Mystical Academy: The Mystery of the World

My life in this beautiful castle was an opposite of happiness and pleasure. I never wanted to live in a beautiful castle to live like a princess with full of servants and handmaidens. I never wish to be with them. Yet, Almira and her two brothers and two sisters are not that bad compared to the King. I tried talking to Aaron the second son, he wasn't that dominant. He was independent. The only thing he told me is to do what the King wishes if I ever wanted to survive.

Adam the twin brother of Aaron which is the third son, was quite opposite of Aaron because he was really almost like the King a dominant but Almira told me that he just adopted the attitude and so far he never hurt any ladies. Agatha was kind-a bitchy but somehow Almira tamed her and she became nice to me. I advised her about men and she was into it. She wishes to marry a King or a Lord that has lots of knights for the pleasure of her father.

Althea was a quiet one, and she was like Aaron who warned me about the King. And now, the King wanted me to all beautiful and lady-like to sell for some random man and let them fuck me just to gain knights and ally. I don't understand why he wanted so much power.

The Queen was the mother of Adam and Aaron and Almira. She wasn't that kind and she always despite me. I sympathize her because, the King never loved her. Agatha's mother and Althea are dead, which is the second Queen next to my Brother Nicholas's mother.

Now, I am in front of him telling him begging him not to marry me off. In the festival in seven days, I will meet the Lords and the Princes and he told me on to pleasure them. Smile wide at them and seduce them.

"Those men will simply bought that beautiful face of yours. If you do something that will displease me, I will drag your mother and brother her for torment."

My mind races with my heart. Of course! He can do that. I will kill him if he did. I won't think twice. And I found myself blurted it into him.

"Before you even do that, I will assure you that you are dead." I gritted my teeth, clenches my fist. He laugh out loud and walk toward me from his throne. I didn't break any glare from him. I am tough enough for his madness. He scoop my chin by his left hand that makes me shiver. I feel disgusted by his touch.

"What are you going to do? Kill me yourself? Poison me?"

"I won't let my hand get dirty. Because I am not a killer like you. You are a violent crazy Bastard. And I will let the Gods and Goddesses let you suffer into your madness and greediness." I said it slowly and clearly. As I expected I felt his big strong hand on my cheek and he again, strangle my neck in anger. His eyes are dilated and he look like a monster. Darkness… dark shadows… I saw it into his eyes… they are using his body and to increase his anger and madness. It frightens me…

"Father! Please, you can't do your bidding if you kill her." The voice of his son make him let me go and I felt Aaron hold me before I even fall down on the floor. The king stepped away and hold himself. I wish that Almira is here to tame his stone heart.

"Take her away. I don't want to see her until we left the castle to Psychē." He turn away and I am still catching my breathe getting all dizzy. I felt his strong arms wrapped around me and I was carried away. I hold into him and leans on his shoulder.

"I told you. You shouldn't do that."

"D-Darkness." I murmur and my voice sound so hoarse and it is hard for me to speak. He stop from taking another step on the stair. "I saw shadows behind him…" he seemed baffled on what I said but I ignore it and keep talking, ignoring all the pain. If I won't let it all out. They might not know. "It was… scary."

"Tell me what exactly it is." He started walking into my chamber and put me down on the bed. I started talking while he's fetching me a water.

"It was faceless man behind him. I do not understand why his anger turns into madness… maybe it triggers him." I mutter and hold my neck and felt it aches. "And… I can hear them whispering wordlessly into him." He took my hand and make me hold the water. His warm hand was pressed gently on the side of my neck and I felt the iciness yet warm sensation… like the feeling of eucalyptus. The pain goes away.

"We might look like disgust on you but I wasn't." he confess. "I don't disgust you because you are the bastard of the family. I disgust my name and my father because of what he did. You, has been gifted by the Goddess, Marissa like us. So, save your strength and just do what he wishes."

"But I cannot marry someone else. I vow my love to only one man!"

"Yes, you vow yourself but it is different now. No one will protect you here and anytime he can kill you, or worse your family Outsideworld."

