Heraiah

CHAPTER 3

“No,” I refused. Bliss quickly shifted her head to me with an eager look to really shoot me with the gun she was holding earlier. I gave her a slight smile to annoy her.

He leaned back at the seat and sighed, heavily. He fixed his eyes to me with a bore look. I gave him the same vibe he gave off. “Like you said, none of us can get through there, but you can.”

I groaned and covered my face with both my hands. “I don’t want to go back there,” I am really hesitant with the idea of me going back there. “What’s the plan even?”

“You are going to act.”

I laughed.

“Act you were taken in hostage which explains your disappearance, people will think you are vulnerable enough to not suspect on you,” Kino finished.

I rolled my eyes and tsked.

“Hera,” Arinica called, I looked at her and she had a small smile on her face. “You are the only one who can go undetected. No one would suspect you. You have connections and ties there, you are the favored lady.”

She was right, at some point. I am the favored lady in the kingdom, but that does not mean I want to go back there. I can’t tell if they looked for me that hard because I was a prestigious lady or because I was a criminal. It’s quite impossible to distinguish the differences, but I am sure to never go back there. I have connections and ties, sure. I thought about what she said, I am not totally undetected when I go back there.

“I am not totally undetected,” They turn their heads to me.

Bliss furrowed her eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

I sighed, “The night I came here, I met the crown prince. He saw me perfectly fine and he knows.”

“Knows what?”

“I’m an Airen,” I answered. They looked beyond confused. I answered their questioning look before they could even ask. “I don’t know, he just never reported to anyone he saw me.”

“He saw you?!” Bliss burst out without realizing.

“Yeah, I think he’s a wage,” I nodded and shrugged as well. I closed my eyes in frustration, I heard Bliss said oh and saying sorry for the outburst.

“Then make him your alliance,” Kino suggested.

I felt physically exhausted and mentally tired. I just want to go to bed in the hopes all of this would be gone. But I know, it won’t. I want to help those in need, but I cannot imagine myself back there. Yes, I am being selfish, I have always been. I rested my eyes and in haled. All of them were anticipating an answer from me.

“I’ll think about it,” I said.

Their eyes widen and their faces became brighter. It was obvious they were happy, I guess I was glad as well. After the meeting, I went outside to get some fresh air. I had a difficult time breathing inside the meeting room. Everything always comes to me, decisions and moves. It’s either I chose myself or my people. And I chose my people.

I leaned my body on the railings of the balcony as Bliss, Yelana, and Creshi with their suits on preparing to leave to go to the lab camps. I wanted to go with them but they refused to let me go with them. They wanted me to think through the night and relax knowing there has been a big weight on my shoulders.

 God. They know me too well. They know I don’t do good in work when there’s a lot in my mind.

I smiled and waved goodbye to them.  They smiled back and waved bye.

“Don’t get killed!” I shouted at them. I heard their laughs wide and clear. Hearing like how cars hear is a lot. You can hear everything.

“Will do!” Bliss shouted back.

I laughed and brushed it off. I came back inside and went to the kitchen again. I haven’t eaten yet. I am always forgetting to it. I took a plate and heated up some mac-and-cheese. I see nothing else in the fridge, so you got to just live with what you have. I waited for it while watching the news. I sat on the counter and look up to the TV in the kitchen.

“Remia Clariski, dating news with the Prince?”

I frowned upon hearing the lady on the TV screen. I put both of my legs up on each other and glance back at the TV, holding a cup of tea knowing someone’s spilling tea.

“The two has been spotted in a Café de Vida on Street Wales.”

Then they showed pictures of two who are rumored to be dating. In the picture showed two figures. One was wearing a jacket and tight pants, a pair of heels with their hair down hiding the face. The person beside was wearing a coat and a hot on. Both were wearing mask. The picture was blurry and vivid. No confirmation if it is the both of them.

