The wind danced with the trees, and I can faintly hear the sound of the violins playing in the hall.
My breathing came to a deep dive as my mind run a thousand miles to catch what action I should take right this moment.
Through my eyes, everything froze for a second.
Regin was ready to swing his sword towards the maids; Aiven ready to jump and bite the candidate's head; and my weak knee pushing myself to stand.
Run was the only option I was given, but I know I can't run fast enough to ask for help. I am not my father. I'm not fast.
"Miss, go," Regin whispered through his gritted teeth.
I tried to stand up, but the effect of the spell cast on me earlier by the maid earlier was slowly getting stronger.
I was able to jump earlier, but now, I can't even stand straight.
Aiven glanced over me quickly, and when he saw my state, he didn't think twice and was about to attack the bride candidate, but the tornado forming behind him chased his shadows.
His ear flinched when he heard the gushing sound of the wind, and dodged the whirling danger.
I rested both my hands on my knees while my back was bent, I can't stay standing longer. I have to do something or I'll end up watching these two get hurt while these ladies take me away.
"Who are you?" Regin asked as he positioned himself for combat, "None of you are a bride candidate's maid," he said as his glare came to a murderous sense and asked, "Are you assassins?"
The three maids looked at each other and exchanged glances, then they also bent their knees to prepare for Regin's attack.
While Aiven was transforming into his full candaenian form, the bride candidate threw me a glance, and smirked, "Amy, just go with us quietly, and your friends will be spared," she raised her brow at me as if I don't have any choice but to do what she wants.
"Cyris Vian Juoule, a baronet's daughter from the Echo Kingdom, C level gravity power," Regin began spouting out the information about the bride candidate, "Do you really think you can escape from us? Lady Myrinne is already out."
Cyris glanced over the lady thrown to a tree by Aiven, then she raised her brow at Regin and shook her head sidewards with a mocking look on her face, "Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but we can. I may be a C level, but my maids aren't."
As I listen to their exchange of words, I finally had an idea of how to stop them. It may not work, but at least there's something.
These maids will follow me if I run, wouldn't they?
"Regin, don't attack them," I murmured as I plastered a grin on my face. I hope he got what I wanted to say, but he just threw me a confused look.
I can't say my plan with words or else it won't work, dumbhead!
I just rolled my eyes at him, and then I gathered all the strength I have left to run.
My legs felt as if there were no bones inside my body, and my footstep felt as if my toes were boulders, but I still run towards the tornado.
I heard Regin call my name, telling me to stop, but I also saw the maids run towards me.
They moved fast, but I got to run far before they followed to catch me, I know they won't get to me at the right time.
"Aiven!" I yelled as I pass by him, "Distract that btch!" I said as I drag myself.
He nodded softly and began to run towards Cyris, who started to run away from Aiven and later forgot about her tornado.
Cyris can stop it anytime, and we have to move fast. We can't let her have a moment to control her little wind, or else, I can be dragged in too.
When I was a foot away from the tornado, I stopped, and to my surprise, the maids were also a foot away from me.
I have to make them dive into the tornado now, or Cyris will see what was supposed to happen and remove her tornado. But one wrong move, they can hold me and drag me too.
"Enjoy the breeze," I whispered with a grin plastered on my weak face as I push myself away from the tornado while the maids' were on their stance to catch me.
One of them had her hands way stretched out to hold me down, but it caused her to be dragged inside the tornado first before her friends.
The other two got what will happen, but it was too late, they're already on their way to meet the wind.
I landed on the ground with my back, while my eyes were glued to the scene before me.
It seems as if Cyris still wasn't able to see what was happening since Aiven was already attacking her.
Regin ran towards me, and we can hear the screams of the maids inside the tornado.
I think they'll only get dizzy with messed up hair if the tornado stops since there is no debris or anything that can hurt them in that spinning wind.
"Are you hurt, Miss?" Regin asked as he bends his knee to check me, "What were you thinking? What if you got hurt? What if they got you? What if you got pushed in the tornado?"
I shrugged my shoulders as I stand up with his arms supporting me, "I'm fine, " I whispered.
We saw Aiven, with his normal form, standing beside Cyris who was on the ground, crawling away from him in fear.
"We should do something now," I said as I look around, and I saw a group of shadows running towards us.
The guards finally arrived, but they look agitated as if something went wrong.
They weren't here earlier, and they have the guts to be irritated because a fight happened? It's their job to ensure everyone was safe!
I was about to tell Regin my frustrations, but it looks like he was bothered by something else as he watches the Delta Kingdom's guards run towards us.
His gaze over them was as dark as the moonless night sky, and his jaw was locked to hide his grievance.
"What happened here?" Asked by one of the guards which made Regin get even more annoyed as I feel his arms getting stiff.
"Help!" Cyris cried when he saw the guards, "They're trying to kill us!" She said as she tries to stand up, but her shivering knee from her fear of Aiven, made her fall back on the ground, and that's when she noticed her tornado.
Her eyes grew wide in terror, and finally, she put the spinning to an end, and the maids all fall down on the ground with a few bruises and, well, with a messy hair and torn dresses.
They might've tried to hold unto each other, but ended up getting thrown unto each other.
"Make sure the ladies won't escape. You'll also have to report why you all responded so late, and where your locations were five minutes earlier," Regin's voice came to a cold tone as he carried me in his arms, "You failed to keep your visitors safe," he added then without any word, we went back to the castle with Aiven following us.
The guards looked like as if their lives were about to end after hearing Regin's orders, their terrified and disturbed expression makes me feel a bit guilty about whatever will happen to them.
But it's also their mistake to leave their post, and respond late.
