CHAPTER THREE
1100 Words
Elena Solon/Ayara
I was floating in darkness.
I was weightless.
The pain from being hit by that bus seemed so distant a faint and very unpleasant memory all that was left was just a strange sensation of floating, untethered from anything resembling reality.
I still wasn't sure where I was though, it felt like I was suspended in a dream, but yet there was no colors.
Was I dead.
Most humans had stopped believing in heaven a long time ago so could this be an imagination of some sort?
Images swirled around me flashes of gold and blood crimson red, glimmering chandeliers, and cold, cruel faces that I didn't know.
But then, I heard it.
A voice calling to me, soft but commanding, like a faint melody, soft and mournful, drifting toward me like a forgotten lullaby.
It tugged at something deep in me, pulling me toward the source and I followed the sound, the void was shifting, light bleeding through the darkness
A grand throne room, walls shimmering under the glow of a chandeliers. A young woman draped in silver and blue clothing, her face pale and drawn.
Wake up, Ayara. It whispered, and then louder
Wake up.
I gasped, bolting upright, my lungs burning as if Id been underwater for far too long and the world came rushing back all at once.
I was lying in a massive canopy bed that was too soft to actually be mine, especially when I looked to find velvet curtains velvet! Drawn partially back to reveal a room that was both luxurious and unfamiliar.
The room I was in was unlike anything I had ever seen. High, vaulted ceilings stretched above me, with heavy velvet curtains framed tall windows, their fabric the deepest shade of burgundy.
Panic bubbled up inside me, and I scrambled to look around.
This wasn't my apartment. This wasn't anywhere Id ever been before.
The walls were painted a soft cream and the faint scent of lavender lingered in the air.
A soft breeze drifted in through an open balcony door, carrying with it the murmur of voices and toll bells.
My body felt strange. Lighter and foreign, almost as if it didn't belong to me.
Panic gripped me as I sat up abruptly, clutching at the silk sheets.
And then I saw my hands small, delicate, and as pale as porcelain, with nails perfectly manicured in a way mine had never been.
I tried to speak, to call out, but no sound came, my throat tightening in frustration, my lips forming silent words that dissolved into nothing.
I stumbled out of bed, my legs trembling beneath me, and caught a glimpse of myself in the gilded mirror across the room. The face staring back at me wasn't mine.
My heart pounded in my chest, and as I reached up instinctively to touch my face.
Except
It was not my face. My skin was fairer, smoother, almost flawless except for the faint scar along my neck that I couldn't explain. I looked as if I'd never done a day of work in my life.
I was beautiful, ethereal even, I had wide violet eyes and flowing dark hair that framed my face like a halo. I wore a silk gown embroidered with intricate patterns of gold and silver.
This wasn't me.
A wave of dizziness hit me, and I sank back against the chair, my mind racing.
What was happening to me? Where was I? Why couldn't I speak?
A sharp knock at the door snapped me out of my shock, before I could react, the door swung open, and a young woman hurried in.
She wore a simple but elegant gray dress, her brown hair pulled and pinned back neatly into a bun. Her face was pale with worry as she rushed to my side.
"Your Highness," she said softly rushing over to me, her voice trembling.
Highness? What the hell was going on?
"You shouldn't exert yourself. Please, rest. "
I stared at her, my heart pounding. I opened my mouth to demand answers, but again, nothing came out. I instinctively reached for her arm, hoping she could give me some kind of explanation
She seemed to notice my distress and shook her head, gently pressing a cool hand to my forehead.
"The poison It must still be affecting you, " she murmured, her voice thick with guilt.
"But don't worry, you will be fine"
Poison?
The word sent a chill down my spine, who was this and why was she I being poisoned.
The woman,my maid frowned, her brow furrowed in concern.
"Do you need anything, Your Highness? Please, just nod if you do." I shook my head and she smiled weakly.
"Very well. Ill have some tea brought up. The physician will return later to check on you again. "
Her eyes widened as if she remembered something
"Oh, forgive me! Ill fetch the elixir. "
She hurried to a nearby table, where a large number of bottles and vials sat neatly arranged.
She poured a pale blue liquid into a glass and brought it to me, her hands steady despite the urgency in her movements.
I took the glass hesitantly looking at the liquid and sipped it.
It was bitter, and though it did nothing to restore my voice, a strange sense of calm settled over me.
"I know it must be frightening, being unable to speak, " she said gently.
"But you don't need to worry. You're safe now. No one will hurt you again. "
"And your father Lord Liam says he will send your communication tool" she mumbled.
I blinked, wasn't this temporary, why did I have communication tool.
She led me back into bed
"You need to rest, Your Highness."
She turned to leave, and I jerked in surprise when I caught sight of myself in the tall mirror across the room.
For a moment, I thought I'd imagined it, but the reflection staring back at me confirmed that I was in fact not in my body.
I threw off the covers and stumbled to my feet, ignoring the dizziness that threatened to pull me to the ground.
My legs felt weak, like I hadn't used them in days, but I forced myself to cross the room, gripping the edge of a table for support.
When I reached the mirror, I stared at the reflection, my breath hitching in my chest.
I reached out, touching the glass, and the woman in the mirror mimicked my movements, her finger sticking out to me, I jerked.
This was me, but how?
- Writer
