The World As We Know It

I promised my father they'd never find me. That I would fly away as far as I can without leaving a trace. So I did just that, flying into what was once a midnight sky now turned grey, until I found a small cave buried deep in the forest. I gathered as many softwoods as I could, pine, cedar, spruce, and balsam, to start a fire. I pulled a flower out of my pocket as my tears landed on it's pedals, laying my head on the hollow ground, thinking about how what was supposed to be the most joyous day of my life turned into a heart shattering tragedy.

My father was King Atlas, the leader of Elysia, a fantasy world he created for people to be free from the tyrannical government run by his father, King Abriel, the ruler of the underworlds, a dystopian society built on the backs of citizens, harvesting their energy to gain profit from the Gods. Amadus was the eldest brother, he was solemn and disciplined. Atlas was the black sheep of the family; he was the rebellious one, always doing the exact opposite of what he was told. The men in the family were trained to be mighty and strong-willed warriors. Amadus did everything he could to win the heart of his father, while Atlas won the hearts of the people. He believed that regardless of his power everyone was equal in his eyes.

When his father would send him off to slaughter the animals, he would tend to them instead, sometimes helping them escape. He would tell me stories of how he would leave in the middle of the night and free the wrongfully convicted, supplying them with food and money for their travels. That's when he met Nova, the love of his life. Although they came from two different worlds, they were inseparable. She had smooth almond skin and raven hair, similar to his. She was bold and adventurous, and artistic, and he was the same, he would teach her how to read and write, and in exchange she would teach him about abstract art. She couldn't believe how a person like Abriel could raise such a gentle soul like him, just as he wondered how a woman who came from nothing could be so optimistic with a heart of gold. But that didn’t stop them from being drawn to each other. She was everything to him, as he was to her. He knew that his life was at risk every time he saw her, but he didn’t care. This was the closest he felt to feeling alive. She was his safe space. “If I ever get caught, I’m coming back for you, and we will start our lives together,” he told her. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep; it’s too dangerous,” she responded. “ I love you, Nova, and that’s something I will do for the rest of my life, I don’t care what my father says. I will go to the ends of the earth to keep you safe,” he said, landing a kiss on the back of her hands.

A few days later, word had gotten to his father about the decline of animals and citizens, and lastly, he knew about Nova. Abriel confronted him, violently striking Atlas across the face. “After everything I sacrificed for you, this is how you repay me, by jeopardizing our land and associating with peasants,” he said. This infuriated my father; how could he speak so low of someone he adored?. “SHE’S NOT A PEASANT, her name is Nova, and I love her father”, he said back staring into the soulless eyes of his father. He forbade Atlas from ever coming in contact with Nova again, but he refused. Then shortly after, Atlas was exiled, leaving with nothing but the clothes on his back. But that didn’t stop him from keeping his promise to Nova. He came back for her, and they ran away together, gathering as many citizens as they could, building the life that they dreamed of.

It was better than they had ever imagined. A world full of color, the pale blue sky, the porcelain clouds, the golden sun, surrounded by sea green willow trees, and numerous animals and song birds. Their water was clean, with fresh fruit blooming from the roots, and healthy produce growing from the ground. There were mythical creatures, such as fairies, dragons, unicorns, and mermaids. The stars lit up the sky like a celestial design. People were free, and their smiles were everlasting. Atlas and Nova got married, and that’s when I came along. Dira was my nickname, short for Qadira. My mother told me that the name wields power, and on my 18th birthday, I will become Princess of Elysia, and I’ll be granted the gift of flight and photokinesis. Today was finally the day, and I was beaming on the inside as multitudes of citizens gathered for this celebration.

As I was getting ready, my mother came in and placed a cherry blossom magnolia in my hair. She wrapped her arms around me. “I'm so proud of you, Dira, I love you so much”, she said. I grabbed her hand, “I love you too, mother.” All of a sudden, there was a loud commotion coming from outside, the sound of a thousand voices screaming in fear. It was my uncle Amadus, ready to take back what was his. My father tried to reason with words, but Amadus refused. Abriel had passed, and Amadus was the new leader. He didn’t want to let his father down; he wanted his legacy to flourish and was willing to take down anybody in his way, even if that meant his own blood. He then picked up his sword, pointing it at my mother. My father became enraged, and a war had begun. Amadus had an army of men attack my people, pulling them away from their homes, and the ones who rebelled were killed. Before I knew it, one of Amadus’ soldiers tried to pin me to the ground. I fought back, but I wasn’t strong enough. I then heard my mother’s voice as she tried to intervene. She stabbed his hand, causing him to let go. I was able to break free, as I slowly got up, I saw from my peripheral vision, the shadow of his arm pushing my mother to the ground, causing her to hit her head. My mother was gone. I held her in my arms and screamed as she bled out. “QADIRA GO, MAKE SURE THEY DON’T FIND YOU, my father's voice echoed from a distance, while still in a battle with Amadus. I looked at my mother, for a final time, and felt my body slowly begin to rise, then swiftly soaring into the sky.

The next day had arrived, I woke up in the same cave, in the same dress I wore the night before, stained with my mother's blood. I looked around at my achromatic reality. There was no sun, no clouds, the trees had died, the animals had perished, and the mythical creatures had gone extinct. The entire kingdom was gone within the blink of an eye. I couldn't keep my father's promise any longer. I want them to find me, whether it be one man or a million. Sometimes we can't control what we inherit from family, and my uncle's fury radiated in my blood. He is the reason for my mother's death, the reason innocent lives were taken, and now he leaves me no choice but to end his. I refuse to stand by and watch the world I love fade away, and when he comes I'll be ready.