2 Chapter 1

I woke with a start. My body covered in cold sweats. Another dream it would seem, but the feeling felt too familiar to be a dream. Battle cries filled the room through the opened window. I looked out, the night sky were tainted in deep red, the colour of blood. In one swift action, I put on my coat and ran out of my quarters. Without hesitation, I headed straight towards my sister's bedroom, desperately wanting to verify my fears. Outside, the hallway was thick with the smoke, and the walls were splattered with darkened blood. The hallway was empty, it seemed the servants were already on the run. It did not take long before the smoke started suffocating me. It hurt to breathe but I dare not back down, stopping would only mean death. As I strained to see the path before me, a dark silhouette closed in on me. Standing before me, the man raised his hand to reveal the insignia on his medal, blue and black strips. It was General Ronan. He knelt and bowed, his hand was over his heart, a pledge of his loyalty to me.

"Your Highness, we have to get you out of the castle immediately. Your sister's at the dungeon waiting for us." He said, before offering his hand to guide me. I did not hesitate, knowing what had happened as his words confirmed the visions I had were not dreams.

"Who's behind all this?" I asked in a stern tone.

"It's the noble families, Your Highness. Lord Deighton's leading them. They're planning to overthrow the King." General Ronan replied, his eyes reflecting his worries. Noting his words, I fastened my pace, deep in my heart I knew, there was nothing I could do to stop a massive rebellion, it was too late to call for a cease-fire.

According to General Ronan, my sister had ordered to rendezvous at the dungeon region. The very mention of the word sent fear down my spine, just like my visions, I thought. The dungeon was a long way from my quarters. We had to go down at least three spiral staircases before arriving at the dungeon. The prisoners were making riots in the dungeon cells, yelling and kicking. Their howling echoed through the hollow space, making the dungeon appear more haunting than it already was. In the dimly-lit dungeon, Lyn's gold robe was the first thing that came to view as we turned the corner. Panting, she had a fire torch in one hand, her body was covered in sweats. Her gray orbs flickered in the darkness, betraying her fears. She turned, hearing our footsteps, a smile formed on her lips. But her smile disappeared as soon as it appeared.

"Now, Ronan. This is the part where you bring Adina out of the castle. Only Adina." She barked the order at General Ronan, her words fiercer than usual. Lyn was always the happy-go-lucky kind of princess, she was kind to the servants, never once did I see her yelling at them. This side of her was foreign, even to me.

"What do you mean? We're getting out of here together, Lyn." My words trembled gravely. When the first tear dropped, I could not hold back the others that followed. Soon enough, I was drenched in tears just as I did in my visions. Lyn stretched out her hand to caress my cheeks. She put on the same smile she had in my visions, the tears in her eyes felt real when it trickled before me.

"Adina, you…" I cut her off, not wanting to hear the words. If she did not say the words from the vision, maybe the future would change. She would go with me. But even then I knew, it would only be a pathetic lie.

"No, I know what you're going to say and I'm not letting you." I punched lightly on her chest, mirroring the despair inside.

"All the more reason for me to stay here. Lord Deighton intends to keep you as prisoner. He knows you're the Forseer." She snapped back.

"But that doesn't explain why you shouldn't come with me!" I yelled, feeling impatient. I felt insecure knowing despite the effort, she would still refuse my plea.

"He doesn't recognize your face. He only knows of your existence." As her last word dropped, my eyes widened at the realization of her plans. My lips parted, wanting to spout any reason to stop her nonsense, but her caress silenced me.

She pulled me into her embrace, her fingers were trembling as they rubbed against my hair. Her lips were close to my ears, so close I could even hear the sudden pauses in her breaths. And just like my visions, her words felt cold beside my ears.

"I'll protect you."

I pushed back, grabbing her by the hand. I was desperate, I thought there was a possible way for the both of us to get out of this place. But I could not be more wrong. Lyn gestured to General Ronan, who then forcefully paralysed me by hitting the back of my neck. My grip loosened on her hand, my eyelids felt heavy. Her figure blurred before, even in her last moments she still stand tall like a noble should.

My protest sounded weak, failing to reach even her. Even in my dreams, her embrace felt vivid. But deep in my heart I knew, it would be the last time for the both of us.