{Please read on a laptop if possible}

"Never be a prisoner to your past. 
It was just a lesson, not a life sentence,"

~Anonymous

*36 years ago*

The young (17-year-old) blonde walked through the forest, her bow and arrow out, to shoot anything that moves. Her eyes checked every single inch of the woods as she sneaked around them, with the most silent steps she could take. She moved towards the centre. 

"I do not want to use my magic," She muttered as she continued to take slow and steady steps.

She suddenly heard rustling from a bush around her and swivelled in its direction while raising her bow and pulling the arrow close to her cheek before letting it off her grip. The arrow travelled swiftly through the irregular passage of trees before piercing through something. She heard whimpers and smirked as she lowered her bow before plodding towards the whimpers. It was a deer and her arrow pierced into its stomach. It lost its breath as she took the arrow out slowly. She sighed as she took a look at the blood-smeared tip. She suddenly frowned upon looking at the seal carved on it. 

"I believe that deer belongs to me," A voice said from behind her. 

She widened her eyes and looked at the arrow for a moment, reciting a spell in her mind, leading the mark to turn itself into the one on her arrows and turned around. 

"I do not think so," She said as a smile appeared on her lips but it disappeared quickly as she froze upon looking at the boy in front of her. 

He is so handsome 

She thought as she got lost in his hazel eyes, wavy blonde hair and well-structured jawline. 

"Milady? Milady!" She snapped out of her dreams as she heard him call out to her. 

"Could I possibly see the arrow you are hiding?" 

"Of course," She withdrew her hand from behind and showed him the arrow. The boy chuckled and smiled, bending forward before looking back at her. 

"That is mine," 

"What? But I see- Oh no," 

She realised the mark turned back. 

"You did your best on the illusion spell, Milady," He said as he took the arrow and put it back in his quiver. 

"But how? I created a strong illusion," She said. 

He scoffed 

"Well, illusions root from mental hindrance and I have none so they hardly last in front of my eyes," 

She blushed in embarrassment and smiled awkwardly at him. 

"I'm Graham, Son of the royal chef," He said as he bowed to her. 

"I am Sophia, Princess of Ardalia,"

"So you learnt hunting by yourself?" Graham asked as he took a stroll along with her. 

"Yes, girls and maidens are forbidden from hunting but my father let me learn," 

"And her majesty?" 

She scoffed with a smile 

"She can be hysterical upon learning that I go hunting instead of going to magic lessons,"

Graham chuckled as he heard that. 

"But isn't it essential to learn magic and practice it?" 

"It is but my interest lies in warfare and sparring," 

He tilted his head upon hearing that. 

"A deer!" She exclaimed as she suddenly took an arrow out and aimed at something at a distance. She closed one of her eyes as the arrowhead followed the deer's steps and let go when she thought it was the right time. The arrow hit something but she couldn't see it properly and rushed towards the direction of the arrow. Upon reaching, she whined as he smiled softly at the arrow buried in the ground. 

"I almost had it!" She groaned as she took her arrow out of the ground and sighed. She put it back into the quiver as she hung her bow to the side. 

"I am heading home,"  

"I can train you," Graham said as she proceeded to leave. 

She turned around to look at him with surprise. 

"Truly?" 

"Yes, truly," He replied as he smiled at her. 

"You do not know how meaningful it all is to me," 

"It is all my pleasure, your highness," He said as he went closer to her. 

