The cold winter air nips at my hands and face as I hear my mother call for me to come back to the protection of my home. My black and red curly hair that reaches my waist sways as I take one last look outside, knowing what's to come in a matter of hours. I walk towards my home as I hear the snow crunch under my feet.

"You're gonna catch your death out there." I hear my mother say as her brown and red eyes follow me as I ascend our porch stairs. Her short cropped hair blowing in the wind.

"Dinner's done, come on. Your father and siblings are waiting." She says as I enter the front door and get greeted by the intoxicating smell of potatoes, carrots, pork, and kepol. A common recipe passed down through my family with sweet fruits called Hile and Wio baked within a thick dough.

I shrug off my jacket, scarf, mittens, and boots take a look at my family's front room.

My family's crest, consisting of two broadswords crossed behind two dragons intertwined to create a heart, rested in the middle of a cream colored wall over our stone fireplace. The burgundy  couches and love seats line the walls along with Walnut and Willow Wood tables. Our pictures and paintings of ancestors and nature also reside on our walls. I smile and I make my way toward the Dining Room.

I enter and I see my immediate family sitting at our grand Walnut table decorated with a white silk tablecloth and a navy blue table runner. My immediate family has never been in the same room since my eldest siblings graduated from T.R. Academy. This means they must have heard the news of me being called to join the academy.

"I sent word to your siblings about you're letter from the academy," My father starts our conversation with, "They have all come to see you off." He says before he looks away to take a deep breath as his brown eyes and dark brown and orange hair moves. My father is a well respected blacksmith for the army. You hardly ever see my father choke on his tears, you can tell though he's having a hard time accepting the truth of my departing soon.

"It's true, we all have come to see you off. Seeing the youngest go to the academy is hard on all of us. We just want you to know that." Jax, my eldest brother, says. His dark red hair and scar running from his hairline to his lower cheek on his left cyan eye makes him look highly intimidating.

My eldest sister, Adalynn, the twin of Jax, looks at me and smiles. Her cyan eyes twinkling as she smiles. Her pink hair neatly pulled over her left shoulder. "Just remember, T.R. isn't gonna be easy Lila." She says as she uses a nickname of mine. I nod.

"I know Sis." I respond and return the same smile of love to her. I feel my mother's gaze on me as I turn to look at her. She has a many emotions conveyed on her face as she looks at me. I smile encouragingly.

"Lila, be careful out there."  Lincoln, another brother of mine, says. His dark brown eyes looking at me worriedly. His chocolate brown hair sways as Porter lightly nudges him. Porter is the youngest brother of the family. He's sixteen with bright blond hair and golden eyes, still in T.R. Academy with another sister of mine. Her name is Jessica, her blue and silver hair cascades down her torso to her hips along with enticing blue eyes to complete her look and sixteen, the twin of Porter.

"She's gonna be fine! You have Jessie, Ace, and me there to back her up!" Porter says as he mentions Ace. My last brother. He has shoulder length red hair that he styles half of his hair up and leaves the rest down. His brown eyes looks at me and nods with a small smile. Ace helps with weaponry at T.R. Academy so I'll see some of my siblings almost everyday.

"Well, remember everything you taught you Lila, and you'll be fine." Alice, my last sister says, she's a bit silent to I'm happy she said something. She sports light blond hair that goes to her ribs. Her light blue eyes reflects the morning days. I smile.

"Thanks, everyone. That helped a lot. Also, mother, thank you so much for this meal. It's really special to me." I say as tears start to pool at the corners of my eyes. My family looks at me and gives me caring smiles. I start to eat as the flavors burst in my mouth at every bite.

I look up at my family as I take my last bite. I give all of them smiles as I excuse myself for the night. I take a look at the house I grew up in and lightly tear up. I will return and make my family proud to have me carry the Walynn Crest on my shoulder. I run my hand over the birthmark of my Crest on my right shoulder and smile. I see the mahogany wood door to my room and enter the said room. I see my walls and roof painted to replicate the midnight sky as I run my fingers over the smooth surface. I walk over to my bed that's covered in dark blue sheets and white pillows. I pull on my night clothes layed on my bed and crawl under the sheets.

I close my eyes as I take one last breath as the darkness consumes my body.