A gunshot was heard again. This time, it was because of the bullet delivered at Candy's back. Then another on her arm.
Before she could turn around, another bullet penetrated the back of the knees, causing her to fall to the ground.
However, none of the officers' firearms discharged any of those bullets. The projectile in question was an FMJ round, fired by an individual who did not belong to the Armed Forces, yet was far from being an ordinary civilian. It originated from the weaponed by the Crown Prince himself, Prince Caspian of Auroria.
Seconds ago,
When the prince arrived, his sharp gaze landed on the woman who was aiming a gun at his brother's retreating figure. Hence, there was no room for second thoughts.
But before Prince Caspian could bring out his hand gun tucked by his side, Candy had already shot at his brother.
Prince Caspian, acting on impulse, also took a shot at her, aiming carefully to ensure he wouldn't kill her instantly. The Crown Prince possessed a multitude of skills, and hitting a target, whether near or far - one of them. It was crucial for Prince Caspian to keep Candy alive.
So he shot at her back impulsively, then her hand to make the gun fall to the ground - which it did, and then the back of knee to bring her down.
" Brother!" Prince Caspian shouted as he strode towards his brother as fast as he could, unconsciously walking past Ava on the ground, who managed to raise her head after hearing his voice.
Ava had buried her face in her palm when the man who nabbed her fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes after he was shot dead. Only for her to raise her head, hearing Prince Caspian's bold voice.
A couple of bullets that flew in the air for a couple of seconds, sunk into the skulls of all of Candy's men.
" Are you okay?" Prince Caspian asked his brother who was still standing. Thankfully, the bullet brushed past his arm causing him to bleed minimally.
" I'm fine brother." Prince Kinsey replied. " Are you sure?" Prince Caspian asked again, carefully examining his kid brother with his hands on his shoulders while he wore a look of worry which was greatly surprising to Prince Kinsey. " I'm fine brother, really. It just a bruise that's all.'' the young Prince replied.
" The medical team should be here in no time." Prince Caspian said before he ripped off the right sleeve of his shirt effortlessly, and tied it around Prince Kinsey's arm.
If the young Prince was in the right frame of mind, he would have teased throwing up at his brother rare show of love or concern. But his gaze flickered and landed on Sergeant Smith who was seemingly groaning while one of his men helped him up.
" Sergeant!" Prince Kinsey exclaimed, attempting to run to meet his favorite officer in all of Luxeville. But Prince Caspian stopped him, " No. Don't go, it's not safe." Prince Kinsey then protested.
" Why? I have_''
" You have to go help him? Look around you Kinsey. I'm not stopping you from meeting him for life, but I have my reasons. And now is not the time to be a bratty little kid." Prince Caspian advised curtly while he wore a straight face.
" Your highness." An officer greeted both brothers, offering a small bow as they turned to look at him.
" Officer." Prince Caspian acknowledged. " The medical team are on their way your highness." said the officer who was the first to walk up to the Royal Family siblings. Prince Caspian nodded slightly before he turned to look at Candy who was still on the ground, looking lifeless.
In no time, about 4 Officers surrounded the Princes. Three others were shot, but thankfully there was no casualty - at least for the officers, although some of them were starting to lose blood. There were about a little over a dozen of Officers, so they were walking about, doing the necessary.
The Garden was literally crowded with men, dead, alive and injured as the smell of blood could be perceived from a distance.
" Miss." Said an officer who offered his hand to help Ava to her feet. Without hesitation, Ava who was trying to access Prince Caspian since some officers obstructed her, held the officer's hand before he pulled her up.
" Are you okay miss?" The officer asked. " Yes sir. It's just that my head hurts." Ava replied with a slight wince.
" The medic is on their way. A few minutes more." The officer said to Ava. " Okay. Thanks for your help." Ava said with a small smile.
Just as the officer was about to walk away, Ava held his arm. " One minute officer." She said. " Yes ma'am." he answered.
" Umm... that man, st... standing next to Prince Kinsey, who is he and what's his name?" Ava asked. The officer quirked his brows for a moment, he was disciplined man in Uniform, and so he didn't bother asking rhetorical questions.
" He's the Crown Prince miss. Prince Caspian of Auroria." The officer answered. " Excuse me." he said before he walked away, leaving behind a dumbfounded Ava.
*
A couple feet away, Sergeant Smith had already joined Prince Caspian and Kinsey where they were standing.
Prince Caspian wanted to talk to the Sergeant about the whole thing, and to thank him more importantly, so the other officers excused them. Prince Kinsey stood next to his brother who wouldn't let him take a step.
" Thanks for your immediate response to my.... super dense brother's emergency message." Prince Caspian said to Sergeant Smith in gratitude.
