" Ah, there you are..." She spoke again finding whatever it was, that she was looking for. I sat back down as I waited for her to come in light and she did..
Only this time....
She
wasn't
alone.
Following behind her were shadows as she made her way towards me to stand right in front of me. She had powers, that I knew, but what kind of powers... I had no idea. She had a box in her hand made of velvet blue fabric.
" So Elaara...." She spoke as she circled around me, her shadows floating in the air rotating with each step she took and continued
" I was curious about something" she took a sweet pause and continued again" How did you meet your uncle?" I just looked at her, not giving too much away... I didn't know what she was talking about... I had no idea... My step-uncle never spoke about my parents, no matter how hard I tried. I only got beatings as an answer.
" I was found by my him, that's all I know. " I smiled at her as she looked at me not buying my answer one bit.
" Tell me Elaara, how did you break the spell?" And we were back to square one... She wanted to know that.... but why??
"I did not break any spell." I stood up as I moved forward to leave. Her sadistic laugh fell in my ears as she blocked my path with her body in a heartbeat.
"Not so fast, my love, you forgot your present." She spoke in my face as she opened the box and there it was, the very same pendant that Aehan had. She wanted to control me to get answers. Hypothetically, that was the only reason, she wanted me to have it.
Placing the box mid-air, she grabbed the pendant as she moved forward" let me help you wear it, you can take that off" She spoke as she tried to grab the locket from my neck. Spontaneously, I sidestepped before she could get a hold of me.
" I'll wear it in my room, Mother. Thank you for this beautiful gift..." I smiled at her grabbing it from her hand as I placed it back in the box and grabbing it in a rush.
I wasn't sure how floating worked....
She just raised an eyebrow at me as she spoke again not before giving me a look...
"I did wanted you to meet someone....." What was she upto? Did she wanted me to be bounded just like she had done with Aehan... Maybe she wanted to test me, Knowing well that I was the one who saved him. If this was her plan. I couldn't just let her know...
"Come out Aurelia, time to meet one of your kind..." I saw a shadow moving forward beside her towards us. It was dim lit for me to be able to see her. I was shocked to say the least. I had almost forgotten about her with all the things that had transpired in the past few weeks. The old lady from the prison now stood in front of me but she looked weak this time, more deteriorated than I had last seen her. Her shackles on her wrist were still the same.
" Show me" Ilaria sang again as she walked outside of the circle, flicking her finger as aurelia's shackles met the floor with a clang. What was going on? This was making me worried.
"What's going on?" I voiced out my thoughts looking in between both of them. My mind raced at full speed. The danger lurked around the corner and I felt it. I felt it in my bones. My first instinct was to call out El, but I held my confidence stance to know what was happening in front of me. I needed to know. She was similar to me, I knew that.
Was she the Faerelore in possession that everyone talked about? Was I related to her somehow? She knew who I was when we met, right? Conflicted, in my own thoughts I hadn't realised that she was now standing in front of me.
" Sorry, but don't do anything...." She mumbled but before I could process, Her hands were up as she lifted herself mid-air and in a minute, I was bounded by chains on the throne in the middle of the circle.I struggled around but it was no use. What was she doing? Soon the chains started squeezing me on the throne making me immobile.
Pinch....
Wait???
Why was I feeling this way???
"AH!" I gasped as I felt pinches and pricks all over my body. I looked towards Ilaria who kept smiling at me, quite intrigued by the entire scenario. I, on the other hand, wanted to wipe that smile off her face. The burn started from the tattoo on my neck as it started moving through my arms. Soon enough, it spread through my entire being as I thrashed around trying to get off. It felt like I was set on fire.....
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!" A heart-wrenching, piercing scream tore through the silence, shattering the air around me. It took a moment to realize that the sound had come from my own throat, raw and hoarse. The pain surged through me, wave after relentless wave, leaving me gasping for breath. I screamed again, a desperate cry that echoed in the hall, but nobody came to my rescue.
Tears streamed down my face as they mingled with the sweat that soaked my skin, leaving a salty trail down my forehead. My vision blurred as the world around me starting to dissolve into a haze of agony and despair.
The pain was all-consuming, a merciless force that held me captive in its grip. I tried to move, to escape the torment, but my limbs felt like lead, heavy and unresponsive. My screams grew weaker, hoarse whispers of suffering, as my strength drained away. The darkness pressed in, thick and suffocating, and I felt myself slipping away.
I wanted to survive this. I had to....
I gritted my teeth, clenching my fists as the pain surged again, trying to break me. But I wouldn't let it. I couldn't let it. I wanted her to feel the same pain, the same helplessness, and she would scream for mercy.... I held onto every last ounce of willpower I had, to keep myself up..... My tattoo growled on my behalf as I felt El's presence surge through me. I tried to hold it back....
No... more..... Elaara No, Please....you're hurting, I can'tt control it....
This is my first instinct, let go..... please....
You
don'T
NEED TO
HIDE ANYMORE!!!!! El screamed and somehow I sensed comfort in her angry state. This anger was for me. She wanted to protect me! I closed my eyes as I let go of anything and everything that was holding me back and I let her take over...
I had managed to take a back seat in my own head, the moment I let go. I could feel the power humming through my body as it surged through.
How was all of this happening....
I felt the chains drop at my feet as I floated in the air. The pain was now replaced with something unexplainable. I could see Ilaria's smile fade and the old woman was pushed outside the circle as she looked at me with guilt and regret stretched on her face.
My surroundings suddenly started changing as the once dim- lit room turned into mist. The the glow from the mist intensified as soft, ethereal light radiated from everywhere.It suddenly transformed itself into figures, silhouettes that danced in the hues, just at the edge of perception, vanishing as quickly as they appeared. In the middle of it all, stood a figure that had wings on the both sides. The glow radiated off of her in waves, a breathtaking combination of smoke, vibrant hues and magic.
How do you feel, Elaara?A musical voice befriended my ears, as I recognized it to be El's voice. The source turned around and it felt like I was looking at a reflection of myself. Only she was more beautiful, than I could ever be....Is that you, El? I asked surprised and completely in awe of her beauty.
This is the form that I took as I felt a transformation in me.. You're too beautiful for me too pass on...I laughed at her words wondering if she could really choose how she wanted to look...
I can take multiple forms but I'd rather be you... You are stunning, your wings...
Everything about her screamed beauty, pure and ethereal beauty. Her skin shimmered with a soft iridescence, reflecting hues of lavender, cerulean, and gold depending on how the light reflected through her. Each wing, twice her size, was an intricate mosaic of vibrant colors, like stained glass brought to life.Her feathers, each a masterpiece in itself, shifting from fiery oranges at the base to bright blues, to golden and finally to pure, glowing white at the tips. Her facial features were similar to mine and her hair danced in the air like as she stood tall and proud in all her glory.
We are one and together, invincible...