traces of her anymore as I was left in the dark abyss. Her voice gone, her body gone. Princess Yohan is now gone... leaving me with all her responsibility as the ruler of this city.

And the fear is now untolerable that I pulled myself into my own abyss. Not believing I am strong enough to face all these.

*

I was in a very deep chasm. So deep I almost couldn't find the lightness and barely get back to consciousness.

But there was a sound. It was very agonizing to hear as if it lost someone important. I remember myself having the same situation. But it wasn't me who's crying. I lost another important person in my life, yet I chose to stay in this oblivion. It wasn't me who made those sounds with pure sorrow. It kept on filling my ears, echoing in my head, and the painful feeling bouncing on the corners of my heart. It was annoying as it persistently invade my serene grieving, yet so pitiful.

The wolf howled again.

This time, it was very loud and it was enough to pull me out of my sleep.

My eyes opened and the pain that almost killed me is now gone. Both eyes felt fine to me. I looked around to see Yulen, the reason of the disturbing howl. I thought he'd be hovering around Princess Yohan's burnt body but I was wrong. The latter is now gone and the remnants of her existence are just a punch of red ashes scattered on the bed.

The pain of sorrow attacked me once again and before my tears would fall, a heavy weight pinned me on the bed.

Air was knocked out of my lungs and was ready to snap at the culprit when a familiar glowing golden eyes met mine. Yulen was watching me and his weird expression made me feel something strange. My heart ached when I saw that his eyes are kind of...pained. It then purred and sniff on my neck. I held my breath, my hands clenching into fists.

"Yulen...I'm okay now... don't worry..." I croaked through sore throat.

I bit my lip when he didn't let go. I just let him for a while and thought that he's just a wolf now. Not some man, literally. The ashes remained there and seeing it once again made my chest tightened. "Yulen... she's dead..."

That made him stop. Then, he made a whimpering sob and jumped off of bed. I sighed and sat down, too. Ignoring Princess Yohan's ashes, I closed my eyes and think of what happened just a while ago. She made me see all her knowledge of witches and what happened. I haven't asked her how she knows them all despite getting locked up in this tower. But it is not most of my concern now. Princess Yohan is now dead. And she left me with the curse... And by that curse, it means this whole city. Every people that was stuck here is left under my jurisdiction. And there is an undeniable discomfort and cowardice within me that I thought of going away. Leave them. But no. I am a princess, I need to do this. I don't have to look twice at her ashes to remember what she had done for me. What she showed me is a big help. I couldn't sort it out yet but sooner, I will.

I weakly got up of bed and I almost fell but Yulen caught me with his head. My vision was hazy but it went back to normal after several seconds. I regained my strength until I was able to stand on my own. I have a bad feeling with why I felt that pain on my ear.

I went to the nearby mirror and took a deep breath first and mentally prepared myself for what I will see, before slowly lifting my gaze. My reflection of the dress, the bloody hands from Princess Yohan's eyes, and until to my sweaty arms, necks, and upper garment. Until I saw my eyes. Both were a perfect combination to make me look the like I am the witchiest of them all.

My lips trembled. Yes, the golden white-lined eyes with colorful and dancing powers in its pupils remained. My right eye is its normal weird Castherra features. But my left eye. The one that I thought was burnt by hell fire, changed into something red. Red as thick blood, surrounded by black lines. It was the same with how Princess Yohan had it. The only difference now is the pupil. I wasn't sure what those things were, swirling on her pupil when she was the one wearing it. But now, I can clearly see the dark red flames. They are constantly circling that little space. Sparks from time to time and I even saw some sparks going out of my eyes!

"I..." I turned to Yulen who was watching me. "I have her eyes..."

It just purred and went to me, caressing my arm with his furry head. I bit my lip and sighed, then looked at the mirror again.

Now that I have her eyes, "Will I be able to get out of this tower?"

Yulen alerted. And he started to become weird again, pulling my dress.

"What is wrong?"

It growled and continued to pull my dress. My eyes caught something moving in Princess Yohan's ashes. They were floating!

"W-What..." I yelped when Yulen made me climb his back again and ran towards the elevator. "Yulen...wait! Her ashes!"

As the elevator closes, the ashes started to ignite. Creating countless of flames and I was shocked when they hit the different directions of the room. Fire engulfed the things and I didn't see what was next because the elevator room went down. My heart thud loudly and fast.

"What just happened?"

Yulen growled. Ugh, when can he answer me right?

When the elevator hit the right floor, Yulen jumped out of the narrowly opened door and leaped the staircase just to get out fast. It didn't stop running so I looked back at the tower was now devoured by fuming flames. Eating the whole building alive. I sighed and looked in front. Sunset?! Was I there for so long?!

But what shocked me more is the changes on the surroundings. There's something that really changed...yet I can't name it. Yulen stopped after a very safe distance. I looked back at the tower and the flames were gone. The tower was...gray. Dull among the dark buildings. Completely, there was no curse there.

When Yulen snarled, I turned my gaze back at him.

"What's wrong?"

"The people are coming."

My eyes widened in shock. I turned my head side to side. There was no one yet I heard an answer!

I swallowed the lump on my throat.

It was a manly voice, so deep and masculine I thought it was like Cassio. But this one is a little calm and soothing despite his rough voice.

"Y-Yulen?" I called. It moved and looked at me with his turned head. His golden eyes are now giving me creeps. My hands on his fur tightened. "D-Did you... Did you just... s-say..."

"You are really weird, Princess." The voice came again as he huffed. My eyes widened even more.

Is this...real?! He is talking? He has voice?! B-But... how?!

Yulen purred. I flinched.

"But despite you being so weird, you're still the most beautiful princess in my eyes, Princess Ciara..."

GOODNESS GRACIOUS, THIS WOLF IS TALKING WITH A DEEP AND MANLY VOICE?!!

For the nth time today, I felt unconsciousness leaving my body. And I hope that when I woke up, this is all a dream. Everything!