She felt the touch of oak wood, but there was something else that Silva tried to take in with her nose. It was the smell of something burning.

Silva opened her eyes to see a world of rising flames. When she looked more closely, she saw a dark blue sky in the distance. She walked amongst the burning wood, and to her surprise, she wasn't affected at all by the flames.

There was an ominous hole that stood in front of her. It felt like it was immensely drawing her into the blackness that Silva couldn't resist at all. Her whole body was shaking; all she could do was walk slowly into the black hole. There also was a very malicious presence from the expanding darkness.

Silva heard the creaking of footsteps below as she moved along. When she noticed the sound had hushed down, she looked up at a pitch-black hallway in front of her.

She could still see nothing at all. Silva needed to use her other senses to figure out what that presence she had felt before was. Could it help explain to her what was going on?

Silva had no clue if this was another dream that she was having, or if this was reality. For some reason, she recognized that she had been in this place before, but her thoughts and memories were hazy, and she couldn't recollect any of those memories at all. She had only experienced the memory of her encounter with the hermit and the fairy in the forest, and Silva wondered why that very memory stood out the most.

That was until Silva felt something under her feet. She suddenly jumped back, since she could tell what this thing she had touched had felt like.

This is...she started to say, continuing to shake before she could finally realize what she was standing on.

This is...burnt ...human flesh...

Soon the darkness that enveloped Silva and her vision suddenly disappeared, and now she could see all of the horrors that lay ahead of her. Dozens of charred bodies were scattered around the dark hallway, and Silva saw that this hallway had been destroyed, as wooden pillars and beams were collapsing from the emerging flames. There was also a flood of water that came from the bottom of the floorboards, and Silva could tell that this place where she had suddenly arrived was some sort of ship that was starting to sink.

This is...a ship? she repeated to herself.

After realizing this, her memories started to come back one by one. Silva gazed at the flames that were dancing around the sinking ship, and she looked back at her hands with a terrifying realization of what she had done.

Do you remember now, my dear Silva? A voice said to her.

Silva recognized this voice, even though it had been a very long time since she last heard it. She turned to face forward, spotting the originator of the voice, standing there with her cold red eyes glaring right at Silva. She was wearing a white dress stained with blood, but her hair was the color of amber red instead of the golden yellow color that Silva remembered. Her very own mother, Andriel Dreida, was standing next to a charred body, and her skin was colored black just like the body itself.

Mother...is that you? Silva said again, as she wanted to conclude if this was her mother standing in front of her.

When she was in Silva's dreams before, she looked as peaceful and kind as Markus had described her to be. Now it seemed that the woman that looked like Andriel Dreida was nothing like the mother that Silva had known. It was like she was staring at another version of her mother that was unknown to her.

Do you not recognize me, Silva? The figure resembling Andriel Dreida replied with a solemn smile. I was the one who brought you into this world, but you look like you've never seen me at all.

My mother is dead, Silva declared. I can no longer communicate with her as she is living in a different place than I am right now. You are not my mother.

Why, that is a very cruel thing to say, the image of her mother ushered out in return. Did Markus tell you all about me? I believe that must be the reason why you do not believe me to be your mother.

She picked up the charred body beside her and showed it to Silva with a malevolent grin. These people were all slaves to the ruthless Vikings, correct? It is depressing that they all died inside of this ship, but you did put them out of their misery. Isn't that right, my dear Silva?

Those words were like a stab in her heart, and it was even worse for Silva because she knew that she indeed was the cause of all of these people's deaths. She didn't want to accept it, but she couldn't help staring at the hands that sent that destructive fireball at the ship and blasted it to smithereens.

No, no, that's not...Silva tried to say. After glancing at all of the scorched bodies on the floorboard, she began to clasp her face with her knees on the floor.

I wanted to rescue them! she shouted at her mother, hoping that it would give her some penance for her sins. And I wanted to rescue Markus! I wanted to save them all! I never wanted this to happen to these people!

Is that your excuse? her mother said to Silva in disgust. Are you that pathetic and helpless? You cannot save everyone when you cannot even save yourself from destruction.

Silva couldn't help but accept that her mother was right, because she had always thought that she could become the savior of Czahunlia and stop Morkazaan since Markus had told her multiple times that she could do it. But Silva didn't feel strong, and she didn't feel the will and determination to do what was right. Instead, she felt useless, wondering if she would even be able to develop magic at all.