"I prefer you address me as Sophia,"

~~~

"Now, focus yourself on the sand, and create anything in your mind," The teacher said as Sophia failed to move the sand for the third time. 

"Sophia, what seems to be wrong? You can not seem to form anything. Other Juriaelles can move larger sources and you can't seem to move a handful of sand," The teacher said out of annoyance. 

"Apologies, but my interests do not lie in mysticism," Sophia said, her tone exhausting. 

"Lass, I am aware and I understand but just like hunting, mysticism is a part of you. You must embrace it," Her teacher, Iris said. 

"Lady Iris, all I want is to prove to Mother that I can practice mysticism just fine," 

"Alright, I quite grasp what you mean, child," Iris said before she put her spellbook aside and took Sophia's hands. 

"Sophia, how about you think of what you love, instead of her majesty?" Iris said as she let her hands go. 

Sophia sighed and decided to give it an effort. She closed her eyes and muttered a spell before opening them. The sand slowly began to ascend into the air and, took the form of different figures. She smiled in joy as she witnessed the sand forming itself so beautifully. The sand dropped and scattered on the study as she stared at it and couldn't believe that she had finally done it. 

"See? Love powers everything,"  

"Alright, today's lesson ends here," Iris added. 

"What? But I just practised magic for the first time," Sophia said. 

"I know what could be the reason for it, you are in love," Iris said. 

Sophia blushed and looked down, trying to contain her smile. 

"You better head back,"

{Please play this song before reading further, for a better experience}

https://youtu.be/eagW4XpD5Jo

"What took you so long?" Graham asked. 

"Nothing, just the same 'think about what you love' instance. Apologies, it took forever," Sophia replied as she grabbed an arrow and tugged its end to the bowstring before pointing it to the aim drawn by Graham on the bark of a tree in front of her. 

Suddenly, he came behind her and looked at the end of the arrow. He noticed it wasn't pointed at the right angle. 

"It isn't in the correct direction," 

He wrapped his fingers around her hand from where she held the bow in place and the other one around the hand that held the end of the arrow and the string. Sophia widened her eyes as she felt his warmth around her figure. His breath was scented with honey and his doublet smelled like water lilies as if he had just hunted a fish from the lake, for his mother. She almost lost focus and closed her eyes but tried her best to keep her eyes and ears open. 

"Your sight should pierce through your prey as you aim at it, your hand shall follow it like a predator chases after its prey and your breath should interpret the air while the prey grows more and more aware of your existence," He whispered into her ear, his voice as deep as ever. 

Butterflies began to flutter in her stomach as she felt his voice vibrate through her ears. 

"Now, let go," He said as he released her hand and she let go of the end of the arrow. It buried itself into the centre of the aim. She scoffed with a smile smeared on her lips before she looked at him. 

"I did it!" She exclaimed. 

"See? It isn't that hard after all. We must head home now. It is quite late," He strolled along with her as he picked his things up. 

"Graham, I'd like to share something with you," 

"Today, at magic lessons, I practised magic for the first time," She added. 

"Oh, magnificent, how did you do it?" He continued to pack his arrows. 

"Lady Iris asked me to think about what I love while I practise and I did it," 

"Oh then I bet you must've thought about hunting," He said as he got up, hanging his arrows to his back. 

"If that were true, I would've learned it by now, but it isn't what I thought about, it is whom I thought about and I thought about...you," 

The last statement made Graham halt his figure while he reached for his bow. 

"I shouldn't have said that, we should leave," 

Sophia began to leave but Graham was swift enough to grab her wrist and pull her towards his figure, causing her body to clash with his. His arm slithered up to her waist as he leaned forward to touch his lips to hers. She raised herself to her toes and reached for his lips as well until they clashed and moulded in unison. Her hands took hold of his nape as her lips slowly withdrew. Their foreheads were now connected. 

"I love you,"

"Do you, Graham, consider Sophia as your lawfully wedded wife?" Father Aaron said. 

"I do,"  

"Do you, Sophia, take Graham as your lawfully wedded spouse?" He looked at Sophia. 

"I do," 

"Alright, mate. You may kiss the bride," 

Aaron said before Graham pulled her close and shared a long kiss with her. They had waited for this moment for almost 5 years now and stuck together come what may. A few years passed and Sophia became expectant. Her magic helped her realise that it was a boy and a girl. Graham was content about it all and nine months later, they were blessed with twins. 

