Prince of ruins

The blood on the sword brought silence to the masses. They watched in horror as the last royal took his final breath and with it a part of themselves. It's over. The obelisk glowed as Shakka sheathed the blade. It'd taken centuries, but everything he'd set out to accomplish was in his hands. Yes, the sacrifice was great, but it would not be in vain. For every drop of royal blood spilled, Shakka would change the world to fulfill everything it should be. "Hear me!" He yells. "The royals are gone, the thrones chained, and the crowns destroyed." On that day, magic started dying. Humans forgot their true nature and their connection to the rest of the world. Until it was all myth and fantasy. A dream no one was willing to admit they shared. Shakka created one kingdom under his rule and excluded humanity from it, deeming them unworthy of the gift of the truth. The thrones are chained, and the obelisk stands as a reminder that being born royal is a crime punished by death and that Shakka will know the second it comes to pass. Or so he thinks. Ashari Atreanous, the youngest son of dragon lord Nerva, has grown up like everyone else. In the dying era of Shakka's rule. His father, the lord of the north, is loyal to the king and claims Shakka's actions were necessary for the survival of their kind. Sheltered in the wilderness of his homeland Alaska, Ash craves to discover what the world is like. But, his family's strange obsession with keeping him hidden makes that difficult. From the day he was born, Michael Branker has been destined to become the next alpha of the Agantagv pack. With the pride of his parents and oldest son, Michael feels that his younger brother would make a better leader. Feeling that his path is meant to follow a different direction, his wolf urges him to seek it out. Freedom requires sacrifice and hope. This is the mindset, Kiro Milla's daughter believes in wholeheartedly. Raised to be free-thinking, opinionated, and serve those who have been left weak by cruel and unjust rulers. Vannessa is quick-witted, defiant, and more than willing to defend her family, her heritage, and the fact she's a hybrid southern dragon from anyone. Even the king himself. Stay in the shadows and hide from the light. That is the motto Bianca Antich has known since she was little. It's safer in the dark, where people assume the dark monsters dwell and don't come out into the sunlight. How can she when the bad people are waiting to snatch her from it? Just once, Bianca wants to live in the light, pretend she's allowed to breathe and be like everyone else. "I don't understand what's so bad with them." "I think the moon goddess made the wrong choice." "I will go to the ends of the earth to find my destiny." "Just once, I want to know what it's like to trust someone." When the winds of change hit and war calls Ash's heart to fight, something changes, and something many don't want to happen. When he learns the truth, will it be too late for Ashari? Will he be capable of stopping what he started? Does he want to? To awaken the dawn was to invite the end. But when it's your heart on the line, isn't it worth it to find what you've always been looking for? Content warning: LGBTQ+, polyamorous, language, violence, racism, sexism

TheSanuraka · LGBT+

Not enough ratings

44 Chs

Conflict

Bianca 1988

"Where were you?" My mother demands when I walk in. It was late. I didn't mean to stay at Steph's house for so long, but I fell asleep on the couch and then had dinner with them.

"I was with Stephanie," I mutter, I'm tired, and I don't want to argue with my mother. "I meant to be home sooner."

My mom purses her lips, crossing her arms in agitation.

"You were with her again?" Why does she make it sound so accusing? Like I've done something wrong by hanging out with my friend?

"Yes," I threw my bag on the table. "I went to Steph's house."

"In Chicago?" I can feel my mom's irritation turning to anger. "I've told you I don't want you so far away from the house."

"It's not that far," I sigh, walking past her to the kitchen.

"That isn't the point," My mom follows me. "You left the city."

"I was with my friend," I turn, trying not to get angry. "I was safe."

"Nowhere outside this territory is safe," She slams her hands on the kitchen island. "How many times do we have to have this conversation?"

"Daj, you act like I'm a little girl. I'm seventeen. I'm not stupid," I grit my teeth.

"I know you aren't, but you're still my daughter, and you will obey the rules of this house," She glares at me, and I know neither of us will back down.

"I don't want to be a prisoner here," I shoot back.

"Bianca, do you think this is about locking you away?" The power in my mom's voice is growing, but I don't flinch from it.

"Isn't it?" I purse my lips. "You don't let me go anywhere. I don't have any friends except for Stephanie. You won't allow anyone in the house. I can't dress as I want, and you expect me to accept that without questioning you."

