-Akuji-

I watched through the window as Nairn and Neith stood in the middle of the living room. The candles cast an eerie glow within the room, which caused numerous large shadows to creep along the walls.

The air was chilly, causing me to shiver. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the window, even if I wanted to. I hadn't seen proper magic like this, other then what Javed had shown me yesterday. His small spell paled in comparison to the show which was unfurling in front of me.

I couldn't imagine how stupid I looked just standing there, peering into the house. Yet, as Neith stepped out of the salt circle and picked up her book again, I was transfixed.

Her lips started to move, creating words that I couldn't decipher. She lifted a hand in front of her and the flames of the candles shot up. It was as though she had thrown flour in the air, and it had burst into flames.

Her hair started to sway and her eyes glowed blue once again. It was such a stunning shade of blue, but I think that I preferred her natural eye colour. I now associated the blue with my own eyes, after I stared at myself in the mirror for extended periods of time during the first night.

Nairn's expression, which had once been full of childish excitement, dulled considerably as the flames rose higher. I was slightly intimidated, despite there being a wall separating us.

I could tell when the spell was over, as Nairn dropped to the floor. He rolled over on the ground and held his arms. I couldn't hear what he was muttering, but the candles extinguished.

Neith hurried to her father and put her hands on his shoulders, helping him into a sitting position. One difference that I noticed straight away was the fact that Nairn's hair seemed to be darker, not its usual vibrant blue. I had been told that the blue-ness was due to the amount of magic skill the person had, and the more magic which ran through their veins.

Did I not notice it getting brighter? Surely if Nairn was under a spell, then his hair would've been bright blue. Unless someone had thought of that. Was it possible for people's magic to be taken from them? I don't know why I'm thinking of these questions, when I really have no chance of knowing the answers.

The father and daughter talked for a few minutes before Neith looked up and gestured with her arm for me to come inside.

By the time I had entered the house and turned into the living room, Nairn was inspecting one of the tanks that their pets were in. "-Completely fine," he said. "I don't understand why it didn't cleanse them of their consciousness."

"Well, maybe it just worked inside the circle?" Neith asked. "That's the point of it, isn't it?"

Nairn shook his head. "No, the circle is to stop interference and negative energy messing up your spells. It may be different if your spells target the person inside of the circle though."

I sat awkwardly on the settee, avoiding the salt circle at all costs. The fact that it didn't work on their pets didn't mean that it wouldn't work for me, I repeated to myself over and over again.

"Shouldn't you know? You're the elder in charge of magic here," Neith asked with her arms crossed.

"I don't deal with magic which alters someone's perception of the world, or their mind," Nairn explained before sharply turning around and pointing a finger at me. "If you repeat this to anyone, I will make sure that you suffer until your next dying day."

I gulped, sunk into the settee, and raised my hands. "I won't tell a soul," I replied quickly. My voice was higher than normal and shook a bit. He really could be intimidating.

"Wonderful," Nairn said and straightened up. "I'm going upstairs to check my room for anything which could tell us the culprit."

"Oh, no you do not," Neith hurried in front of her father and pushed him backwards. "You sit down, we're finishing dinner. And then we can all go have a look."

"But what if it's still there?" I asked worriedly. "You'd need someone to do the spell again."

"See? Neith listen to Akuji. She's smart." He ruffled his daughter's hair and rushed upstairs.

"I didn't say that you would do it either!" I hurriedly yelled after him. I rubbed the back of my neck and sighed. I headed up the stairs after Neith, who had groaned in frustration and looked towards the ceiling, as though pleading for help.

Dalila joined us at the top of the stairs and led us to Nairn's room. She sat by the door and pawed at it, her claws scratching the wooden frame.

"I know sweetie, he's stupid," Neith said to her cat, bending down and scratching behind her ear. "We've just got to see where the idiocy takes us." She straightened up and pushed Nairn's door open.

