I looked into the eyes the color of melted gold. Pink hair strands whipped around her face, but she made no move to brush them away. Her golden chest plate was the only armor she wore. In the reflection, I saw a broken body on the ground as the sword she'd swung struck my heart and through my body, pinning me to the floor.
"Don't worry. This is not the end, Merkikh." Dahlia smiled
*The phoenix's secret…She knows.* I thought. But I was wrong.
"The golem can bring people back to life." She said, "But it comes with a price, their freedom. It's unfortunate, but it's a price that I'm willing to make. So understand this, Merkikh. I say this because, from now on, your mind and body will forever be mine."
I closed my eyes as the blood spilled from my heart onto the soil.
Some time passes.
My body is not mine anymore. My mind feels like it's filled with liquid. My thoughts are filled with those last words I heard from the queen.
