I engrave the voice into my memory – the soft, soothing voice. The longing in my heart grows stronger and I force myself to suppress it. If I let the longing overwhelm me, I just might fall apart like all those years ago.
The image reflected in the surface of the waters blurs and time seems to fast forward. The girl is now kneeled down in the grass, her white dress stained with splotches of green. She gently places the black colored bird onto the grass.
"Do you feel at home now?" She raises her arms and makes a flapping motion. "Go on, fly." The little crow stares back at her, or at least it seems that way.
The sun has set, casting heavy shadows on their figures. Children reluctantly tear themselves from the playground and mothers load their children into crowded minivans.
"Look who it is!" A rough looking boy jumps out at the girl and she flinches at him. He has a strong build for a boy his age and easily towers over her. "It's pig face!" he yells to three other boys behind him who are still messing around on the monkey bars. When they look up and see the girl, their faces light up with bad intentions.
"It really is pig face!" says one of the boys sporting a baseball cap. He notices the bird by her side. "The ugly girl hangs out with an ugly bird. This is too funny!"
All the boys hold their bellies in laughter but the young girl simply picks up the bird and holds it protectively, glaring back at her bullies.
The boy with the baseball cap sneers, seemingly the leader of the group. "Don't be mean. Let us play with the ugly bird, too." The other boys shout their approval.
The young girl stands up defiantly. "No."
"No?" The leader of the boys approaches her. "Didn't your mama ever tell you sharing is caring?"
The girl's painted on confidence falters at his words, but she quickly recovers. "My mama told me to always protect the ones I care about."
The boy seems annoyed that he wasn't able to scare her, but he continues to approach her. His friends begin to close in on her too. The leader lunges for her wrist and the young girl screams as her other wrist is seized by another boy, the bird yanked from her grasp.
"Somebody help her!" I yell, but there's no one in sight. Somewhere along the line I must have forgotten that this image isn't real. It's a slice of my memory and there's no one to help the girl – no one to help me.
The boys fight over the little crow as it's yanked from one pair of rough hands to the other. "I want to play with the ugly bird," they whine. The crow struggles, but it seems to be aware of its tragic fate and doesn't put up too much of a fight.
The girl raises her tiny fists and beats them against one of the boy's back – the one holding the bird by the neck. Blood trickles down her arm from digging her nails so deeply into her palm. The boy shoves her away with one arm and the grass welcomes her, further staining her dress.
Another boy cries out with narrowed eyes, "No fair! You killed it before I got a chance to play!"
Without remorse, the bird is thrown from the boy's grasp, it having no more use to them.
My younger self crawls towards the little crow. She feels the bird's small, helpless body in her hands. Its wings are bent at odd angles and its eyes are lifeless.
Tears fall from the girl's wide eyes and soak the bird's feathers. "Fly, birdy." The words come out strangled.
The leader draws closer with a smug grin. "What's that, pig face? Are you crying?"
The young girl mumbles something incoherent, lying limply in the grass. He's inches from her face now, basking in his successful torment.
"..mama said," She whispers. Thin streams of black smoke project from her body, swirling around her torso, then slithering its way up around her entire body.
The leader of the boys steps back, face deathly pale at the sight. His eyes dampen at the corners. "What are you doing? Stop that!"
Her head snaps towards him and the black smoke goes into a frenzy, becoming a thick veil that cloaks her. "Mama said to protect the ones I love!" Swirls of thick smoke rise high above her head, forming pointed ends directed towards the boy.
The other kids leave their leader in the dust, crying for their mothers. The boy turns to do the same, but the smoke wraps around his ankles, constricting his movements.
The girl stares blankly at the boy, black smoke filling the entire area at her command.
It's at this point that my head begins to throb with an intensity that I've never felt before. How can this dark memory belong to me? I don't remember a single detail...unless I wasn't supposed to remember it in the first place.
The image distorts and begins to fade away, as if it's affected by my state of mind. Meanwhile, the bloodied waters grow frantic and I find myself in the middle of a storm with the waters attempting to consume me.
It does.
I'm plunged into the icy water and as soon as my whole body is engulfed, I can feel an evil presence coming from the depths of the murky waters. Struggling is useless; I can only let myself be pulled deeper within.
The evil presence fills me with uneasiness and it continues to increase the farther I'm pulled down. Once in a while images flash across the waters – memories playing like the ghosts of my past.
My eyes squint to see a human figure swaying in the murky waters. I'm not the only one stuck here!
I call out to the figure, "Hello?" Even though I'm submerged in water, my voice comes out crystal clear.
As I'm pulled closer, I realize that the figure is actually a girl. She sits in complete nudity, legs crossed and eyes screwed shut. Her dark hair sways with the water, swamping her face.