It was one of the first times where I could properly see inside of his room, and the sight startled me a little. There wasn't anything peculiar about it at all. I didn't know what I was expecting. Perhaps I envisioned there to be a blue glow to the room, or a lavish bed covered in silk quilts which he had somehow conjured.

But there was nothing of the sort. It was very similar to Neith's room, which I had only seen glimpses of, due to her bed being opposite to the door. There was a simple bed, dresser, wardrobe, and mirror. There were the basic necessities for a bedroom. I wondered why they hadn't personalised their rooms, they'd lived here their entire life, it wasn't as though they were borrowing the house.

Back home, my room was my sanctuary, and it was full to the brim with things that I had collected or personalised throughout my life. It was startling to see something look so basic.

"There's nothing here," Nairn announced as he leaped up from the other side of his bed. "I was only in the living room after coming from here, wasn't I?" He turned to me as he asked,

"Um, I think so?" I asked slowly. "You mean the kitchen? Right? You were in the kitchen earlier."

"Was I?" He tilted his head a little. "I can't remember too well. When did I start acting strange?"

"The day you were born," Neith commented quickly as she hid her mouth with her hand.

"I'm not quite sure, it was tricky to tell at first. I don't know you well enough." I felt like that was the most sensible response, and slightly agreed with Neith's statement. Nairn was strange, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, it was just strange.

"Oh, wonderful." Nairn slapped his leg and stood up. "I could've been out of it for days and nobody would be any the wiser."

"Hey," Neith exclaimed. "I noticed, and I got you back. You weren't out of it for days. Even if I didn't know you like the back of my hand, I would've noticed with the spell earlier."

Nairn made a clicking noise with his tongue. "Who raised you to be that smart? I certainly didn't." He started to look through his drawers. "There might be something in the kitchen, if I went in there in that state." He left his drawers open as he spun around and marched towards the doorway, going straight downstairs.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. "Honestly, I can't keep up with him."

Neith huffed. "Imagine dealing with him for eighteen years." She laughed as I shook my head frantically.

"No, thank you." I followed Neith to the kitchen, where Nairn currently had everything out of the cupboards and scattered across the counter and floor. "That was fast," I commented with wide eyes.

"Was it?" he asked without looking up. "I can assure you there was no magic in the previous actions which caused that to be quick."

I eyed Neith, who shook her head. That must mean that magic had, in fact, been involved in the previous actions.

"Dad, what are you hoping to find?" Neith asked as she started to pile up the plates and cups which were scattered on the floor.

I joined her, following her gestures as she showed me where each plate or bowl went.

"Anything to tell me what caused that," Nairn replied. He was now sitting with his head inside the cupboard, examining the far back panel of wood. "I thought you knew that, what's wrong? Are you feeling ill too? Do you need me to do that spell? Akuji get out."

"Dad," Neith exclaimed loudly. She stood up and pulled her father out of the cupboard. "I'm fine. What's wrong? This isn't like you."

Nairn shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "I do not like the lack of autonomy, Neith. I couldn't control my actions just then and that terrifies me. If people like us lose that control, who knows what we could accomplish? We're magical, and we can bend reality to our will. Could you imagine if that kind of knowledge or power was taken by someone else?"

Neith paled and nodded. "Yes but thinking like this isn't going to help us do anything. We need to calm down and think logically before we burn down the entire house."

"Good idea-" Nairn started but was interrupted by his daughter slapping his shoulder.

"It's not a good idea, that was sarcasm and exaggeration. We are not burning the house down." Neith sighed heavily and turned to me. "Akuji, do you mind if I try to use some telepathy?"

"Telepathy?" I repeated. I was startled once again by the sudden attention. "That's where you look into my mind, right?"

Neith and Nairn both shared a look of surprise. "You know of telepathy?" Nairn asked, a hint of suspicion in his voice.

I scoffed. "I'm from Seastown, you hear of most things there. You just don't believe in half of them."

