Chapter 4

"Fhyra! Listen carefully! We don't have much time left to explain everything to you. Just remember this one thing. Never ever trust anyone aside from Cool. No matter what happens, you will go with him. Only with him. You understand?" My tears keep on falling while listening to my mom.

I don't know what's happening, I don't understand anything!

We were just eating peacefully when suddenly a group of weird-looking guys went inside our house, my mom and dad defensively put me behind their backs. And then, I totally lost grasps on whatever happened. All I know was that there were lots of lights with different colors almost blinding me.

While the lights were distracting everyone, my mom pulled me upstairs back at my bedroom. And then here she goes, asking me not to trust and go with anybody aside from Cool? How the hell did they know that guy?

"Mommy, what's happening? Why did we left Dad downstairs? What if he gets hurt?" I worriedly ask my mom, but she just shook her head and was also on the verge of crying.

"I'm going back there to help your dad. Fhyra, please know that we did all of this for you, to protect you. So please, please take care of yourself. Don't go out of this room on your own even though you hear us calling for you. Cool will be here, he's coming to get you and he is the only one who can open that door. You're coming with him, he's going to keep you safe no matter what. Trust him. Okay? Just him." I saw a tear cascaded down from Mommy's eyes. She stared at me for a while, her eyes shows endless worry and unconditional love for me.

"Mommy..." I called her in a weak voice when she tried to stand up. She gazes back at me and shook her head, she pressed a kiss on my forehead before resting her forehead to mine for a few minutes just like how she usually does before I go to sleep.

"We love you so much, Fhyra. Me and your dad, always remember that," She said, her voice and eyes are so full of emotions.

"I love you too, Mommy. I really love both of you, too." I can't almost make the words out clearly because of too much crying and also because of fear and worry for our safety.

"I need to go, honey. Your daddy needs me. Remember what I told you." she said before she hurriedly went to the door and closed it immediately, not giving me a chance to see even a glimpse of whatever is happening outside my room.

I don't know how long I stayed there sitting quietly beside my bed. I was hoping for my parents to open the door and tell me that all of this is just a prank.

It is my birthday today.

It should not be like this!

My tears are silently falling from my eyes. A few moments later the disturbing sounds coming outside my room gradually decreased until it completely turned into silence.

A new hope roused inside me when I heard a delicate knock on my door.

"Fhyra?" I immediately run towards the door and was about to open it when I remembered what my mom told me before she left the room.

"Mom?"

"Yes honey, it's me. Open the door please." It was really mom's voice but suspicions made its way to me when I look at the doorknob and realized that it wasn't even locked!

"Don't go out of this room on your own even though you hear us calling for you. Cool will be here, he's coming to get you and he is the only one who can open that door. You're coming with him, he's going to keep you safe no matter what. Trust him. Okay? Just him."

I can almost hear my mom's voice saying it all over again.

I immediately took a step back, away from the door.

What's happening?

Why can't she open the door?

That's my mom's voice! I can't be mistaken.

"Fhyra? Open the door." Mom's voice this time sounded irritated, unlike her gentle tone from before.

"Mom? The door wasn't locked." I answered calmly even though I feel like my heart is about to burst any moment from now.

"Fhyra, open the door!" I flinched when I heard my mom shouted outside the door and started to pound the door.

"Mom! You're scaring me!" I shouted back with a breaking voice.

"Fhyra, open this door now and get out of there!" If I was scared earlier from mom's angry voice then I am totally terrified when mom's voice begins to change.

"Who are you?! You're not my mom!" I said in a loud voice, almost using all the courage I could muster at the moment.

"Open this door or else---" I almost jump and my eyes grew bigger when I started to hear weird noises that disabled that someone who's imitating my mom to finish whatever she's trying to say.

I was filled with fright when I realized that the doorknob of my bedroom slowly moved and the door slowly opened.

My instincts kicked in.

Because of too much fright, I screamed so loud and like what usually happens when I lost control of my emotions, all the electronics inside my room went on fire. Even the light bulbs exploded all at the same time.

And a second later, my whole room is on fire.

After that powerful scream, I fell limp to the ground.

I feel so weak.

I was alerted immediately when I felt someone approached me and tried to carry me on his arms.

I immediately tried to resist by pushing his arms away from me, but I immediately halted when I realized who was there with me.

And my mom's words came rushing back at me, once again.

"Just remember this one thing. Never ever trust anyone aside from Cool. No matter what happens, you will go with him. Only with him. You understand?"

After realizing it was Cool, I immediately surrendered and stopped resisting.

"I'm sorry for being late, Princess." I heard him say before I completely lost my consciousness.

My head felt like bursting when I opened my eyes. Memories of what happened last night came flashing in my mind, I immediately got up when I completely recalled what happened.

My eyes went wide when I finally absorbed my surroundings.

Everything looks glowing!

The rocky walls looked old but magical, a decorative fountain near the door caught my attention.

It was a freaking lava fountain!

I got more and more terrified as I look around. I stood up and looked down when I felt something weird.

"What the heck?!" I cussed when I realized that I don't wear the same clothes I had on, last night.

I was wearing a long dress that reaches my ankles, its colors resemble that of a blazing fire. The straps of the dress were around my neck, I could even feel the bareness of my back.

I was still busy cursing on Cool, thinking that he was the one who changed my clothes when I heard the door opened.

A girl wearing a simpler dress but with the same color came in, she was carrying a slate gray tray. I saw how startled she was when she saw me staring at her wide-eyed as well.

She immediately put down the tray she was holding beside the table by the door and then she hurriedly stuck her head outside.

"The Princess has awakened! Call the Queen! Hurry!" I heard her informed someone outside before she turned around to face me again.

I was about to say something when she immediately kneeled on the floor, with her head down.

"Forgive the rudeness of your servant, Your Highness! I was just too thrilled to see you awake after so many days."

I immediately walked towards her and helped her stand.

"You don't have to do this. I think we got it all wrong here. Where's Cool?" I asked the girl whose head was still staring at the ground.

Can she at least, look at me?

"The Guardian is with the Queen, I believed they are already on their way," she said politely.

"Can you look at me?" I asked her because her bowing down to me is starting to irk me.

She immediately raised her head to face me, so I get to see her face clearly now.

"Princess, do you need anything?"

"Why do you keep calling me Princess? My name's Fhyra." I said with a confused look.

"Yes, Your Highness, you are Princess Fhyra indeed!" she said with a confused look as well.

"What do you---" I wasn't able to finish my question when the door burst open and a beautiful fifty-something woman came in, next to him is Cool who was staring at me with his usual cold and uncaring expression.

"Fhyra! My grandchild!" My mouth fell open when I heard how the woman addressed me.

I gave Cool a questioning gaze while the woman was hugging me.

But being the jerk that he is, he just shrugged his shoulders as a response.

Damn it! What's happening?!