There was also something else, something that was deep inside her heart. It kept piercing into her consciousness like a sharp tool. It kept making the decisions for Silva, and she hated the vulnerability of not even being able to control herself.

Do you still not understand what you are? Andriel questioned Silva, pointing to herself as well. This is you, my dear Silva. What you are looking at right now is what you are. You are a Fireborn.

Silva's heart dropped as her mother said this. She began to act hysterically by smashing her fists on the wooden floorboards.

No, I'm not like them! she shrieked out in fury. I'm an elf, just like you, mother! I'm not a monster!

Silva then felt her hair being grabbed, and she was lifted off the floor with her eyes looking straight at her mother's red eyes.

No matter how many times you cry and whine about it, you cannot run away from the truth, her mother explained to her coldly. You are a Fireborn, born in the land of Morkazaan, created to be one of his tools. That is your very purpose of living, my dear, dear Silva.

Andriel Dreida then continued to drag Silva by the hair down the blazing hallway. Silva was desperately struggling to release herself from her mother's grasp, but she couldn't overcome it.

No, you're wrong! Silva exclaimed, trying to counter her mother's statement before about her being a tool to Morkazaan. I wish to become an artist and portray the world around me as I see it! That is my whole purpose in living!

The hard oak floor smacked into her head, as Silva was being dragged up the steps that led into the main deck. Before she knew it, Andriel hoisted her off the side of the sinking ship, gesturing at the water below her. There it was, Silva's reflection, and the flames of the ship that were displayed around it.

Her reflection was familiar! It appeared before, in a dream of the forest of Ilasloyka, where Silva had burnt all of it to ash. She recognized the same menacing smile as the one in that dream.

The reflection that you see is you, my dear Silva, her mother stated shortly, as her reflection displayed the same dark-black figure as Silva's very own. Nemesis, or rather, that is the other side of you which was unexpectedly cast aside and instead was moved into your unconscious side when you were born. However, it may not be long until she retakes what is rightfully hers. And when she does, that means you will cease to exist, Silva Dreida.

Before Silva could turn to see her mother's face one last time, she soon felt the cold rush of water engulf her. Splashing into the water, Silva began to sink under the heavy pressure of the surface. The last thing she could see was the dozens of charred bodies plummeting down to the bottom of the ocean, following her into the abyss. Engulfed by the coarse water as it trickled down her throat, Silva accepted the abyss and entered through it.

For some time, she drifted along with the space of nothingness, but her mind was persistent in bringing back memories and past dreams that seemed to overlap with each other in confusion. One after one they came and they left, and Silva could not put them together in the right order.

I need answers to all of this, she finally realized. But where can I find them? Are they in my homeland? Are they in the land of Morkazaan? But what if I can't accept the truth my mother told me? I know I'm acting stubborn, but I want something better than this.

It was as if her thoughts were being read again, as she reappeared in the mystical forest and was hovering above the clear blue water. She saw something different than the scene she experienced before, as only the man named Myriiel was standing across from Silva in the distance.

So, you seek answers, his voice reiterated what Silva had thought before.

She only nodded back to him, waiting for him to say something that she wanted to hear.

You must find it yourself, he said instead. And to find this answer that you seek, travel to the falls of molten rock. Then you will search for the smallest mountain amongst many others that lies on the edge of the earth, and your answer rests inside. Once you find what you seek, travel to the island of the mythical and you will find me there. I will be awaiting your arrival, Silva Dreida, and remember, everything has a meaning.

And so, the mysterious man of the forest disappeared from Silva's thoughts. What she was left with was a puzzling instruction of how and where those answers were.

In all of their perplexity, Silva believed that she could trust that man's words. Maybe they could help guide her in the right direction, to the truth she could accept. After all, he was the very man who taught Silva about the world of art, which was what she believed to be her purpose. Silva decided to keep his words to memory and never forget them, as they were especially important to what her next purpose would be.

Soon after, her long and complicated dream came to an end. Silva then felt a cold surge of water stur her from her deep slumber. It had surprised her since she was deep in thought from what happened before. Silva toppled backward, hitting her head on what felt like grass and dirt.

