Manifested Nightmares

Xynnia and Kanna laid on the blankets that were sprawled across the hardwood floor of the empty living room. The windows were boarded not even letting the street lights in. Kanna was turned away from her sister who was simply staring at the ceiling. 

"Hey Xynnia," Kanna whispered into the dark room. "Are you awake?"

Xynnia exhaled heavily and said "Always." 

Hanna hesitated, she didn't want to even think about it. "What If they're right and it's really dad? What if we really have to fight our own father?"  Kanna questioned quietly.

Xynnia remained silent, she, quite frankly, didn't know what to say. Reaching up she touched the side of her neck that held invisible scars. According to this family what happened to her was her fathers doing. She looked over at Kanna, she could see the small of her back due to her cropped shirt. Some of the scars that marked her back was visible to Xynnia even in the dark. Kanna had scars everywhere, they littered her body and stained her skin. She felt her hand clench in anger, her teeth grounded.

After Xynnia didn't answer, Kanna turned over towards her sister thinking that she may have fallen asleep, but she wasn't. Although it was dark Kanna could see the anger boiling over Xynnia's face.

"What does it matter if it is, after what happened to us he doesn't deserve to be called father let alone get concern from us." Xynnia could feel that cold darkness layering over her. It coated over her veins and body, leaking to her heart and this time she welcomed it.

"You know we have to do something about this right?" Kanna said. She almost stayed silent but this family was enough of a strong example to convince Kanna that they couldn't just leave and run away. plus they were the princesses of this kingdom they couldn't just leave. That throne and these people where theirs and they could not leave them.

Xynnia didn't care about any of that, her heart had started being in cased with iron. She didn't care about 'saving' the people who didn't care for her. She only cared about one thing. "Whatever, all I care about finding out why," Xynnia than whispered to herself, "He will answer for what he did." She deserved the reason why and she would get it, even if it meant taking this kingdom down with her. 

Kanna felt the emotions of her sister and her brows furrowed. Her hand reached behind her finding her sister's hand. She intertwined their hands together, "Whatever happens, promise me we'll stay together." Kanna allowed her heavy eyelids to close and she fell asleep. 

Xynnia didn't sleep, couldn't sleep, she never slept. She stopped wanting to sleep a long time ago. The only time her eyes closed was if she passed out from sheer exhaustion and it took a lot to get her there. When she did sleep she remembered the lab. The tools, the cold table, and the people standing over her and she just couldn't do it. She could not bare the thought of being back on that table. She'd rather die. 

Sighing she unclasped her hand from Kanna before getting up towards the kitchen.

Silently, she padded her way to the kitchen for some water. Going through the door she surprisingly found Luca putting dishes away. 

Luca simply looked back at her and then turned back to the dishes.

Xynnia cleared her throat slightly before saying, "I was just getting a cup of water" 

Luca remained silent but grabbed a from the cabinet next to him and put it on the counter in front of her.

Xynnia muttered a thank you before reaching for the glass. Moving over to the sink to fill her glass, Xynnia looked back over to him. He was simply focused on his task. Putting the dried dishes back into the cupboards.

As she turned back to the sink, she heard a sigh. "couldn't sleep?" Luca asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Xynnia shrugged before filling her glass, "I don't sleep."

Luca nodded slightly, "Nightmares?"

Xynnia looked at him passively, the glass of water was cool between her hands. "Something like that, I guess."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Luca said, smiling slightly, " I mean keeping everything down and buried won't help anything and being in a place like those labor camps does hefty damage, y'know"

Xynnia remained silent, her gaze hardening.

Luca began to backtrack, "Sorry if that felt like I was pressuring you, you don't have to talk about that place if you don't wa–"

"I wasn't sent to the labor camps,'' was all Xynnia said before she sipped her glass, interrupting Luca's ramble.

"Oh, I thought you guys said that's where you were." Luca said quieter.

Xynnia shook her head slightly, "We were both sent to prison then we were taken individually, Kanna was taken to the labor camp. " Xynnia found herself chuckling quietly, " From princess to slave, how pitiful."

"Is that why Kanna has scars but you don't, you didn't go to the camp." Luca blurted. He wanted to slap himself in the face. He was intrigued with their story but he hated his own bluntness.

Xynnia finished her glass of water before huffing a breathe, " Yeah, after we were separated we only saw each other once every year." Xynnia's hands tightened around the glass. "They tried to break Kanna, physically punishing and demeaning her, but from what I've seen she's never broken, barely even bent, and now she has constant reminders of that perseverance and betrayal of her father"

"....what about you" Luca asked softly, " Do you have those reminders,"

Xynnia placed her empty glass in the sink, she knew better than to talk about it but something pushed her, " I was sent to their laboratory, The reminders I had

physically were either erased or misplaced" She smiled at luca before returning back through the kitchen door.

