I had realized how crazy my life had become several days later when I had woken up, checked my phone for the date and time, and froze.

March 4, 2015. Tomorrow was my 20th birthday.

How hectic had my life become that I almost forgot my own birthday?

Louis had seemed a bit surprised when I voiced my realization that morning, I hadn't told Dad. Things still weren't back to normal, and I was scared that they would never be.

Had I lost it all? My loving relationship with my father, now strained; my adoration for the beautiful boy who started it all, now faltering with every word left unspoken between us.

One thing was for sure, this would be a very memorable twentieth birthday.

My day had involved very little contact between my father and I, Louis serving to act as my legs and move me around the house. Dad had announced he was heading out, leaving Louis and I to mind ourselves. We had spent time just savoring the moments we had alone, Louis' arms wrapped around me as he just held me and whispered sweet things in my ear.

When night fell, Louis had decided I needed some rest, but I had wanted to stay awake, so we ended up watching a fantasy movie marathon until it got close to midnight. It had always been a Lane tradition to wait until midnight for a birthday to arrive, and I had wanted to stay up to also make sure Dad returned safe and sound.

Louis had assured me he would stay up to make sure Dad was alright and had just turned off the movie we had been watching to prepare to take me to bed when the cabin door opened, Dad walking in with a huge bag in one hand and a small box in another. The cabin door was kicked closed as Dad walked into the kitchen to set the small box onto the table, placing the bag on a chair. I was close to falling asleep when he walked into the living room and kneeled in front of me, a small smile on his face as he held his arms out.

"I'm not sure if I remember correctly, but I do believe we have an important birthday to celebrate." He joked, surprising me with the small smile that cracked on my face. I latched my arms around his neck as he lifted me up from Louis' arms and carried me over to the kitchen table. I was sat in the chair in front of the smaller box, my smile growing when I saw Dad take a small cake out of it. Dad hadn't forgotten about our tradition, then again, he was a memory keeper. I don't think he could if he wanted to.

'Happy Birthday Mira' was written in frosting on the cake, my eyes looking to Dad.

"Vanilla?" I asked, Dad smiling as he nodded.

"Of course, I know my daughter. You've always liked vanilla cake since you were four."

Dad had gone to find some candles, complaining he couldn't find a match or lighter before Louis had said he would improvise. The candles were placed on the cake, all twenty, and lit up with a snap of Louis' fingers. I was sung happy birthday by the two men, a smile on my face as they both finished singing. My eyes flickered over to the kitchen clock, seeing the time was 11:57.

"Make a wish, Mira." Louis whispered as he kissed the top of my head, my gaze turning to the candles on my cake.

Twenty candles waiting to be blown out. Twenty years done of my life, so many more waiting to be taken advantage of, and I had no doubt I would use the rest of my life to do amazing things.

What would I wish for though? Good health? Happiness? A long life?

As I looked at my father and my boyfriend in front of me, I knew my wish.

I wish for everything to be the way it was meant to, for everything to work out perfectly fine.

I took a deep breath before blowing all the candles out at once, my eyes catching the clock changing to midnight.

And suddenly, as the last flame blew out, my vision changed.

Dad was holding a baby I could only assume to be me, his eyes wide with fear as he looked at the people in black coats getting closer and closer to him in the snow. So he took a breath, took one last glance at his perfectly healthy daughter, and placed his fingertips at the top of his baby's chest, casting a spell of woe for his baby girl's heart.

A red glow was emitted from his fingertips, and Dad could almost tell immediately that his curse had worked after the glow had faded. The baby's hands and feet grew colder, my heartbeat feeling weaker than before. I felt bad as Dad's face changed to an expression of guilt, his worried eyes watching as the Nox stopped looking for him and went back to their cars. Dad breathed a sigh of relief before he started walking through the snowy forest, stopping once he reached a safe distance from the cabin. He held me close, pressing a kiss to my forehead before he used his talent again.

This time, the glow from his hands was pure white like the snow surrounding him, his fingertips on the top of my chest again.

"This curse will expire at midnight of her twentieth birthday. At that moment, her most important talent will reveal itself and she will become who she was always meant to be." Dad whispered, a bright light glowing and enveloping both Dad and I as the amendment was made.

I was brought back to the world slightly dizzy and nauseous, Dad's hands on my shoulders to steady me.

"Easy there, just relax." He said, carefully picking me up in his arms. I closed my eyes so I wouldn't get dizzy, feeling Dad carry me upstairs to my room, Louis not far behind. I was set in my covers on my bed by my father, tucked in like I was when I was little. My skin felt hot and feverish and my hands and feet felt like they were on fire.

"You'll watch over her?" I heard Dad ask Louis, who nodded and pulled up a chair next to my bedside.

"Just try and get some sleep, baby girl. You'll need all the strength you can get." Dad whispered before kissing my forehead and brushing my hair back. I saw him start to leave the room, but my attention soon switched to Louis as he took my hand from under the blankets to hold in his.

"Go to sleep, Mira."

My eyes closed easily, but my dreams were definitely not smooth sailing. They were all a mix of various things.

