Stay Alive [ Plot | Training ]

Diana ran as far as her legs could carry her. Her feet were sore and cut up from the dry branches that cracked beneath her feet. The boy was slowly losing his grip on life with each step she took. His fading breath was soft and warm against her damp skin. They were running out of time. It always came down to time.

The sound of war was still not far off. She held the boy tight to her body in hopes that they would make it to safety. The galloping of horses seemed to draw in closer as her legs began to slow their pace. Diana grit her teeth as she forced her body past its limits, picking up pace. The man who saved them had bought them time. But after he had left, they had begun chasing her. If it weren’t for her heritage, they would be dead.


Pluto had been separated from them for a long time. Diana wanted to call for him but it would give away her location. She was unsure if he would come back to her in one piece. Her heart ached with doubt and grief. “Hang in there,” she said. “We’re almost there.” Diana placed a quivering hand upon the boy’s head, stroking his matted red hair.

A glimpse of hope in the distance revealed itself to her. Her blurred vision could barely make out the insignia on the banners. They were a deep red unlike the banners of her allies. There was a chance they would see her as a fleeing civilian. A mother with her child. However, now that she was on the road, her pursuers were close behind her. Unarmed and in a weakened state, they would surely kill her. She could only hope her enemies were kinder.

As she drew closer, her pursuers halted their horses. “I hope they make you suffer, traitor!” Their voices were distant. The guards outside the encampment allowed her to pass but locked their spears together behind her. As if to lock her in or her enemies out.

Diana took a deep breath of relief. Beads of sweat trickled down her face. She slowed her pace and dropped to her knees, laying the child on the dried dirt. His skin was deathly pale and filled with cuts and bruises. “Can...” she said, taking a brief gasp of air, “... someone help him?” Diana looked up at the small amount of soldiers around her. Some seemed confused and some rather malicious.

They stood there in near silence, whispering to each other. There was no time to waste in waiting around. She cursed her weakened body. Diana could barely move an inch. She worked her body until it could work no more. “Please,” she spat through clenched teeth.

“I’ll get the commander,” said one of the men.

While it wasn’t directly to her, she felt a tightness in her chest at the thought. At any moment, they could figure out her alliance to Yoshiro or realize who this boy actually was. At that point, it would all be over as she had no more strength left to fight.

The sound of footsteps on gravel drew closer to her and the soldiers around her went silence. “Sir,” they said, stiffening their postures. Diana looked up towards the commander. He was a tall man with a kind look upon his face. Dark brown tufts of hair framed his handsome face and his eyes were a calming blue. However, within them, they held deeper secrets.

Something about this seemed off. From what she had heard of Gao’s soldiers, they were merciless. He chuckled. “Well, what do we have here?” Diana felt frustrated that they were all taking her matter with little regard. “It seems she caught one of them. Good job. I’m impressed.”

Her fears seemed very real at this moment. She cursed to herself. Diana had run from danger just to land straight into a viper pit. She took a deep, sharp breath and launched herself up with all of her speed. To die here, would be a disgrace to her family. A sudden burst of adrenaline was the only thing allowing her to move.

In lightning speeds, she had managed to reach him and land a solid punch. As the dirt she kicked up began to clear, her heart slowly dropped into her stomach as she felt five fingers slowly wrap around her hand. ‘He caught it..?’ The kindness that she had seen before was not as sincere as she had thought. His was a face twisted in sadistic fantasies.

Diana grit her teeth and went in for a blow with her free hand. It was stopped by another one of his, struggling to hold against her own strength. “Ah… it seems like they are akin to beasts. Always seeming to group together like rats.” The commander was mocking her, she knew it and it only made her angrier.

She spit on his face and mustered as much strength as she could to break free of his grasp. He was strong, yet he was still human. In her weakened state, they were near equals. She stood firm above the child. If it came down to it, she would kill everyone in the encampment. Diana hoped it wouldn’t come down to that but she had to fight.

Her muscles spasmed and cramped up. It felt as if she was being torn apart from the inside yet she didn’t show it. If she did, it would certainly be the end of her. “Is that really all you got left in you? I expected to be dead by now and you seem really intent on protecting that filth.” The commander stepped towards her, with open arms. “I’ll make you a deal. Serve me and I will have you and the… child... tended to.”

There was no context to his words. Her mind and body fought over whether she should take the offer. It would be easy for her to escape any kind of servitude at full strength. But what would they do with the boy? She wasn’t certain. Diana would rather kill him herself than to have him sent back there. She was torn.

