Bound to the dark king

*Serena*

I realized that I didn't even have the chance to bid my parents a proper goodbye. A dull ache settled deep in my chest as I struggled to come to terms with the undeniable truth. I was about to be yanked out of the embrace of my family. My strict but loving father, my sweet mother and.... I turned sideways, my gaze looking around, searching for my friend, Lily. Lily was my maid, but I didn't see her as such. She was more of the sister that I never had and I trusted her with my life. She was a year older than me, but she sometimes acted like she was much older. No one looked out for me as much as she did. I pressed my lips together to stop them from trembling because of the pain I felt.

As I walked side by side with the sky man, Lord Presley, he called himself, I wondered what was running through his mind at that moment. I was initially shocked when the man appeared because he looked old enough to be my father, and he looked.... Human, like me. But he had told me that it was his job to usher the maidens to their destinations.

We had just stepped out of my father's palace and were about to enter the air-blade that was packed outside when Lily's voice cut through the silence.

"Serena! Wait my lady! Wait" I turned back instantly, joy filling my heart at seeing her for the last time. Thankfully, the man stopped, as well as l pulled my closest friend for most of my 20 years close.

"Oh, lily... I thought I would leave without seeing you one last time, I'm going to miss you so much." My voice quivered as I tried not to cry. I couldn't imagine living without Lily by my side all the time. Who would make me my special mushroom and chicken soup now?

"No, my lady. I will not stay away from you. I must go with you!" Lily cried with tears in her eyes. I swallowed the lump of tears that threatened to spill out. It broke my heart that l couldn't bring dear lily with me.

"I'm sorry, Lily, I wish you could come with me, but you can't. It's not allowed. But rest assured that I will come visit you and papa and mama as soon as I can, okay?"

"Do...do you promise, my lady?"

I nodded with a bright smile and kissed her wet cheeks. " I promise, dear lily. I will see you soon. I love you"

"'I love you too. May the fates be with you..." She held me close for a brief moment before slowly pulling away. With one last look, she turned and disappeared back into the palace.

l sniffed and turned to the man who was watching me like I was stupid. I raised my eyebrows at him in question. Why was he looking at me like that?

"Forgive me for intruding, but what is need to feed her dreams? Maidens never return to their families, aren't you aware?" His voice had an annoying edge to it that seemed to piss me off. I glared at him.

"I beg your pardon, sir, but whatever I feed my friend is none of your business is it?" The man's eyes widened in surprise at my retort before he turned away and continued walking forward. He probably thought I was the meek and quiet type. No. I was far from it. I may not have special superpowers or be blessed with an enchanting beauty, but one thing I had was my confidence. My fearlessness. I was not scared of death. I was not scared of being taken to a foreign land as long as I was going there on a mission to put an end to these oppressors called the sky people.

I took a deep breath as we approached the vehicle. This was it. I was finally leaving my home, my family. Everything I ever knew I was leaving them behind. my hand went to my chest. I silently prayed that my mama and Papa would be fine without me. I took a deep breath and entered the vehicle with the scowling man. In a second, the airblade vehicle hummed to life, and before I knew what was happening, I felt like I was floating. The machine was literally flying. I had only heard of things like this in books but never once experienced it. My world was a simple one, but not really civilized. We didn't have electricity like I read in most books, or machines that could make you speak to someone from another part of the world. I had always imagined that maybe these things existed in another universe or time. I suddenly wondered what it would be like, being in another universe, living another reality. Free from the doomed fate of being a chosen maiden.

Suddenly, the atmosphere changed and the air thickened. it was like we'd been plunged into something.... I glanced around in alarm as I realized that it was no longer bright outside the vehicle.

"what's happening? Where are we?"

"We are in the traveling realm." Lord Presley answered dryly, his face buried in a book. The fact that they read in their realm provided me with some sort of relief. I was obsessed with books. They kept me company and I learned a lot from reading books. I hoped they would have a library I could easily escape into. Books were the best form of escape from reality for me. I tried to calm my nerves down but there was something in the air that affected my breathing. I put my hand on my chest and tried to take a deep breath, but it was no use. it felt like I was being suffocated or I was drowning. I gasped for breath but I couldn't breathe. What was going on? Was l going to die? Who was this man??

"Calm down miss, this is a normal process for your species. The air in the traveling realm is too toxic for you and that is why your kind can never cross into our world" Lord Presley explained when he noticed how hard i was fighting to breathe.

"But..I...can't..."

"Yes, you'll pass out in a few seconds, Miss. When you come to, we will have passed the traveling realm." His voice was extremely calm and the words sounded like something he had repeated a lot of times. I felt the darkness slowly engulfing me. Just before it went completely dark, it felt like I was seeing colors. Maybe the realm was a rainbow. It was so colorful. So beautiful.

I eased into the chair as I felt my limbs give up. My heartbeat slowed down, and I was pretty certain I was about to die.

"Mama..papa...I.." Everything went black.

***

"Miss Arcane?" A distant voice woke me up from my state of unconsciousness. "Miss? We're here."

I slowly peeled my eyes open and tried to make note of where I was. It was bright outside. Too bright. It felt like the sun was directly on me. Woah. Why was it so hot?

I winced as I pulled myself up to a sitting position. I found Lord Presley staring at me amusingly. Then I remembered how terrible it was in that traveling realm. I had almost died! Was that funny to him??

"I hope you had a nice nap, ma'am" His lips curved upward, voice dripping with sarcasm. My jaw clenched so tightly with barely leashed anger.

"I certainly did not."

"Very well then, please accept my apologies for the inconveniences. That was the law of nature and even we have no control over it." I nodded after a few seconds, unsure whether his apology was genuine or he was still making fun of me.

"We have arrived at the sky kingdom. Please, follow me."

I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and made a silent prayer to the fates before stepping out of the airblade.

I wasn't prepared for the world that greeted me. I gasped in awe, completely mesmerized by the sight before me—the Sky Palace.

It was breathtaking, beyond anything I had imagined. The entire structure shimmered with golden light, casting a warm glow that made it seem almost ethereal. Towers soared high into the heavens, disappearing into the clouds, and the sprawling palace seemed to stretch endlessly across the sky. The detailed spires and arches gleamed like they were carved from sunlight itself, while the surrounding air buzzed with a strange, otherworldly energy.

It was both vast and magnificent, a kingdom suspended between the earth and the stars. I wondered what it would like here at night.

My gaze danced around the whole view as we walked in, taking in the way everything was so prefect and even the people were perfect. A part of me felt like I was caught in a dream and when I woke up, all this would disappear. Was it truly real?

***