It's late.

I'm just thankful to be safe. Safe from the destruction. Safe from the wilderness. Safe from the noise.

I turn to my side and snuggle up with my pillow, bringing my knees upward.

Across from me, I look over to that boy we found. Sleeping on the bed.

I think for a minute.

Of course, he deserves that rest. I bet it’s comfy. More comfortable than this couch.

I hear my brother cough at his mat. My eyes drift up and to the left, as he reminds me: it could be worse.

Stuff the mat. That’s just sleeping on straight stone.

I look back at the boy and wonder.

I suppose we found him resting on a boulder. And had to make do with gravel and pebbles.

I let out a sigh.

I’m lucky there’s even a couch here. Here.

I think back to how simple life was before. Before the storm. And when we used to visit here for fun. Only for fun. My brother and I.

Before the storm.

There was no sound of alert.

“Ala-h,” Barnie sighs at the other end of the counter. He rolls his eyes over the number of books I’ve presented.

“It’s not my fault I’m young,” I cross my arms. “These are things I need to know and there’s only so many hours in a day.”

Barnie briefly scans through the pages of my display. “Okay,” he stretches his arms. “Let me keep track of all this, ya little bookworm.”

I let him work while my mind gets lost in a scramble.

“Ah.” I’m brought back to reality.

“You need a hand with all this?”

I stretch my arms to their limit and hug the pile of literature. “I’m good,” I smile at him before heaving the lot back onto the support of my wee legs.

“You sure?”

I feel my face going red.

“Yeah,” I turn slowly. I head out of the library at a snail’s pace and push open the door to a warm red carpet.

“Miss Ala,” I hear someone call to me.

“Huh?”

A few of the books slide away from my face and I hear them fall upon the ground.

Caram jogs closer to me and gets to her knee.

“Innie,” she calls to a guard at the doorway to my right. “Help us with this, won’t you?”

Caram reaches for the books on the floor, places them between her arms, and holds her arms out. Innie grabs the rest from me and stacks them up for Caram.

“Need a hand?” Herrie giggles from my left.

Innie holds her hand out for him to ease off. I’m not sure if she can’t talk or just won’t.

“Sorry,” I drop my shoulders.

“You’re all right, my girl,” Caram assures me. “Back to your room, I’m guessing.”

“Right,” I confirm.

“Thanks,” Caram thanks her assistant. “I’ll be right back to relieve you, my friend. Apologies.”

The two of us head to my quarters on the other side of the castle. 

“And how many days will this collection of words cost you, Princess? Not another week, will it?”

I look up at Caram as she walks alongside me. “Hm,” I smile. “Even with ten days on my side, I don’t think 520 hours will be enough.”

“Ah,” Caram giggles. “You’re quick with words, and you spend a lot of time in your room. If anyone can pull it off, it would be Princess Ala.”

Her escort comes to an end as we near my room.

“Lovely to see you, Princess,” Kiltch welcomes me at my doorway.

“Back at the books, my liege,” Pucchi joins him at the other side of it.

“I’ll leave these with you then,” she leans against Kiltch and transfers the weight of my haul to his gauntlets.

My guards deal with my situation and I thank them before reaching my kingdom bed.

I lie back with my arms spread and notice the curtains open behind my desk.

I sigh.

“G-”

I stop myself from calling for help. I feel like I’ve burdened everyone enough.

I rock myself forward to my feet, jog to the drapes and notice movement.

The beautiful garden that was planted at the date of my birth, in my name, outside of my room. Just thinking about it makes me happy. My parents are the best.

I find my brother examining my flowers. I always wonder what he’s doing. Some things he does just don't make sense to me.

I look at the sky growing heavier and so do the clouds.

It’s about to rain. A good time for reading.

…

The room flashes white, even through heavy curtains. Ooh. Lightning.

I turn my head to my window and hurry over. This has to be the heaviest rain I’ve ever witnessed.

That’s a strong light to have filled my room.

I reach for the covers on my window and it turns white again in an instant. But, this time it wasn’t a flash. I’m forced to shut one eye tightly as my drapes remain white for a second. An entire second. A second too long.

As soon as the darkness of night returns, I throw open my curtains and watch. I cover my ears for the noise that could come from this.

Thunder.

A thunderous thunder.

A thunderous thunder that thumped against my brain even through tightened eardrums.

Sore.

As soon as I find an opening, I shoot my hand into a drawer nearby for my earmuffs. Weak earmuffs used for attending demonstrations in school.

Better than nothing.

I return my gaze to my window to witness a myriad of lightning strikes bursting into a dance around the world. 

Even through the protection of my ears, I feel a burning force around me.

Panic.

As I watch the storm fail to take a break, my heart is filled with panic.

Thunder and lightning take the skies, as far as the eye could see. Waves of the sea at the other side of the Kingdom toss waves against the land. I feel like the water will reach my garden in only minutes. Cracks begin to force themselves into the ground like clenched veins and pull it apart anyway.

“Ala!”

| Author’s Notes |

~ Characters ~
Ala: Princess of Nyrin.
Barnie: Librarian of Nyrin.
Innie: Defender of Nyrin.
Herrie: Defender of Nyrin.
Caram: Defender of Nyrin.
Kiltch: Defender of Nyrin.
Pucci: Defender of Nyrin.