It was at that point that Silva had arrived back at reality. When she moved her eyes up towards the sky, she saw someone looking straight down at her with a confused expression on his face.

She could distinguish him almost immediately because of his crimson red hair and his unique skin tone. Both of these changed occasionally from the pale color of a human to a cyan blue color of a merman. This was because he was born a half-breed of merfolk and human, which Silva had discovered already. He was the son of her teacher, Markus Siegfried.

"What are you doing?" Guren Siegfried asked from above.

Silva noticed that he was partly naked, drenched in water from head to toe. He was only wearing what looked to be his undergarments, and this caused Silva to shield her eyes from seeing anymore.

"I could ask you the same thing!" she responded in an aggravated tone. "What the hell are you doing, startling me like that when you're practically naked? I was in the middle of something!"

Silva thought she was in the middle of something, but a blank whiteboard was all that stood in front of her. The chair had dropped with Silva, while the painting supplies had done the same. Assorted colors were splattered on the pavement, and Silva was holding a paintbrush in her hand. And yet, there were no marks or spots shown on the brush to indicate that it was being used. All these instances led Silva to have a look of anguish as she hadn't even started painting yet.

"I was just out for a quick swim," Guren explained, "And then when I came back to the house, I saw you sitting in the garden with your art kit out, but you seemed to be dozing the day away."

He walked over to the palette that was on the ground, picked it up, and handed it to Silva. All the remains of the oil paints on the palette had dried up and blended leaving a huge mess altogether.

"And look at the mess you made! Mum's going to freak out when she sees this!"

He was right, as Silva knew all too well about Emilie Siegfried and how much she loved living in the Siegfried manor. She might have loved it a little too much considering everything inside and outside had to look spotless. For the past couple of months, Silva was unfortunately included in the task of various types of cleaning all around the house, such as dusting off most of the old cabinets and wardrobes as well as washing the unfurnished floorboards which always gave her painful splinters.

Silva wasn't new to cleaning from her days in the church, but this manor was way larger and wider than it. There were also a lot of different rooms, and since the manor hadn't been occupied for quite some time, it had begun to deteriorate. And since Emilie and Markus had such a fond attachment to this residence, they just couldn't let it rust away.

Ever since they had left the house in Czésta City and traveled east to the province of Vyngard, they had been living in complete isolation from the entire world around them. This manor was the place where they could do just that, as it was surrounded by a vast area of farmland. Markus said that this countryside stretched far along Vyngard, only closing off towards the borders of the province, where many cities were built.

Because of this, Edelbanks, the capital city of Vyngard, was built towards the eastern shores of the region and the Knight's Guard was close by it. There weren't many people who lived in the countryside, and those who did were farmers, raising livestock and growing food to sell.

The Siegfried residence, however, was built right by a forest clearing that would end up next to a small pond. The clearing would then open up to a large cotton field which was where the house was located. Beyond the cotton field and the flat landscape, there was another residence that had a farm and a barnyard beside it. This residence housed a family of four, who had bought the cotton field, as well as a wheat field and a cornfield.

Markus told Silva that this family had moved to the countryside for a while after he and his family moved to Czésta City, as he didn't know them nor remember them living near their residence. Silva never got to know them either since they weren't the hospitable kind. Perhaps there were sons or daughters around her age that Silva could befriend, but all she had was the two pestering little twins Abigail and Judith and Guren, who always seemed to do his own thing most of the time.

Going for daily swims was one of those things, and today was no different. Guren was a half-merman, so he probably loved being in the water. Silva was a tad jealous that he'd always seem so gleeful after he came back from a swim. Silva tried to do the same with painting and drawing, but she could never come up with an artistic piece. It was as if all of the creativity she once had as a child had deserted her, and all she was left with were unused whiteboards and brushes.

Guren quickly noticed how gloomy Silva looked. "You always look like that now," he inferred with a displeased look. "I know you love art an' all that, but what's the point of getting ready to do it when nothing that you like comes out of it?"

Silva was frustrated by what he had said, but she knew that it was the truth. Art was her happy place, but there was nothing that she made that actually made her happy. Was it because of what she had gone through recently, or was it something else?

"I'll clean all this up," she said, changing the subject. "You can go on ahead to Markus, I'll be sure to catch up with you."