I saw my friends and I laughing and having fun in a magical city that must have been the Rift, Louis kissing my cheek as he slung an arm over my shoulders, a heart locket around his neck gleaming bright blue.

I saw my mother smiling at my father on their wedding day, Minerva smiling and drying her tears as they said their 'I do's'.

I saw a woman and man I had never seen before smiling and holding a tiny baby wrapped in blankets, whispering promises of keeping the tiny child safe to them.

I saw my mother and father arguing as teenagers, Mom becoming so heartbroken and lonely she bought a heart locket for Dad as a symbol of her love as she begged for him to take her back.

I saw an older Louis laughing and playing with a baby boy, a bright smile on his face as the toddler ran over to him calling him "Dada", Louis holding him tight and kissing his cheek.

I saw things involving all my loved ones, all the people I cared about looking happy and vibrant in the scenes I saw. But none of those dreams compared to what I saw last.

I was aimlessly wandering around a glittering mansion when I spotted a woman walking around, her long dark hair curled in ringlets that gracefully fell down her back. She wore a sleeveless black dress that clung to her body, but her taste in fashion wasn't what interested me.

On her exposed arms were golden swirls that glowed, swirling around her ivory skin and trailing across her skin. They were like light tattoos, and I wondered if that's what they were as I curiously followed her.

I couldn't help but wonder if this was a past memory, one that already happened as I walked behind the woman. If so, then was this woman Mom?

I followed the woman a long ways around the mansion, turning corners and walking down corridors until she finally entered a room and stopped walking once she was in the middle of the floor. I continued my trailing her, getting more curious as to why Mom had such strange markings. Just then, when I got close enough, the woman turned around, and my heart suddenly felt like it was caught in my throat.

I stared in wonder at the woman whose identity was now known.

It was me. An older version of me was staring back at me, blue eyes wide with wonder just like mine. Her face was my face, only small delicate golden swirls had curled at the corners of her eyes and trailed down her neck. Her hair was longer, and she seemed stronger and healthier than I could ever hope to be. She seemed to be just as surprised as I was, my hand slowly reaching out to her to see if I could touch her.

Her hand mirrored my actions, but just when our fingertips touched, I suddenly felt a burning fire erupt on my hand. The pain was terrible, resembling what I imagined jumping into a volcano would be like. I couldn't help but scream, scaring the older me. I crumpled to the ground from the pain, the older me rushing over to try and help.

When she touched my foot, the same pain started, making me cower and crawl away from her touch.

"Stop! Don't touch me!" I screamed, the older me getting up and running away as I could do nothing but lay there in pain.

I woke up to the sound of thunder sometime at night, the adrenaline lingering in my veins startling me and making my heart pound. Sweat had collected on my forehead, and my breathing was ragged and quick. I needed to calm myself down, I had to do something.

I rubbed my eyes before throwing the blankets off of me, getting up and walking to the bathroom quickly. With a quick turn of the faucet, I splashed some water on my face, the water seeping into some kind of fabric on my arms. I hurried to turn the light on to see, my eyes catching sight of bandages wrapped tightly around the whole of my arms as well as on my feet. I could only imagine Dad must have done it, I couldn't picture Louis being skilled at wrapping limbs in bandages.

Speaking of Dad and Louis, where were they? I yawned before turning off the bathroom light and heading downstairs, being careful not to mess up the bandages on my feet. I found both men in the living room intently watching a basketball game. They seemed to be getting along well again, which I was happy for.

Their eyes were instantly on me when I walked in, the intense basketball game having been forgotten as I wedged my way in-between them on the couch.

"Sleep well?" Dad asked as his hand ruffled my hair, making me glare at him.

"Not really." I answered simply.

"Notice anything different?" Louis smirked at me, which made me look around the living room. Did they do something to it?

"Uh...no?" I said, to which Louis rolled his eyes.

"You're up and walking on your own, silly." He pointed out for me, smiling brighter than he had in a while.

My eyes widened at the realization that I didn't rely on Dad or Louis to move me around, having simply gotten up and walked around like it was no big deal. But, if I could walk on my own, what did that mean for my heart?

"My heart?..." I asked, looking to Dad for the answer this time who had a small half-smile on.

"Not a problem anymore."

"And the bandages?" I held my arms out, thinking I must still be in a dream for all this to happen. Dad and Louis were getting along, my heart apparently wasn't a problem anymore, and I could walk fine. What was going on?

My answer came when Dad turned the basketball game off, his hands moving to unwrap the bandages on my left arm. My eyes widened in awe when I saw what was underneath.

The beginnings of golden marks were glistening and glowing around my hand and wrists, some tiny trails beginning at my forearm as well. The dream...it was coming true?

"W-what is this?" I mumbled, feeling Louis' arms wrap around my middle and his lips kiss my cheek.

"The best birthday present ever. Only one talent has markings like these." He explains, a big smile on his face making him look like he had just won the lottery.

"And that talent is?"

"A protector. Mira, you're the last protector of Lux."

A/N: Dedication goes to @amarelouis for coming up with a very interesting idea as to why memory keepers see what they do.

Things are finally getting good yas

Vote and comment! -Maddie