"No!" An older man slammed his fist on the table in anger. His raven-colored hair released an ominous aura, and his crimson eyes were laced with pure rage. He stared down at his teenage daughter and narrowed his eyes.
By his side was a middle-aged blonde-haired woman who struggled to hold back her tears. Her eyes were widened in shock while she looked into Terra's resolute eyes that held no laughter.
"I want to go to the Empire to become stronger and experience the outside world!" Terra said with a challenging glare that was subjected to her father; she was already prepared for his answer, but she was still angry at him for not listening to her pleads.
The King of the angelan clan, her father, was too stubborn for his own good, but she had to admit that she had inherited that stubbornness. Now the father-daughter pair were in an unrelenting staring contest while the mother could only watch on the sidelines.
Not a sound could be heard, and the servants lowered their heads while they barely managed to hold their breaths. Terra's father finally gave in and sighed.
"Again, I said no Terra. Let's not talk about this again, you're only fourteen." In anger, Terra took wide strides towards the door and a slam could be heard from behind her as she fumed in anger.
"I'm leaving and I'm never coming back! I'm tired of this place!" She screamed while her body slammed into her bed. Aria sighed from the side and rolled her eyes while Terra scoffed at her contracted fairy's indifference.
"Are you done throwing a tantrum?" Aria asked while rubbing her temple. Usually, Terra was calm and collected, but when she was angry, she finally acted her age and wreaked havoc. She screamed and cursed which never failed to stress Aria and the servants of the princess' palace.
Aria clenched her fist in annoyance and glared at Terra, but soon her demeanor softened, and she pat Terra's trembling back. "Shh. It's okay." It might have seemed like Terra was only being childish, but Aria knew that her anger wasn't unfounded. Terra was coddled and spoiled by her parents and brother, but no matter how much she was spoiled, the weight on her shoulders never ceased. She was tied down by a responsibility. Unlike her father, mother, and brother who would eventually retire from being rulers, her duty to the tower was for life and was appointed upon her by the elders. No one could refute the elders and as soon as she turned eighteen, she would become the master of the tower.
"I just want to experience life on the outside before my eighteenth birthday." Terra whispered. She felt as if her life was slipping away, and all she could do was watch in silence. Her depressing words rung in the air until a knock filled the room.
"Terra?" Her mother questioned from the other side of the door. When she heard no response, the door opened and revealed a beautiful blonde. Her hair cascaded down her back, and her piercing hazel eyes were creased with worry. If not for her slightly sunken eyes, many would have mistaken her for a young maiden. She wore a long flowy white dress that reached down to her ankles and red heels that resembled the striking crimson of Terra's eyes.
On Terra's large king-sized canopy bed, was the sulking raven-haired girl. Her head was hunched down, and she was trembling while her contracted fairy attempted to comfort her. Once Terra's mother caught sight of her, she walked over and sat next to the girl while ushering her fairy away.
After Aria left the room, Terra looked into her mother's hazel eyes with a teary face. "Mom." she whimpered. As she was swept into her mother's warm embrace, her tension eased. Her mother began to whisper their favorite lullaby and eventually, Terra calmed down.
"Terra, I don't want you to leave, but if you don't, you'll never grow up." Her mother whispered in realization. Terra's mother came to realize that if Terra never tasted freedom, then she would be tied down by the chains of responsibility for the rest of her life.
"Dismiss this idle chatter of mine." The mother said while chuckling, but in the midst of her words was a message, 'The walls have ears.' Terra nodded in understanding and grasped onto a slip of paper that her mother had slid through her dress.
"It's almost night my love. I'll clear the hallway of servants so that you may rest." Her mother said tenderly while her nails almost dug into Terra's flesh in desperation. Terra winced in pain and stared blankly into the eyes of the woman that had raised her for all her life; she knew that being separated from her would be one of her greatest regrets. She squeezed her mother's arms in reassurance and silently promised to return alive.
"I'll be sure to sleep well; can you inform Aria that she should sleep in her room tonight?" Her mother's eyes widened in shock. Leaving behind her contractual fairy would be the equivalent to cutting off all ties with the angelan clan. All fairies were tied to the spirit tree; their contractors were able to communicate with other fairies and contractors through that link. If Terra left without her fairy, she wouldn't be able to contact anyone while she was gone as communication devices were dysfunctional after a certain distance.
"Are you sure?" It was barely a whisper. Terra's mother felt like she was on the verge of exploding; she had never been separated from her daughter for more than a month, and now Terra would venture out into the dangerous unknown for months and possibly years without company.
Terra's breath silently hitched in her throat at her mother's question. This was her only chance, if she didn't go tonight, she would never taste the air of the outside world. She nodded her head and allowed herself to succumb to her selfish desires. She was desperate for this chance; she wouldn't leave forever, but she would make sure that she fulfilled her desires.
That night, the fourteen-year-old girl ventured out into the world alone for the first time. She was unaware of the danger that awaited her and of the person that she would meet, but despite her initial worries, her eyes were filled with stars.