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Two nightmare large wings.

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I HAD BEEN waiting for this moment.

Standing in the middle of my room, I momentarily glanced at Daya's empty bed, noting to myself there was no way she was going to barge in as she was undoubtedly busy with the Firewall recruits...just as Harvest was busy with Claire at the moment.

I gritted my teeth at the thought.

He did think of me as weak despite all he said last time. I closed my eyes trying to reason with myself.

Maybe he only said that because he couldn't tell Miss Alumulese he had promised not to use his dilect on me-

Well, that didn't stop him from blatantly reading my mind.

I breathed out trying to stop my thoughts from running wild because I knew it would only lead to more confusing thoughts when I only needed to focus on one thing.

My breathing was low and hoarse when I stared down at the ivory-looking wand in my hand.

[the walls have ears and the doors have eyes]

The words echoed through me, and I looked up into my empty room, turning around and switching off the light so that only the streaks of moonlight waltzing through the window allowed me to see.

I walked closer to the desk by the window, replaying all that Miss Almulese had said.

She was the only one kind enough to help me with my powers it seemed, and whatever this conductor was, I was sure it would deliver as she promised.

I took a deep breath out, relaxing my shoulders.

All I needed to do was focus.

Transform me into energy, and take me from here to the back of the room.

A simple short teleportation spell. She had said it herself that the wand would take me where I needed to be.

All I had to do was picture it.

I didn't want to go too far, so the back of the room was best.

If that worked I would try going further, I reasoned.

I felt anxious for a moment and a second I started to doubt myself, but I brushed the feeling off, closing my eyes.

Taking out a low deep breath, I mouthed those words, reaching out into the streams of magic. I waited for the flow, for the move, for the current and yet-

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

I looked down at the wand for a second, jaw tightening. It was supposed to help and yet just like the wilting wand, it was useless to me.

Where were my powers that little, that weak, that even a powerful conductor failed to work?

My breathing was harsh at this, disappointment oozing through me.

I didn't even want to try again.

I had been trying for way too long it seemed, trying to get what was happening in this crazy world of mine, and like always, I fell short.

I simply was not enough.

Well, I was done making myself feel like nothing, for trying and failing. I should accept this, and be who I've always been.

Moving towards the desk, I placed the tusk on it, staring at it for a moment.

Pursing my lips I couldn't help admiring the way it mirrored the moonlight beautifully, but I scoffed at it, walking back toward my wardrobe, and quickly changing.

I locked the room and headed for the showers.

The hallways were empty considering the time of night, but I was okay with that. I liked the silence, I had been silent all my life.

Protecting my hair with a shower cap, I run a shower, looking straight up at the water as it pours down my skin.

Memories flashed with one being in them.

Deep blues staring down at me, digging into my head, pulling and searching.

I could feel goosebumps travel down my skin, startling me back to reality.

I heard a low thud, and I froze.

When I heard another thud I quickly turned off the tap.

Turning to look at the shower curtains, I reached out a hand to peak, when I heard a rush of whispers, like a thousand voices speaking at the same time in a cool low tone.

I blinked the water away, quickly running a hand over my face to see better as the lights flickered.

My heart thumped inside of me when the voices came to an abrupt stop.

My breathing was quicker now, and my body shook, almost falling in the shower when I spotted a shadow calmly walking across my shower stall.

I stumbled back to the end of the shower, trying to convince myself that it could have been another girl who had opted for a late-night bath.

Probably a green or an orange. But reason echoed within me that the figure had been cloaked.

Using a shaky hand, I reached out for my towel, wrapping it around me, heart still a harsh beat as a hand hovered over it.

Timidly pushing the shower curtain open, my eyes traveled around the scene.

There was nothing there.

I slowly stepped out, tightening my towel and staring round at the scene before me. There was nothing out of the ordinary, yet my eyes narrowed down to the toilets, spotting a set of muddy footprints headed round to where the large mirrors sat.