Neith clapped her hands once and nodded. "Well then, yes, I do mean the one where I'm in your head." She stepped around pots and pans in order to get to me. She placed her hands on the tops of my arms and stared into my eyes. "I need to look into your memories."

I felt my breath hitch at the contact and closeness. I didn't know why, but the way she spoke made my heart race and my mind blur. She was so close, and she sounded so serious, it was enchanting.

"Sure," I agreed, not really knowing what I was getting myself into. "Let's do it."

I should really ask about things before I agree to said things, particularly when those things concern magic. I didn't quite know the lengths of which magic could go until I was sat in the middle of one of those salt circles with Neith above me. The air smelled like chamomile and lavender, and there were several blue and red candles lit around the room.

"What is this going to do, exactly?" I asked Neith as I fiddled with the hem of my dress. I had a cardigan on, despite being close to the fire. The fabric was somewhat comforting to me. It also smelled like sandalwood. "It's not going to hurt, is it?"

"No," Neith replied in a voice which wasn't very assuring. "I won't feel a thing."

I gulped and turned to Nairn. "Why aren't you doing this?"

Nairn shrugged. "Neith is better at it," he responded. "I also have no desire to go through a teenage girl's mind." He shivered dramatically. "But she also lies when she said she won't feel a thing. She'll feel whatever you've felt." He leant forward on the settee. "So, if you have any trauma, please let us know now before my daughter goes through your mind and experiences it." He flashed a smile, a very unfriendly one.

I shook my head to try and bring me back to the present moment, to remind me that this was actually happening. "Besides dying? Nothing too notable. In my opinion, anyway." I glanced nervously at Neith. "Are you sure you-"

"-Yes," she interrupted. "It won't take long, and I won't be too traumatised. Nor will I go deep into your personal life, just relax."

I hadn't considered her going into my personal life. She would see my bedroom at Seastown, she would see my entire relationship. This would be a chance for her to see what my parents were life, and the friends that I had made back home. She'd know every secret that I had ever kept, every lie which I had ever made.

"You're not relaxing," Neith said with a sigh. "What can I do to make you relax?"

"Give me a hug," I said rather sarcastically.

What I didn't expect was for her to sigh and then wrap her arms around me. Her hair smelled like roses and other flowers I couldn't distinguish, it was soft against my cheek, and I could see the blue glint much easier. She was incredibly warm, even warmer than the heat which came from the fire. I felt my heartbeat quicken, for a different reason than the regular nerves. My breathing slowed and I hugged her back.

I didn't know how long we stayed there, but she pulled away with a serious expression. The expression reminded me of why she did it. She wasn't doing it to be comforting, or friendly. She did it so that she could get on with the spell.

"Okay," she said to herself as she placed her index fingers on my temples. "I'm going in."

I took in one last breath and had just about closed my eyes when I was transported into my past.

I was young, around five or six years old, and I was looking out of my window at the streets below. I couldn't leave my house at this point, so it was the only chance I ever got to interact with people and see what daily life was like outside of these walls that I'd known all my life.

My head was sticking out of the window, causing my black hair to gently tickle my face. I had a fringe, which felt incredibly odd after not having it for several years. It was like I was there, as myself, but I was daydreaming. It felt like my body was there and solid, but my mind was in the clouds.

"Akuji, time for tea!" my mother called from downstairs.

I scoffed and looked back out of the window, where a man was standing and interacting with a crowd of people. The man had a fancy red coat and a top hat. He had several animals with him and a few cages. Every now and again, he would announce that he was going to make something disappear, or change. He came to this part of the city every week and had done so for the past two month. I always got lost in a trance whenever his show started.

"Akuji, didn't you hear me?" my mother asked, but she chuckled as soon as she met me at the window. My mother had similar hair to mine, in fact, we were pretty identical despite our height and age difference. I didn't take many of my physical features from my dad, I took his personality instead. "You know you shouldn't be watching things like that. They're just tricks to scam people."

