The Devil's Rose: The Throne & The Flame

~S A I~

-Alaska-

"I love you."

"Princess..."

Gunshots.

The jarring burst of gunshots.

The deafening roar of explosions.

Blood. Screams for help.

"Ahhhh, please leave me!"

"No, please don't do this!"

"I am begging you!"

"No!"

"Nooooo!" I jerked awake, my body shaking, drenched in sweat.

Another nightmare. Why?

Why couldn't I sleep peacefully, even for one night?

I got out of bed, went into the washroom, splashed water on my face, and glanced at myself in the mirror.

The strong, independent, carefree girl who always stood confidently... she wasn't there anymore.

Standing before me was a scared, timid, and weak girl who wanted to cry, but her eyes were dry; who wanted to scream, but no words came out.

I opened the cabinet, took out the bottle. I can't do this anymore. I can never be happy, not now, not ever. It's like time stopped that day.

And here I was, trapped in that same moment.

I swallowed the pills with water.

Suddenly, my door opened. I peeked through the bathroom door.

"Can't sleep?" Aria asked, her eyes filled with concern.

Aria, my roommate, my rock. the one person who tried to hold me together.

I shook my head.

"Nightmares again?" she asked, her voice soft, a statement more then a question.

Yes, she knew. She'd heard the screams, the sobs, the ragged breaths of my panic attacks. I hadn't shared the source of my torment, but she understood the weight of it, without prying, she offered only comfort, a silent, unwavering presence.

I nodded, a small, weary movement.

"Come here," she said, lying on my bed and opening her arms.

I chuckled softly, a flicker of warmth in the coldness. I slipped under the blanket, finding solace in her embrace.

She adjusted the covers and gently patted my head until I drifted off to sleep.

The pills I'd taken began to work, the memories of the past receding, my eyelids growing heavy. Soon enough, darkness enveloped me.

I woke to the sound of my alarm. Sunlight peeked through the curtains.

Every morning, I woke with the fleeting hope that it had all been a nightmare, a terrible dream I'd finally escaped.

Everything should be fine now, living with someone who cared. But the harsh reality quickly set in, and I was back in the same life-empty and alone.

I pushed aside the thoughts and went to the washroom to freshen up.

My life was a living hell. But I coped. On the outside, I might have seemed happy and well-adjusted, but inside, I was at war. A war of self-destruction.

"Good morning," my bestie mumbled, still half-asleep.

"You're late, idiot. Go get ready before breakfast," I said, heading to the kitchen.

My phone buzzed. I answered, connecting to my AirPods.

"Yeah, Nash?" I said, chopping vegetables.

"Ma'am, the client wants a meeting before the hearing," Nash Tomforde , my assistant, said, his voice laced with urgency.

"But we had a meeting last night. What now?" I demanded, my grip tightening on the knife.

"Ma'am, they have new evidence for their case," he replied seriously.

"That's...efficient" I paused calculating. "I'll be there in 20 minutes." I hung up.

"Aary, I have to go now. Have breakfast before you leave," I said, grabbing my sandwich and coffee.

"Oh, I'll be late today, so don't wait for me," I added closing the door behind me before she could reply. If she'd missed anything, she'd call. She always did.

I headed to my car and slid into the back seat.

"Hello, Uncle, how are you?" I asked greeting Mr. Lorenzo.

"I'm fine, Ma'am. How are you?" he replied, smiling warmly in the rearview mirror.

"I'm doing well. How many times do I have to remind you to call me Mia? I'm like your daughter, aren't I?"

He chuckled, nodding in the rearview mirror. "of course, Ma'am"

"Then do you call your daughter 'Ma'am'? No, right? So why do you always call me that?" I asked, feigning fierceness.

"Because I like seeing your irritated face," he teased.

My jaw dropped. He was teasing me again.

"I'm not in the mood for banter. Just take me to the office," I said, my voice firm, leaving no room for argument.

He simply smiled, starting the engine.

I opened my laptop, quickly confirming all files were secure.

"Nash, do you suspect our client is behind this new evidence?" I asked, my eyes scanning the documents, noting the discrepancies where Mr. Kent had clearly misrepresented himself as the victim.

"Yes, Ma'am. I believe he's manipulating the situation, committing fraud rather than being a victim."

"Good. Keep him waiting in my office. I need to investigate this myself before we meet."

He agreed, disconnecting the call.

"Uncle, take me to this address," I said, handing him a slip of paper.

He executed a sharp U-turn, the car veering into the opposite lane.

...

...

"Court adjourned" the judge declared, and swiftly exited the courtroom.

"...You bitch! You said you were going to save me, but you helped them win! You're a slut! I'm going to sue you and make you my whore!" Mr. Kent screamed, straining against the officers restraining him.

I didn't say a word, just put on my sunglasses and flipped him the middle finger. Then I walked away.

"Good job, Ma'am," Nash said, catching up to me.

"You should have checked the background details before taking the case," I said, pretending to be angry. "Because of you, I lost."

"But you were the one who took the case," he said, grinning like an idiot.

"Shut up and get back to work. If this ever happens again, I'm going to kick you out myself. Remember that," I said.

I'd won 25 out of 29 cases. The ones I lost? My clients were guilty.

I was the one who submitted the evidence to the opposing counsel.

I've never stood for injustice. If you're wrong, I'll gladly put you behind bars myself. If you're innocent, I'll be the one to save you at any cost.

But is it worth it?

No.

Because I haven't gotten justice for myself. I'm waiting for the day I can finally do right by me.

And that day is coming soon.

I yearn for the moment I can personally drag those who shattered my life into the depths of hell.

That's a promise I made to myself. Even if I have to destroy myself in the process, I won't back out.

Do you think I'll seek the sanctuary of the law?

Hell no.

Imprisonment is too merciful. I'll make them bleed, make them beg for the release of death until my vengeance is sated.

So what if I'm a lawyer?

Lawyer or not, this is my reckoning, and I'll take it by any means necessary.

Wait. I'm coming. I will dismantle everything you hold dear, every single one of you.