The death of Selentia's family is the catalyst for her journey. To make this more impactful, we can explore her relationship with each of her family members, how their deaths affect her emotionally, and give more details about her emotional state during the incident.
Original Scene - Expanded:
Two years ago, when I was only eight, my world was torn apart. My family was killed by unknown people. The day started like any other, with the sun casting long shadows across our modest home. I remember the smell of freshly baked bread in the air and the sound of my mother humming as she worked. But that morning, there was an unsettling silence, something that I couldn't put into words.
I was playing outside when I heard the crash. It was too loud to ignore. Dropping the toy I had been clutching in my small hands, I ran inside. The sight of my parents lying on the floor, lifeless, still haunts me. My mother's hand clutched my father's lifeless fingers, and their blood was everywhere. I screamed for help, but it was already too late.
There was nothing I could do. I was just a child, and the world felt as though it had collapsed around me. In that moment, I understood something that no one should have to: that love could be lost in an instant.
I knelt beside their bodies, my fingers trembling as I tried to shake them awake. Tears blurred my vision, but there was no answer, no wake-up call. They were gone. My parents were gone, and I was alone. The grief I felt was overwhelming. It felt like my soul was being torn in half. For days, I couldn't eat, couldn't sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw their faces—so full of life and love, now still.
At nine years old, Selentia discovers her rare and powerful magic. This is a critical turning point, and we can expand this moment by showing her inner thoughts as she discovers this new power and her decision to keep it hidden.
At the age of nine, something inside me changed. It was during a late evening training session in the garden when I first noticed it. I had been practicing with the sword—nothing special, just trying to replicate the moves I'd seen the knights do. But this time, when I swung the sword, the air around me seemed to vibrate. It wasn't the wind, it wasn't my imagination. Something was happening.
I felt a rush of energy that I couldn't understand. It started at my fingertips, a sharp, almost burning sensation, and then it spread through my arms. My heart pounded in my chest as I swung the sword one more time. This time, something truly bizarre happened. A gust of wind whipped around me, the force strong enough to knock over a nearby tree branch.
My knees buckled, and I collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air. The magic was real, and it had taken everything out of me. I'd never felt so exhausted in my life. But there was a thrill, too. A power within me that I could barely comprehend.
"Is this… magic?" I whispered to myself, panting. I didn't know where it came from, nor why it had chosen me, but I understood one thing: this power could either save me or destroy me. And I would make sure it was the former.
That night, as I lay in bed, I felt the strange magic stirring within me again. It was a part of me now, something I couldn't ignore. I could feel the magic coursing through my veins, urging me to use it. But I resisted. I wasn't ready. I couldn't afford to let anyone know. Not yet.
Selentia's power grows stronger, but it comes at a cost. Let's build on the idea of her discovering the limitations of her magic and how it makes her feel both powerful and vulnerable.
Over the next few months, I trained diligently. Every time I used the magic, it drained me completely. My mana, a vast reservoir that had once seemed infinite, now felt like an ocean that was slowly being emptied with each use. My limbs would grow heavy, and my body would collapse from exhaustion, but the magic… the magic was a part of me. It called to me, urging me to harness it, to use it to avenge my family.
What I didn't expect, though, was the feeling of helplessness that would come with it. Every time I used the magic, I couldn't control where it went. It seemed to have a life of its own. Once, I had been practicing in the woods behind the mansion, practicing small bursts of fire magic. It was supposed to be a harmless exercise, but I misjudged the intensity, and before I knew it, a whole section of the trees was in flames. I barely escaped with my life, the heat so intense that my skin burned with the aftermath of the magic's release.
"Ugh…" I moaned, clutching my side where I had grazed my ribs against a tree. Every time the magic left me drained, it also left a part of me broken. I was afraid that if I kept pushing, there would be nothing left of me.
But still, my desire for vengeance burned brighter than any fear. Every time I collapsed, I awoke to see my enemies vanquished, and a deep satisfaction twisted in my chest. I didn't know how it happened, but it was happening.
I knew I couldn't control it. Not yet. But I would, and when the time came, it would be my power that brought my family's killers to justice.
When Selentia is adopted by the Flowells, she initially struggles to connect with her new family. Here, we can expand on the inner conflict she feels as she learns to trust and open up.
The Duke and Duchess of Flowell were kind to me, far kinder than I deserved. They took me in when I was at my lowest, offering a place to stay, warmth, and, for the first time, something resembling a family. But I was still cold inside, still lost in my grief.
I remember the first few weeks in their home. I tried to keep my distance, retreating into my room at the slightest opportunity. They would knock on the door, and I would pretend to be asleep. I wanted nothing more than to be left alone. I didn't want to get close to them, only to have my heart broken again.
But over time, they grew on me. Duke Aizen, despite his stoic nature, would often find me in the garden, practicing my swordsmanship, and silently watch me. I'd catch his gaze now and then, and despite his cold exterior, there was warmth in his eyes. One day, after I had finished practicing, he spoke.
"You're good with that sword," he said, his deep voice steady.
I didn't know how to respond. No one had ever complimented my swordsmanship before, especially not a man of his stature. I simply nodded.
"You could be great," he added. "If you let me, I'll help you improve."
At first, I refused. I didn't need anyone's help. But as the days went on, I started to feel something I hadn't felt in years—hope. They were kind, they were warm, and they didn't treat me like a stranger. Maybe, just maybe, I could let them in.
One evening, after a long day of training, Duchess Cassia caught me looking at a picture of their family. It was a picture from their wedding, a moment that seemed so foreign to me.
"You know," she said, sitting beside me, "you'll always be a part of our family now."
It felt strange, hearing her say those words. My mind screamed that it wasn't true, that nothing would ever be the same, but my heart… my heart wanted to believe her.
The Day Everything Changes
It had been four years since I had been adopted by the Flowells. Four years of love, of learning what it meant to have a family again. It wasn't easy, but I slowly began to open up to them, to care for them. They were my family, no matter how much I tried to resist.
Then came the day that shattered everything. The day my world crumbled once more.
I had been sitting in the study, reading, when I heard the news. My hands trembled as I dropped the book to the floor. The head maid entered, her face pale and grim.
"Lady Selentia, there's been an accident," she said, voice shaky. "The Duke and Duchess... they... they're gone."
I couldn't breathe. The world tilted on its axis. Gone. They were gone. How could they be gone?
I rushed outside, my heart pounding in my chest. The servants whispered in the halls, but all I could hear was the sound of my blood rushing in my ears. The carriage had overturned. The bodies... they were unrecognizable.
I was alone again. Once more, the people who had cared for me were taken from me. The weight of grief, of loss, slammed into me, and I fell to my knees. Tears filled my eyes, but there was no comfort. There was no one left.