Leaving Luca to his own thoughts Xynnia walked quickly but quietly to the bathroom up the steps.Her hands were beginning to clam up and her breathing was becoming erratic. She hurriedly went in but was mildly surprised to fine aureila standing at the bathroom mirror. She didn't have a chance to react as Xynnia was already on the verge of a breakdown from her conversation with Luca, so she quickly tried to leave and find somewhere else. 

Xynnia's vision blurred, "Sorry for the intrusion" she said breathly. 

Aureila blinked in surprise but quickly responded, grabbing Xynnia's hand. "Wait. Are you okay?"

Xynnia's hand clenched and then opened twice as if she was holding something back. A wave of pain whipped across Xynnia's head causing her to become dizzy. She took a step towards the bathroom door but she stumbled. 

"H-hey" Aureila let, she saw Xynnia wobble as she tried to put one foot in front of another. 

Xynnia grabbed at her chest and her breathing quickened. Her body became increasingly heavy and her mouth dry. "I-I cant breath" She huffed.

Aureila grabbed Xynnia's shoulders to support her, "Xynnia? Xynnia can you hear me?! Your hyperventilating, you have to calm down."

Xynnia barely registered her words as the room spinned around her, the small bathroom turned white in her vision. Looking around all she could see was white walls. Panic seized her, in some place in her head she knew she wasn't back there but it didn't help.

She wanted to scream and cry but she couldn't, nothing worked. Her throat burned as she tried to gulp down air. She saw another figure in front of the white walls. The figure was so slurred Xynnia couldn't tell who it was so she fought back against them.

Luca had heard commotion as he was headed back to his room. His talk with Xynnia left him feeling uncomfortable. The same family he'd cursed so much had gone through more than he had. But now here he was pinned against the wall trying to stop Xynnia. 

Her hands pushed him into the wall, her strength was immense and his arms trembled at the weight of it. Aureila was grasping at her abdomen, trying to pull her away from him. 

Xynnia's eyes were lifeless except for the ring of white that circled her eyes. "Xynnia " Luca grunted, "Xynnia can you hear me?" He called out to her again but her eyes saw through him.

There was no response, Luca closed his eyes before letting his Imperium flow through his body a little. This gave him enough to push her off of him and grasp her hands, "Aureila your going to have to subdue her."

 Xynnia thrashed and writhed crazily to get out of his grip. "Let me go," She growled in his face. "Let me go." Her growl turned into somewhat of a plea. Luca faced her and he saw a tear trace her cheek. His eyes widened slightly, it almost felt forbidden to see Xynnia cry. His eyes locked with hers as she let out a small help. As if she could finally recognize him. 

Xynnia's eyes locked with sharp gray eyes with silver ringlets and her Imperium responded. She reached out for familiarity, grasping at it with all her might. She knew those grey eyes were safe. "F-felix help me" her broken voice was like sharp glass.

Luca's eyes widened at the name of his brother, biting his lip he let go of her arms and pulled her into his grasp. It was his fault she was like this, his fault she was crying. 

Xynnia felt warmth, her entire body felt the cold recede as it was it with a wave of heat. The white walls she fought began to fade, the blinding light returned to the dull shine of the bathroom. Her body that was once panicking calmed as the weight of his body pressed into her. Hot tears burned down her face as she pressed her hands into her face. She couldn't stop the tears, so instead of trying to stop it she just wept.

Grabbing her arm, Aurelia's teeth sunk into Xynnia's wrist as Luca held her. She allowed some of her toxicant to release into Xynnia's body.

Xynnia felt her body loosen, the vision of that room had faded.

The amount Aureila put into her was only enough to let her sleep easier.

Luca felt Xynnia's body had begun to slump in his hold. Her heartbeat slowed from its quickened pace and her breathing was no longer labored. He knew aurelia was also helping this. He didn't understand at first but now he did, her nightmares were her reminders and those reminders were mental scars. Scars so deep they're almost impossible to heal and he had widened the wound just a little with his questions. She had nightmares, very real nightmares that manifested into more.

"You can go ahead and get to bed Aureila, I'll handle things from here."

Auriela nodded, she got up to leave but felt a hand on her arm

Xynnia looked up at her, "Thank you, both of you." Xynnia could barely see them as her consciousness was beginning to fade, "Please don't tell Kanna," and with that Xynnia's eyes closed and she fell into Luca's arms fully