"She has your eyes," Sophia held the girl in her arms.

"And he has your nose," Graham looked at the son they had bared. 

"Felipe," 

"Felicia,"

When the twins turned 6, they began to practise magic. Sophia taught them how to control it and keep it safe and hidden as the state was changing and Vasilians we slaughtering Inkarios, also waging war on the other kingdoms. 

"You two have mysticism that can help move mountains and overflow rivers but you mustn't do that," Sophia explained to them a certain day while teaching them magic, taking a stroll in the garden while holding their hands. 

"Why mother?" Felicia asked. 

"Because we humans have no right to decide what would happen to the mountains, rivers and animals, only nature makes those decisions and using that massive amount of magic harms you as well," 

Soon, Felipe met Philip and made friends with him. He loved spending time with him. When he'd be absent around him, he'd go to the meadow to play with butterflies. He once fell over and giggled it out when a butterfly took a seat on his nose. He shook his head, the butterfly fluttering away. 

Felicia, on the other hand, liked to practice mysticism and learn more about it. She wanted to write her own spell one day, that would contain the evil and Malicious essences of the world. She'd use different elements to infest her magic and draw weapons such as swords and axes and shade them, such that they looked real. She wished to wield a weapon one day. 

"Both our children want to become warriors,"

{Please play this song before reading further, for a better experience}

https://youtu.be/wVrH_IUx74s

"What? Why are they coming for us?" Sophia said as the guards got news of the Vasilians hunting them down. 

"They require your mysticism, your majesty. They had created a totem, for some demon to resurrect itself but they require a tremendous amount of magic," The guard replied. 

"Take the children and leave, I shall join you at Aaron's," 

Graham got off the throne and joined the guards. Sophia went to the magic room upstairs and found them both learning magic. 

"Felipe, Felicia, we need to leave, now," 

Sophia went closer to them and held her hands out, for them to hold. The children got up after they placed their palms into hers. She led them to a secret tunnel in the room that led to the woods, and then to the back of the church. 

She reached the church in her carriage and was about to get off but got a strange feeling and halted. She opened the carriage door, just to get attacked by the footman. He was Vasilian. She dodged the attack and pushed him away. She grabbed the sword she had brought along and began to slay them all, protecting her children as she reached the back of the church. 

She burst into the church and huffed as she found no one around and took the kids towards the altar. She made them squat behind the altar and crouched as she looked at their welled-up eyes. They were frightened and worried for their mother. 

"Stay here, alright? Do not go anywhere," She said as she tied her hair in a messy bun and held her sword out for her attackers. 

"Nobody hurts my children,"

"Father, please save my child, I do not care about myself," Isaac said as he struggled to stand. 

"The Vasilians are after me," He said in pain as he handed his child over. 

"My child, do not worry I shall help you. Deken! Take him to the room upstairs and treat him!" Father Aaron said as he headed out of the church while his brother came rushing downstairs and helped Isaac to the room above.

"Aaron!" 

He suddenly heard a scream from the back as he stood closer to the entrance. He rushed there and saw Sophia fighting by herself. One of the Vasilians was about to swing his sword at him but was stopped by someone else's sword covering his figure. It was Graham. 

"Missed me already?" 

He stabbed the Vasilian in the heart and lended a helping hand to Sophia. Aaron looked at them both as their children sat there behind the altar, crying and holding onto each other. He suddenly used a spell and a totem appeared on top of the altar. 

He looked at it in horror and screamed at Sophia. 

"Your majesty! You must seal the totem's effect!" 

Sophia heard that but tears began to flow out of her eyes as she continued slaying men, one by one. She held her sword to one of them. 

"No, I am sorry but I have to punish these Vasilians for taking innocent lives and coming for my children," 

"AAAHHHH!" An agonizing scream was heard from the room above as Isaac got treated for his deep and horrible wounds. Sophia let out a scream of anger as she pointed her palm towards the totem and curved her fingers.

"Centyra decennia!" 

