Chapter 1 Chained Prince
“Saera…”
“Happy Birthday, Saera…”
I woke up because of a voice calling me. I tried to force myself back to sleep, but every time it called my name, it got louder.
I mustered the courage to leave my room, quickly turned on the light, and hurried downstairs to follow the person's voice.
“Who are you? Grandma?” I asked nervously.
“Saera…” I immediately looked behind me, but no one was there. I could only clutch my chest, feeling nervous.
“Saera…”
My eyes automatically turned to the direction of the bathroom. I took a deep breath and stepped forward bravely. If I didn’t recognize the person calling me, I knew it would continue to disturb me.
When I opened the door of the huge bathroom, a clear mirror reflected my own image. I didn’t know what pushed me closer to it, and when my hand almost touched the large mirror, I swore when my reflection disappeared, and instead, I saw a chained man with his head bowed.
“You’re hallucinating, Saera…”
I forced myself to look again, and this time my reflection appeared. I sighed and turned away from the mirror but I was pulled back when two familiar faces greeted me with smiles. They were the strange people from my dream.
“Happy Birthday!” said the beautiful woman and the gray-haired man together.
I was surprised when they pushed me on both shoulders. I closed my eyes as I started to fall into an unknown place.
Am I falling? Can you even fall in our bathroom? Where did they push me? Did I fall through the mirror? I raised my right hand as if I could grab something, but I was still falling into an abyss I didn’t understand.
I landed on something soft I couldn’t explain. What did I fall onto? I couldn’t see clearly, especially without the mirror.
Shit.
It was so dark, I could hardly see anything. I tried to stand and walk to check if I fell badly. I was grateful my body felt okay.
I hugged myself against the cold wind. It’s too cold. My body hairs stood up when I heard water dripping softly from somewhere.
“Where am I?” I asked myself.
I felt like the main character in a horror movie, not knowing where I was. And at any moment, a spirit could appear in front of me. I forced my thoughts away from those bad ideas. I shouldn’t scare myself like this.
I felt something strange. My feet were wet because I was standing in water.
Why is there water here? I muttered a small thanks because my house slippers didn’t leave my feet.
When I noticed a small lamp hanging on the wall, I took it to light my way. But when I removed it to look more closely, I felt something hot on my feet.
Tears streamed down my face. I cried. Why am I in this place?
“Blood…”
My feet weren’t in water, they were in a river of blood. What kind of dream is this? I tried to move, but it felt like my feet were stone. What’s going on? Why haven’t I woken up? I couldn’t take this dream anymore. Please, grandma, wake me up.
I shivered more when I noticed something in the bubbling river of blood. I didn’t know if I could watch it.
I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to run, but my feet felt stuck. The bubbling grew faster. My heartbeat also raced.
I screamed when something suddenly grabbed my feet. I fell and almost peed myself as the red blood covered me completely.
“Shit! No no! Wake me up.”
I felt the pull continuing. What is happening? I tried to see what was pulling me, but I regretted it.
“Ahhhh! Let go of me!”
What kind of animal is this? Big red eyes, black hairy skin, and a mouth full of saliva. What is happening to me?
Why do I see these things? I stomped my feet, but it didn’t work, and it kept pulling me. I felt weak. Is this what they call a nightmare?
Blood filled my ears and nose. I could even taste it. Am I going to die here? I tried to hold the necklace given to me by my grandma.
“Grandma, help me. Wake me up… I don’t want this.”
I kissed the necklace and closed my eyes. It seemed the nightmare was trying to kill me. I couldn’t even finish school.
I let the hairy creature pull me. I had no choice, if I was going to die in a nightmare, I shouldn’t fight anymore.
I thought the pulling would last forever, but suddenly my feet felt warm. When I opened my eyes, the nameless creature was on fire. What just happened? I hurriedly pulled my feet because if I didn’t, I would burn. Why was it on fire?
I quickly got up and ran.