"But it's working," I argued. "Look, he's going to make that rabbit disappear." I pointed to the small white rabbit, who was then encased in a black cloth. The magician then slammed his hand onto the cloth, flattening it. "See? It worked."

"And I'll bet you all the money in this house that the rabbit is under the table." She ruffled my hair before turning back around. "Come on, your pie's getting cold."

"What kind is it?" I asked, despite already knowing the answer.

"Fish," she replied with a snort. "What else could it be?"

Then it was a few years later. It was my first adventure out into the world by myself. I had a dagger strapped to my waist and a basket in my hand. I had been instructed to get one loaf of bread and two cod for tonight's tea. I wasn't sure if I knew where to go, but that caused excitement to bubble in my stomach and for me to have a skip in my step.

"Good afternoon," I said to anyone who passed me. I had a smile on my face, and nothing could ruin the bright mood which formed after this single sense of freedom.

I didn't receive many pleasant greetings back, but I shrugged that off as it being quite early in the afternoon, people were probably eager to have their lunch. It was another reason why I decided it was a good time to go out, it wouldn't be as overwhelming.

But I don't think it helped too much, because as soon as I lost my way, I began to panic. I had a poor sense of direction, and still do, so I couldn't find my way back to the house I'd known for over a decade.

I rounded a corner and gasped. There were four men and a woman in there. The woman had blood pouring from the side of her head, and her shirt wasn't fastened properly. No, her shirt was being pulled off.

"Another one to join the fun?" the man with a very large moustache said with a laugh. He started to make his way towards me, stopping where the light hit the ground. "Aw, come on. Don't you want to have a little fun?"

I shook my head frantically and made eye contact with the woman. She was begging me to leave, or to help her, I couldn't tell which one.

"Come on, it'll be nice," another man said. "Someone as young as you would make a big change from what we usually have."

My hand gripped the dagger at my side and as soon as the first man tried to grab me, I slashed at him, creating a slice in the palm of his hand.

He howled in pain and tried to get me again, screaming, "you bitch!"

I didn't waste any time slashing him again, and the second one when he decided to try to assist. The other two men in the alley had returned to the first woman, fully removing her top and moving to her skirt when I hit one of them in the head.

The woman then lifted her foot and kicked the remaining man in an uncomfortable place and pushed him into the wall. His head made a concerning cracking sound.

"Are you alright, miss?" I asked as I picked her shirt off the floor and helped her put it on. She was shaking and her face was whiter than the snow I had seen cascading from the sky in winter.

She hummed in confirmation before wrapping her arms around me, squeezing me tight. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." She kept repeating the words over and over, until I pried her arms from my shoulders and wrapped an arm around her.

"It's alright," I assured. "Where do you live?"

She gave me directions, and I walked her home. Her husband was at the market at the moment, so I waited with her. She made me a cup of tea and a cake as the beginning of her thanks to me. I had politely declined, but I could only do that so many times before it became rude.

"How did someone as young as you learn how to fight like that?" she asked me as she sipped her tea. Her hands were still shaking, so the cup clattered against the saucer whenever she put it down.

"My father taught me," I explained. "He always wanted me to be ready for whatever was in the world. I had to learn how to defend myself as soon as I left the house."

Flashes of the various times that my father instructed me to block, and slash entered my mind. I had gotten bruised and cut without my father's mercy. He wanted me to be aware of the cruelty and hardships the world had in store.

"That was sensible of him," she sighed. "I hope that my daughter ends up like you. You seem polite and strong."

My face heated up, so much so, I had a sip of my tea to cool down. "Well, a large part of that is upbringing," I said awkwardly. "You have a daughter?"

She nodded. "She's upstairs with my sister at the moment. She's only three years old, so she's not very experienced yet. But she's the sweetest little girl. Would you like to meet her?"

