The Heart of Everything

From the pain and the sorrow caused by my mistakes, I would end it all, today, here. I might die in the process, but I could have cared less. It didn’t matter. As long as I killed Max, the victory was good enough for me. As for what would happen to me, it was not important. So maybe my people would lose their princess, their only princess, yet if it meant it could lead to the path of defeating the werewolves, I would gladly sacrifice myself.

It was funny would I wanted to live, but knowing that I would die. It was impracticable for me to make it out alive. My body, that was, and Max’s. Our spirits, on the other hand, would be freed. What was inside couldn’t be broken. It was a scary thought.

But I’d face it because it was the heart of everything.

I kicked Max’s face, a crunch was heard, loud and clear, but I wasn’t quick enough to dodge his next move. He grabbed my leg, twisting it. I flipped, doing a spin in mid-air to prevent my leg from getting broken. I landed on my back with a slam. Groaning, I rolled over to avoid Max’s foot as he stomped. I was not surprised by his strength when the marble floor broke. It was expected for a werewolf to have great strength.

I jumped on my feet, ignoring the stinging pain on my back. I couldn’t lose to him. I had to open up his eyes, and save him from fading away into the darkness. There was too many sins both Max and I had committed. The only one way to redeem ourselves was obvious to me, but I wasn’t sure did he discover it. Summoning veils of darkness, I molded them in spikes, aiming at Max. He growled, and bent down.

‘Die,’ I murmured. ‘For our sakes.’

Max ran forward, ducking away from my spikes in the process. With a wave of my hand, a wall rose from the ground, preventing Max from getting close to me. I saw him gritted his teeth through the half transparent wall. I smirked.

‘Face it, Max. I’m the better fighter.’ The moment had finally arrived. I won. I did it.

Max’s expression changed into a mischievous grin.

‘Not anymore.’

I gasped as his sword crashed against my wall, shattering it completely, and succeeded in slashing my left arm. I jumped backward, a second faster than Max’s sword, avoiding my arm from being detached. I shivered at the thought. Losing a limb…I had not anticipated that.
‘Guess I underestimated you,’ I hissed, grabbing my shoulder, trying to stopping the blood from flowing and to cease the pain.

‘No, really?’ Max mocked, swinging his sword in a random fashion. ‘I’d never guess.’
My sight was getting worse; a mist fogged the images, acting as a blanket. I didn’t notice Max had rushed in front of me and kneed my in the abdomen. I gasped for air before falling on my front this time.

‘Not so tough now, huh?’

I moved my right hand, trying to cast another, but he saw it, and stepped onto my hand. I screamed, feeling the bones in my hand being crushed. I wasn’t going to give up. I could still do it…Damn, I couldn’t even think straight. My thoughts began to blur together, mixing themselves, gluing one idea to another.

‘I’m going to repay the favor for what have you done to my family,’ he laughed hysterically. ‘Can you see me, mom, dad, Katy? I’ll honor you with the blood of this witch.’
He knelt down, raising his sword above. Strangely, I was both comforted and disgusted by how close he was to me. In my last solemn hour, I felt a hint of joy within me. Very soon, I would embrace him on the other side…

I thought back when I heard the crowd in the distance of my homeland, screaming out my faith, calling my name. They welcomed me, loved me. Now their voices were fading, so was my senses. I felt no pain. It was like a vision, showing how my life had been. I even saw a glimpse of the time when Max and I vowed to be together forever. The scenes shrunk, until I could see no more.

‘Goodbye, Princess Sophia.’

My injured arm twitched. I flexed my fingers once and closed them tightly. This was my final struggle.

Max was unaware that I could do blood manipulation. Spears of blood pierced through his lower body. He froze, dropping the sword on the ground, his body followed after the weapon. I jumped onto my feet, running toward the exit. My feet were numb; I couldn’t feel them hit the floor.

I decided I couldn’t die. Ridiculous, I knew, yet it was the truth. I thought I would accept my death without fear, but in the end, fear driven me to flee.

‘Seize her!’

No. No, no, no! He couldn’t survive. I closed my other hand, and heard him screamed in pain. My heart jerked at his voice, thumping loudly and painfully.

I wanted to cry. I hated myself. Continuing running, I never turned to look had I finished Max. I didn’t want to. I was afraid for what I might see.

Two werewolf guards blocked the door, hold spears in their hand. They were in half wolf, half human form, covered in armor. From helmet to chest plate, and the arm-guards to boots, all in grayish green lined with silver.

‘Back off!’

They didn’t even blink once as they attacked me. I leaped into the air and did a roundhouse kick, this time, thankfully, landing on my feet.

Just as I was about to celebrate my little victory, something knocked my head from behind. My eyes rolled to the back of my head, falling into the darkness below, fading away.
Did I sacrifice for nothing? The purpose, the reason.

Was this truly the heart of everything?