In a Kingdom Where Only I am Erased

Chapter 4

Serafina

The power blessed upon me by the merciful Goddess was a blessing that I believed was too much for someone like me, a child, and a useless one at that. At first, I thought all she did was bring me back to the past so I could prepare for the chaos that was about to fall on the kingdom of Vlezio. I tried to convince my parents who died before me in the past, to escape before everything takes place but they wouldn't believe a child. Even Maeri and the other kids at the orphanage just grew scared of me because of how desperate I was in taking them with me.

I was losing everything, the day came for the epidemic to reach us and once again I was utterly and painfully useless as I watch both my parents erupt into bloody coughs. At that moment, I strongly wished to help them, to relieve them from pain and agony, and at that exact moment, my desire came true. Streams of golden lights beamed around me that made our humble house emit bright lights, I didn't understand what was happening but all I know is that a surge of power was flowing through my veins that somehow healed both my parents.

There, I realized, that I have the ability to heal those who are hurt and used it to my advantage so that my family, Maeri and everyone, won't die and to also avoid that horrific purge ordered by the king. I used this opportunity to familiarize myself with the new power bestowed upon me and healed each and every commoner, I eliminated all the possible reasons so that the king wouldn't kill us again. Of course, I didn't heal those beyond the wall, nobles and knights deserve to suffer for abandoning us from before. The Goddess may dislike this decision of mine but I am sure she gave it to me while knowing my hatred towards the King and his followers.

It was not too long as the cold night sets in, I was too occupied in healing everyone discreetly that I didn't notice the time, my parents may become worried about me knowing that I may be captured to be sold off to slave traders, especially now that rumors began circling in the kingdom of a healer.

"Someone. . ." I heard a husky voice from an alley as I was on my way back home, I followed the voice with my eyes and saw a thin --almost like a skeleton-- man, slumped on the ground with his back pressed against the wall with nothing but a prune and dirty robe to protect him from the harsh coldness. "Someone, help me. . ."

I bit my lip, wondering how I could heal him without being seen by anyone but looking around me I noticed that there was actually no one around. I hurriedly went to the man's side and kneeled down in front of him to see that his condition rendered him to lose his eyesight, I waved my hand in front of his diminished face and received no expression.

"Someone. . . help me." He repeated, coughing out too much blood that stained my white day dress.

"It's okay, it is going to be okay." I calmly said in order to alleviate his pain, I pressed my hand against his bony ribs before it began to glow in a translucent golden color.

"What. . . what are you doing?" the man tried to ask since he couldn't see anything, of course it would be weird to have someone suddenly pressing against their chest so I explained a bit.

"I am helping you," I answered as I was finishing my work.

"What is your name?" The man asked, this time with a firm voice but I ignored it thinking that it was because of my healing.

"I am Serafina," I replied with a thin smile although he couldn't actually see me.

"What a pity," I saw from my peripheral view that he smiled back, although his smile was different from mine. His expression screams of someone who would do something bad. "Such a fine young lady only to be imprisoned," 

I raised my gaze to meet his menacing eyes and saw that he wasn't actually blind, I was too late to react that he caught my hair and pushed my head to the ground. I was a fool of helping him retrieve his normal body, he was like a skeleton from before but now he was as buff as the imperial knights because I transferred my life force to him after I healed him.

"Wha--" I couldn't even scream for help as ten knights jumped out from each side, one of them placing a cloth against my mouth.

"Your majesty, that was dangerous." A fat man reluctantly approached us and wrapped a thick robe around the man, and by the looks of his gaudily colored clothing, he may be a noble or even a duke but I care not for him, what took my attention is that he called the man I just healed 'your majesty'.

I immediately scanned the man and only noticed how much he resembled the king I saw inside the carriage. I glared daggers at the man and felt disgusted as I realize I just healed the same king who had us mercilessly killed, I also felt fear as he stared down at me as if I am an animal waiting to be caged now that he found out about my ability.

"Serafina, was it?" His voice was very different from before, from scrawny and weak that turned into a frightening loud voice. He was watching me while all the other knights bind my legs and arms. 

I did not answer because I couldn't with this cloth that had my mouth gripped tightly, the king noticed it and pulled the cloth off my mouth himself while the other knights held me down on the ground.

"So, where did you acquire such power?" He asked, smiling from ear to ear. This man is definitely crazy, I can see from his ominous eyes what kind of plans he intend to do to me to extract this blessing that was given only to me.

I gritted my teeth and instead of answering to his selfish question, I just screamed hoping that anyone would hear me but my foolish attempt to find help just made the king laugh as if what I was doing is utterly ludicrous.

"What are you doing? Do you think anyone would come to save you? Look around you and see for yourself." He gestured his hands around us as if ushering me to do so which I did and saw the townspeople walking idly as if they don't notice me. Some were watching but looked like they didn't want to meddle with my situation. "That's right, you have been wasting this curse of yours to these kinds of people. You worked endlessly to heal them but what do they give you in return?"