The man burst out into laughter. “Such care for a mere orphan. He may serve me alongside you… if he lives. I’m sure he can serve some sort of purpose,” he said, holding his chin within his hand. “But no worries, I already know what you can do for me.” The commander flicked his wrist towards the rows of soldiers surrounding them. “I assume you are pleased with that statement. Take them away. Ensure they are of good health when they are returned to me.”


Diana tugged her arm away from one of the soliders that grabbed her. The man hadn’t even let her give an answer. Another grabbed at her and then another. Soon her whole body was restrained by a multitude of hands. She screamed and struggled in protest but it was of no use. The more she pushed away, the more seem to come. Her body gradually went limp and her eyes slowly faded into black.


A familiar voice had called out to her. It felt like she was underwater. The sound echoed around her, barely audible. A sense of pressure tapped repeatedly against her cheek. She scrunched her face, her eyelids fluttering open.


She reached her hand out. Her vision was blurry but she could make out someone hovering above her. As her senses returned, she could feel the warmth of the sun beaming against her skin. Her hand finally found what she had reached for. It was prickly, yet not sharp and fleshy at the application of pressure.


Her vision flickered and gradually became clearer. “Hey,” she said, a gentle smile forming on her lips. Diana wrapped her hand around their neck, pulling herself up towards them into a tight embrace. A set of arms enclosed around her. “You’re acting weird,” they chuckled, planting a gentle kiss on the nape of her neck. Diana shrugged off the tickling sensation on her skin and withdrew them from her grasp.

Her eyes were fixated into her brothers own. “It’s only been a few hours,” he said. Apollo furrowed his brow and flicked her in the forehead. She flicked him back a bit harder in response.


Diana had bursted into laughter and Apollo blushed, forming a scowl on his face. They had often said the same thing at the same time and this time was no different. Their minds were similar yet their attitudes were far apart.


She nodded in response. Diana looked around the room. It was certainly her own from back home. Something about it left a pain in her chest. She rummaged through the chest that contained all of her clothes, slipping off her nightgown and putting on a stark white dress. It was plain but well made.


Diana sat in front of her mirror, looking into her reflection. Her hair was still short with soft waves that reached the bottom of her chin. She ran her fingers through her silken locks. Diana brought a cloth strip over her head, tying it into a neat band right behind her bangs. She felt like her old self once again.

There were no scars etched into her skin, no bags under her eyes. Everything was like it was but it didn’t feel right. Diana ran her hands along her skin and face. It felt unnatural. Her mind felt blocked. She couldn’t think clearly.


She quickly got up off of her stool and swung the curtain in her doorway open, stepping through the frame. Where she ended up wasn’t her home. It was just an endless darkness. Diana spun around to look behind her and the door was no longer there. Her heart began to race. She tried to speak but no words would escape her lips. Diana closed her eyes tightly and wrapped her arms around herself, falling to her knees.

When she woke, the darkness that had surrounded her was gone and in place was an unfamiliar place. There was a scent in the air. A mixture of death and rot. The sound of moans and screams soon followed. Diana noticed her strength was starting to return as she lifted herself up from the bed. Her wounds were freshly dressed and her body clean of any grime. She cradled her head in her hands as she thought about what had happened to determine where she was.

‘A hospice?’ she thought. A clouded memory surfaced from her riddled mind, reminding her of the child. A sense of duty washed over her. Diana lifted her head and quickly searched the room wherever her eyes could see. Her heart felt as if it would pound out of her chest but she was soon soothed by the sight of a sleeping child. He was safe. A sigh of relief escaped her lips. It was now the time to think of an escape.


She grimaced at the sound of the voice. It was one she didn’t want to hear. His footsteps drew closer and she locked eyes with him as soon as he was in her line of sight. He silently approached her, placing his hand under her chin, gripping tightly at her jaw. The commander turned her face as if he was examining an object with no regards to her feelings.


A sadistic grin she had hoped to never see again was gleaming on his face. Diana wanted to tear him apart. However, it wasn’t the time. But the thought never left her mind. ‘How long must I play at his games?’ He eased his grip on her face as if to allow her to speak. She returned his gesture with a smile that was lined with poison. This seemed to amuse him.

“I can feel your rage from here. It doesn’t suit such a pretty face like yours.” He chuckled. She couldn’t bare to stand his teasing. Diana spit at him out of spite. It was what he wanted and she knew that. As much as she wanted to fight, she couldn’t do so in her current state. The commander seemed angry though she knew it wasn’t real. Everything was apart of his game to toy with her.

