In a dimly lit, dark cell, a weary prisoner sits hunched on a cold, unforgiving stone floor. The room is suffused with an oppressive sense of despair as if the very walls hold the weight of the prisoner's confinement.
The prisoner's clothing is tattered and stained, a reflection of the harsh conditions they endure. The face bears the marks of time and suffering, with hollowed cheeks and weary eyes that have seen too much. A thin, threadbare blanket provides meagre warmth, but it can't chase away the chill of isolation.
The only source of light filters in through a small, barred window high above, casting feeble rays that barely penetrate the gloom. The air is heavy with the scent of mustiness and decay, and the distant echoes of muffled voices and clinking chains serve as a constant reminder of the harsh reality of imprisonment.
The dead silence was broken by the loud clicking sound of footsteps accompanying a fierce aura permeating everywhere.
The temperature of the prison went down by several margins and prisoners cowered in fear as a man with a majestic aura went past their cell.
CLUNG!
The cell at the lowest end filled with darkness bathing the place in light making the prisoner flinch back.
The prisoner was a woman who tried to cover her eyes to protect herself from bright light however she didn't have a hand to cover her face.
Alex, who entered the room, just stood there silently watching the woman rotting in prison whose appearance was much different from her glamorous self.
It was then Alex noticed something amiss.
Initially, his order was to cut her hands, and feet and gouge her eyes but he decided to leave her eyes to witness her misery and despair in the dark room.
Despite the grim surroundings, there is a flicker of resilience in the prisoner's eyes, a glimmer of hope that refuses to be extinguished.
Locked away from the world, she endured, it seems, waiting for a chance at freedom.
"Your presence disgusts me."Alex's voice carried an anger.
"The only reason you are alive now is because you were a role model for Alice, Riya, Catherine and others but it seems all of that was a mask."
"Hahahahahahhaaaa!"
The woman lifted her head and burst into laughter.
"Younger brother, aren't you being too hypocritical now?"
"You and all other Princes had power from the beginning but I was alone...I had been alone with no one to support me or join my hands thinking that I was just. I just did what I needed to do to seize power."
Alex walked towards Leia whose face was filled with scars and squatting down he stared at her with dead eyes.
"So, you are saying your circumstances were too hard with no way out."
"Do you know you are just making excuses?"Alex spat aside and clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Riya, Catherine and Christina all had situations where they had to bend their heads. A tree if it does not bend to the circumstances breaks apart but if it bends it can still stand straight and spring up with a much greater force."
"You, of all, should know that we have a special bloodline with great talent. You could have trained yourself and moved around the world, to create a companion and connections. Once you have become world-renowned, you could have fought for the Throne but what did you do?"
Leia stared at Alex with blank eyes and tried to avert her gaze.
"You didn't want to endure hardships nor did you want to work hard so when you got the lucrative offer, you just accepted and stood aside letting them do as they pleased. Even if your situation is pathetic it doesn't give you a reason to betray us and join hands with the scum of the dark realm."
"Shut up...Shut up, "Leia screamed violently like a mad woman.
"You don't know anything so shu...."
CRACK!
Leia felt a crushing pain as Alex clutched her jaws and crushed them with brute strength and then hit her head on the wall.
His blood lust burst forth locking onto Leia's frail figure.
"I know everything."
"I know what you are, what you are thinking and what you are doing."
"Bitch, did you think, I don't know this is a clone."
Leia's eyes widened in fear and her body shivered.
"The only reason I am conversing with useless trash like you is because I know that the real bitch is listening to this."
"Leia, rejoice."
"You finally manage to anger me."
BOOM!
The face was burst apart with Alex's slight strength.
Alex shook his hand to get rid of the blood and walked out leaving the headless corpse.
"Clean the filth. Don't dispose of her body, just burn her in nothingness."
The moment Alex stepped out of prison, he saw Catherine leaning against the wall.
Her eyes were a bit complicated and filled with many emotions. Naturally, Alex knew the reason.
Leia preached that she wanted the empowerment of women and the freedom to do what they please. She also wants to enact new rules that women should have the right to inherit the land and fight with brothers for equal rights.
Catherine had faced harsh resistance just because she was a woman handling Throne, and naturally wanted to support Leia in her quest.
"As expected, she is behind this rebellion," Alex answered with a sigh and walking towards Catherine wrapped her arms around the waist and kissed her forehead.
"Wait!"
"No one is watching, unless they want to die."The voice became loud and as soon as his words fell, anyone that was within their proximity ran away.
"How did she do all this? Is there a traitor or mistake on my part?"Catherine asked, snuggling into Alex's chest.
"Neither."
"I was sure that God of darkness would have a card in his hand. I never believed in that bastard. It seems he has done it again."
"Huh! What did he do?"Catherine asked, seeing Alex's sour mood.
"It seems when I went to the darkness realm, he had used the remaining moles to play some things. We had imprisoned the real Leila, but because of a traitor, it seems she escaped and is now behind rebels gathering people who are against me."
Catherine pondered for a moment.
"The rebels don't pose a threat to you and are useless unless there is more than meets the eye."
"It seems he is planning something big...Big. I couldn't have guessed this if I hadn't seen the eyes of Leia which was filled with life as if she hadn't suffered any grievances and the God of Darkness's power was shrouding her from getting discovered."
"Don't worry, you aren't at fault in this. Even the Goddess can't predict this as the God of Darkness is already above them."Alex caressed Catherine's hair seeing that her expression was down as she blamed herself for all this.
"So, now what should I do?"
"Displace the army. I don't want to take the chance. Also, contact the Church as with God of Darkness playing string behind, things won't be easy."
"And yeah,dont disturb Athena. She is going through an important phase."
"Got it. By the way, visit Yvonne, and soothe her."Catherine spoke with a glare and pinched Alex's waist.
"Stop running away from her. You know she isn't blaming you."
"I…I was about to do that."Alex muttered pretending to be in pain.
