I walked around the room to become accustomed to my surroundings. On the mink walls were countless pictures of my many accomplishments, my childhood, places that I visited or wanted to visit and much more.
In the centre, hung a huge painting of my parents and I. The frame was of pure gold, adorned with the most precious stones, making it the most stunning piece of artwork I had seen in my life. On the top of the painting were the words: "Long live the royal family," in a font so elegant that it would make anyone who studied calligraphy, jealous.
The beauty of it all caused me to gaze at it for what felt like hours. I appreciated every brush-stroke, gem and letter to its fullest. I was so fascinated that my heart throbbed a little less. However, my heart's wounds were still there, and nothing could change what I had experienced.
Interested, I explored the rest of my new abode, hoping it would also reduce my uneasiness like the painting did. In the same room as the artwork, there were some cabinets at the bottom. On the upper portion of the wall were some shelves, including a staircase leading to a hatch.
Searching the place further, I discovered a compact room with a tiny, comfy bed covered by lavender-coloured silk sheets, along with the pillows covered with a delicate floral print. The oak wood drawers beside the bed contained a variety of clothes with muted colours worn by citizens. I glanced here and there, taking in what would surround me every morning. A glowing mushroom that was slightly larger than my fist brightly lit the room.
On the opposite side of the bed stood multiple large shelves holding many books about art, history, spells, including maps and some artifacts I learned about form my mom. I brushed the books with my fingers as I admired how people could add such information that could expand our knowledge of the world. All of them looked very appealing, but one grasped my attention.
The cover of the book was a velvet red with a bit of gold around it. I glanced at the title, noticing it was in another language that I could barely understand. Feeling too intrigued by the book, I was hoping to find a book that could help me translate the foreign text. I went through the books, one by one, but it was overwhelming.
To speed up the process, I used my magic to find the book. In seconds, the book flew from the shelves and landed in my hands. Satisfied with my finding, I sat on the bed and cast a spell that would help me retain the information to understand the words from the novel. I enjoyed the story since it was about a girl roughly my age, who travels across the country to find her lost brother. Her courage, selflessness, and kindness were inspiring, even if it was only a story. I stared at the ceiling, imagining the future and if I could possess the character's attributes.
My happiness soon faded when I realized that I could not share this story with my parents. I could no longer talk to them, let alone hold them in my arms. At that moment, I remembered my sword, and my parents saying words about their souls being inside it when they leave this world.
Sadly, I had left my sword at the destroyed palace when it slipped out of my hands as I collapsed to the ground. Thoughts of the sword falling into the wrong hands made me uneasy. My mind was racing, thinking of all the possible dreadful things they could if they could unlock the secrets of such a mighty weapon. It was also the last memory of my parents.
Over time, the anxiety made my eyelids heavier, and I fell asleep. It was not the most relaxing sleep I have gotten in my life, even though I was resting in a cozy bed. Each time I shut my eyes, the same recurring nightmare would wake me. It showed my father fighting with all his strength against those demons to protect me, while I failed to do anything that could help. The savage beasts tore at my father's flesh, showing no mercy. I could not bear to imagine the pain he could have been feeling then.
The dream then allowed the vision of my poor, vulnerable mother when she was rescuing me to enter my mind. The creatures were unaffected by her magic, leaving no room for her to escape as they pounced on her. I heard her cry out as they dug their sharp fangs into her body. At last, it ended with her lying on the ground, lifeless, leaving me with fear and immense anguish.
The final bits of my dream broke me. Although I had witnessed the attack in my castle, the nightmare revealed destroyed homes, while the monsters continued to harm my people. I tried to look closely at the style of the homes, hoping maybe, just maybe, they had only struck one area of the kingdom. However there were several details in each of the ruined lands that pointed to the fact that not only the capital was destroyed, but the other regions as well.
They were details that indicated if something happened in the past or will happen in the future. My mother taught me that, and using my logic, it only made sense that the attack was more wide spread than I though. Both angered and hurt, I vowed that one day, I would hunt the person in charge of those monsters that harmed my family and destroyed my kingdom.
But how could I do anything? Today was to prove I could protect my nation, yet I failed to defend myself. My parents sacrificed everything, so it would not be the last day I embrace the sun's light and smell the fresh air. It would have been better to die with my family and nation, instead of living every passing moment knowing you escaped death while leaving everyone in the fire. I was not worthy of anything, even life.
Laying down, I tried to go back to sleep, but watching what happened left me staring at the blank ceiling. Knowing I would not get any sleep, I lifted my hand in front of face, hoping to do something to distract me. Immediately, I allowed several sparks of violet and jade energy to emerge from my fingertips to form an outline of a flower. I smiled at the image of the delicate flower and its slightly curved stem, I noticed that the petals began to turn black. Eventually they detached themselves from the planet, falling onto my bed covers, and deteriorating until it escaped form my sight. Returning my eyes to the plant, I watched as it shriveled away into nothing.
"Even my powers have been changed."
Sighing, I tuck myself deeper into the covers, clutching to my pillow, hoping to find some comfort in the silence. However, I was shocked to hear a murmur that was gradually getting louder. At first, I though it was my mind playing tricks on me, preying on my sorrow. Yet, when the voice continued to get louder, I could clearly hear a troubled female voice call out my name. Urged to follow the voice, I get out of my bed, and approached the exit of the bedroom. Entering into the main room, something from the hallway that connected to the place where the portal once was, caught my attention.
Instead of complete darkness, there was an orangey light shining against its earthy walls. Curious to find the source, I walked in the direction of the light. creating a blade with my powers as a precaution in the case it was a threat. Once I reached the entrance of the hallway, I was surprised to see a woman floating in the narrow space. She wore a long dress, with layers of fabric, and multiple pieces of jewellery to decorate the exposed parts of her skin. Her skin glowed, making her appear as a living statue made of the purest amber the world could produce.
"Who are you? How do you know my name?" I asked.
"I have no time to reveal that, yet I fear your world is in danger and you are the only one who can save it."
"Are you joking?"
"As sand turns to pearls and coal to diamonds. You, Cahira, will transform into what our world needs if you give it time. You must understand, you are your planet's only hope. The monsters destroyed the capital, but the rest of the kingdom is intact," declared the divine being, anxiously. "You still have a kingdom to save, and if you are any bit like your parents, I know you would sacrifice your life for your people."
"My parents just died. My kingdom, obliterated. And all I did was watch. Do you really think I can save my world. I am nothing. I am a person unworthy of this responsibility, let alone be in the presence of a deity."
"Cahira, you must use your power as the heir to rally your forces from each region. If you use them, you can overcome the evil that threatens to overtake this world."
"But I just saw in my dream that everything was ruined."
"Cahira, that part of your dream was a warning. A warning to show you what would happen if you failed to fulfill your duty. Please, save this world before it is too late."
"No, I cannot! You are a figment of my imagination! An apparition that will give me false hope! My people are gone and I am the only survivor."
"Cahira, please listen to me. I am begging you."
"Go away!" I said, blasting her with my powers.
It took me a few seconds to process what had happened. I understood that I vowed to offer myself for the sake of helping the helpless, yet to believe I could restore a full nation would be delusional. I am still a person, not an all-powerful deity. The attack showed me that and no amount of convincing could make me think otherwise.