Remia Clariski is a very petite woman, she was at least 5’4. She was a beautiful actress who has a lot of movie films in just the age of 25. She started off as a kid, it was no doubt she would become this wonderful successful lady. After showing multiple pictures assuming it was the two, the reporter spoke again. I sipped some tea and paid attention.

“The actress has been very quiet lately after her break up with her ex- boyfriend business tycoon Khairon Algrea.”

I gagged and almost spill my tea. No way. I thought. I almost forgot that dude has a love life. In my broken memory, I always thought of him as this single sad guy. But I am completely wrong. He dated one of the most beautiful girls in Adreene. K never thought he could pull someone like that. I wiped my face and laughed to myself.

“Is this a new chance of love for Remia?”

The news reporter said again. I completely laughed at that. As far as I remembered, Remia and Khairon were very special to each other. They have been in a relationship for 2 years before they announced it to the public. Then the dated with their lives on camera for around 3 years. It is highly impossible for me that they just moved on that quickly. I am no love expert but I know for a fact it’s not that easy to move on from someone you loved, especially if you were together in a very long period of time.

The microwaved dinged and the smell of mac-and-cheese invaded the whole kitchen. I smiled in satisfaction. I sat back at the counter, with the lights on only on the kitchen and everything else was just darkness. I took a bite and munched happily. I took out my phone and dialed a number. It was ringing until it said called denied.

“That bastard,” I murmured.

I called again until he answered it.

“What is it, Hera?” the man was irritated. I set down the phone on the counter and talked to him.

I swallowed my food, “I don’t remember you breaking with Emia.” I stated.

“Well, we did.” He sighed on the other line.

“Sucks to be single, huh?” I laughed and took another spoon full of macaroni mixed with melted cheese.

“You would know, since you have been single all of your life,” he says.

I let out a long gasp, offended by what he said. “I had a boyfriend too you know!” I yelled. I find it fun whenever we’re talking like this even though I get lowkey mad.

“That was sixth grade, Hera.”

“Well,” I paused. I was quiet for the moment that made Khai laugh. Visions of me having this middle school love life with a random boy I liked because he gave me his candy came running through my mind. I gagged and was disgusted of the cringiness I once had.

“Why did you break up anyway?” I turned the subject. “And it isn’t it weird that she’s rumored to be dating the prince?”

“I don’t know she just left.”

I cleared my throat, “Bluff.”

He was about to answer when Yelana came to the kitchen, panicking and panting for air. My eyes widen, and my heart sank in worry what happened. I got off the counter and leaned down to the phone.

“I know I just completely called you in the middle of the night and it would be really bitchy of me to just hang up, but I have to go!” I hang up on the call. I placed the plate on the counter and ran up to Yelana.

I warmed her up by rubbing my hands against her arms as she shivers and sweats. I have no idea what just happened but it must have been traumatizing. I have never seen Yelana react like this. I suddenly heard soft sobs from her. Tears started falling to her cheeks. I just held her there, comforting her in any way I can. It seemed like she didn’t want to talk so the best I could for her was just to be there beside her.

After sitting on the floor. Kenji carried her to her room. Creshi came back stunned but was looking better than Yelana. After calming Yelana down, we went to the kitchen and talked to Creshi. I wondered why Bliss hasn’t arrived yet. She had speed, she would’ve been here first.

Leader Kino, Ms. A, Arinica, Kenji and me sat there on the around her, waiting for her to speak.

“They took her.” Creshi says, tears dropping from her eyes.

I big bang pounded to my heart, “They took Bliss?” I asked, there was no other answer to that question.

She nodded slowly, I felt a hot sensation in my eyes and a warm drop of water landed on my cheek. “They build a wall around everything. It is impossible to see what’s going on inside. They are hiding something and they don’t want anyone to know. Bliss tried to get in but she got caught. She told us to run as fast as we could and not look back.  She’s under their hands now and we don’t even know what they’ll do to her.” She ended, she wiped her tears off and sniffed. We were in total silence. I was in pain, it just felt like she was just shouting at me and threatening to kill me if I didn’t listen to her.

“You have to go to the palace.”