Tempted to look, to relieve my stupid thoughts of a ghost in the showers, thinking it may have been a stuck Ellie once more, I moved slowly, toward the mirror.

I didn't have to turn the corner when part of the mirror came into view and I spotted a black-cloaked figure, bowed low, head slowly rising to reveal a deep set of red eyes, cracked volcanic skin, its nostrils were flat and reminded me of Voldemort, a sharp creature like snarl piercing the air, accompanied with jagged sharp teeth.

Its hot breath rose like steam, fogging its reflection so it was hard to see.

In the blink of an eye, it moved toward me and I retaliated, walking back so fast, that I hit the wall, covering my eyes and my face, dropping to the floor unable to let out a scream, gasping wordlessly.

Fear in my eyes, as the figure moved so fast it pushed past me in a breath, the doors swinging open as it left.

My fingers shook, when I slowly brought them away from my face, eyes wide, as I stared back into the open space of the bathrooms.

My wide eyes scouted the length of the room, gathering my things, frantically, opting to get the heck out of there.

I peeped through the empty hallways as if expecting to see whatever the heck I saw, but the halls were empty.

As attentive as ever to every little sound, I speed-walked down the empty hallways, my heart beating for miles inside of me at the sound of my squeaky footsteps across the marbled tiles.

My eyes were set to ultra-wide, trying to make sure that, that thing wasn't anywhere nearby until I reached the safety of the room, quickly unlocking and locking it behind me in a second.

I leaned against the door, breathing heavily, eyes wide as I tried to soak in the darkness of my room.

I spotted a shadow by the corner and quickly switched the light on, but it was nothing But Daya's school jacket.

Shutting my eyes, I let my breathing decrease, unable to put things together.

Had it been real?

Or had I been imagining things? What the hell was that? How did it get into the showers?

Was it human? No that couldn't be, not what I saw. My shaky hands covered my heart, pulling the towel over myself.

It was hard to make sure knowing that I barely got a good look at it, thanks to the foggy mirror from its steamy nose, but I had seen enough to confirm to myself that if had it been real it was not human.

Not even close to ONE.

It looked like a Creature from HELL.

I wiped the tears that streamed down my cheek at how frightened I had become, stepping carefully into the room as if scared that it might have taken refuge in there.

When I confirmed that there was nothing, I slowly relaxed, shaking my head.

I could have imagined it. It could have been all in my head- or it could have been real.

Either way, I was scared, and I couldn't wait for it to be morning.

Changing in my pajama I switched off the light, only to switch it back on immediately, staring at Daya's jacket in the corner.

Yeah, I was keeping it on.

Still very much shaken, I tumbled into bed, breathing shallowly, unable to close my eyes, just thinking of what I would do if that creature were to get in here somehow.

My eyes fell on the tusk I had left on the desk and I quickly grabbed it. Its pointy edge would be the perfect weapon if need be.

Holding it tightly in my hand, I moved a pillow over my arm.

I stared at the texture of it, marveling at the thing I held in my hand.

I wondered what sort of conductor it came from to ease my rambling mind, I had to focus on something, something that was not what I had just witnessed.

This was the perfect distraction.

It looked so old and yet so strong.

My eyes narrowed on the thing, for a second, wondering why it wouldn't work on me.

I mean it would be wonderful if that thing appeared in my room and I was able to teleport away to safety. It was easy for it to mull me to death this way, knowing that I couldn't spare a scream to save my life.

I was a fish in the water, but if I was able to use this thing, I could be a fish with a wand.

[there is a reason why your dilect is hidden, reasons I cannot identify, however, secrets can only be hidden for so long.]

Secrets-

Gosh, there seemed to be so many of them here, starting from why my parents never told me about who I was.

Why was my dilect hidden?

Why didn't Dad ever use his dilect around me?

What even was his dilect? How did he become the King of Kingsland, and most importantly why?

What are these things that Mr. Ogustus keeps hinting at that seem to be at the tip of my fingers and yet so far away?