The king was actually right, although I didn't want to admit it, these people just blankly stared at me while being brutally held on the ground as if I was nothing more but a mere fly waiting to be squashed. I couldn't help myself and wallow in self doubt, tears streamed from my eyes that only amused the king in the end.

"Don't worry, my child." The king uttered that made my anger overthrow the feelings of fear in me, being called 'my child' from this distasteful man is unacceptable.

"Don't. . ." I quietly said all the while mustering up my strength on my limbs.

"Hmm? What is it?" He asked, pulling up my head from the muddy ground by my hair. "If you are saying something, speak up." 

I waited for the right moment to break free but I underestimated the king, he already noticed my plan and threw me violently on the ground as if I was just nothing more but a ragdoll, he stomped on my hands that was restrained behind me since he noticed that it was glowing.

"Trying to escape is foolish!" He mercilessly kicked me on my stomach that sent me flying across the street that shocked the knights as well as the stout duke.

"Sire, are you supposed to be doing that? She may die." He tried to stop the king from harassing me but he just laughed.

"Maurice, are you even using your mind?" He roughly slapped the duke's back that also sent him slumping on the ground. "She's a healer, she can heal whatever injury I inflict on her."

Realizing this, the duke that was called Maurice, as well as all the other knights began to show a content look as if they just thought of the greatest idea. The king looked at them and said:

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go on, throw something at her and see for yourself!"

With just the king's small act of amusement, I was showered with different kinds of rocks and pebbles they picked up from the floor, cutting and bruising every part of my small body.

"Stop. . . Please. . ." I sobbed as I was begging for them to at least show a small act of kindness but they did not budge, throwing and laughing at the same time. Only one of them wasn't throwing at me and instead was watching me with a pitiful look, I think his name was Fabian.

"Alright, enough." The king raised his arms behind the adrenaline-rushed knights and cast his ominous eyes down on me. "It hurts right? Go on, heal yourself."

I didn't want to blatantly obey his order but he was right, every inch of my body screams in excruciating pain that I had no choice but to display my ability in front of them. My body glowed ina golden light and it took me some time before I completely recover from the serious injuries they did to me.

The king laughed in amazement, the kind of laugh that he finally found something interesting. He then walked away, towards his marvelous carriage that I did not notice it was there before. The knights were also busy trying to pull me up from the ground as I stare at the broad and malicious back of that selfish king. My eyes were raging in anger as I see him walking away as if he didn't just hurt me to the point of bleeding.

Hurt him, I thought. A voice in my mind kept increasing in volume as I wallowed in anger and despair. My mind suddenly went blank as I saw a glow of golden lights circle around me, the next thing I know is that I somehow broke off the ropes they had around my arms and feet to bind me. I pulled out the sword from one of the knight's scabbard and charged the naive king with full speed as far as my legs could take.

My killing intent only snapped when I saw him look over his shoulder with a lurking grin as if he was expecting me to do this, then he pulled out a girl from his carriage and used it as a human shield. I was too late to stop the sword from plunging it deep into her small chest that made her cough out blood.

"Ack. . . ah. . ." the girl squirmed while being held up by the king with her hair.

I dropped my sword in shock, it was Maeri. She was completely tied with thick ropes that kept her from running away.

"I remember you being fond of this kid when we first met." the king smile before dropping Maeri's body on the ground that created a pool of blood around us. 

"Maeri! I. . ." I crouched down beside her to scoop her up from the floor and into my arms, caressing her once again dirt-covered cheeks. I was about to use my power on her but the knights were quick to react and pulled me away from Maerie.

"No! Stop it! I have to heal her!" I screamed but as usual, they paid no attention.

"Serafina, you are cursed. You will only bring pain and despair to everyone around you if you keep on resisting." I raised my head to reveal my erratic and coarse breathing to the king who was staring down at me with a menacing look. "If you don't want to hurt anyone you love, then obediently follow me."

"Just let me heal her! Please. . ." I said in between sobs, trying my best to squirm away from the knight's strong grip on my arms that I swear is already bruising.

The king thought of something before answering to my request. "Then you shall, if you agree to live inside the castle, away from this filthy commoners."

What he was suggesting was too much for me, living inside those walls and never see my parents or Maeri is something I cannot accept but if it is for Maeri's sake if that is what it takes to repay for my sins of hurting her. Then I accept.

"I. . . I understand." 

The king smiled and gestured his hands to the knights to release me, I hurriedly bolted up and ran to Maeri's direction and healed her. She was unconscious but still breathing.

As soon as I was done, I was once again pulled up in the air and was violently thrown inside a cage without even a warning.

"Hey! Wait! I still have to say goodbye!" I pushed my arm through the gaps of the cage to take the king's attention but he already entered his carriage with his duke trailing behind him. "N...no" I cried as the carriage began to get pulled by a series of horses.

I watched Maeri's unconscious body lying at the middle of the deserted road and I realized what my fate is from now on.