The wind was hissing through the grass when she first levitated, a light, shaking shiver like a leaf blowing. The same could be said for the hairs on her arms, and the manner in which her face turned slightly pale and her eyes widened, a gasp escaping her lips. But that was moments ago. Other than those many odd occurrences, she was an ordinary girl with short hair and a simple style.
"Are you alright," he spoke with a hard edge in his voice. He placed a hand on her shoulder, a gesture which to her now felt far too menacing and forced.
"Yes, of course," she replied lightly, but found the process of breathing louder and faster than before. Instead of responding to him, she began to walk in certain directions, her eyes still focused on the ground. She found this wonderful, even though the ground was cold and hard to walk through. Her feet, against their will, took little pride in what they were walking on. The wind continued to hiss, but it now seemed less threatening.
"Well, that's good," he said, "because we're pretty deep into this." The pair continued onwards, their path becoming harder and rougher when rocks and sand became a significant part of their journey. She continued to walk with the dagger clutched firmly in her hand. It wasn't until he said, "And you still haven't told me your name."
For the first time in a long time, her mind was silent. She looked at him, eyes shifting from side to side, her mouth suddenly empty of anything that might have come out. It wasn't until the words, "What?" finally came out that they formed any kind of thought or sound.
"Oh, you don't have to do that," he said, looking slightly irritated. "We're already deep into this. It's not like any of your concerns are of any importance."
"I don't know," she murmured to herself. Thinking to herself would always be frowned upon and unclear to others, but here it was important for her to do it. She spoke her thoughts aloud. "There are no honorifics here. Perhaps there is none to know. What am I called? I don't remember."
"Oh, really?" he laughed. His hand held the hilt of his blade, but his expression remained absent of any reason to brandish it. "Well, I'm called Princess..." The sound of his voice disappeared, and it was as if she could no longer hear him. Her fingers began to shake, and her body nearly collapsed to the ground. Her breath felt odd, but her heart beat frantically in her chest. It was like this whenever she was in a deep state of thought, but she hadn't realized just how serious her own disarray was until she became aware of it.
She felt her muscles tighten, her heart slam against her ribcage. She tried to call out, but no sound came. Her hand that held the dagger began to shake even more. The dagger fell from her hand, the wind rising. It was too loud, the crackling and deep breathing of a beast.
"Princess?" she heard from afar, but it was a faint voice anyway. She was frozen, unable to move, trapped like a fragile glass figurine. Before her eyes, the dagger turned metallic-blue.
She was looking on at a vision as clear as day. It was in this vision that she saw what others had seen, and yet she still saw nothing but their own disbelief. They jumped to their feet, some falling to the floor. The noise around the room was excruciating, yet it was missed. The girl knew exactly what they were feeling in that moment. She felt her head and stomach convulse, causing her to double over. And then she felt a pain in her heart. It was a pain that had happened many times and yet was not as serious as it once was. She could still feel pain every time, but it wasn't as bad. It was still painful. Painful, but not too bad. And then she knew what was about to happen. Something had been building up inside her for a long time, and now it was ready to burst. At first, it was just a small ember that flickered and shrank in size. And then it flared into a blazing flame as she shouted out a scream that rattled the whole building. The explosion was enough to knock out the entire room. And then she returned to her normal self. She was still unsure of her situation and did not know what to do or say.
"You all look like you need a rest," he said. His voice was sudden, loud, and jarring.
"What, are you serious?" she said, her heart growing, her tone a little harsher than she had intended it to be. "I don't think this is a good idea. I have a lot to do." Her words came out rapidly, though with a rhythm much like an out-of-breath jogger.
"Oh, I'm sure you do," he said, raising an eyebrow, his hand placed on his hip, his head tilted. She noticed his sword, but ignored it. "I'm pretty sure you all do. But strangely enough, I don't remember you all making it to your jobs on time. You see, it is your own fault if you are late. And that's fine. I don't mind. I'll be that free time will be a nice change of pace. And I don't know any of you, so why should I worry? And I always insist on first-homecoming dances as well. So go on. I'm sure you've all had plenty of time to get to know me."