He took a tissue out of his sleeve and wiped his face. Before she could react, a hard slap and a sharp pain rippled across her face. The force was strong enough to leave a slight cut on her face. She felt a small trail of blood go down her cheek. Her eyes widened and she tensed her body. Diana tried to contain her anger. It was only a matter of seconds before she was prepared to strike back. However, within that moment, he was gone.


Irritated at his insulting behavior, she made her way off the bed and over towards the child. He looked a lot better. The color had returned to his face and he was breathing just fine. Just looking at him sleep had soothed her. The only thing she could hope is that the poison in his system was gone. She felt some sort of duty to protect him and a deep connection in her soul that was almost maternal despite haven’t having met him until that day.

She could still remember the fire in his eyes when she gazed into them. The small drop of humanity that was still left, calling out for help. He fought so hard to get her to help him and she wasn’t about to let him down. Diana felt tired and laid down beside him, closing her eyes. Her senses faded quickly as she began to drift off into sleep.

An ear piercing scream and a sudden rough tug of her arm jolted her up from her slumber. Her vision was blurry and her ears were ringing. She could hardly make out the situation. Diana felt tiny hands grasp onto her skin before they were ripped away. “Let go of him!” She grabbed onto the soldier that was holding onto the boy but an agonizing pain pulsated through her body. Diana hadn’t felt anything like it before. She screamed out in pain as the soldiers began to forcefully restrain her. That same pain occurred again and again in all different places on her body. A wave of blood and vomit surged up her throat and through her mouth, making her choke. It ran down the sides of her mouth down onto the bed underneath her.


Her body wouldn’t move for her. They carried her out of the hospice and into a dark wagon. She could hear the boy scream in an inhuman rage, his vicious roar not strong enough to cause any damage. Diana wanted to scream but the only thing she could do was cry and choke. Her skin felt like it was burning and her vision never regained its clarity. What was happening to her? Did they poison her somehow? These were some of the many thoughts that ran through her head yet she had no answers. For the first time in a while, she was scared. Petrified.


Beams of light flickered through the cracks of the wooden walls surrounding her. She had managed to roll onto her side so she would no longer choke. Her throat was raw and felt swollen. Diana closed her eyes, wishing for it all to end. But it was only the beginning.

The wagon finally stopped. There was conversation but it was inaudible to her hearing. The boy had never ceased his struggle. It was almost as if the drug had taken back over. She heard the cracks of broken bones and men screaming. However, a loud thump soon followed and the boy had gone silent. She painfully swallowed, her eyes staring at the doors. If they managed to kill him, she wished that they would just end her life for fear of worse. But as long as he was alive, she had something to fight for.

A bright light blinded her as the doors swung open. A dark figure stood amidst all of it. Her hand covered her eyes briefly before being grabbed by the legs and tossed out of the cart. Her head hit the hard, dry dirt. She felt like her brain split in two. Diana groaned in pain, her voice cracking from the rawness of her throat.

“You’re a mess. Get up,” they demanded. She struggled to even move an inch. Her eyelids would hardly blink. “Tsk. What happened to her? Last time I checked I owned a perfectly healthy item.” After hearing him speak a second time, she recognized the voice. It was the man from before. Her surroundings were different. She could see the blood stains in the pale dirt around her. Diana let out a faint sob as her eyes landed on the boy. She couldn’t tell if he was alive but… the blood. There was so much. He was weak and just a child.

The man bent down to her, showing a kindness in his eyes as he caressed her face. “Don’t worry about that thing. You won’t ever see him again,” he said. His voice was sweet as if he was trying to comfort her. Yet his words said the exact opposite. She felt her rage begin to boil but it did not help her this time. It only made her sicker. More blood poured out of her mouth and she rolled over to vomit it up. Her blood seemed darker than normal but she didn’t dwell on it.

He handled her gently, lifting her up into his arms. She hated it. All she could think about was killing him. Just imagining his neck snap was enough satisfaction for now. The man took her into a nearby building. It was small on the inside yet it was luxurious compared to the outside. He took a look at her with disgust, pushing all of the carpets on the floor out of the way. She was laid down on the warm wooden floor and he walked away.

The man came back with some sort of liquid in a cup, forcing her to drink it. It was painful yet whatever it was started to alleviate her symptoms. It had to be an antidote of some sort or a medicine. The wounds on her body began to heal as well but this brought her great fatigue. It was like magic. But she quickly faded into a deep sleep and dreams invaded her mind.

She found herself within an empty, white room. Her body felt ethereal; weightless in the space it was in. Diana turned herself around and began exploring. There was nothing to be found except for a large, gate. It looked as if it belonged to a castle in a fairytale. She was struck by awe. A flock of white butterflies collected along the seam, giggling. Diana felt drawn to it and floated towards it. She placed her hands on it and it began to open.