Regin bought me to a room, and I noticed it was a clinic. The white-colored walls and the smell of disinfectant were all around the place. A couple of emergency cabinet was on the walls, full of supplies for treating wounds.
Regin put me down on a bed covered with a clean white bed sheet, then he began going through the medicine cabinet with an eager look.
"I'm not hurt," I said as I brush the dirt off my skirt.
Aiven bent his back to look at my face, then he shook his head, "You're hurt, you just don't know it."
I furrowed my brows as I touch my face to look whether I have a wound or something. But my face felt smooth as usual, I guess my make-up makes me look like I am sick.
I sighed and was about to explain about my face, but Aiven suddenly showed me a mirror that was exactly facing me.
"Red bloody eyes and purple lips, a sign that you're under a spell," Aiven spouted while he holds the mirror to my face.
What I saw was not what I looked like earlier. I looked far from my appearance when we left the mansion. My eyes looked like it's filled with blood, my complexion was as pale as a paper, and my lips have turned purple.
Aside from my smudged make-up, the spell has made me look more dreadful.
"You're feeling weak, don't you?" Aiven asked then he put the mirror down on the bed.
I nodded while looking down on the ground. What kind of spell did that maid put on me? I thought it was just a simple weakening power, but it made me look like a complete zombie.
"It's a Lifeikein spell, the caster can remove your strength until a specified date, or she can completely remove your strength and only she can bring it back."
Aiven looked back at Regin who was frantic about searching a medicine, but he already turned the cabinet inside out, yet no cure was found.
"So... I think we have to talk to the caster then," Aiven shrugged his shoulders as he helps me stand up.
"It's an assassin, Mister Unzter! We can't let her get near Miss Amy, or else she might put another spell on her."
Regin's thunderous voice echoed around the room, which traveled way up to the ends of my mind to wake up a thought I never had before.
Someone wants to hurt me.
I held Aiven's hand too strong that it caught his attention, "Don't worry, a cockroach doesn't die easily unless you completely destroy its body," he said with a soft smile which sent shivers through my body.
"I am not a cockroach, and I don't think that helps," I murmured as I stand up, but somehow, my upper body felt four times heavier than my body weight, and suddenly I felt my knee hit the floor followed by an unbearable pain on my chest.
"It's on its third stage, Sir Regin, we have to do something."
Aiven held my hand tightly as he pats my back softly, he was just calling me a roach earlier, but now he's caressing the insect.
"What else can undo the spell? There is no elixir in this clinic, what a useless place!" Regin roared, then he went beside me, "Miss, just breathe, we'll find a solution.
I kept my hand on my chest, while I had my eyes glued to the tiled floor of this room.
I was just crying because of my father earlier, and now I'm dying.
I wanted to laugh, but my chest hurts so bad right now to even breath.
I was just beginning to unravel the truth about my family, and myself, but it seems like my life will finally come to an end.
"Fire and water can kill off a spell, can't they?" Aiven suddenly asked Regin.
"Fire can burn the spell, and water can wash it off," Regin murmured with a slight nod, "Prince Marin is here, isn't he?"
My head suddenly moved and looked up to Regin, "You mean, that brat? The merman kid?" I beamed a smile, would you look at that, I was just teasing him earlier.
Wait, what if he won't help me because I was teasing him?
"You know the Prince?" Aiven raised his brow at me, "You talked to someone?"
"Of course, I mean, it happened accidentally, but I may have teased him earlier," I closed my lips tight as I avoid their gazes.
Regin groaned out of disappointment, while Aiven giggled.
"Do you know that he can drown you in just a second?" Aiven burst out laughing, "You really have no sense of fear, do you?"
"We have to call for Prince Marin, stage four is the most fatal level of spells. It can slowly take your life if we won't be able to remove it."
Regin went out of the room, while Aiven stayed with me.
After putting me back to bed, he gave me a glass of water. Even though he was laughing at me, I'm sure he was worried. He even fought Cyris earlier.
"The children are not here, I can't bring them here after receiving the news about the threats. It's better if they stayed in the house," he said with a frown.
No one will feel relieved in a moment like this. He has to leave his siblings for work, and I'm sure, even though their butlers, maids, and guards are with them, he still fears for their safety.
"It's the Delta's wish to have everyone in the Gathrin kingdom to be here, starting from the Prince to his men, that's why I'm here."
"I'm sorry you have to leave the kids, but don't worry, I'm sure they're safe."
Aiven threw me a chuckle, "You're still saying that even though you're now cursed?"
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes as I lie down on the bed, "I was really worried about the Prince that's why I came, but I never knew I was supposed to be worried for my own safety."
"Do you want to see the Prince?"
"Of course," I whispered, I feel as if I'm being dragged into sleep after feeling the weakness caused by this curse, maybe I can take a rest for a while before they come back with Prince Marin, "But I don't want to worry him."
A few minutes of sleep may make me feel better, and I'm sure, I'll be better later.
I heard Aiven's voice, but it was just like a soft ringing in my ear, his warm low voice became a lullaby to my sleep, and quickly I dove into slumber.
Yet, I was disturbed by a dream, a scene that feels nostalgic to my bones, as if it was a memory left to be covered with dust and shadows.
I knew it was me, and I was a little kid, it was a familiar yet a new place, and I was talking to blurred faces.
After I had a run with a speed of light, I jumped out of joy, my small hands were burning with fire, but it didn't hurt. I only felt warmth as I watch the flicker of the fire.
I called my mother, and a woman with an unclear appearance came, she smiled at me and hugged my little body, then she called my father.
He came out of a room, wearing the same uniform he wore in the painting I saw earlier, then he smiled at me and ruffled my hair.
And I heard his words, with a soft, sweet and proud tone, "You can control your fire now, meteor. I'm happy."