'' It is my duty to serve, your highness." Sergeant Smith replied. " Thank you, regardless." Prince Caspian replied. " If you weren't quick and responsive, I don't know what would've happened to him. You have earned my full respect." Prince Caspian said curtly to Sergeant Smith, while Prince Kinsey maintained a sullen face.
" I must also applaud you for showing up in an even shorter notice. You truly are deserving of being a Crown Prince. All of Arcadia is privileged to have you as a Future King." Sergeant Smith commented.
" I appreciate your words, Sergeant. However, I didn't have a choice, rather than showing up like I did. As you know, the burial of a Royal Family Member is too much stress, so I'd rather I burn to get here in time, than attend unnecessary and tiring burial rites." Prince Caspian stated with a straight face.
Prince Kinsey spared about 3 seconds to glare at his brother before he looked away. If only his brother's insincere words were the only thing he had to think about....
-
While the Prince and Officer were discussing, Ava was finding it hard to breathe for some reasons. She couldn't understand why either.
' Why am I finding it hard to breathe?' Ava mused inwardly as she soon started hyperventilating. The same Officer who helped her up earlier noticed the change in her countenance.
"Are you okay miss?" he asked. " I... I don't know of..officer it's just that I_"
Suddenly, an electrifying surge coursed through Ava's body, starting from the crown of her head! Her eyes widened in shock, veins pulsated with energy, her neck stiffened, and her eyes transformed into an abyss of pitch-black darkness. However, the officer remained oblivious to this transformation as Ava's gaze remained fixed on the sky.
" Is everything okay miss?'' The Officer asked while his colleagues paced back and forth, not allowing Prince Kinsey who had temporarily forgotten about her to see beyond them.
Exhaling through her lips, Ava slowly returned her head to her normal eye level. But by then, her eyes had turned normal again.
Her chest began heaving up and down irregularly as she looked around like everything had just dawned on her. How she helped the Prince, how she suddenly grew super confident,...how she confronted Candy, how she stood up for her fictional character…. No! It couldn't be. She couldn't have done all of that.
" Do you want to sit?" the officer asked Ava who was looking very distressed. But before he could say anything else, Ava took to her heels!
Meanwhile,
"....and the other lady." Sergeant Smith added.
" That's right!" Prince Kinsey said as he finally spoke up. " Where is she? How is she doing?'' He asked, before he abruptly made his way through the officers, taking Prince Caspian and Sergeant Smith by surprise.
" Kinsey!" " Your Highness!'' They both called out.
" Come back!" the other officer shouted, before he ran after Ava.
" Hey! It's an order!" the officer shouted. But his words were immediately blanketed by the ambulance siren.
" What happened?" Prince Kinsey asked an officer, since he saw 3 others seemingly run after the officer in front.
" It's the lady your highness. She ran away." the officer replied.
" Why?" Sergeant Smith asked.
" I don't know Sir." the officer replied. Turning to face his brother and Sergeant Smith, Kinsey wore a look of concern and fear, which came as a surprise.
" I do hope they find her." Prince Kinsey said. " We have some questions for her." Sergeant Smith replied.
As for Prince Caspian who didn't know much, he turned around intending to meet the woman who dared to kill his precious brother.
While he strode towards where she was with two other officers, Prince Caspian accidentally stepped on Ava's sandal slipper.
With a creased brow, Prince Caspian looked down on it before he bent to pick it. He then held it up, "It belongs to the lady that just ran away your highness." An officer said to the Prince.
Immediately the officer said that, Prince Kinsey and Sergeant Smith turned to the Crown Prince. " That's hers brother." Prince Kinsey said immediately he sighted it, before Prince Caspian raised his head to look at him. With a look of amusement, he commented,
" Then I guess we have a fairytale princess."
~~~
Ava had, maybe the stars, to thank for the speed at which she ran. The officers could not keep up with her pace anymore, which became the golden opportunity she used in her favor, by finding the best spot to hide.
Panting furiously, Ava held her hand to her mouth. Surprisingly, she felt her phone on the other hand, which almost startled her.
But almost immediately, the phone fell off her hand and her body stiffened, while her eyes transformed into an abyss of pitch black darkness - a repeat of what happened earlier. But this time, the invisible lightening struck again, right before Ava fell down flat with her pitch black eyes open!
~~~~~
Far far away from there, in an endless space was darkness. Not even a slight reflection of light shone anywhere around.
There was no trace of a sky, gate, bird, or any sign of life. Yet, at what could be deemed the heart of this desolate place, an open casket held the lifeless body of an old man. Though the man no longer drew breath, his body remained remarkably preserved, devoid of any signs of decay.
Suddenly, wind, the magnitude of a sandstorm whirled around the open casket before it calmed into nothing.
Into the nostrils of the old man went a minute portion of air, before a warm one found its way out. By the tenth time, he exhaled through his lips which were apart, just like his eye lids which revealed the same eyes like Ava's. Pitch-black!