Like slithering tendrils, the ripples in the water reached up to pluck at the remnants of the light spell. It didn't matter how many times Sebastien would try to enlighten the gloom about him, like venus flying traps the darkness shot out to consume it with a vicious hunger. Noise should emerge from their movements, and yet it was as if his new cage sucked that along into the voice as well. No sounds of steps on the surface, no droplets of water, only the sound of the heavy exhale whenever the prince let out a shaky breath. The puffs soon began to come out in little unseen clouds, as if he was still outside despite the lack of surroundings.<br/><br/>As the soft ringing in his ears began to settle over his drums, one mutter interrupted the silence.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff0000">"I can see you. The darkest secrets of your soul...there is nothing you can hide from me, intruder."</span>the voice was rough, as if not having been used to human speech for sometime. Yet despite that raspy whispering, it held a lyrical tone to it. It spoke of something ancient with every syllable, a semblance of age with each pause in canter between words. In a sense, they were deeply...bewitching.<br/><br/>There was a soft press to his back by a warm, firm hand, the only real heat permeating the environment. The palm rested right where his spin curved inwards, as if the wielder of the limb was all too familiar with his body. Yet the fingertips felt raised, as if there were objects on the ends of them preventing their alignment with the rest of the limb.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff0000"> "You made a grave mistake, coming here. How could you, young Prince. I do not enjoy unexpected visitors, with no manners barging into my lands. You are very lucky you prove to be a source of...entertainment."</span><br/><br/>Abruptly, the fingers dug into the fabric covering his back, and it was revealed that instead of nails, sharp claws were what added pressure into him now. They squeezed hard, puncturing the skin but only enough to draw out the most minuscule amounts of blood.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff0000">"You'll never be a good King. The kingdom should not have been left to you, it is falling apart in your grasp. Every thread in your tapestry will fall apart and burn at your feet. History will know you as the one that ended the line that held your country strong for generations. How weak you are."</span><br/><br/>With a savage push, Sebastian was nearly thrown towards the pool at their feet, and this time the tendrils came for him. Like a creature of the deep oceans of nightmares, it enveloped him and pulled him down, trying to drag him beneath the surface as he tread water and fought off their grasp.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff0000">"You are a failure." </span>the shadow of a man calmly hissed above him, though without the light there was no visual to determine his features, simply a voice coming from the silhouette.