"He killed my father." I mutter. I cried all night when I dream about the death of my stepfather. He visited me on my dream with a faceless God. "Though I was a bastard on that family, he never treated me like this and treated me like his own." I stare at nowhere while speaking and let my tears falls into my cheeks. "They are going to save me… Patrick will come to me."

"How? He's a human."

"He's not human!" I said it a little loud and stare at him. I look away and hold myself. "Neither in that academy are humans. They are people of Insideworld who choose to live Outsideworld and was gifted by the Gods and Goddesses."

"Marissa, if you believe that he's going to save you, then you will be saved. Don't let father almost kill you. Those shadows that you saw are not just shadows… they are sons of Abyss."

"Abyss?" I ask him.

"Yes. They are the stolen souls and dark souls that are tormented."

"Believe me or not Aaron, if my love's sister get really mad… whoever Abyss is, I am sure that she will truly destroy your father and those shadows."

"No one can destroy those shadows… they can be banish… only Gods or Goddesses can banish those shadows." I shook my head. "Believe me, even that sister of your love won't survive." That's not it… that's now what Davin had seen.

"Would you help me?" he didn't speak for a moment and his emotions are unable to read.

"I can't. He will know."

"Then, how can you delay of making him selling me off?" he thought for a moment. "Do you wish to be a King?" he look at me with furrows.

"I hate to be honest, but I never wish to be a King. Besides, the first born is next on the Throne."

"Oh… I thought every one of you wanted to be a King."

"Never said to anyone on what I told you. Even Almira."

"But Almira—"

"I know. She's very different from my sisters. She's close to the Goddesses. What I wanted in my life?" he chuckled as if it was funny. "To be free from all of these madness." I look at him with question. I never thought that he's be like this. He stood. "I don't know why I am speaking with you like this. I never told anyone what I wishes to be."

"Don't worry, everything are confidential. And please make me noted if you have a plan of delaying him of selling me off."

"I am very sure that he will going to marry you off into a house with full of warriors."

"Is he planning a war?"

"I hope not, but your question makes me think."

"Do you also know that your Brother Nick isn't a bad person?" he laugh again as if it was a joke.

"Nicholas? Of course he was all goody-goody. Princess Amanda," he walk toward the table to get a glass of wine. "Give him a reason to be a good man." He sipped on the wine. "I thought that he's going to marry her someday." I laugh on the idea that makes him stop.

"That's impossible. Your brother is in love to someone else."

"And who else that might be? Father might get furious if she is a human."

"I told you, they are not humans. If you met her, you'll get all baffled… like a while ago."

"So you know his love all too well."

"Of course, she's my best friend. Your brother was really crazy on her." And she's the daughter of Princess Amanda. I don't want to add that because I don't fully trust him.

"Ohhh, I am intrigued. One night, he arrived… I guess that was years ago and he was all lifeless and he drown himself to wine and whiskey. Does your so called best friend make him like that?" I don't want to speak anymore but I think it is a good conversation with him.

"He make himself like that because he failed on protecting her. He was her soulmate. He is her soulmate. That's what he believe and it took a very long story…"

"I always thought that Nicholas is a lovable man."

"Haven't you fall in love?" that question just pop out from my mind and I am intrigued on his love life. He shook his head. "There are lots of beautiful maiden around you, yet you choose to close your heart." I stated which I felt is true.

"I don't want to do what father does to his women."

"You are not your father." I told him.

"I can't believe that I am having a conversation like this with you." I shrugged.

"I can't believe that too." A white owl flew inside and stop in front of me. I raise my arm and she perch on it. I took the letter from her foot that is on a metallic long small tube. I thank the owl and she flew away. I look at Aaron who is more curious than me. It is my first to receive a letter from the bird.

I unfold the letter. My heart skip a beat and my stomach is getting excited. I am getting excited to read whole of it because it was Adhiti's handwriting.