I turned the tusk in between my fingers.

What is my place in all this? I felt my heartbeat quicken at each question staring longingly at the wand-

Why was I shadowed and protected more than should be all my life if I was just ordinary?

Why was my dilect taken and buried in me?

Why? Why? Why?

Sniffing, I buried my head into my pillow, hand still tight on the tusk, until my breathing deepened and I was no longer bound to this world, my dreams the only escape.

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The darkness consumed me for a second and it felt like I was falling. I tried to steady myself, only feeling the ground a moment later.

It took me only a few seconds to let my eyes adjust to the darkness, finding myself in front of a shifting grey wall.

My eyes narrowed at the peculiar sight, when the color became warmer revealing a soft brown, shadows growing against it as did a dim light.

Then a large shelf formed before me, and I took a step back in absolute awe.

Confused at this and wondering why I was facing a shelf, I looked down at the weight in my hands, spotting the white tusk I had gone to sleep with.

My eyes lifted to look at the wardrobe again noticing that it was filled with toys now. Kids toys.

Dolls, hairbrushes, plastic keys, chewing toys, and all sorts of things.

My heart thumped harshly inside me, startled at the sudden sound of a low gurgle kind of giggle coming from behind me, causing me to turn around frantically, fists tightening, ready for some kind of action.

However,  instead of anything monstrous, I found myself staring at the large coffee-shaded room I was currently in, a familiar wide windowed balcony on the front side, a large crib right at the center of the darkroom, only illuminated by the moonlight and the slight twinkle of stars in the clear night sky, the warm breeze flowing in, the front door slightly open.

The air was sweet and familiar. Clean and cool.

The repeating sound of giggles brought my attention back to the crib, my heart thumping softer within me as I licked my dry lips.

Slowly and timidly, I walked toward the crib unsure of myself, my hand tightening around the ivory staff, standing by the crib for a second debating if I should take a look inside.

After contemplating, and knowing that it was a very stupid thing to do, I took a revealing step, my eyes landing on the thing inside the crib.

Deep dark brown eyes stared back up at me, a chubby dark coffee-colored thumb plopped in her mouth, wild curly hair, mopped around her round face, as she blinked.

It was a toddler, only a few years old. Probably three or four.

She sat in the middle of the crib very much awake, and yet not bothering to make a sound to alert her parents.

I smiled down at the cute child, and she looked right at me, taking a stand on the wide flatbed, her hand coming out of her mouth as she leaned against the bars.

She raised a hand toward me and I couldn't believe she was this receptive of me, about to touch her outstretched little hands when the sound of a rattle caught my attention.

I turned slightly, eyes narrowing down at the pair of plastic keys that were rattling against the wood, from the shelf, slowly rising in the air.

My jaw dropped at this, sidestepping, allowing myself to get a proper view of what the baby was doing.

I watched as the keys flew from the shelf to her chubby outstretched hand, and she immediately plopped down in her crib satisfied playing with them again, putting them in her mouth and I realized she was teething.

I chuckled at the baby, realizing that she was some kind of a Convert.

I envied her for a moment, that someone so young would be able to achieve that, even when she wasn't at the ripe age for converting, and yet it wasn't exactly unheard of, as they were people like Raskei. However, 3 was a tad bit too young.

What an extraordinary child.

She seemed to get bored of her toy after a while though, her baby whimpers filling the air for a second, before deciding to try another toy it seemed, struggling for a moment to get to her feet, wobbly but capable as she leaned against her crib once more, outstretching her hand toward it, and the rattle of a squishy round ball could be heard.

I marveled as it launched but this time, it flew right past her head, so close, I was scared for a moment that it might have grazed her, but the toddler seemed unfazed. She turned around to look at the ball on her wobbly chubby feet, and my heart stopped at the sight before me.

The ball hung in the air, only a few feet away from a dark-cloaked figure hidden in the crossing Shadows who seemed to be controlling it.