Guren gave her another look, one that he wasn't fond of her avoiding the topic at hand. He then just sighed and walked on ahead.

"You can always tell me what's bothering you," he stopped and insisted. "We are family now, you know."

He then disappeared from Silva's sight, going off towards the place where they would meet up with Markus.

Family, Silva repeated in her head as she went towards the storage cabinet out in the back to grab a mop and a water bucket. Sure, I guess I am pretty close to all of them now that we all look like family. I admire all of them very much, but what kind of bond do I share with them? It just doesn't seem like a real family.

She started to rinse off the mop, washing away the splatters of paint on the pavement. As she was doing this, Silva tried to process that dream she remembered having. There were so many recollections that she couldn't chronologically fit them together. All Silva could keep in mind were the words she'd heard from someone else, the mysterious man of the forest.

Find it yourself...travel to falls...smallest mountain...answer rests inside...mythical island...everything has a meaning.

Everything has a meaning.

What did that mean, exactly? And why was she receiving these kinds of messages? What answer was she trying to find? What did all of this mean?

Perhaps if Silva delved deeper, she could try to understand. For now, she was focused on washing all of the dried paint away. She didn't want to see Missus Emilie's angry look again, that was for sure.

Besides, Silva didn't want this day to be any gloomier since she had to meet with Markus and Guren for the part she liked least about staying here, training.

Markus had always recounted to Silva that she needed to get stronger, much stronger if she wanted to stop the evil lord Morkazaan from turning Czahunlia into a land of ash. It was a statement she'd hear many, many times, and by now it was starting to bother her.

What exactly can I do? she remembered telling him once before. I just want to be an artist, that's all!

But Silva felt like she couldn't even do the thing she had loved so very much. All she was doing now was going by the days, waiting for something or someone that could finally drive her to do what she really desired in her heart.

I've lost my vision, Silva realized as she cleaned up the last splat of paint. Now I don't know what to do.

She placed the mop and the water bucket back inside the storage cabinet, trekking back to put all of her supplies away.

Silva carried the easel and the whiteboard first. With a little bit of trouble, she opened the back door of the manor, inching inside an empty room that sat on the far left of the house. She positioned the easel and the whiteboard inside a closet that Emilie reserved just for her art supplies.

As she was walking back outside, Silva heard Abigail and Judith lolling around upstairs, with Emilie in the dining room yelling at them to quiet down. She sighed, knowing that this happened ever since they came to this house. Well, it was summer, and Abigail and Judith didn't have school in Czésta City until autumn arrived. Until then, they would be causing as much racket as they could in the manor, and Silva didn't know how much longer she could take it.

It made her hope that their stay here would be shorter than expected.

Silva opened the door to the backyard, taking another glance at the grand-looking garden and shrubbery that surrounded it. Tables and chairs of leisure were facing towards the sun, with a beautiful fountain in the middle. It was all a luxury that Silva never thought she'd have but glad it was there.

Picking up all her paintbrushes, her palette, and several bottles of different oil paints that she made, Silva walked slowly and carefully so that there'd be no more paint spills. Returning to the empty room again, Silva shoved the rest of her supplies into the closet. They looked exactly like they first did when they'd been given to Silva as a present for her birthday.

It was frustrating that they hadn't changed, just liked how nothing had changed for Silva during her time in the countryside. She still felt scared of the world, still felt weak inside, and still believed she couldn't do anything about it, much less move on from the past.

Silva still was a gullible elf, terrified of her life when those hooded figures abducted her on that one silent and dark night. And most of all, she still blamed everything and everyone for what she'd experienced in her life and the...thing she was born with.

Despite knowing all of this, Silva wanted to look ahead to a brighter tomorrow and find a changed version of herself. This person would be someone compassionate to others and brave towards danger, that she could admire just like the people she admired.

To do just that, Silva closed the closet door and carried her legs forward.

The side door of the manor would her to the western countryside, which had less flatland and more hills and valleys. This was the place where Markus would meet up with Guren and Silva for their training. Silva knew that she was still afraid of her future but heading face-first towards that it was all she could do now.

Through all of it, there was a destiny that she never could have imagined. Beyond the peak of it all, there was a heavenly existence with eyes of amber red. They were watching Silva from above.