Chapter 32

"No, Stella. Why did you kill her!?" I shouted whilst sobbing.

"Simple. Because she was your so-called friend. Oh, and you know Sabrina? Let me tell you... her body was used by me." Shasha said.

'What? So Sabrina wasn't Sabrina ever since from the beginning? It was her all along?'

"You..."

I was totally left speechless by all of the revelation I just received. I couldn't find exact words to tell her.

"I wanted to at least give you a meaningful death. So tell me, how do you want to die?" She asked.

'This is crazy. She's totally insane right now.'

"No one can find you since I erased your presence using black magic. So there will be no one to save you right now-"

"Anna!"

I heard a familiar voice and discovered that it was Leo.

"Leo!" I yelled.

"What's going on right now!?" Shasha shouted.

***

-In the Imperial Palace-

"Anna!" Leo shouted.

Everything inside the palace right now was pure darkness. It was much more dark since it was already night time.

After a while, light magic weilders produced light to make everyone see everything once again.

Leo glanced around and saw that everyone inside the palace were still intact except for one person.

Moriana.

"Where's my lady?!" Justin stepped in.

"Your highness. I can feel it. It's black magic." Richard ran towards Leo.

"Dammit. Duke, can you trace Anna right now?" Leo asked.

"Yes. Even though the curse was lifted up, I can still trace a bit of dark magic weilders."

Richard did his best in feeling Moriana's presence and he finally found it.

"Follow me your highness."

"Leo, what's going on right now? Where's Moriana?" The emperor abruptly asked.

"Your Majesty. Anna was taken by some sorcerer-bandits. I detected her presence and we were about to find her." Richard said.

"What?! Bring the royal knights with you for back up. I give you permission to go right now." The emperor stated.

The three of them bowed and left.

They let Richard took the lead in finding Moriana and the royal knights then followed later on.

'Please be safe Anna.' Leo prayed in his mind.

After running for a while they finally found her in the middle of the forest.

"There they are!" One of the knights yelled.

***

"Anna!"

"Leo!"

He sprinted towards where I currently was and hugged me.

"Thank goodness you're safe." He whispered.

"But... How?! How did you find her?! DAMN IT! I totally erased her presence but how?!" Shasha suddenly yelled.

"Silence. You are to be executed for treason immediately. You have no more reason to live base on the crimes you did." Leo stated.

"No! I did this because of you! Leo! I love you ever since childhood. I was your playmate back then! Don't you remember me?" Shasha said.

"You are out of your mind. Bind this wench right now." Leo said.

"Ha. HAHAHAHAHAHA! I can't believe this! You really think I did all of this unprepared? Simon. Call the others." She laughed like a madman in one moment and whispered something in a low voice after.

Suddenly, there were hooded men that surrounded us.

"Sorcerer-bandits! Attack at once!" The captain of he knights said.

Everyone started attacking each other including Justin and Richard.

Blood were shed and I just saw all of that scene happen in one glance.

"Don't look." Leo covered my eyes with his hands.

I closed my eyes and covered my ears.

All I did right now was to cry like a child since I was feeling frightened. I didn't want all of this to happen.

I only wanted a normal life.

But things weren't always going my way.

At first when I was threatened, I tried to hide the fact that everything will be alright and there was no reason to be afraid since that was normal.

But fear eventually haunted me.

I started to hear things every night. A single noise was enough for me to wake up and I feel like there was someone watching me.

That's why I always seek for Justin or Kelly's presence whenever I needed.

They might not know this but behind those smiles and laughter I showed, there was actually a hidden secret that they haven't known.

Leo, Justin, Richard, Kelly, Mom, Dad and even Stella never knew that I experienced trauma.

And right now, my hands were trembling like crazy and tears kept flowing out of my eyes and Leo's hugged gave me comfort.

"It's alright. Everything will be back to normal." Leo comforted me.

Maybe things will turn around for better this time.

After the thorn is plucked out of the rose, it will finally be safe to hold.

I truly hope so.

.

.

Suddenly, everything went quiet.

"We're finished your highness." Richard said.

"We've killed the others who attacked us but also binded some for interrogation." Justin added.

"Good. How about Lady Patricia?" Leo asked.

"She's over there." Justin pointed at her.

Shasha's body was tied with a rope and she just bowed her head.

I gathered all my strength to stand up but stumbled after. It was fortunate that Justin caught me.

My eyes felt heavy from crying since earlier.

"Are you alright my lady?" He asked in a worried tone.

"Yes. I just want to talk to her a bit." I replied.

"No. She might do something to you." Richard said.

"Huh? She's tied up right now. I'll be alright. Thank you." I insisted.

I walked towards her and squatted down to reach her eye level.

"Shasha." I whispered.

"Don't call me that you scum." She muttered in a low voice. "You stole him from me. If only you didn't show up, that spot would have been mine." She gritted her teeth.

I just fell silent at her words.

"He- hehehehehe." She suddenly started laughing all of a sudden.

It was the moment I realized that she stabbed my chest with a dagger.

'How!?"

"Ahck!" I shouted in pain.

"Anna!!" Leo shouted.

"My lady!"

"Anna!"

I didn't bother pull out the dagger since it was dangerous but it was already too late.

Blood already came out from my flesh and I tried my best to cover it up but blood still kept flowing.

"Euk-" A lot of blood puked from my mouth and my head kept vibrating.

"Hahahahahaha!! That dagger has the most incurable poison! You think I've lost?! You're wrong bi-"

Leo immediately sliced off Shasha's neck and her head went flying.

"Anna, hold it together okay? Do you still hear me? Call the healer immediately!!" Leo's voice trembled while holding me in his embrace.

'Magic! I still have healing magic!'

I did my best to produce healing magic but....

Doctors can't cure their own illness.

"Anna? Hey, you're gonna be alright. Just, don't close your eyes okay? Hold it in just until the healer arrives." He said while tears came out from his eyes.

My eyes were open and I didn't get to close my them.

"That's right, don't close your eyes- Anna? Hey,"

Leo checked Moriana's breathing but he didn't feel any air coming out fom her.

"Anna? Can you still hear me? Why aren't you saying anything?"

Leo looked at Moriana's purple lifeless eyes and noticed that her eyes weren't moving.

Her eyes remained open and her face was already white. Pale white. He can't see the usual redness from her lips and the usual brightness from her eyes.

Her body lied motionless in his embrace and fresh blood kept flowing out from her chest.

"No, Anna please move at least a little bit. Please say something. You can close your eyes and rest for a while so please..."

"NO! You can't leave me like this! We still need to get married and I still haven't said 'I love you' to you, I still want to do many things with you, I still want to gow old with you! Don't leave me!"

Leo mourned as he hugged Moriana's lifeless body.

"My lady.. she's already gone."

Leo stopped sobbing and carried Moriana's body in a bridal style.

"Let's return to the imperial palace. The whole empire will mourn for their future empress. I will still be married to her even though she's already dead." Leo said.

When all of them returned to the palace, Moriana's parents were denying the news about Moriana.

They didn't believe that such thing happened to their child.

When the truth struck them to their very core, Moriana's parents fainted.

The day after Moriana died, Kelly mourned for her lady's death. Not only her but the entire empire just like what Leo said.

Justin and Richard still couldn't believe that Moriana was gone and they couldn't do nothing but mourn for her.

Leo remained lifeless and couldn't move on until the day he was crowned as the emperor.

He didn't marry again since Moriana was still the empress under his command and verdict.

In the end, they were married to each other yet couldn't see each other.