A golden essence left her palm and shot itself at the totem. The totem got sealed gradually as she continued to scream, her nose began to bleed and her tears knew no boundaries. The totem sent out a huge golden essence, that travelled all of Delaria, its effects declining gradually. The explosion sent the Vasilians flying away from her and Graham. She suddenly fainted as the essence from her hand disappeared before Graham caught her. 

"It is alright my love, sleep,"

"There is no other way. I am going to heal you using magic," Deken said as he placed his palm in the air above Isaac's chest and mumbled a spell. Isaac stopped breathing slowly as he couldn't hold on any longer. After Deken was done reciting the spell, he placed his palm on Isaac's chest as he closed his eyes. He opened his eyes just to be in a meadow with a white sky. 

"Isaac?" He questioned as he saw the man standing by the lake, his back facing Deken. 

Deken placed his hand on Isaac's shoulder. Isaac turned around, just for them both to open their eyes to reality. 

"What happened? Where is my child?" Isaac asked as he awakened with a gasp. 

"Calm down, you can not go to your son for some time. He shall be alright," 

"Alright, I will find him. Thank you so much Father, for gifting my life to me" 

Tears travelled to his jaw. 

Sophia lay in bed as Graham waited for her to wake up. She frowned and opened her eyes slowly. 

"W-where am I?" She asked as she tried to sit up. 

"Love, do not push yourself," Graham said. 

"No, It is alright, that was a powerful spell," She replied and saw the twins seated on the floor, playing with toys. 

"We need to protect them at all costs, love," She said, her gaze not leaving them, beginning to cry. 

"There is only one way to protect them," Father said.

"And what is that?" 

"You must take their magic away temporarily and conceal all their memories of you,"  

"Is that necessary?" Sophia asked as her voice cracked. 

"Yes because they are children and they will go through worse than you did tonight if they infest any magic around others. The Vasilians will continue to come for you as well. Hence, there is no other way,"  

Sophia looked at Graham as she heard those words come from Father's mouth. She signalled the children to come to her as she called out to them. They walked up to her and stood there, leaning on her lap. 

"My warriors, you must remember that Mother and Father love you more than their dear lives," She said as she held their hands and began extracting their mysticism. 

"I must do this, for those monsters to stay away from you," 

The magic was excessive but she took it all in for the sake of her children, vowing to return it someday when they are safe. 

"Father, you can do it now," 

"Come to me, my children," He knelt on one of his knees and placed his hands on their heads. He recited a concealment spell and created a spectrum of doors connected to their past. 

"And the totem? You know quite well that you just cursed an entire kingdom for the doings of one monster," He asked as the children fell asleep in his arms. 

"We shall place it under the throne of Vasilia,"

"And that is how the totem ended up under the throne," Sophia said while living in her dream. 

"What about your children? They are strong and fit for me to take form into," The girl said. 

"It is alright. You can reach Felicia. She seems to have it in her. I will return their magic once the totem has been destroyed," 

"Alright, Hera awaits the demon's head and I do not want to keep her waiting anymore," She disappeared after snapping her fingers. Sophia woke up and sat up slowly before staring at the window, the sunlight pouring onto her face. She yeeted the blanket off and rode to church in her carriage. 

"Aaron," She called out to him as he put up the candles again. 

"The children remember. It is time for them to destroy the totem,"

"A lovely morning to you," Felicia said to Philip as she snuggled close to him, his lace loosened from his chest, her hand travelling underneath the white cloth. Philip pecked her forehead as he caressed her back. 

"It is time we destroy the totem now,"  

"I know, I am well aware," Philip said.

"Whom do you think the princess will choose to take form into?" 

Felicia frowned in sadness as she knew the answer but lied about it every time he asked. She knew she was the only female Larcian and Juriaelle to exist. 

"I do not know," 

"Now, I need a bath," She said as she sat up and proceeded to head to the bath. She intentionally dropped her gown to the floor in front of his figure in the bed while she walked towards the entrance of the bath and disappeared into it. 

"Bollocks," Philip got off the bed and undid his clothes as well while plodding towards the bath. 

"She sure is a work of art,"

Sapphirus took a stroll with Isaac as he got to know about his past and his mother. 

"I am sorry but I had to do this to protect you," Isaac said. 

"No, do not apologize, Father," 

"I understand," He added. 