"Are you okay?" I ask, now clawing the water in an attempt to swim towards her.
She awakens with a start – red eyes gleaming behind her hair. The world fades.
"Where did all this death energy come from?" A voice says in astonishment. Ronan?
I open my eyes, but they haven't adjusted to the light and I'm temporarily blinded. I'm mentally and physically drained, but most of all in desperate need of a shower.
"It's coming from her," the Elder says, "Quick, take out your purifier."
I blink away the grogginess and gasp when I take in the sight before me. Death energy swirls around me, just as it did before in my memory.
A vase with ancient symbols appears in Ronan's hands, like the one at the car crash. He really was the one I saw that day, though, I suppose I should've figured it out sooner. From the moment I met the man I turned into a bundle of nerves.
Ronan stretches out the ancient vase – the purifier – and the symbols flash. The death energy cumulating around me begins pouring rapidly into it, the vase vibrating as it consumes.
The purifier emits a soft droning sound, the sound coming to a stop as it produces a rather large crystal dyed in jet black. The glistening crystal gives of a waft of energy and lies floating in midair until Ronan snatches it and it disappears within his hand.
"Bringing the girl was worth it," Ronan says, eyes gleaming.
The old man shakes his head at him. "After all these years I've looked after you, I haven't managed to lessen that greed of yours."
The corner of his lip quirks up and he says, "My greed isn't something that can be satisfied."
"What just happened?" I ask, and their heads turn toward me like they've just noticed my presence, "What was that place?"
The Elder takes a step forward, brows furrowing. "I helped you enter your inner consciousness so you could make contact with this demonic presence. Based on what I witnessed, your demonic side is awakening faster than I thought. You won't be able to control it in your present state."
I gnaw at my lip. Don't tell me there's nothing that can be done. "Is it too late for me?" I ask, afraid to hear the answer.
"There's still hope," he says and shifts towards Ronan, "If a certain someone cooperates."
The stubborn man stares blankly at us. "What're you looking at me for?"
The Elder takes a deep breath. "If you could teach at the empire's academy, Amira would be given the best chance to learn how to control her powers."
"No." His eyes look me over dully. "No way."
The Elder refuses to give up. "There's a teaching position available," he urges, "Think about it."
"There's a position open because no one wants to teach them. It's made up of troublesome students," Ronan hesitates, "She wouldn't survive at the empire, anyway."
"The only way for her to realize her true potential is to place her at the heart of the empire – the root of the danger," the old man says, the light in his eyes becoming tender, "I'm also saying this for you. You complain how nobody in the palace trusts you, so earn it by taming those students. There's no harm in trying."
Ronan tilts his head, pondering the matter. I pout my lip and pleadingly clasp my hands. Unfortunately, my attempt at puppy dog eyes only earns me a glare from Ronan.
I hold my breath as he contemplates the matter. His eyes shut in concentration and, when he opens them, they're brimming with determination. "Alright," he gives in, the annoyance painfully obvious in his voice, "I'll do it."
A rush of joy surges through me and I almost reach out to hug him. Luckily, I'm able to come to my senses in time to decide against this course of action.
The old man smiles, causing the corners of his eyes to crinkle. "I'll notify the other Elders of your decision." Reaching into the confines of a dusty chest, he pulls out a simple white robe, untouched by the passage of time. He pauses for a second to look it over with a reminiscent smile before handing the outfit to me. "Think of it as a gift."
I gratefully accept the clothing and slip the robes over my school uniform with relative ease, the soft fabric cool against my skin. There's no trace of my previous world anymore – just a girl trying to take on more than she can handle.
"Here's some temporary identification," the Elder says, handing over a plain badge with the embroidery of a strange creature.
"Hurry up." Ronan turns on his heels, leaving the Elder's residence at once. Badge in hand, I quickly thank the Elder and follow after him. Why is it that I'm always staring at the back of his head?
As soon as the door shuts behind us Ronan says, "From this moment onwards, we mean nothing to each other." I can't see his face but I know that it's just as cold as his words.
His words make my robe feel thinner than it actually is and I shudder.
I know. I know I no longer have any value, but I'm still reluctant to let go of my lifeline. I'm reluctant that I'll be able to conquer my demon side. I'm reluctant that I'll make it out of this.
I watch the back of his head like I watched my mother's as she walked out the door for the very last time. Once again, I'm alone.
A/N- What do you guys think of the new cover? Let me know in the comments :) Thanks for reading and don't forget to vote if you like what you're reading!
This chapter is dedicated to @InfiniteStarburst for continuing to support my story! ♥♥♥