It dropped to the floor, and rolled back to the crib, stopping short, and the baby who seemed to not care as much of the dark figure in her room as I did at this horrifying moment, landed on her plump butt in the crib.

She scooted forward to the edge, reaching out through the bars to try and get the ball.

I, however, had my heart in my mouth, thundering roughly as I watched the still figure that stood near the corner of the room, covered in the shadows.

I could only picture the figure from the bathroom mirrors.

It found me, and it was coming to get me, was the only thing that was running through my mind, and yet it made no move toward me.

After a motionless moment, I found myself bravely wondering if it could see me at all, as the baby didn't seem to register my presence either.

It, however, seemed to be staring directly at the child who was reaching out between the bars trying to grab her ball.

Why she didn't use her powers to bring it towards her was beyond me, but I was still too taken with the dark-robed figure to care.

I decided to test my theory, taking a brave step towards it, my heart warning me vainly to stay put, and yet I felt I needed to see what or who the thing was.

Moving slowly toward it, I stood right in front of it bravely, peering beneath its hood

There was nothing there but a smokey face startling the heck out of me causing me to take a few steps back.

"Come here," it suddenly spoke, a low hiss-like noise, and my heart skipped a beat, surprised that the voice sounded female.

It could see me.

It could see me!

I took a step back, eyes wide bumping into the crib where the baby was still trying to reach the ball. But the figure made no move toward me.

"Don't keep me waiting," It stated coldly.

My throat ran dry not knowing what to do when I spotted something strange.

Small fingers appeared behind it, clutching the bottom of the rob timidly as a small figure stepped out, and my eyes widened at the short cloaked figure.

"There isn't time to waste," the figure gritted out.

The small cloaked figure looked up at the dark being, pulling down Its hood. There was no smoke and yet somehow Its face was a blurry mess, no matter how much I wanted to clear the picture.

However, behind it, dragged two nightmare large wings.

Its small fingers wrapped around the hands of the dark-cloaked figure and they walked forward to the child who was getting angrier at not being able to reach the ball.

When I realized they were approaching the defenseless child, I moved to the crib trying to get her out of it but my hands passed through her like a ghost.

It was strange to see the faded look of them, see-through and transparent.

Seeing that it was hopeless, I turned around to the approaching figures standing before them in hopes of somehow stopping them, waving my hands in front of them, and for a moment I thought nothing was going to happen until they suddenly stopped right before me, and I was looking into the cloudy face of the taller cloaked being before me.

She slowly turned to what I assumed was a child beside her,

"Don't. Touch. Her." it gritted out a warning, each word fitted with a snarl, "lest you will fall under her spell," she huffed looking back up at the child, before straightening, tone a creepy order.

"King's are slaves to no one."

My eyebrows arched at this and the blurry child looked up at her, slowly nodding before his hands let go of the figures, slowly moving toward the child.

It seemed curious of the toddler as it stopped by her ball.

The toddler looked at the child for a second, gurgling words that didn't sound much like anything. Just low whispers to me.

Her hand gestured to the ball

The dark child's head stooped forward, looking at the ball. His gaze shot back to the toddler, and then...merely kicked it to the side, so it went rolling slowly to the opposite wall, slipping into the shadows.

Talk about mean.

The toddler didn't seem all too happy at this, a low pout forming on her lips, as the child approached.

She sat back in the middle of her crib, bottom lip quivering for a second as the child peered down at her from the side, between the spaces of their and their gazes locked.

She blinked a few times, her teary eyes suddenly clearing, her lips straightening, eyes seemingly enamored by the figure looming over. Her eyes twinkled for a moment, and she got to her feet, walking to the edge where she sat down again,

Her fingers gripped the bar as they slid down. Her head tilted for a split second as if watching him, and he seemed taken aback at this.

She suddenly smiled, her hand reaching out between the bars in an attempt to touch him I assumed, but she was an inch short, his head tilting down as if watching the tiny space left before her hand could graze his cheek.

