'Till Only Ashes Remain

Shrill screams echoed through the air. The city was burning to the ground. Flaming hot tongues of scarlet were loose upon the city, leaving no houses untouched by the vicious flames. The hot summer sun intensified the heat of the fire, leaving the folks in a sweaty mess. As thick smoke engulfed the air. families fled from their residences, carrying their valued possessions and children under their arms as they ran to the distant safety of the Votana river. Flaming roofs collapsed under the heads of their residences, lighting the heads of the residents on fire.

The once prosperous kingdom dubbed as the ‘capital’ was set aflame. In the midst of all its glory, it had fallen. The once tall buildings were nothing but shells of their previous tall forms, with only the mere frames remaining insight. The clear, fresh air was now corrupted with the toxic-seeming gray gas inflicted by the fire. Previously green crops which served as the highlight of the city now were reduced to crisps, trodden upon by the fleeing people, leaving nothing to remain of them but a sad “Crunch!” The previously affluent empire had gone to waste, with nothing to be salvaged, for how could a flame so widespread be stopped. 

In the interior of the fire stood a few tall, charred hills, lightly touched by the flames, but still standing. On the top of the gray hill stood a girl, unfazed by the roaring fire standing below her. Her previously green eyes were black, reflecting the red of the fire in her large irises, sparking a separate fire inside them. A fire and anger, feeding on the wood and crops of the city, engulfing it in their crimson undertaker.  One must say that it raged stronger than the tongues of flame blackening the city grounds.  

Her red-emerald eyes grew to close as she knelt on the ground, softly resting her knee on the charred ground, and bowing her head as she was praying. She faced the burned town, bowing down, seeming to deliver a silent prayer to the city, not a prayer of help, but a prayer of thanks. She turned her face to two other directions, repeating the same gesture to them, mumbling a few unintelligible words while doing so. As she completed these gestures. As she shifted her feet, she opened her eyes, which now shone with emerald, and stood up, abruptly turning her face to the opposite direction. The portion of the city she owed no apologies. The West. 

In the field of red flames, there was one building still in shape. The palace of the emperor. It was the greatest building of all time, which was the residence of the ‘holy’ emperor. The place which caused her the most pain. The place where those who hurt her as this resided. The people who molded her into this monster. Harsh memories were the only ones that remained implanted in her mind, staying forevermore, haunting her very existence every time she looked at the red palace. And frankly, she was sick of it. 

A short, sickly child stood in the middle of the hallway, waiting. She bore long, pitch-black hair which reached down to the end of her waist. She wore a lake foam green hanfu, which fitted on her loosely, making her look smaller than reality. She bore an elated expression, which was her norm, for it sparked joy in her. Her emerald green eyes gazed out the window, into the fields of flower and bliss sitting behind the walls. There she could spot children playing. A blonde, raven, and brunette were playing with a small kickball, calling out numbers and names as fast as they could and kicking the beaten-up balls into each other, and laughing until they couldn’t breathe. The sight of them filled her with wonder and interest, and she followed the ball to and fro, her eyes bouncing from one person to another, as she continued to watch with exhilaration. The sight was a wonder to her. For an ordinary person, this site would be a normal sight. Children played ball for fun while strengthening themselves in the process. The girl was a frail child. Her limbs were skinny, lacking muscles or any fat. Running around was something that she was by law never supposed to do. Playing in the yard with balls was considered a foolish waste of time. She was told to spend her time buried in her history scrolls, learning about the past of her dynasty, for the future heir to such a prosperous kingdom had to be knowledgeable in such subjects. 

The brunette turned his head to face the little girl. Caught by surprise, she stumbled back, her exhilaration turning to a fearful expression. She came back to the window and mustered a small smile and a weak wave. The other two players caught her stare and started walking away, clearly creeped out by the staring. The brunette just smiled back and waved to her with vigor. He had very soft features. Small freckles adorned his cheeks, and he had bright pink lips. He had stunning yellow eyes the color of a sunflower’s petals. He was reasonably short too, just a bit taller than the little girl. She smiled bigger, clearly distracted from her work. After a hot minute of staring, she heard the mention of her name and turned away to address it, leaving with a small wave, sad to say goodbye to her new friend. Walking into the hallway, she saw her father, the current Emperor, walking about the hallway, waiting for her.

The Emperor was a horrible person. He was another link in the world’s cruelest family. He had cold, gray eyes,  and like her, thick black hair. They resemble each other, but we're the opposite about her. The girl was a joyful child, full of imagination and wonder. The emperor’s personality was like his eyes, cold and cruel. He was a murderer and took many lives of city walkers and subordinates who didn’t subside to his mean ways. Like his many ancestors, he was forced into the role of emperor quite forcefully. He had started as another happy child, as innocent as the girl. Over years he was forced into the cruel person he was supposed to be to run the kingdom. An unmerciful human being, who had blood on his hands. The girl feared him. 

“Have you finished your assignment?” He asked, staring at the girl with his petrifying glare, sending shivers down the little girl’s spine. 

“Almost!” She answered back, looking back at the stroll, which only bore the word ‘the’ .

“Were you doing something else? Last time I checked, an hour was enough time to finish a paragraph on the Zhou dynasty.”

“I just took a break.”

“Perhaps, you should shorten your breaks, for this is nothing. An hour of precious time wasted. Now hurry, finish up. I hope I hear no more about these ‘breaks’.”

He walked away, disappearing into the abyss of hallways. 

The girl collapsed on her knees, and let out a sigh of relief. 

“Thank god, I’m ok. 

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Days went by as usual for the girl. Her father’s toughness on her had finally started to affect her, and she became a cold, cruel person like him. Her eyes had lost their green glow, and she had become taller and wiser with time. Every year the pressure on her would grow, and she would be drowned once more in piles of work to do and expectations to fulfill. The only times when her cruel outside manner would disappear was in the presence of the brunette boy. They had become friends, and eventually lovers. They were attracted to each other like magnets, relishing every moment they could together. When apart, they dreamed of what they would do once reunited. Maybe sneak away at night, and gaze at the starry sky that the girl loved so much, or play in the green hills near the creek and roll around in the grass. 

Over time, people got suspicious of the girl’s whereabouts, especially her father. She had been neglecting some work and had never seen the palace. When he sent a spy to follow after her, he found out about the brunette. Next time he came to the castle, the girl would behold a special surprise……..

Blood. 

There was so much blood. 

Plastering the gates of the castle was the crimson liquid, leaking from the edge of the brunette’s head. His brown hair was dyed red from the blood, and his amber eyes had lost their glow, looking dim now. The Emperor stood outside, waiting, clothes stained with blood. 

The image remained in the girl’s head, tormenting her constantly. Every time her eyes closed, he stood in front of her, stained with blood. She couldn’t bear to see her father again. So she made sure she would. And years later, the prosperous kingdom stood on fire, with the castle burning last, the Emperor remaining inside to his fiery fate. 

A blue flower was placed on the ashes, marking the end of a horrible era and the beginning of a new start.