23 Cruel World

Everybody in the demonic kingdom was talking about the uproar in the princess's palace, The newborn prince had apparently tried to kill his father and as punishment he was thrown into the pit.

Bets were placed on the young prince's chance of survival in the 'pit'.

The pit was was in a word.... a pit, it was a prison of sorts where the guilty were thrown in.

It was the largest pit in the world, it's said to be so deep that the heat of the planet's core can be felt from it. The people who get thrown inside die waiting for something to change.

Of course the prince wasn't sentenced to death, he was being punished for two or three days so the chance of him being killed was less.... but it could still happen. This also made it clear that the prince did not have the favor of his father.

Some made fun of the prince, some pitied him and some just didn't care.

Rumors about this peculiar prince spread throughout the Demonic Kingdom.

~~~~

Well, I know what the pit is now...it's just a pit, a very deep one.

I've been stuck here for a long time, it felt like years had passed. But all in all it isn't that bad. There's nothing inside the pit so the danger was minimal.

" Plea-se....let me out.....let me out....let me out.----"

Well, there is someone inside the pit other than me, the woman had been here since before I arrived and she's been repeating the same thing since.

I don't know how long she's been here but seeing that she was batshit crazy, I'd say that she's been here for a long time. I did try to talk with her but she didn't even turn around.

Turn around from doing what ?

Well the pit was naturally made, so it's walls were made out of solid mud, it was extremely hard but not unbreakable. But even if someone tried to burrow out the pit, it'd take years and without food or water the escapee would just die.

Still the guards kept watch on the prisoners using some some kind of camera like structure. The woman was using her nails to scratch the wall, trying to break out I guess...

But she hasn't even made a dent yet so there's that.

I watched the women do this while whimpering,

" Let me out...let me out....let me out.---"

Judging from how bony she looks, it's safe to say that they don't provide the prisoners with food or water.

I wonder what kind of heinous crime this woman committed to be thrown down here ?

Would I become her in the future ?

Am I going to be stuck here forever ?

I shake my head to get rid of all these alarming thoughts.

I practice utilizing my mana to avoid my inner fears.

~~~~

It's night time.

The pit has strangely become much scarier, there was no form of lighting so I couldn't see jackshit. But I could still hear that women clearly...

" Let me out...let me out...let me out.---"

Hearing that along with the sound of her scratching was a little unnerving.

The woman's voice had become strained, it was already strained when I had first arrived but now it was just a whisper.

I close my eyes and try to fall asleep though I doubt that I'll ever fall asleep here.

~~~~

It's morning now, I haven't slept a wink.

" Let me out....let me out...let me out...----"

I could still hear the woman's voice, it echoed throughout the pit.

By now, I was pretty much used to Betty.

That's what I decided to call her, I would talk to her...of course she wouldn't talk back... but I would make up a whole conversation between us just for fun...

....

I think I'm slowly going crazy.

I focus on getting familiar with using my mana, to keep my mind of such things. But trying to train on an empty stomach is hard. Forget food, just some water would do.

I mean what kind of people would starve a child who hasn't even turned two yet !

I feel my eyes becoming heavy but try to fight against it.

~~~~

" Katrina ?!", I say surprised to see my very dead wife.

Did I die ?

Nah, I was still inside the pit....why was she and Daisy here ?

That's right, beside Katrina a shy Daisy was visible.

I hadn't seen them in two years, I knew that this wasn't real...probably a hallucination but still I'm glad.

I stand up to greet them, but before I say anything they run and hug me. I feel happy to be in their embrace.

" Let me out."

" Let me out."

What ?!...

Their embrace on me tightens to a suffocating degree,

" Let me out....Let me out.....LET ME OUT....LET ME OUT....LET ME OUT..LETMEOUTLETMEOUTLETMEOUTLETMEOUTLETMEOUTLETMEOUTLETMEOUTLeTMEOUTLEtMEOUTLETMEOUTlETMEOUTLeTMEOUTLETMEOUTLETMEOUTLETMEOUTLeTMEOUTLETMEOUTLETmEOUTLETMEOUTLeTMEOUTLETMEOUTLETMEOUTLETMEOUTLETMEOUTLEtMEOUTLETmEOUtLETMEOUTLETMEoUTLETmEOuTLETMEOUTLETMEOUTLeTMEOUTLETMEOUTLETMEOUTLETMEOUTLETMEOUTLETMEOUTLeTMEOUTLEtMEOUTLETMEOUTLeTMEOUTLETMEOuTLEtMEOUTLETmEOUTLETMEOUTLETMEOUTLETMEOUTLETMEOUTLETMEOUTLETMEOUTLETMEOUTLETMEOUTLETMEoUTLETMEOUtLETMEOUTLETMEOUT-------"

I can't think...

All I can feel is fear.

~~~~

I wake up screaming.

' So, it was a dream...', I think while trying to calm myself.

...

Something felt off.....I realized that I couldn't hear her that woman's voice anymore. I look over to find her dead.

I saw her face for the first and last time that day.

~~~~

It's night time now.

It's going to be my second day tomorrow.

I wouldn't have thought in my wildest dreams that I would actually miss Betty. I crawl over to where Betty's body lay rotting and raise her up,

With much effort, I raise up her body and make her sit straight by shifting her weight to the wall of the pit.

" So, Betty.... how's it being dead ?", I ask her.

" It's great.", she says back or at least I imagine her saying that.

I spend the whole night conversing with Betty because I had realized that the silence was much more terrifying.

~~~~

" Please wake up, prince."

I open my eyes to find the guard who brought me here,

" It's time to go back.", the guard says with pity in his eyes.

I stand up with the support of his hand and he carries me to the rope which had been slung down. Before we got out of there I ask the guard,

" What was Betty's crime ?"

" Whose ?". the guard asks back confused.

I point towards Betty's dead body which had begun to emit a displeasing smell.

The guard lets out a sigh and says,

" She stole a loaf of bread."

...

~~~~

Leylin hadn't stopped crying since I've been back.

I did try to reassure her but now I'm just flat out ignoring her. The doctors had taken a checkup on me and had prescribed some medicines and a lot of rest.

Leylin won't even let me out of the bed, I try telling her that was not what 'rest' meant but she ignored me.

" Here comes the chu chu train ~>", Leylin sings while feeding me hot soup.

I stare at her in disapproval.

What the fuck's a chu chu train ?

" If that was an actual train, I would be dead, Miss Leylin."

Leylin frowns and stuffs my mouth with soup.

I gulp down the hot soup and open my mouth for another spoon but it was then-

' Cough'

I coughed out blood.

Leylin' s scream for help was the last thing I heard before blacking out.

~~~

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