Nothing happened for a few moments as her chubby hand reached out to him. For a second I pitied her, knowing that nothing was going to happen but then, ever so slightly, the fire leaned forward, seemingly curious, a rebellious streak I noticed in him despite the figure's warnings.

Her fingers brushed against his skin, resting there.

I was almost scared for the child, wondering what the large cloaked figure would do, but I realized she couldn't see what he was doing because she was standing a few paces behind him.

His wings were large enough to shield him from her eyes.

I figured the child knew of this, and let her fingers brush his skin for a second, a soft smile appearing across the face of the baby for a second.

'Hurry-" The Figure commented, tone hard and like the swish of the whip, the child retreated backward almost as if he had gotten burnt by her touch.

Then something strange happened, as it took a small step back and the room temperature suddenly dropped, causing an unwanted shiver to travel down my spine.

A cold breeze blew the balcony curtains up, and I saw a substance, a dark bluish hue suddenly glow around the toddler until it was as if burning. It then rose moving in currents to the cloaked child.

My eyes widened at the sight.

The toddler whose once happy expression suddenly turned sour, into confusion, betrayal, and then a low whimper for a second, her eyes steaming back to the cloaked child.

It was a betrayal. It was aaa if I could feel her emotions.

Betrayal, sadness, and then... Plain scared as more of the blue hue rose from her, draining to the child figure.

She pouted, and tears fell from her eyes, and for the first time I saw fear in her eyes, her crying soon resounding through the room as I watched in terror at the sight

Her crying only grew louder and louder and louder until I felt it ringing in my head and the fear she had seemed to attack me,  causing me to fall to my knees, hands against my ears to stop the pain and the sound.

Suddenly, flashes of lightning surged in the pale dark midnight sky unexpectedly, from the open balcony.

The two figures glanced at it before the door suddenly swung open, and like a dream the figures disappeared, leaving behind nothing but elements of shadow.

I fell to the floor shaking at the feeling buzzing within me, the dark settling feeling I couldn't describe.

From my horizontal gaze half-dazed lying on the floor, I could see feet beside the crib, the familiar voice of a woman soothing the crying baby, and I crawled to the back of the room feeling weak, unable to understand what was happening.

The tusk in hand as I propped myself against the wall, each crying breaking something in me until everything became silent.

I gave myself a moment, looking at my shaky hands as I pried them from my face, my heart thudding tremendously within me.

My eyes finally shifted up to the baby, a woman whose wild hair covered her side view from me, stared blankly at the child in her arms, her breathing short and shaky.

The door swung open and I stared blankly at the sight of the man I had known all my life.

His one good eye was full of worry, as he stormed in, the lightning flashing across the sky one more time as he looked at the woman, and I found myself getting to my feet robotically.

I walked toward the two, turning to see the woman, the heartbreaking face of my mother scared to bits for the first time, her hands shaking as she looked from my father down to the child in her arms, who stared back at her.

Dad moved toward her slowly, stopping at the sight of the baby.

I in turn slowly moved behind them, watching as the child balled her eyes out, mouth open, tears flowing like tidal waves, and yet no sound coming from her broken lips.

Her hands reached out for him.

He took her in his large arms, hands snaking in her hair as she cried against his shoulders, tears clouding his one good eye as his gaze traveled to the open balcony window-

"Find them!" he gritted out and what seemed like a million lightning bolts flashed, lighting up the world in an entire moment, zipping through the sky.

His gaze then suddenly trailed to me, holding my eyes for a second, and my eyebrows arched, sadness in his eyes-

"I failed you," he stated brokenly, teary eyes staring directly at me.

I blinked blankly at this, my hands trailing up to my throat subconsciously watching as he turned consoling both my mother and the baby, whilst darkness consumed my vision, tearing in a blurry mess.

I felt like I was drowning in something only to wake up splattering, water in my mouth coughing frantically, feeling someone gasping and then rushing to pat my back roughly-

"Look what you did Lira! I told you that was too much water!"

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Ooh, Child..

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