Diana felt the warmth of an embrace wrap around her whole body. Her breath seemed to leave her as it manifested itself. A being of pure light materialized in front of her. Multiple angelic wings sprouted from it’s back, curling around her small form. All she could do was stand there as it consumed her. For once, she felt whole.


There had been shadows creeping up from behind her and the figure began to fade into nothing as the whole room turned black. She cried and screamed in fear but her voice only echoed endlessly in the space. The door had closed and faded from her vision. She reached out for it but to no avail. As quick as the light came, it was gone and she was stuck, all alone in the void. Her body began to feel heavier as she began to fall. The tears from her eyes were left behind. Her body crashed into the floor. She was shattered like glass, cracks disrupting her vision.

Diana gasped when she woke, her eyes opened wide. Everything was much brighter and clearer than before. Forgetting where she was, she set up in the bed, holding her head in her hands.

“Did you sleep well?”

She looked towards the voice, her gaze meeting with the man who captured her. A wave of fear overtook her and it felt as if time froze for just a moment. It was the first time she was face to face with the man. She was able to burn his appearance into her mind. He was rather ordinary at first glance. Short, light brown hair feathered down past his eyes. His skin was rather fair and his eyes were a clouded grey. Her eyes fluttered away from his and time had moved forward. Diana couldn’t wrap her head around it.



As she looked down, she noticed she was not wearing the same clothes she had been before. He had seemed to change her into a simple, clean dress. But she felt naked without her undergarments. “Don’t worry, I did nothing to you,” he said, “Not yet.” Diana flinched, curling her knees into her chest, hugging onto them. She heard him chuckle and walk a few steps towards her. His breath was soon hot against the side of her face. He lingered there for a moment, curving his hand gently around her neck. Diana held her breath out of pure horror of what he would do to her. In the end of it all, he simply pulled away from her.

“You need to bathe. Feel free to do so over there. Do not leave this room,” he said, briefly leaving out through the door. A click sounded and Diana assumed it was some sort of lock. She gasped for air and let out a sob, pulling the blankets over her head. Diana rubbed the side of her face with it in an attempt to feel clean. But after a few minutes of him not returning, she complied to his demands.

There was a porcelain tub behind a paper screen that was filled with water. Red petals floated on top of the surface and broke form as she slipped her leg in. It was still warm. She kept the dress on her body. His sudden kindness was confusing. It put her on guard. ‘Am I still poisoned? Could I..?’ He had her doubting her own power. She was so scared she didn’t even want to try. All she could hope was that the boy was okay and that she could endure this.

When she was finished washing up, she quickly removed the dress, changing into another one that was sitting on a chair next to the bath. It was nearly identical to the one she was wearing. She stood in front of the mirror, staring at herself. The once mighty leader of the Corvus clan had been reduced to nothing. She had nothing. Not even her strength felt it would return to her.

It wasn’t long until he returned to the room. Diana had returned to her place on the bed, waiting patiently. She took the time to think about her escape options but she had no idea where the boy was being held. He walked over to her, taking a few damp locks of hair into his hand and taking in their scent. “I see you’re quite well at following orders,” he said. The man seemed quite pleased at how complacent she was. It only made her skin crawl in disgust.

She turned to strike at him but she was stopped as he caught onto her wrist yet again. As much as she struggled, he was stronger. Her doubts were correct. “I’m not a fool. Did you think I would let you fully regain your strength?” His tone of voice was threatening and his face grew dark. Diana grit her teeth, holding her tongue. He drew away from her, walking to the other side of the room. “You will address me as ‘master’ and ‘sir’ but my name is An Ju-long. You will be here until the battle is over and I may present you to the emperor. I’m sure he will purchase you for a hefty price.”

“I doubt the emperor would purchase a commoner,” she scoffed. Her voice was quiet and hoarse. It had been the first time she had spoken in a while. Diana coughed into her arm a bit and cleared her throat. “Just a commoner? You seem to forget who you are. The heiress of one of the most prestigious clans in Reim and you’ve made yourself quite feared by the local underground. Diana Corvus…” Ju-long grabbed her face with a rough grip, forcing her to look at him. “It’s a shame to sell you but I would rather choose power than a bed wench.”

Diana felt insulted. Her body reeled back from his grasp. “I’m not a whore for you to sell,” she spat, glaring at him. Ju-long chuckled and pulled his hand away from her. “You will certainly be fun to train.” She didn’t know what he meant by that and she didn’t want to find out.