"You think it's easy to stay so isolated?" My mom bites back at me. "Do you think I want to work in a job I hate? Do you know how hard it is to be away from your phuro?"

"Don't," I snarl. "Don't bring dad into this! If he wanted to be with us, he would!"

"He is protecting you!" My mom yells. "You can't resent him for that."

"Like hell I can't," I yell back. "He ran away because of some make-believe ruler?"

"That isn't true," My mom takes a step toward me. "It breaks his heart to be away from us."

"Really? He doesn't show it!" I cross my arms. "The king tells him he can only see us three months out of the year, and phuro obeys like Papo was a god."

"Bianca, do not disrespect your king," My mother warns.

"He isn't my king," I snapped, and it's like I slapped her. "He's your king, not mine."

"Take that back," she orders, but I shake my head in disgust.

"You want me to be afraid of someone I've never met," I remind her. "I don't know who any of them are, and I'm not like you."

"You think this is because we're Roma?" mom looks at me in disbelief. "We are Ge'llin, first and foremost."

"I'm an American, a human being!" I slam my fists on the counter. "I'm not part of a tribe or some long-lost magic fairies!"

"Bianca!" My mother cries out, but I'm already storming out of the kitchen.

I couldn't do this anymore. I was tired of living my life in fear of some magical monster that was supposedly hunting me down, fed up with looking over my shoulder for things that were supposed to be willing to kill me.

Life wasn't worth living if I had to live it like this. I understood we were in danger. How could I ever forget it? It was still on my hand, a constant reminder of what we'd escaped.

Slamming my door shut and locking it, I slide down to the ground.

"Bianca!" My mother bangs on the door. "Open this door."

"Leave me alone!" I yell, refusing to obey her.

Maybe I shouldn't be so angry, but I'd done nothing wrong. I went to my friend's house, that's all, and my mother acted like I'd run to our worst enemy and offered myself as a sacrifice.

"Bianca, please," My mother continues banging on the door. "Don't shut me out."

Didn't she see that it was her who'd shut me out? How much did she expect me to handle before it was too much? I was one person, mom had to see that, but she didn't.

No one did.

There were too many things, and I couldn't juggle all of them without losing my mind.

What was I? Was I a gypsy or a Ge'llin? A witch or human?

You couldn't pretend for so long as to think you'd be sane. I wasn't, and I don't know how to fix things.

"Bianca!" My mother's crying now, but I don't budge. "Please, princess, please."

No, I wasn't a princess. I would never be that. My father was the prince, not me. I was no one, and that's all I wanted to be. An ordinary human who lived life. With friends, school, and doing everything you're supposed to do at your age.

I was sick of being lonely.

My mom tries to force the knob open, and I'm glad of the amulet on the door. It prevents magic from being used in the room it guards. The only place in the house we can use is down in the basement. If I didn't, she would probably blast the door open.

Closing my eyes, I rest my head on the shaking door, not speaking a word.

The last time I cried was when we came to America. That was the last time I shed a tear, and I felt them threaten to escape.

The door stops shaking, but I know she's still there, her soft cries giving her away.

I open my eyes and turn to stare at the mirror. I'm not shocked to see my eyes aren't brown anymore.

Steel gray with veins of silvery-white. They look like they're glowing in the dark, but it's just the magic in my body showing itself.

There's too many secrets in my chest, and I want to scream.

Slowly, I get up and silently walk to my closet. Grabbing a large bag, I quietly packed some clothes.

There's a coldness in my heart while filling the bag. I don't want to do this. I don't want to run away like a coward, but I think I'll crack if I stay.

There was only one place I could go.

I think my mom moved away. She'd probably gone to find the key to the door. She didn't know I had it in here. Once she figures that out, she'll probably try to break the enchantment.

That'll take her a minute. The amulet was something I'd made myself, and it was always harder to break someone else's magic because your energy creates the link. It wasn't my best work, but it did the job.

Before I chicken out, I open my window and start climbing out. I guess there was an advantage in not being fully human. A two-story drop isn't that scary.

I hear my daj returning to my door, and it's now or never.

'I'm not Rapunzel.' I think to myself bitterly before jumping out of the window.

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