The Black Dragon of Darkness

Seira left the kitchen carrying a tray of coffee with her heart pounding against her chest. Her feet moved briskly to the stairs. The faint light of sconces in the hallway were her only source of light. The almighty prince ordered her to make a coffee in the middle of the night. There was no one in the kitchen and the lights were all turned off that made her make coffee in a flash as the ambiance became suddenly chilly and eerie. The silence and darkness of the castle was making her nervous.

Just as she was about to step on the rung of the stair, a faint sound of ticking in her pocket made her shriek, stepping back abruptly. With a deep breath, she took out the pocket watch in her pocket dress. The small watch did give her a moment of heart attack there.

She squinted her eyes, trying to discern the time on the small watch. Her eyes widened when the hand showed 10:50. It's just 10 minutes and it's already 11:00 but here she was, standing in front of the long stairs.

"Oh God" she mumbled, frantically putting back the watch and climbing the stairs.

After three quick knocks, she opened the door, slowly walking to the desk of Kyrian with her hand holding the tray with a coffee. She carefully set down the coffee to the side when her hand accidentally hit the picture frame behind. Impulsively, her other hand tried to save the picture from falling causing her to hit the cup. The hot water spilled all over her hand. She frantically pulled out her hand; hissing as a burning pain erupts from her skin. But it is just then everything that sinks in to her. The black liquid spilled over the table. Papers were damp and stained. Her heart started to pound nervously as she slowly looked up "I'm sorry, Your Highness!"

Kyrian shut her eyes tightly to control her anger; clenching his jaw. He grabbed Seira's hand so hard that she winced in pain. "Do you think I need your lame words to show regret?!"

Seira didn't respond. It seems like her voice was trapped. She was trembling as fear climbed up to her body. Do something. She needs to at least defend herself but she was glued to her position.

Kyrian caressed his hair, trying to calm his nerves to not kill the woman. He grabbed Seira's chin, pulling her to look at him "Fail again one more time and you will not live in this place in one month" he deadly said, pushing her to the table in the middle of the couch.

Blood trickled down on Seira's head as she roughly hit the hard, solid surface of the table. She bit her lower lip, suppressing the scream that wanted to come out. It was so painful that drops of tears promptly escaped from her eyes.

"Leave"

She shudders to the cold voice of Kyrian. Pain shoots up in her head as she tries to get up on her feet, bowing. As soon as she closed the door, she collapsed on the floor. Tears flowed in her cheeks as pain throbbed in her head and arm. Using the wall to stand up, she unsteadily walked trying her best to make out the way to the quarters.

As soon as she reached the front door of the quarter, she twisted the doorknob but it didn't budge. It's locked?! She tried again but it is still locked. The loud ticking sound resonating in the palace made her turn to the hallway she came from. The sound indicates only one thing, it's already 11:00. She frantically knocked on the wooden door with her heart racing.

"Please, someone please open the door! Bella! Almira!" she yelled behind the door but there was still no response nor sound of any movements on the other side.

She bit her nails as frustration and fear was getting on her. As if on cue, she remembered the window in their room. She then runs on the door that will lead her outside on the field to the backyard where the window can be found. Ignoring the pain in her head, she runs without looking at her sides and only straight ahead, afraid to see something in the dark but the night seems to have stored something for her. Her left upper arm suddenly hurt, followed by a ringing sound. She covered her ears but the sound of an ear shuttering ringing still vibrated in her earhole. Her vision suddenly became blurry resulting from her falling to the ground with both hands covering her ears. Tears gathered up on her eyes, rolling down on her cheeks.

"Ahhh!" she screamed as the sound and the burning pain from her arm right where her mark was located didn't stop. Between her eyelashes, she made out the wall that she was sure was their quarters in the far distant. She put her hand on the ground to lift herself up, moving her feet unsteadily in the direction. All of a sudden the ringing sound stopped but was replaced by a loud and deep flapping sound of wings and the rumbling sound of the ground that made her stuck on her feet. The burning pain was still not subsiding a bit but she ignored it as her racing pulse was all she could feel. A cold gust of wind that made her shudder moved past her. Her hair sweeps along the wind.

"Don't look back, don't look back" she chanted to herself, sensing a presence on her back. The once full radian bloom moon was now hiding in the clouds. There were no stars and only the ambient darkness was in the sky.

She took a step forward but instantly stopped when felt a thick air in her side. In instinct, she moved back but the feeling of air was still lingering on her. Just as she thought of running, a force pulled her from the back, slightly knocking an air out of her until she was thrown in the middle of the field. Her skin scraped on the grass.

*COUGH*

She hissed in pain; slowly sitting up but her heart dropped at the sight in front of her. Red eyes of a demon were staring directly at her. A large black serpentine with four legs, sharp claws, scales that resembles the carp, with heavy wings with spikes on it was in front of her. A freaking dragon! Is this her end?

She shakily glided backward, her eyes with unshed tears were fixated on the creature. It is then she remembered her conversation with Almira. A black dragon who was the protector of the element of darkness—Tenebris!. Don't tell me this is that creature?!.

"Ple-please d-don't kill me" she mumbled.

"Covek kako tebe sto nema magija ne moze da ne kontrolira" (A human like you that have no magic will never be able control us)

Seiras' eyes widened when she heard a gruff and growl coming from the monstrous creature in front of her. She shakes her head, not understanding any single word of as she never heard the language before.

"I don't understand," she said, her voice shaking from fear. Dread fluttered in her stomach. Sweats was trickling down on the side of the other face as she stared at the black dragon before her.

"Bozicata pogresi sto te izbra tebe" (The sky made a mistake to chose you)

"Please, I don't—I don't know what you're saying"

"Treba da umrete pred da ja ispolnite vasata starvezda prekrsena sudbina" (You should die before you fulfill your star-crossed fate)

The black dragon raised its feet, unwarningly lunging one of its claws on Seira who was too shocked and blinded with fear to move. When the claw a few inches away from her, she shut her eyes, moving her head to the side.