"Excuse me? What did you just say?" She fumed, knitting her brows in agitation.
"You heard me," he replied in a deadpan manner. "You're a spoiled, self-centered, entitled brat," he finished, causing the woman before him to clench her fists in rage...
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Allie awoke in a groggy manner. Her body ached all over and her head felt as though it were about to split open. Where she was she couldn't tell. She didn't recognize any of her surroundings. What she was acutely aware of was the fact that there were shackles around her wrists and ankles and that she was high off the ground. Her movement had been restricted and what's more, her companions were nowhere to be found. Her heart raced as the events of the day came rushing back. She and Seth had been running from Team Flare after they'd invaded the palace grounds. Thinking they'd be safe in the passage beneath the palace, Allie had led Seth there only to find out that someone was already there.
How they'd known about the secret passage was anyone's guess. She'd thought that only her family knew about it but it appeared as though the enemy had access to that information as well. What made her even more uneasy was the fact that they were waiting for them. She hadn't the faintest idea who it could have been. All she remembered was Seth pushing her aside and the rest was blank. A sickening feeling began to develop in the pit of her stomach as a multitude of worrisome thoughts swarmed around in her mind. The sound of double doors opening snapped her out of her thoughts.
The room got brighter as more lights were turned on, revealing more about the room than Allie had previously seen. It was a massive room with but a single work station and a platform in the center hosting what appeared to be a tree of sorts. What was most alarming of all, however, was what she saw next to it. There, on the platform, was a small chamber containing something that struck terror and panic into her heart. It was Floette or what she knew it as... the Eternal Flower.
"Good, you're awake. I was beginning to think you'd never come to," said a rather pale-faced, rotund man with red goggles over his eyes.
Allie glowered at the portly scientist as he lifted his gaze to hers. Not only had she been kidnapped, along with her friend, but she was attached to a strange device roughly fifteen feet off the ground. The fact that he would even have the nerve to smile at her the way he did was insulting on so many levels. It was enough to make her wish she had the strength to tear through the bindings that chained her and smack that stupid grin off his unsightly face.
"I hope the accomodations aren't too uncomfortable for you, princess. But given the look on your face I think it's safe to say that you are rather displeased. It can't be helped I'm afraid," the scientist chuckled as he made his way to the workstation.
"Okay, who are you and just what kind of sick and twisted game are you playing at you grosse horreur!?" Allie hissed out.
"My name is Xerosic, princess, and you've played just as much a part in this little game as I have," Xerosic replied simply, placing his hands behind his back before turning to face her once again. "And... I do believe the only eyesore around here is you princess. Consider yourself fortunate that our leader decided to let you live a second time..."
Allie's face went pale as she asked, "w-what do you mean by a second time?"
"You really don't know do you? I suppose I could enlighten you seeing as it won't matter in twenty-four hours," Xerosic muttered while stroking his chin. "Do you see this tree?" Xerosic asked, turning to gaze upon the white tree in front of him. "There is no other tree like this anywhere in this world or on any other worlds for that matter. Do you know why that is?"