My dear best friend,

Burn this after you read and never let anyone read this. I will be on that festival and I will do everything to take you away from that hellish father of yours even he is Nick's dad. If I know that he is hurting you and starving you, I will do the same to him. Because, I Goddess of Universe will make him pay to all his evil bidding. Patrick loves and we love you so stay strong for us and for your future.

A tear fall from my eyes. I don't have to worry so much, because she will protect me. Everyone are protecting me. Even Andrew who surely vows his brother to protect me that's why he's staying here in Era.

"What's wrong?" I shook my head and walk to the candle and lighten it. I burn the paper. "Is it from your man?"

"No. I wish it is but it wasn't." I look at him with full of hope. "Thank you for saving me from your father." He nods his head. I walk toward him and give him a full hug. "It really means for me." I let him go and smiled at him.

"I have to go." He put down the glass and walk towards the door that opens and there's Almira crying. She run toward me ignoring her brother.

"What did he do to you?" she took my hands. "Are you fine?"

"Yes. Don't worry, Aaron save me." She look at Aaron and run to him and hugged him very tight that makes Aaron flushes.

"Thank you, brother. I always know that you have a soft heart somewhere over the middle." I smiled and he just let her hug him.

"Why are you crying?" he ask and push her holding her arms.

"It's just, father gone too far and I am afraid that everyone wanted his head. And nobody will ever love him." She cried. There is something more on her sentence. Something that really makes her cry. I am surprised that he wiped her tears away.

"Let everyone have his head." I was more surprised on what he said. Almira was quite taken aback. "But there's someone who truly deserve to have his head and it is Marissa's mother. Father is mad and we cannot control him though you can still tame him. Dark shadows are around him." He glance at me.

"But, Aaron."

"Cry no more, Almira. Don't make his madness be your pain. You don't deserve it." He wipe again her cheek. "There is something else that pains you and talking with that person might lessen the pain." Does he know something that I don't know? "I will be leaving now."

After he left, she took the golden goblet that Aaron left and she pour full of wine there. And started drinking it like she was all thirsty. I look at her. She's crying… I walk toward her and pull her into hug as I stroke her hair.

"What is it?"

"Nothing." She mutter and push herself and drink the wine. "I talk to father and tame him again and tell him about hurting you."

"Don't worry, Almira. I am fine now. Aaron heal my bruise."

"And your baby?"

"My baby is fine." I smiled at her.

"Good then, in two days we are going to travel to Psychē. I will tell your handmaiden to pack up few of your clothes."

"How's Andrew?" she seemed stop and I had to guess that it was Andrew who threaten her. "Did he said something not nice?"

"He's doing fine. I bring him to the town. He's doing fine."

"Almira you can tell me everything." She shook her head.

"It's nothing, Marissa. Please have a rest and Andrew cook something for you. He said that it was your favorite dishes."

"Really?" I suddenly feel hungry. She smiled at me.

"I don't want you to look thinner every day pass. You have to be strong for them."

The servants enter my room and they place the foods that Andrew cook for me. After they place it correctly and in royal-like proper table placing, they left with bows. I pull her to the table.

"Eat with me. And it isn't appropriate to drink that in empty stomach." She did ate with me but she is more on drinking until she become drunk and like a waste. Oh, poor Almira is she broken hearted? Did Andrew make her like that? I took her to my bed and remove few of the layers of her clothing. She's crying again. "Come on, tell me Almira, what pains you?"

"Does love always hurt like this? I mean, I love everybody but I never been hurt like this."

"Who is that man who hurt you?" I feel really sad about it. "I guess he doesn't meant to hurt you. Did he hurt you physically? Is it your father?"

She shook her head and chuckled bitterly.

"No, because of what father did makes me like this. Thanks to him, he just make my beautiful day miserable. But my life wasn't miserable at all because I have to protect you. That will make him really happy."

"Andrew, tell me what Andrew told you." She wipe her tears. I lay down beside her and let her cry in my arms.

"I just don't get it… I don't get why father is like that that makes everyone hate him and wanted to kill him. If he wasn't like that, people will love him, do they?" I nod. "How can I make father be a good person and to love them like a family?"