14 The Betrayal #2

"James..," she whispered, choking on her words. She tried separating herself from the feelings that were washing over this body, but she couldn't.

The hand in her hair tightened and her scalp was screaming at her. "Now now, what did I tell you? No tears," He sounded sarcastic. He looked completely insane and deranged, not the same James she remembered. His suit was completely disheveled with half his shirt out of his pants. His shoes were completely soaked with blood alongside half of his trousers, and his face had a big gash going from his ear all the way to his forehead, dripping with blood and up-close, it looked like it was beginning to get infected.

Just, how long was she out?

"Look at you, scared as a lamb. But don't worry Munchkin, everything will go on just fine." He then let go of her hair. Her head was still bounding from the pain and she felt nauseous. "Now, don't be like your parents and tell me everything." He began caressing her hair as if petting a dog.

"My parents?"

He chuckled, "Yes, your parents. Won't you have loved seeing the look on their face as they died? We had a blast." His face was filled with crazed joy; he looked at her in a daze as if he was reenacting that scene in his head. She started feeling sick.

His eyes reminded her of the guard that had barged in the room. It was as if someone had possessed his body and mind and was affecting every limb.

James fell into the hands of fate.

"W-Why did you do that? My parents were always good to you; they kept you close and took care of you and your-"

"Oh shut it." He scowled. "Should I be thankful for the leftovers that your parents had given me? Your family had so much more, that they never let me know of, so much money and power-" She could practically see him drool. "-that could dominate a whole nation! Imagine!" He held her face between his hands and shook her.

She felt anger and fury run through her weakened body. Her body shook with unexplainable rage. She did something she had never done before. She spat on his face. "You're fucking delusional. You killed my parents because of greed?" She started fighting the restraint that held her. "You should rot in hell, all your family should-" Before she could continue cursing him, a massive force came down on her cheek, and it was so strong that all her body fell on the ground. Her leg was burning with pain.

"Oh, bloody bitch, you just should stay quiet like you were taught." Diana licked her lips and she tasted copper. She threw a glance at him.

She suddenly chuckled loudly. "Oh, how pathetic you are. The only way you could win against my family is by stabbing them in the back." She glared at him. "Once a dog, always a dog." The rage on his face told her that she hit the nail on the head. He then went on kicking her in the torso.

She coughed out blood and felt faint. She knew all of this was a mess and was mostly sure she was going to die anyway.

But she held onto the hope that maybe there was still a chance.

This miracle couldn't just stop here.

When James finished beating her up, he was panting and tried to adjust his suit. She was completely plastered onto the ground with her body still in restraint. Her mouth was full of blood, and she couldn't move an inch of her body.

He spat next to her head and said, "Wait here for your death. I'm going to enjoy torturing you as much as I did to your parents." He chuckled and moved away, shifting a chair closer to sit next to her body.

Her lungs were screaming at her as she breathed but she still coughed out a few words, "What time is it?" He narrowed eyes.

"Why, late for any party?"

Her hair covered most of her view and her lips and face were covered with dirt, yet she still asked again, "What time is it?" She took a deranged inhale, "Please,"

He rolled his eyes sarcastically. "Since you were extremely polite," He looked at his watch and said, "Five to nine." Then he looked at her. "Any other requests, princess?" He sneered and ignited a cigarette.

Her body was limp on the ground, and she could see the lamp blinking its light away. She groaned quietly as she tried moving her body. It felt as if knives were stabbing her sides. She oddly felt calm and her body was silent, it made her think that the feelings and emotions she went through moments ago were just an illusion.

Her vision was going from and out of a blur, and she could barely breathe.

He blew out smoke. "You know, I'm thankful that your father didn't teach you any of the spells," He chuckled. "The important ones I mean." He played with the cigarettes in his hands. "How pathetic is this faction really. They are unallowed to do anything with the power they have, just stand aside and guide the imperial family with their power"

"But no, no I can't let them waste such a thing. I'm extremely tired of hiding because your family just doesn't want to draw attention to themselves." Diana wanted to remind him that he wasn't part of their family. "Therefore, I destroyed the code. I told someone that could genuinely appreciate such a power, and luckily you had a Vision that distracted the family at the right time." He smiled at her fondly. "Aren't you such joy? If you had kept your mouth shut, then none of this would have happened."

She couldn't move her mouth anymore, and even if she could, she didn't want to. He, later on, grew bored of looking at her being unresponsive and threw the cigarettes on the ground before stepping on it and leaving.

All that was left were her and her thoughts. None of the guards came closer to her or talked to her. They abandoned her on the ground. Her hands were burning from the rope clasping them together, and she winced when she shifted her leg on accident.

Five to nine. That was what he had said to her. That meant only two hours and five minutes left — even less than that since some of it was spent on James' talk — before the clock was to strike midnight.

She saw an ant move by her body. It was such a small creature as it carried itself bit by bit with its food. It gave her no mind or attention as it held tightly into its source of life and minded its own business.

A slight smile bloomed on her face. What a lucky creature.

She started blinking, and she felt such a surge of power from merely looking at the ant. It was so small, extremely fragile, but it knew how to live and hideaway.

She started getting her breath in check. She remembered what James had said, he said her parents didn't teach her anything good, and that might have been correct but the thing was, Diana wasn't going to fight or protect anyone. She just wanted to weaken those bonds around her hands.

She willed her energy to her hands like she did when she tried opening the door. She hoped that this time it would work. She tried getting the power to form a bubble between her skin and the rope, but she failed.

She didn't know if the reason was she wasn't this Diana or if she was using it wrong, but she couldn't stop now.

'At least try.'

'You can't let this continue on.'

'Please.'

'Please anyone if you are hearing me.'

'Help.'

She was panting now, and blood surged out of the wounds on her wrists and any friction just made it burn even more.

She couldn't use her power; she was useless.

Diana had used every inch of power she had, so she could barely open her eyes now. Regrets filled her, and she felt she was stupid. Diana, what did we say about having high hopes in the first place? She was ready to give up everything and just sleep. All she wanted now was to rest.

Her body begged her to do so, to gradually let things go.

With one last blink from the lamp, she felt her eyes slowly fall close and her mind shut away, but before she could go into any deep sleep, someone started shaking her.

"Diana? Darling? Diana, please wake up."