Hera looked at the silver-haired 'psycho' in front of her with horror in her eyes. She didn't know what she expected to see when she met his gaze, but she definitely knew it wasn't in there.
"YOU SET ME ON FIRE!" Hera hyperventilated as she tried to put off the flame at the hem of her dress. She repeatedly hit it with her gloves but it didn't seem to decrease. Instead, it grew.
She looked around in panic for help, but Simon already had his hands full from extinguishing the fire on her bed. But just like the flames on her dress, it only grew stronger despite his efforts.
"HELP!" Hera called out while frantically untangling the ties of her dress. The flames had reached her waist and the prickling warmth started to reach her skin. "FUCK!" She had forcefully torn the sleeves of her dress, ripping it apart.
She continued to call out for help and the servants, but no one came. With tears in her eyes, she started calling for Miseok, which earned a hearty chuckle from the silver-haired psychopath standing at the center of the room unscathed.
Hera had already peeled the top of her dress off, but the maid tied the dress too tightly around her waist and she couldn't pry it open.
Can no one really hear me?! Why isn't anyone coming?! She looked at Simon who was putting his everything in extinguishing the fire on her bed and walls. Is my bed more important than me?! Did he forget that he'll be beheaded if I get as much as a graze?!
"HEY! SIMON, HELP ME!" she shouted at the top of her lungs to catch his attention, but he continued on as if he was deaf. "HEY, DICKHEAD! I'M ON FIRE, TOO!"
But still, nothing.
It was then that the man who set her on fire laughed so manically that she stopped pulling her dress apart for a moment. He put someone on fire and he's laughing?! She couldn't believe her eyes. He's a lunatic!
"He couldn't hear you!" the stranger pointed out. "He's seeing a totally different room right now, and so does everyone else. No one can help you, princess!"
She glared at him as rage filled her whole being. It painted her face red but it also gave her enough energy to finally rip the burning dress off her body. She threw the dress on fire as far away as possible before she ran to the stranger in her chemise, aiming for his neck.
She charged at him, pushing him down the floor. She sat atop him to immobilize him before she raised her fist and punched him in the jaw.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" she yelled at him, veins almost popping out of her forehead.
The man stared at her in disbelief, wide-eyed and confused. Hera thought one punch wasn't enough to wake him up, so she prepared to land another one.
"That's enough!" Before her second punch could land, the man had raised his hand and a brisk wind pushed Hera off him and flung her across the room. She hit her back on the wall, making her fall facedown on the floor.
The impact made her writhe in pain. Her grunt seemed to alarm Simon who could finally see what she was seeing.
"Your highness!" Simon began to come for her, but the man was quick to fling his hand at him. The silver-haired lunatic drew a fiery line of fire between Simon and Hera across the room. The knight halted right in front of the fire, unable to cross.
"Don't come here, bastard." The stranger stood up and walked to the grunting Hera on the ground. "This fraud shall be taught a lesson." He knelt before her, his eyes glinting with madness. The crimson in his eyes darkened, completely shading his eyes red for a moment.
Hera tried to get up, but a heavy force of air crushed her down. She looked at the crazy man in front of her and watched him materialize fire on his palm again.
"Your majesty, don't!" Simon yelled from across the room. The stranger wasn't even fazed. "Your majesty, stop!"
"Who are you?" he asked her as he put the fire closer to her face. "My sister wouldn't have acted the way you did around my flame, so tell me: who are you?"
His deep voice sounded more sinister by the second. Drops of sweat cascaded down her face as she felt the scorching hot flame just inches away from burning her skin.
"Felix, calm down!" Simon continued to call out.
"This woman's not my sister!" The man growled back at the knight. "Someone took her place! How can you expect me to calm down?!"
As his voice raised, so did the flames. Simon took a step back to not get burnt.
"Felix–"
"Did you know?" he asked Simon through gritted teeth.
"Felix, she is your sister–"
"No, she's not!" He threw the flame on his palm at Simon. Quick on his feet, the knight ducked. "I know my sister!"
The man quickly turned his head back to Hera, another—stronger—flame erupted from his palm. Hera saw him charge at her, his eyes glossy and teary. He aimed for her head. She closed her eyes and accepted it.
——————————————
Cold.
The midnight breeze was cold on her skin. It felt like ice cubes were grazing her cheek when she stepped out in the middle of the night, certain that everyone had already retired to their bedchambers. Hera knew Miseok would not be happy to know she went outside the manor on her own. She was unchaperoned and breaking her father's rules, after all.
