Zoe was led by Blueberry and a young guard named Blitz through many dark hallways. Each hallway was agonising for Zoe since she didn't know what awaited her at their destination. 'Perhaps it's just a mirror… but what's with the fancy name?' Her eyes caught sight of curtains covering a dozen hung frames with its contents covered. A few were revealed yet faded. Among the pictures Zoe was able to decipher were a young version of Queen Arlina and a tall brunette male in a formal attire stood smiling by her side, his head holding the crown similar to the Queen's. Zoe was keen to question the others only to forget such an idea when she noticed their eyes hazed by distraction.
Eventually, the trio reached a birch-wood door with unknown letters engraved throughout the exterior linage. She knew she never saw it but her eyes denied such information and she managed to read the top line.
"' When you lie in wait of the old birch tree, fate will build into eternity... But the pain you fear will envelop your soul…' " Zoe began to splutter in fear as she read the final words, "' and cause a penalty death toll….'"
"Wait… You can read ancient Flameon encryptions?" Blitz asked with wide eyes in not only disbelief but fear of the words she had just spoken of.
"Flameon encryptions?" Zoe frowned "I've never heard of such a thing…"
"Obviously…" Blueberry interrupted curtly, "This language has been abandoned a dozen centuries ago. Nobody has been able to decipher it."
They both stared at Zoe for any further explanation before deciding to leave things as a mystery for later on. They wrenched open the door and Blitz let the duo in before closing them inside without participating. Zoe frowned at this and faced Blueberry with a questioning raised eyebrow.
"Blue… Why isn't he joining us in here?" she asked calmly while trying to identify her surroundings.
"Obviously, it's 'cause of..." she began before pulling out a scary face, "THE CURSE OF THE ECLIPSE MIRROR!"
"Th-That's creepy!!" Zoe shivered in fear and began to watch her six in total terror. "Why are we even here?"
"Rumour has it that the mirror may show the future of what's to come..." she muttered while approaching a clothed antic.
With a swing of her arm, Blueberry revealed a dusty mirror that had not a bit of shimmer on it. She took a few steps back and crossed her arms while facing it. She sighed softly and gave Zoe a glance over her shoulder.
"Actually, it's never been used for years... Ever since the disappearance of your mother, Samantha Mckelsi," Blueberry explained while offering her a folded slip of paper. "We think if you are her daughter, maybe you can reactivate it and see the future."
Zoe glanced at the mirror with a look of discomfort before sighing. 'If mom really could activate it... She must've had a reason to even WANT to see the future...' Zoe's gaze caught sight of the similar engraving on the frame than the door just now. She unfolded the slip and gasped at the sight of the same odd letters that seemed to be something only she could read.
'Let this be the time you and I could see the truth as the diamond beneath the rough...' And with those words said, the mirror began to shine brightly. Zoe took a step back in surprise and watched as different scenes flashed through her mind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Somewhere which looked vaguely like an abandoned village, a gigantic fire engulfed the houses and bodies littered the earth. Bloodstains were seen on every surface and scream of agony echoed throughout the area.
'"DIE!! DIE!!" a werewolf roared while a fire crackled in the background. "ALL MUST DIE FOR THE GREAT LORD VECTOR!!"
The scene shifted to a council room where rows of officers sat with grim expressions. The king by the end of the table had a look of defeat in his eyes as the officers rebelled about something.
"Your majesty... We can't afford any consequences... she must be eliminated before more is caused..." a stoic governor sighed at the end, his eyes looking as empty at the king yet his mind was set to advise his king such idea. "She could kill you, your majesty..."
The scene shifted again to a toppled carriage which was seconds away from tilting off a cliff. The king was strapped onto his seat and he struggled to free his wife who held a crying amber-haired baby.
"Quickly, Vector! Get Arlina out of here!!" He roared over the cries of his wife.
Vector, a male who shared the same pair of eyes as the king gritted his teeth in frustration yet obeyed and pulled her away.
"JAMES, NO!!!" Arlina screamed as she was hauled out of the vehicle before it fell into the cavern alongside her beloved husband.
