It was dark and suffocating, as the surrounding hollowness tried to swallow a single figure lying flat on the floor. Nothing was visible in sight, with ears only catching the silence emitting around the place, as if trying to devour the very essence of life now, lying unconscious on the floor.
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Though there was a hint of dried water droplets mixed with salt, specifically known as tears, near the right side of the woman’s eye, she was clearly unconscious yet felt hollow from within, except for the sensation of losing something.
She had just destroyed her world while winning a battle that had appeared, at first, to be a loss.
"....Ooopee...."
There was nothing but silence in the space, with her mind clearly blank yet the pain numbing her heartbeat, which was mild yet painful, reminding her that she was alive while strangling her happiness, the fantasy she had imagined as a child, sourced from the stories told to her by her mother.
"Ooppeenn the...."
The silence permitted the pain, clawing at her, as another tear formed and slid past her left eye, as if activating the stimulus to let flow more of it.
"Ooppen the goddamn door!"
’!?’
Suddenly, Aleriana’s eyes opened softly, revealing the ceiling of a room while her heartbeat quickened. She heard a familiar voice, one she had not expected to hear soon or even in the future, yelling from just on the other side of the door. Her heart tilted as she blinked, thinking that she might be imagining things due to the effect of the potion.
’Am I becoming this vulnerable?’ Finding herself in a state where her mind was making her hallucinate, she realized how weak she had become. She couldn’t help but bite her own lips, turning back towards the ceiling, while somehow the effects of paralysis seemed to fade in front of her will to move, as her arm automatically drifted over her head, covering her eyes.
It was sheer will fighting against the effect of the drug paralyzing her hand, clearly showing the resonance her will could create if she wanted to achieve something. Yet right now, it was the weight she needed to outweigh the burden on her heart.
’Just for tonight.... just this night,’ she thought. Yet, she seemed to let loose the burden, allowing it to outweigh her and crush her heart as she gave away all defenses and the will to retaliate, submitting herself to this pain. She wanted to mourn tonight, just for this single night where she would think from her heart, not her mind.
’I am sorry... husband.’ As she let go of her defenses, it was as if even her mind finally gave her a relief from the restraint, granting her some time to cope with the pain. She lay there feeling the pain of losing someone in the battle between the mind and heart, where she knew that once this night was over, her heart would freeze forever, becoming like stone, as the fantasy of the little girl and the promise binding her would vanish.
"OPEN THE GODDAMN DOOR, ACHOOOO~!"
’!’
But again came the voice that instantly caused her to remove her hand and direct her head towards the door as she heard the sound of a sneeze along with the voice, crystal clear yelling from the other side.
"Wha.... H-husband?" Though it was hard to get the words out of her throat, she mustered the will and called out, her heartbeat quickening. It was becoming mild, either due to the burden of the pain or maybe the effect of the drug; it again started to accelerate.
"H-huh? P-princess, achoo! Can’t we talk for a moment? It’s important. I will leave if you don’t want to talk," the shivering voice from the other side of the door came, causing Princess to blink as she remained blank, lying on the floor. Then, clenching her jaws, she heard the desperate tap on the door.
"Nooo, wait! I am opening it!" Without a moment of hesitation, Aleriana tried to move her body, but unlike how she had been able to move her hand, it was much more difficult to move her whole body. Given that her dantian was sealed, her meridians blocked, and it was nearly impossible to gain strength in her already paralyzed muscles, she pressed on.
Her fingers twitched, dragging against the cold, unfeeling floor as she forced her palm flat. The rough texture scraped against her skin, but she clenched her jaw, ignoring the pain.
With a deep breath, she shifted her weight, pressing against her forearm.
Her arm trembled violently, the muscles sluggish, barely responding to her will.
Aleriana gritted her teeth.
’Move.’ The command rang through her mind like a war drum, a desperate call to action.
Her body resisted, the remnants of the potion weighing her down.
After hearing his voice, the weight of sorrow seemed to vanish or weaken.
So, if she had to crawl, then she would.
If she had to drag her body inch by inch, then so be it.
With a strangled breath, she shifted her elbow forward, her nails scraping against the floor as she pulled herself.
Agony flared up her spine, her limbs numb yet aching in the strangest paradox.
Sweat formed on her brow, mixing with the dried streaks of her previous tears.
The cold air bit against her exposed skin, making her shudder.
Her body screamed for rest, for surrender, but she knew she couldn’t stop.
Not now.
Another inch.
Then another.
Her breathing turned ragged, and each movement sent sharp tremors through her paralyzed frame.
"Oh, yes, please open it then." His voice cracked, softer now, hesitant, as if sensing something was wrong.
She swallowed down the lump in her throat, clenching her fingers before forcing another pull forward.
The pain blurred her vision, but the outline of the door was getting closer. She just had to keep going.
The icy floor chilled her bones, but she could no longer tell if it was the cold or the overwhelming exhaustion sinking into her limbs.
Her breaths were uneven, each exhale strained as she pushed forward again. Her body ached, yet with every desperate crawl, she edged closer to that door—to him.
Then, finally, her fingers brushed against the base of the door.
Aleriana let out a shaky breath, her forehead pressing against the unyielding wood. She tried to lift her arm, her fingers reaching for the knob—
Clink.
She froze.
The sound of metal made her realize that just moments ago, she had locked the door by molding the metals in such a way that, due to being suppressed and becoming a simple mortal, she would not be able to bend the metals.
"Princess?" The voice was confused, given the time it was taking, inquiring.
"....I messed up." Saying those words, Aleriana fell on the floor, both palms supporting her head turned down and lowered. She wanted to cry right now, maybe due to anger at her stupidity for thinking she could run away from her mother’s promise. Or maybe due to the belief that she could make everything right, even though she had just gone through the pain of realizing she would lose her life.
"I don’t understand what you mean, princess?" Again, the voice from outside the door seemed confused, inquiring as there was a tremor in it, as if shivering due to the cold.
"Sniff, I broke the handle!" Finally, Princess broke, with small drops of tears, her head lowered as she shut her eyes and pursed her lips tighter.
"NAANIII!?"