"Sapphirus!" He heard Laira call out to him from her room. Sapphirus nodded at Isaac and entered Laira's room.

"Yes, love?" He said as he went close to her to snuggle her in the bed. She buried herself into his chest as she said,

"You do realise that tonight is the night you destroy that totem?" 

"Certainly,"

"Until tonight, I am all yours," He said as he sang her a lullaby to sleep. 

After she fell asleep, he slowly let go of her and left the room. He plodded to the library and wrote Philip a letter. He sent it through his sources before Philip received it. He opened it up.

Philip,

Tonight, we sneak into Vasilian premises. I shall distract Helius while you and Felicia forge for the totem. It is important to know that he definitely changed the locale of the totem but he does not know that I recognise each and every secret tunnel and hiding there is in the palace. For most, he must've hidden it somewhere in Adonius's room in order to lure me there and entrap me so begin forging from there. The most important thing to keep in mind is to be vigilant of his magic. It can kill you. Please be careful, my friend. I shall see you in the palace soon.

~Sapphirus

Sapphirus held out another letter, from Vasilia as he sighed silently and plodded toward the fire before tossing the letter in it. 

"This bastard had it in him to send me a letter,"

"I assumed you weren't going to turn up," Adonius said, the throne facing its back as compared to before. 

"Why? You assumed I was afraid of you? After skimming through all those heinous things you wrote to me?" Sapphirus asked as he withdrew his sword from his katana. 

"I remember everything, about how you were responsible for murdering my family," He said as he walked to the throne slowly.

"Oh, I am impressed by how you are enlightened," Helius turned the throne around without even touching the torch beside it. He was holding Sapphirus's crown, smeared in blood.

His magic has turned stronger

Sapphirus realised upon witnessing how the torch returned to its original state as he sat there.

"I remember how my father wailed in pain while he longed for me to live," 

His steps decreased the distance between the throne and his figure. 

"You separated children from their parents, who had to sacrifice everything to protect them from you. They suffered because a demon like you wounded them again and again with the same scar, treated them like they are pawns for you to use, killed them again and again on the inside and now, I am going to make sure that the last of you is destroyed," Sapphirus said as he stopped in front of the steps that led to the throne.

Adonius lounged at him with his sword, the throne room soon filling up with the sounds of two swords slashing.

"Argh!" Sapphirus grunted as he felt pain on his marked arm as he blocked Helius's attack, their swords perpendicular to each other. 

"How does it feel? The pain?" Helius asked smugly. 

Sapphirus smirked and kicked him hard on his crotch with his knee leading Helius to fall to his knees. 

"Proud," 

He twirled the sword upside down and pushed it toward Helius's shoulder. It passed right through his shoulder, paralyzing him. 

"That will take a while to heal, until then, you can bid your totem goodbye," 

Sapphirus heard Felicia's voice travel through his ears, a satisfied smile smeared across his lips.

"I found it!" 

She clashed it hard to the floor and kicked it to break it. The bone around it broke and opened up. The essence escaped through the cracks and disappeared into thin air. 

"Argh!" Helius grunted as he got up. He could feel his power declining but he could still kill Sapphirus.

"Wait.." Felicia mumbled before she heard the fight between them break out again. 

"How does the pain feel now?" Sapphirus asked, smirking while huffing, Pulling Adonius's body closer from behind. 

He yeeted Helius away, gripping his sword and pulling it out, blood spattering everywhere before he slashed the demon from his body from every inch, tears escaping his eyes now that he was about to get it all over with and go to Laira. 

All of a sudden, Helius looked at Sapphirus, black blood dripping out from his mouth, an ear-to-ear grin spreading across his face. 

"You truly fell for-," He tried to say but felt the blade of a sword pass through his heart before it was taken out harshly and swiftly, spatting black blood all over the ground. He fell to the ground, his body losing its life and lying there in front of Sapphirus. 

"That is what you get for being a bastard," The voice behind him said. 

Felicia came directed towards the sight and saw Becky holding the sword smeared with black blood, staring at Adonius's lifeless figure. 

"Sapph, there is something you need to know," Felicia said before Sapphirus gazed at her, waiting for her to say it. 

"He wasn't after protecting the totem.
He was after your life,"

~To be continued