Once more, the background changed to the same castle Zoe entered that very night. Guards were rushing around in fear and Queen Arlina sat on her throne with tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Where is she? Where is my daughter?" she sobbed. "Have Prince Silvers' guards reported anything?" she questioned at nobody in particular.
"They haven't said a word yet, Your Highness," Blueberry answered while fluttering towards her. "But we have found evidence of HER..."
"No... No..." she wept. "This is all my fault. I left her... It's my fault she has returned for revenge..."
Finally, the scene changed to a much calmer situation in the castle where two young girls in rags stood facing the Queen. She pursed her lips slightly before speaking her intentions.
"Zahira... Ricky... Please accept this burden I'm about to give to you..." she explained as softly as possible. "I've chosen you both as my successors. If you both managed to survive until the appropriate age, you will be chosen by all liabilities."
"I don't really understand but I'll do my best!" a young girl with short dark blue hair and ripped clothes grinned.
"Me too!" a girl with a huge smile and bright yellow eyes agreed. "I'll grow up to be the best heir for the Flame Kingdom!"
The last scene showed the Queen's quarters as tears filled her eyes and her head hung low. Blueberry fluttered by her side with the same look of misery on her face.
"All of them are lost... Vektor will surely rise..." Arlina sobbed at her bed. "What should we do, Blue?"
"We can...We can only depend on the girl... She will surely be able to help as her mother..." Blueberry replied while hovering by Arlina's side
~~~~~
Zoe found herself on her knees in front of the mirror while Blueberry fluttered in her sight with a look of anxiety plastered over her face. Blueberry finally sighed in major relief once Zoe snapped out of her daze. She looked around to reconfirm her current location before finally speaking up.
"I'm sorry, Blue. Did something happen just now?" she muttered, surprised by the dryness of her lips as if she's been placed under the hot sun for hours. "Why do you look so relieved?"
"You idiot...," Blueberry sighed, "You were in a trance just now. Your eyes diluted and smoke began to leave your ears. I thought you were cursed by looking into the mirror."
"So...you didn't see those random scenes?" she asked in confusion.
"Random scenes?" Blue retorted with a slight turn of her head.
Zoe explained everything she had witnessed to Blueberry as they returned to the castle's main hall. Blueberry pursed her lips in fear. She finally let out a sigh before speaking up.
"As I've told you before, the first daughter had disappeared into thin air. That was a lie. I'm sorry, but the truth is worse than it. The eldest was attacked by Vector and caused the death of the King. The higher officers said she was cursed and they voted on banishing her. The majority won on the banishment and they placed her in a basket into the river and watched her drift off. The Queen couldn't do anything since the government believes what they were doing was for her safety. She was already pregnant before the king's death so they wanted to keep the second-born safe." she explained softly while reuniting with Blitz outside the room.
"What happened then? There was a scene about the queen losing her daughter?" Zoe asked while that studded back down the hallway.
"I was there when it happened." Blitz intervened. "Apparently, the princess was left in her room when she suddenly disappeared after Prince Silver left. Many thought she had joined the prince due to the fact they were engaged to each other for marriage."
"An arranged marriage?" Zoe frowned. "But it was mentioned that the prince's guards knew nothing of her whereabouts..."
"That is true, and then we found traces of the eldest princess's necklace in the hallway and deducted that she was kidnapped." Zoe continued to explain. "We managed to find the princes though. She was left in a village with her memories removed. She doesn't know anything about the kingdom but we hope now she will..."
Zoe kept walking until her room and laid down after she was left alone. On her bed, she stared up at the ceiling and pulled an arm over her eyes. 'What the hell is going on? Did the first daughter actually kidnap the second and removed her memories just to take revenge because of her banishment? Or did something else happen along the way that they didn't actually know? And who's this Prince Silver?' Zoe tilted her head slightly to the side and caught sight of her equipment for the following day's journey. 'Well, I'll just have to find out on my own tomorrow....' She huffed while closing her eyes to fall asleep.