“Where is the boy?”

He seemed amused at her question; almost as if it was a joke. “I could bring him to you but you would have to do something for me.”

“What would that require from me?”

She was curious enough to inquire about the bargain. If it would mean she could see the child, little could deter her. The only thing that crossed her mind was the thought the boy might be dead. Ju-long looked over towards the door, letting out a loud whistle. Diana furrowed her brows, staring at it. The door swung open and two soldiers walked in through it holding the child in their arms. He was clearly sedated but his eyes were glowing red like when she had first met him. The child gazed up at her, his eyes were filled with rage. “Hey…”

Ju-long held his hand out in front of Diana as if to bar her from moving. “He was supposed to die but I thought I would do you the honors of letting you finish him yourself. This boy was your enemy, no?” Her heart sank into her stomach. There was no way she would kill a child. He dismissed the soldiers and allowed the child to stay within the room. “I-I can’t do that,” she said, her eyes still interlocked with the young fanalis’ own. “That’s a shame. Well, if you could keep a secret, perhaps you would let me take you instead?”

“You want to… take me? Haven’t you alread-,” she inquired, pausing when she realized what he had meant, “Are you serious? Why would I… Ugh!” He never failed to disgust her. This man was despicable. “I suppose I will just kill him if you won’t comply to my terms,” he said, drawing his sword. “No!” She couldn’t do anything but reach out to grab his sword arm. Both of his terms were degrading, shameful. He looked at her with a sly look on his face as if he had won. While she didn’t want to admit it, she had to make do. The boy seemed to react defensively to her hand on his arm.

“Seems the boy wants to fight and you won’t indulge him?” Ju-long laughed. It didn’t seem he was interested in his other offer which made it even harder for her to speak. She shoved down her pride, looking up at her captor. “He will not die while I still breathe,” she growled, a fierce fire burning in her eyes. His eyebrows raised up as he sheathed his tossed his sword onto the ground. The boy’s eyes darted over towards it and Diana couldn’t help but notice his oddly found consciousness in that state. However, she kept her eyes on the man before her.

He slowly began to hover over her, pressing his hand against her chest to push her down onto the bed. It worked it’s way up to her throat and he focused some of his weight down onto her. She coughed, curling her legs upward slightly to prevent him from leaning forward. Ju-long took this for an invitation, forcing his body in between her legs. She closed her eyes. ‘This can’t be happening,’ she thought, trying to pry her fingers under his hand. Diana felt like she was going to die.

She felt something press against her suddenly and she squirmed. This was not something she wanted and she did not intend to make it easy for him. The grip on her neck tightened, making her whimper and cough. Diana felt the blood draining from her face as the seconds passed. His face was closer to hers, she could feel it. “Look at me,” he commanded, releasing her neck and gripping onto her jaw. She opened her eyes for just a moment and was suddenly horrified as the situation sank in. Diana gasped for air, pushing her hands against the bed to get out from under him but to no avail.

“No,” she spat, closing her eyes tightly. He had already positioned himself as she squirmed, ready to take her innocence away from her. A few seconds passed as she waited and waited. A warm liquid began to drip down onto her bare stomach. She shuddered at the feeling. Suddenly, all of his weight landed on top of her. Diana opened her eyes and was met with the gaze of the child on top of him with his own sword in hand. She couldn’t stop the tears flowing from her eyes as her emotions were overwhelmed with relief and happiness.

He tossed the body off of her and took a seat next to her. His body was still experiencing the influence from the drug and she didn’t expect him to wake soon. Diana sat up and pulled the dress down to cover herself. “Thank you.” She knew he wouldn’t hear or understand her but it was something she hoped was the case. Diana looked at him, trying to understand why he did what he did. He seemed to want to protect her but would he take orders from her? She wanted to test it but she was unsure what to ask. “We need to get out of here.”

The boy scooted off the bed and made his way towards the door, opening it. In a blink of an eye, he dashed out of the door, uplifting the ground behind him. A few thumps hit the ground and it went quiet. Diana sped towards the door, peering outside. The light from the sun stung her eyes but when they began to focus, she would see the results of a massacre. The boy stood in the midst of them, gripping onto a bloodied sword.

She would emerge from the doorway, making her way towards the child. “Hey, let’s go home,” she said, carefully stroking his head. Despite being in this state, she felt safe around him. Diana picked him up and for the first time, he clung onto her, leaving his sword behind. She walked with him all the way to a nearby town after collecting her belongings from the military encampment. She spent the next month training her natural strength back to its glory. Diana learned different forms of self discipline and defense. That would never happen to them ever again.