Second Chance

"Ace! Wake up. Ace!" 

Gasping awake, Ace quickly looked around him, panic filling his entire being as he could not make anything out. His heart hammered to his chest as he remembered the hands that wove their way around his throat, crushing his windpipe. 

What … what happened? 

Slowly, his heart began to calm down and the memories of what happened only before flooded in his mind's eye. 

Cleo said something about being poisoned and … that fish. But … was the fish the one that poisoned me? 

A sharp pain came from the base of his neck as Ace moved slightly. 

What th-

BANG!

Something slammed against something at the right of Ace, startling the boy. He turned his head to see those same creatures looking back at him. 

What? 

"Are you alright, your highness?" he heard a voice ask and turned to see the general in the same position he saw him in before he fell asleep.