"I'd be delighted to," I responded happily. The rest of the conversation went by in a blur. The meeting of the little girl had been brief, and she clung to her aunt's leg the entire time. Still, the child had bright and curious eyes, ones which I remember having, and probably still had at that point.

The next memory that I was teleported to was a much sadder one, well in retrospect. It was the first day that I met Emir. I was working in the market, only a few weeks after the interaction with the people in the alley. I was talking to the woman who owned the stall, when the most handsome man I had ever met approached.

Granted, I hadn't seen many men my age at that point. Most of them preferred to help out at the docks or to mess around. I preferred to avoid those areas, whether by coincidence or because I found myself needing to go in the opposite direction. The society which I lived in was incredibly gendered, something I didn't really know was an issue at that point in time. Ever since I observed the people in Crimcut, did I realise how wrong it was to settle for something so ridiculous.

"Hello beautiful," he greeted with a charming smile. "How long have you been working here?" He moved some of his short, brown hair out of his chocolate eyes.

"I'm just volunteering," I said with a blush on my cheeks. "Although, I am hoping for a permanent position at some point soon." He didn't move or speak, s I continued. "Can I help you with anything?"

He shook his head. "Ah, sorry. I just got lost in your eyes." He leant on the stall and winked at me.

I bit my lip and nodded. "That's smooth, but I'm sorry I don't think I'm interested." I tried to turn away from him when he put a hand on my shoulder. It wasn't a harsh grip, by any means. Though he did manage to spin me back around.

"You haven't even given me a chance," he said and shook his head. "Come on, let me take you out on a date. What do you have to lose?"

My dignity, my life, and my willingness to leave the house, I had the urge to argue. Yet, I reluctantly nodded, my shoulders dropping in surrender. "Okay, I'll go on a date with you," I agreed. "But, it has to be during the day, and we have to meet here."

Even as I listed my conditions, he cheered and held a wide grin. "You won't regret this...what's your name?"

I spluttered and blushed harder as I realised that I hadn't actually given him my name, or received his, before agreeing to go on a date. "Akuji," I answered and held out a hand.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Akuji," he said as he took my hand in his larger, rougher, one. "My name is Emir."

"Nice to meet you, Emir."

A shiver ran down my spine and my stomach filled with magma. The hatred and disgust which crawled through my veins at feeling his touch again had surprised me. Yet, I suppose, being killed by someone is enough to cause such emotions.

The date flew by, and so did the years between then and a few nights ago. I didn't know if it was my own emotions, or my past self, but it felt like the entire few days had been a dream. Sitting in the carriage felt so real, I could convince myself that I had just woken up from a dream.

I was sitting next to Emir, wearing my white dress, which I really should change out of by now. I was trying to get some sleep as it began to get late. The uneven path made it difficult to do so without hitting my head.

The carriage abruptly stopped, which caused me to look at Emir, who looked extremely intimidating in the darkness which the night brought.

"I'll go check and see what's wrong, you stay here." He kissed me on the forehead before leaving the carriage.

I waited for a few moments, there being no indication of time which I could access, before leaving the carriage myself. There were no signs of horses, instead there was a rock keeping the carriage propped up.

The rest of my surroundings blurred as panic set into my stomach. What was going on? This felt so real, and yet not at the same time. I tried to cling to the memories of Neith and Nairn, as the familiar surroundings emitted a threatening aura. It was different to what I had thought, to what I had remembered.

Fog surrounded me, but it wasn't normal. It was light blue. I coughed a few times, my eyelids drooped, jolting me awake. My breathing quickened, which only made me want to fall asleep even more.

"Emir!" I yelled through coughs. "Emir, where are you?" I was choking, choking on the fog which surrounded me.

"I'm here," Emir said from behind me. But it wasn't Emir. His voice didn't have the usual charming tone, he didn't sound comforting at all, nor did he sound angry. He sounded empty.

I spun around to face him, my eyes meeting his. They weren't his either, they were the same crystal blue which I now had.

I woke up choking.