Drip
As the sweat dripped from my face onto the floor, I had no choice but to acknowledge that this was real. The world around me and the crazy man in front of me pointing his sword at my neck are all very real.
"Do you admit to your crimes, killing the future crown prince to take his place at the throne?"
'What the hell is going on??'
"W-wait—"
Cough , Haaa , Haaah
I tried to speak but my throat was burning with intense pain and as soon as I opened my mouth blood poured out and I began a fit of panicked coughs.
"Tsk- Pretending to be pitiful even in your last moments?"
The man spoke in disgust as he brought his sword up and with a motion so swift and fast that I didn't even realize what had happened, He cut my head off.
"Well, what was I expecting from the likes of you? Hopefully in your next life you will change your ways.."
He spoke as he reached into his pocket and took out a white and gold handkerchief and whipped his bloodied sword clean with it. Then, he tossed the dirty rag down near me and turned around, followed by 3 people that I had no idea who they were. 2 tall men, and a maid. As I watched the world around me moving in slow motion, the ground now becoming the sky and the sky became the ground, my vision faded and my thoughts did too, before I knew it everything had gone dark and silent.
Gaah—
I woke up and immediately grasped my hands around my throat, it took me a moment to come to my senses, my heart still pounding in my chest and my breathing ragged. Only after I began to calm down did I take my surroundings in. I sat outside, covered in snow and blood.
"W-where… am I?"
My voice came out weakly and dryly. I coughed into my hand and noticed how small they were. From how short my arms were and small my hands were, I couldn't help but assume that I had to be no older than 7 at most. I weakly stood up and stumbled forward.
'Is that..?'
I tilted my head slightly and looked at the burning castle in front of me, and the snow that had the bloodied and dismembered bodies of several other men, women, and even a few children. Then it hit me.
'I-is this…— that man said that I killed the crown prince.. Then is this when he dies?'
"Y-young master.."
Breaking me out of my thoughts, was the sound of a weak choked voice calling out to me. I looked down and a woman who looked no older than 20 with shoulder length chestnut brown hair and green irises reached out to me, her pale skin becoming even more pale as the blood began to drain out of her body and face. She weakly reached out her hand and pointed towards the forest that I had woken up near.
"P-please run, don't get…. C-caught"
My heart ached as I watched her, bending down to hold her hand, my own hands shaking violently, I don't know if it's because of the freezing winters cold winds and snow or because of fear or maybe a bit of both, but as I gripped her hand that had become as cold as ice I spoke, feeling hot tears running down my cheeks.
"I can't… I- I can't leave yet."
'I don't know who it is or where he is but.. the crown prince has to be inside somewhere. Inside of that burning castle.'
"I- I have to save him."
As if immediately understanding who I had been referring to, the maid shook her head, tears rolling down her cheeks as she tried to push me away.
"Young master please.. Yo-you have to.. get away. At l-least.. you. Y-your brother must.. already be—"
Cough , Cough , Heuk-
She didn't get to finish her sentence before she began violently coughing up blood, the sound and sight made me flinch back involuntarily. My body began shaking more but this time I knew the cause. Fear and remembrance, knowing that my life had recently just come to an end in a similar way to this woman, coughing up blood, dying unable to do anything about it at all.