Hero by Mariah Carey

It has been two years since Réal disappeared. After what happened, my family and I got arrested. I went through a very rigid investigation. But I kept my last promise to him. Even they tortured me, they couldn't get a word out of me. I constantly told them I knew nothing and that he jumped right through the portal without a second thought. At 13, I was a palace prisoner. My parents were cleared since they were in the palace attending to the King when it happened. They were forced to leave me in Priso (prison) and the worst part, they went through Mindclear, making them forget that they had a daughter. It made me cry for endless nights within the two years I've been held up.

I wasn't just any prisoner. I was a special one. They held me up in a white room. It looked like heaven, but it was surely not one if it makes you insane. It made me feel dead and lonely. I was about to give up. I don't belong here in Priso. Why would I suffer for someone who turned his back on everyone else, including me?

Then, there were footsteps. Many of them. It was the first time in a year since I had faced a real human presence. All who had been checking on me or questioning me was a virtual royal guard. There wasn't a door anywhere in this room. So it surprised me when something opened at the far end of the room.

The King. Following him were a dozen royal guards dressed in seamless gray suits. I got up and stood beside my bed. One guard coughed "Bow". Out of impulse, I fell to my knees, bent and rested my head on the cold floor. I must have looked insane already.

In a very dark, deep voice, the King commanded. "Up." I stood up slowly and weakly.

He nodded at his Prime Guard who wore an extra grayer suit. He snapped his fingers and out of nowhere a divine white table and a chair popped out of the floor. The King sat on the chair across from me.

"Gabriela Sila. Convicted of aiding my son's exile from Kingdom Uno."

The King stared at me with a stern face. He was different. He was bolder and surprisingly younger than I imagined. He was dressed in his normal royal attire, a shiny red silk suit with all the military medals everywhere on his chest.

"I'm going to get straight to the point. But let me look at you... you don't look like a 15-year-old criminal."

The King sized me up with his angry eyes. Then he laughed, surprisingly loud yet obviously pretentious. He abruptly stopped midair and went back to his serious face. I looked at him through my sleepy eyes.

"Listen up, low life criminal. You're going to be executed tomorrow because…"

Then, he stood and slammed the chair on the table. All of us, including the guards, jumped in place. Well, his temper hasn't changed at all.

"My only son, the prince, the only heir to the throne, is still missing!"

His fair complexion turned all red. "And you worthless brat did that all to him! Where do you get your conscience to sleep at night when you don't know where the hell he is? He might be living in hell right now, and it's all your fault!"

The King was incessantly pointing his finger at me. It was like daggers and bullets shot through me. He calmed down and composed himself.

"If you're not going to say anything, you're useless. Not only as a prisoner, but your very presence is worthless. Now, you and your parents will be publicly executed tomorrow morning before we get off again for another rescue…"

Those words woke me up. I, my parents...executed. No, not my parents.

"King, I beg you, not my parents. You've taken them away from me already. Isn't it enough? Please. No...no…" I sob and fell to his feet, pleading.

He kicked me off, grabbed my thin collar and pulled me up. He pushed me against the wall and choked me. I was struggling for breath and I felt my whole body get numb and hot. I grasped his right hand and tried to take it off me. He held me up in one hand, my feet flailing in the air.

"I'm just gonna kill you right here. Why wait for tomorrow? You took away my son so I'll take away everything from you including your worthless life," he screamed at me, small spits flying to my face.

As of the moment, my mind was going on and off only to see my parents' faces and Rèal turning back away from me. I can't save you anymore, Rèal, not when my parents are going to die for my mistakes.

Weakly, I mumbled, "Da…...lum. Dal....lum...Dalum."

The King froze and let me go. I fell to the floor almost lifeless. Out of nowhere, I felt a very hard blow on my stomach. It damn hurt so much that I felt the hard shoe go through me. Two royal guards held me up. I now can't stand on my own. One more hard punch to my face and stomach. One became ten.

"You've got the guts to tell me now! Only now!"

The King yelled as he threw another heavy punch on my stomach. As my head hung down, I saw a pool of blood coming out of my mouth. I thought I wouldn't make it. But then, I had to save Mother and Father. The King pulled my hair up, looked at me like he was going to kill me.

"He's been in Dalum all this time and you didn't tell anyone! Did you wish to kill my son?" another hard blow.

I didn't have a bit of strength left. I was dying. All of a sudden, Prime guard's interface popped up. A virtual royal guard showed up. The interface was red. Red meant emergency.

"Prime Guard Emilio. Emergency! Full alert emergency. We are under attack!"

It caught all the attention in the room, especially the King. The king immediately left me to the guards and opened up his own interface.

"Full status alert. We are under attack!" reads from the King's interface. Another virtual guard showed up in front of the King. The virtual guard was unstable...crashes and booms could be heard from the interface.

"We are under attack, your Highness. Attackers are Dalums. They brought with them a hundred armed airships. They have just destroyed our defense dome. Their war technology is something we've never seen before!..." Then, a loud bang was heard and the IF (interface) turned off.

The King was now terrified and furious. "How on New Earth could the Dalums afford to attack us! We are the Capital Kingdom! Emilio, alert the neighboring kingdoms."

Then, the King turned to me and squeezed my mouth. "Did you know anything about this?" I tried to move my head to say no but he slapped me hard. "Of course, you don't fucking know...let her go."

Oh, thank you. Go, save the kingdom.

When I looked up, King was still there holding up a gun. He pointed it at me. Holding on for my life and for whatever is left. I crawled away from them, but a loud bang stopped me. Now, nothing was left of me. Only my cold body and a warm pool of blood.