“I need to go back… I know there’s a way out. I should find the mirror, maybe I can wake up…”
While running, I noticed another light. I chose to follow the light. I needed to run, to get out. I ran faster when I heard the loud groan of the creature chasing me.
Shit! Is it still alive?
While running, I could see a person. I stopped because of what I saw. Could this be the man I saw in the mirror? I couldn’t see his face clearly because his head was down. But what puzzled me was why he was chained and shirtless. Who is he?
Even though my eyes were blurry, I couldn’t help but admire his fit body.
But what about his bruises? Was someone trying to hurt him? Was he also captured by the creature chasing me? Should I help him?
I stepped closer to see his face. I slightly bent and bit my lip when I saw his calm face. His eyelashes were long, the nose perfect, and lips red. Who was this perfect man? And his skin, why did it look like it was shining under the lamp?
He was like a chained angel.
“Hi?” I said softly as I reached out to him.
But I fell back in shock when he opened his strange eyes. What’s wrong with him? He looked like he wanted to kill me with his stare.
“Why so scared?”
He struggled against his chains to reach me. I stepped back more because of his movements.
He’s so different. Suddenly, he changed. He’s not the person who slept earlier. He’s scary.
“What’s happening to you? Did a hairy creature bite you?” I asked nervously.
Then I knew I had to leave before I ended up like him.
“Cut the crap! Did they send you to me? You can’t entertain me like that, come near me.”
I didn’t understand what he meant.
“Seems you’ve gone crazy,” I muttered.
Perhaps it was because the hairy creature bit him.
He stared at me intensely. He looked so dangerous. I had to leave.
“Fuck! How stupid you are,” he said, trying to grab me.
He really was terrifying. And he called me stupid?
“Please, I need to wake up. I don’t like this nightmare anymore. Please wake me up, grandma, I don’t want to go crazy like him,” I whispered.
I closed my eyes to wake up, but when I opened them again, he was still chained in front of me. Damn.
“So they sent an actor to me today. Good! You got my attention. Now you can strip.”
I was shocked by his words. Did I hear it right? Was he asking me to undress?
“Or what’s the act? You’re my prostitute, right? Strip! Even that small chest… smooth enough.”
I hugged myself.
Idiot!
“Fuck!”
I stepped forward and slapped his cheek hard. But I quickly moved away in case he grabbed me.
He froze, and his stare grew intense.
“What’s your problem? Are you a woman or not?” he shouted. I didn’t recognize him!
“Shameless! You call me a prostitute! Fool! Crazy!” I shouted.
“Impudent! Don’t you recognize me? From which empire do you come? Don’t you recognize me?!”
I frowned when I saw the veins on his forehead bulging. He was insulted that I didn’t recognize him.
I was about to argue more when I noticed the hairy creature behind me. He caught up.
“Fuck! I might die.”
I was nervous. Which way should I go: toward the hairy creature or the man who seemed ready to eat me alive?
“Come on, pick your best choice. Reminder, we both bite,” the man said, bored.
What the fuck?
“I don’t want to. If I’m going to die here, then go.”
I closed my eyes, waiting for the hairy creature to attack me.
“Oh crap! Just feed me, before you die.”
Feed him? I looked at the man struggling to pull his chained arm, skin slapping against it.
I was shocked when he freed one hand and pulled me into a position to dodge the hairy creature.
If he hadn’t grabbed me, the monster would have eaten me.
“She’s mine…”
He was behind me, holding my right arm. I tried to escape, but he was too strong.
“What are you… doing..?” I asked as I felt the soft tongue on my neck.
“Hey. Stop!”
I hit his strong arm wrapped around me. I couldn’t do anything but cry while tightly holding his arm as the sharp pain pierced my neck.
What was he doing to me?
I started feeling weak. My vision blurred.
“Your blood…” his voice was curious.
I felt him lift me. I raised my hand to slap him. What did he do to me? Suddenly, I weakened. My weak tap on his cheek was all I could do. I couldn’t see anymore.
“I’ve been waiting for you, Yvaine Merriley…”