CHAPTER 6 - FLASHBACK 1.0 THE BLOODSHED

Her rapid breathing sounded as her body trembled. Her eyes glued at the woman in her late sixties with chains wrapped around her frail body. The chains dig deeper into the flesh with every move. Her terror mounted with every breathing. 

            "Zillian, my dear nephew. Observe as your beloved grandmother enjoys the pain she deserves."

            "Granny!" Ashriel shouted in terror when Edom slapped Meredith with his gun. Blood flowed out of her nose. She reached her arms and tried to run towards her, but two men pulled her down and stomped her stomach. Shallow spikes from their winter combat pierced through her stomach. Her sharp shackles dug deeper into her skin, making her howl like a wounded animal as blood spurted. Edom laughed eerily. 

            "Edom, you'll regret this." Meredith's fiery eyes stabbed him. Her calm tone crept his body. The smile on his face vanished.

            "You are not worthy to be the Ruler!" He shouted in anger as he pointed the gun at Meredith. His face was dim. Anger, jealousy, and hatred covered his entire being. 

            "I may not be worthy, but someone is." 

            Pissed, Edom clicked the trigger and a fresh, red fluid spilled from Meredith's shoulder as she groaned. It burned; it throbs. It was a close contact shot that the hole was so painful it made her numb. He was about to click the trigger when the metal door banged opened. Countless armed men marched into the room. 

            "Edom, you bastard!" Emmette shouted as he shot his gun. The men dropped Ashriel as they exchanged fire with the Elite Forces. 

            "Ashriel, run!" Meredith shouted forcefully. Edom quickly shifted his position. Ashriel did not listen. The two men that held her now lay dead on the floor. She fell down on one knee, took the gun, and aimed at Edom, who tried to escape through the window. She fired two shots upward and hit his thigh. He groaned. 

            The whole room was in total chaos. 

            "Ashriel, run!" Shouted Meredith for the second time. Again, she did not listen. Without her knowing, a gun was pointed at her.

            “Ashriel!”

            Bang!

            She froze. Red fluid splashed on her face.

            “Mother!”

            “This is nothing, son.” Ashriel felt Meredith’s trembling body wrapped around her. “Take Ashriel out and leave.”

            Ashriel hesitated. She wanted to stay, fight, and save her grandmother but Lady Chalier’s firm hand pulled her out of the room. 

            Tears flooded her eyes as she ran. Outside the abandoned factory, people were lying on the ground, soaked with their blood. Ashriel looked back as a loud noise echoed through her ears. Gunshots. As the scenes flashed through her mind, her vision turned dark.

            A plain white ceiling greeted Ashriel as she opened her eyes. Small sobs are echoing to the whole room. Mixed emotions flooded. "Atarah, my daughter, thank God you're awake!" Lady Chalier stood up with tears streaming down her cheeks and kissed Ashriel’s hand. But the violent scene flashed through Ashriel's mind again. Trepidation attacked her. 

            "Mother, where is Granny?!" Ignoring the throbbing pain from her stomach, Ashriel panicky stood up from her bed. Her heart beats fast, her whole body trembled.

            "Atarah, please, sit down. Your father is currently talking to Doctor Spencer. Afterward, you will see her." 

            Few moments had passed, and Ashriel was allowed to see Meredith. Bliss filled her heart. She was so excited to open the door, for she knew that a warm, tight hug would greet her. But when she opened the door, she saw a pale-looking woman covered with bondages lying on a bed, practically lifeless. Wires attached to her body, leading through the Holter monitor.

            She has never been so frightened.

            "Granny…" Ashriel called as she slowly walked towards her. She fought a rising fear crawling through her body. Her hand moved, reaching for Ashriel's cheeks when she opened her eyes and gave her a warm, weak smile. 

            Emmette, Ashriel's father, was standing at the door with the remaining Elders and High Members. Everyone was filled with sorrow. They knew something will happen. Something bad.

            "Granny? Please, rise. We still have multitudinous paper works to do. You are going to teach me more about guns, daggers, poisons, and knives, right?" 

            Meredith flashed a weak smile as she took off her necklace with a lion ring and her eagle ring. A symbol of her leadership and responsibility. "Come closer, dear." She whispered. Ashriel bent and leaned closer to her. "Everyone who is here today is the witness that I bestow Ashriel to be the New Ruler of the Empire of Aparctias and Thrascias." With Meredith’s words, Ashriel's tears betrayed her. No. this is not the plan. Amber was supposed to be the leader, not Ashriel. That was the plan. 

            "Amber will never be the leader, Ashriel. I choose you." She wiped the tears the escaped Ashriel's eyes with her thumb.

            "Never despise everything that I taught you. Forgive me if I could not teach you any longer." She forces herself to sit down and cupped Ashriel's face with her two trembling hands and looked at her dazzling eyes with the same colors as her. Ashriel shook her head without blinking her teary eyes.

            "Granny…. No…. please…."

            "I believe you are worthy of being the Ruler. Continue our dreams, my dear. You will be a great leader if you follow my teachings. Forget not that I am always with you. I already assigned someone to teach you. That person is like me, and you will meet that person when the right time comes." Her breathing became heavy. 

            "I love you, Ashriel. My Granddaughter." She smiled gently. Ashriel hugged her trembling body as she sobbed loudly.

            "I love you too…. Granny." With her last words, Meredith's hand falls lifelessly. Her body collapsed. Doctor Spencer and Harriet hurriedly ran towards them. Harriert started the CPR. The whole room was in turmoil as he tried to revive her.

            He took the defibrillator. Harriet stopped when Spencer was about to deliver a shock.

            “150 joules. Clear.”

            “Charge!”

            No response.

            “200 joules. Clear.”

            “Charge!”

            “Her vitals…. Her vitals aren’t coming.”

            Ashriel felt her chest ache as she watched. Her short breathing sounded.

            "N-No! No! Gra…nny!" 

            "Atarah! What's happening?!"

            "She's hyperventilating!"

            "Tory!" Doctor Spencer shouted while he still tried to revive Meredith. "Treat the Young Master!" 

             The whole room was in a complete state of panic. 

            Doctor Spencer did everything to resuscitate her. After using defibrillator for a total of ten times, he failed.

            Ashriel's grandmother, the person she relied on the most, died. She hated herself for being weak. She hated herself for needing protection. Because of her, many died. Because of her, many lives were destroyed. 

            "T-time of death…." Doctor Spencer hesitated. "8:15 in the evening…" his body slowly slumped on the floor. Ashriel's ear-shuttering scream broke their hearts. Her loud sobs of anguish, regret, and sorrow filled the whole room. No one dared to move as they all sobbed and blamed themselves. 

            "Father…" Ashriel tightened her trembling grip on Meredith's hand. Her tears flow from her eyes to Meredith's hands. She tasted her own blood as she bit her quivering lower lips.

            "Gather all of our forces both in Aparctias and Thrascias." Her eyes, burning in rage, spooked everyone in the room. The blood leaking out of her lips thickens, and Emmette's breathing stopped for a moment as his hand trembled. Panic surged through him. His heart sank because of his daughter's declaration. Everyone was frightened down to the soles of their shoes.

            "Prepare yourselves. A Great Bloodshed will happen." 

            After what happened, Ashriel did everything to become strong. She did everything for her not to rely upon anyone ever again. 

~ If you follow the right teachings, you will be a great leader. ~