Diversion To Urasha
Chapter 25

For some strange reason, Crystaline always found herself retreating to her mother’s old room. It was the one place where she could think, where she could even feel the remotest, tiniest hint of solace. This room contained so much pain, so many memories of the woman she missed with all her heart. But this room was also filled with reminders, feelings of warmth from a time when life was very different. From a time when her father was a completely different man to the cold callous man which consumed him today.

Crystaline’s body ached, it ached so much! This past week had been relentless - physically and emotionally. Today was the toughest day yet. Crystaline was a fit, healthy young woman. Her body could handle whatever physical obstacles were thrown at her. But her mind and her body, it struggled to cope with her mental anxieties.

As Crystaline sat on her mother’s old bed, her eyes searched around the room for her mother’s old drawings, desperately trying to take what comfort she could from the images her mother had so lovingly drawn.

As her eyes flitted between the wall mounted drawings, Crystaline could feel her heart racing, and her lungs closing. She felt as if she were being smothered. Her lungs were so desperate for oxygen, yet she could hardly breathe. In order to try and flee from the suffocating sensations in her body, Crystaline turned to her favourite picture, that one of her mother, her beautiful stunning mother. How would she feel? If she knew what was going on? Crystaline shuddered, the guilt hitting her like an avalanche. Things were different now. Crystaline’s heart didn’t beat in the same way anymore, because before she had set off on this journey, her heart did not beat at all. Yet now that she had returned here, her heart would beat with the wildest passion she had ever felt in her entire life. It would beat a name, the name of the kindest man she had ever met in her entire life. And now he was in danger and there was nothing she could do about it.

Crystaline looked out of the bedroom’s window. It was dark now, not a sign of sunlight was left in this day. This darkness reminded Crystaline of her thoughts, because her thoughts were the darkest they’d ever been.

Crystaline’s body jolted suddenly, reacting to the heavy crash of the door opening behind her. With reluctance, she slowly turned to face her angry brother, who was stood at the doorway.

“What have you done?” the man whispered.

Feeling as if her heart was about to rip straight out of her chest, Crystaline stood free from her mother’s old bed, leaning her back on the wall to keep herself from collapsing to her knees.

“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?” Crystos shouted this time, too overcome by his anger as he stormed towards his sister. “I mean I knew! I knew something wasn’t right! That look in your eyes when he found the stone, I knew! But you, you just let this happen, didn’t you? They’re our friends, Crystaline! James is our friend, and you, you’ve practically killed him yourself. His blood is on your hands!”

“Crystos, please!” Crystaline shrieked, her heart pummelled by her brother’s words.

“Crystos please? CRYSTOS PLEASE? Please what? What have I done? I’ve done nothing! But you! You!” Crystos looked into his sister’s watering eyes, his expression immediately softening. “It’s not too late, Crystaline. We can still help them.”

“Help them?” Crystaline whispered, her tears beginning to stream. “Help them how? I can’t...I can’t betray him.”

“WHO?”

“Our father! I can’t...”

“OUR FATHER?” Crystos spat. “Our father? That vile excuse for a creature! You can’t betray him? Yet you could betray them? James? A man who cares about you?”

“Crystos, stop! I beg you!”

“NO!” Crystos snapped, pushing himself onto Crystaline, as he took her delicate little face in his huge hand. It was as if he wanted to crush some sense into her. To make her realise what she had done. “All those years growing up, I saw you slowly morphing into our father. But despite your terrible ways, I thought there was something worth saving. I thought there was still good left in you.” Crystos took a moment to collect his words. “But I was wrong,” he continued. “There is nothing left to save. You’re just as vile, just as deceitful and just as disgusting as him!” Crystos rested his head on his sister’s ear, sniffing her hair in disgust, “Sister?” he whispered. “You are not my sister. You have no right to call me your brother. I never want to see or speak to you ever again.” Unable to continue being anywhere near Crystaline, Crystos let go of her, storming towards the room’s exit.

“Brother! Please!” Crystaline shrieked after him.

Crystos halted his movements, turning to face his sister as he stood at the doorway. “Don’t you ever call me that again,” he choked, turning his back on Crystaline for good this time.

As he stomped his way through the palace corridors, Crystos could feel the tension in his body transforming into painful tremors. He knew that no matter where he went, and no matter how fast he ran, Cryston would be there, ready and waiting with his guards to seize him.

As he turned another corner, Crystos spotted his father, surrounded and waiting, just as expected.

“Crystos!” the king called out. He actually looked concerned. “I gather you have spoken to Crystaline? You must understand that this is for the best...for what happened...”

“NO!” Crystos disagreed, trying to barge his way through his father and the group of guards.

“Crystos!” the king pleaded. “I know that you and I haven’t always seen eye to eye, but surely you must understand?”

“Understand what?” Crystos grunted, his arms being held to his back by two guards. “That you’re evil? That you’ve poisoned Crystaline?”

At that point, the king’s mouth dropped, whilst his eyes found Crystaline. She had gone after her brother. “I...I have not. This is for her, Crystos! It’s for all of us. For our whole family! Don’t you see that? Because if you can’t see that then you leave me no choice, Son.”

“And what is that?” Crystos snarled.

“We’ll be forced to hold you - just until tomorrow is over with.”

Crystos tilted his head back, growling out a laugh. “Then imprison me. I know it’s what you’ve always wanted, what you’ve always dreamed of. To keep me from making Crystaline see what you really are.”

“Oh, believe me…” The king began, unable to continue his words due to his daughter interrupting him.

“Father! What is this? Let him go!”

“He leaves us no choice, Crystaline. I don’t want to have him held, but we must. We’ve worked too hard on this for too long to just let it all go to ruin. Guards, take him now!”