But a little girl could only do so much, especially after she'd climbed the mossy wall separating her from the outside world. She had dirtied her thin nightwear and tiny feet, but she reckoned it would be worth it once she'd seen and felt the soil beyond her manor.
And she was standing when she'd come to. But she was laying down, being crushed by a certain silver-haired man, moments before. She remembered to be on fire, yet she felt chills creeping up her spine. And has the world always looked this daunting and tall?
She looked around, trying to make up where she was. It was dark, but the moon illuminated the surroundings enough for her to make out a pathway leading to somewhere. She started putting one foot after the other for some time. She walked and walked and walked. There were just trees around and the unforgiving, long pathway ahead of her. Until there weren't.
There was a gold gate before her, rimmed with regent flowers and artistic leaves. It was tall and… unlocked. She pushed it lightly and it creaked open. Somehow, she knew that Hera shouldn't enter, but her feet kept moving on their own.
She willed herself to stop, but Hera continued. It was like she was in a trance, a standstill, the past, or a memory. It was vivid, sensational, and oddly familiar…
Her feet stopped in front of a massive manor. It was marble white with three steps before the big doors. Hera went nearer until she could make out a figure. It was sitting on the bottom step; slouching and forlorn.
"Hello," her voice came out.
The figure turned to face her. It was then that she recognized its features: silver hair, porcelain skin, and sad, magenta eyes.
A name appeared in her head: Felix. Hera's brother she hadn't seen since that incident.
Did she know a Felix? She didn't, did she? But it did sound oddly familiar. She felt like she had heard of it before. Where did she hear it again?
"El, what are you doing here?!" The boy looked around, afraid that someone had seen them. "You can't be in here!"
"Why are you sad?" Hera dismissed his worry, darting the conversation back to him. Hera's hand raised and touched his cheek.
His eyes quickly grew teary, but he remained silent.
"Brother, it's okay. You can tell me anything," Hera assured her with a smile.
Felix's eyes softened as his shoulders dropped. "I killed Iffy, El. I'm a monster," he professed, choking back his tears.
"Iffy?!" Hera's voice echoed him as she remembered a picture of a golden dog jumping to her arms. "What happened, brother?! Were you hurt?!"
Felix shook his head while looking down. "It manifested today, El. My powers." He raised his palm up to show her. It started with a faint flicker. Then, it grew into a spark. Until a small flame erupted from his hand. "I had fire on my palms, and Iffy tackled me from behind. He startled me! And… and the next thing I know… I-Iffy…" he sobbed and embraced Hera. His shoulders shuddered as his cries filled the silent night.
Hera also started crying for Iffy and for her brother. Then, she thought that if only her mother was around, she would know what to do to make Felix feel better. She would know the exact words to say. She would know the exact practices to help him. But she no longer was. Because of Hera.
Because of her, her brother is suffering.
Ridden by guilt, she peeled him away from her and took his palm. She thought about what her mother would do in this situation—what she would say and what she would have him do. And Hera was certain her mother would get Felix to see him the way she sees him.
"No! El, you'll get hurt! I can't control it yet!" Felix tried to take his hand back, but it had sparked an even bigger flame. Hera stared at how the flame danced and found it fascinating. "S-Stay away from me! I might hurt you like Iffy!"
The little boy cried and tried to push Hera away, but she wouldn't budge from her spot. She tried to step back as well, but her body—Hera—wouldn't move.
She felt the warmth of the growing flame on her face but she didn't pull back. Instead, she hovered her hand over the flame. The scorching heat tickled her skin, but the sensation didn't stop her from moving nearer.
"El, don't!" Felix started pulling his hand from below, but Hera stopped him with her free hand. She moved her hand toward the flame until she felt his palm. Hera intertwined her fingers around his hand and squeezed it gently until the flame disappeared.
And it burnt. It pricked her skin sharply and intensely. It felt like a million needles were stabbing her palm all at once while hot, boiling water poured itself on her. She was burning, but when she pulled away from his palm, her skin was untouched.
It didn't bleed. It didn't cut. It didn't burn.
But it hurt. Excruciatingly so.
And Hera smiled amid the pain. She held her perfectly normal hand up for him to see and said, "You're not a monster, brother because see? You can never hurt me."