Keyra slowly opened her eyes. Slowly by slowly. Her eyes felt heavy. She tried to sit up, but her head was so heavy and painful.
"No, don't move yet. You're still healing." a woman suddenly came and laid down Keyra's body which she had just managed to sit up. "Go back to sleep. You will feel better."
Keyra really didn't have another choice. She couldn't force her body. The head is very hurt and she barely can see clearly. She finally obeyed the woman's words and closed her eyes again. Strangely, drowsiness immediately attacked her.
****
"What should we do now?" asked someone named Barnabas who had been looking confused. He kept pacing back and forth making everyone in the room dizzy.
"There's nothing we can do for now. We have to wait for her to recover first and please stop pacing around!" The old woman named Lilie started to feel uncomfortable seeing Bogdan. But finally Barnabas stopped walking and sat down in an empty chair nearby. He fixed his long hat which looked askew.
"What if everyone finds out that she has returned. The chosen one has returned." A worried voice emerged from the figure of the man who had been silent all this time. She has shoulder length blonde hair. Dress neatly and very elegantly. He is usually called Dan. "I think the world will be very surprised." He continued enthusiastically. He smiled proudly.
"Better not." Said someone sitting in front of them. "The world must not know this. This must be kept secret."
"But we are keeping a big secret, which the people of our kind have been waiting for." Barnabas began to protest.
"Precisely because this is a big secret, it would be better for the public not to know. It would be very dangerous for us and the chosen ones."
"Darius is right." Said Dan who finally agreed with Darius. "We should look for safety first and it is not certain that the chosen one will be like the previous chosen one. We also don't know when she got her powers. So we should be quiet and patient."
"But you know very well Darken already knows." Barnabas reminded. They had just saved the girl from their attack.
"But they attacked everyone they thought was the chosen one. This is the umpteenth time they've attacked and we're the ones cleaning up their mess!" Lilie snorted in annoyance.
"Lilie is right. We'd better wait. Don't be hasty."
Everyone in the room nodded in agreement. The room suddenly became silent for a moment. No one spoke or whispered. Suddenly there was a knock on the door which broke the silence for a moment.
"Come in." Darius' deep voice told the knocker to come in.
"The nurse said the girl had regained consciousness, but the nurses had put her back to sleep and her recovery was almost complete." The knocker replied when he entered the room.
"We understand. You may go." Darius answered. The knocker nodded and left. "Okay ladies and gentlemen. You'd better go home. It's late, your family must be waiting for you. I will let you know when the girl wakes up and recovers."
Everyone nodded and left after saying good night to Darius. After they left, Darius remained silent, staring at the fireplace in front of him. He stared at some freshly burned paper in the fireplace in silence.
****
Keyra moved her head. She slowly moved her hand to hold her head which felt painful. Keyra opened her eyes slowly. She tried to adjust her eyes to the light. Keyra sat up slowly. Her body still felt sore. Keyra looked around the room. The room is long with white painted walls. There are several beds. Each bed has a curtain. She knew that it seemed like she was in a hospital ward. But there was no one there. No nurses or patients other than her. Keyra lowered her legs from the bed. The cold tile floor greeted her bare feet. Even though it was a little painful, Keyra forced her legs to walk. She heard faint voices of people outside. Slowly but surely, Keyra arrived at the entrance. She opened the door. A fresh breeze greeted her skin. She saw some people in the backyard. People she didn't know of course.
Suddenly Keyra's head buzzed and felt very painful. She vaguely remembered what happened to her. Her mother, her sister and those people in black robes. Suddenly she was short of breath. She had a panic attack. She glanced around warily.
"A-are they... They took me? Where is this? What about mom and Randy?"
Several people looked at her with various gazes. Keyra, who realized people were staring at her, started to walk away in no particular direction. Wherever she went, people kept staring at her. Like she's a weirdo.
Suddenly someone caught her hand. Keyra was shocked and started struggling.
"You must not go." The woman held Keyra's hand very tightly.
"Let go!!"
Brakk!
The woman fell quite far and was unconscious. Keyra was surprised then looked at her hands. Immediately she ran away. Without realizing it, she was in a fairly large park. From a distance she saw a crowd on one side of the park. Keyra saw an empty park bench and immediately sat there. She was so exhausted after running quite a distance. She saw that his feet were dirty and scratched from running barefoot. Keyra took a deep breath. She massaged her aching head.
"Why did all this happen? What's really going on? And where am I?" Keyra shed tears. "My family... How are they? What should I do?"
Keyra wiped away the tears that were flowing freely. No, she shouldn't cry. She had to find a way to escape from here. I don't know how long she ran, but it seemed quite far.
"You shouldn't leave suddenly and make everyone panic. Especially without wearing any shoes."
A voice surprised Keyra which made her automatically stand up and face the direction of the sound. A middle-aged woman was already standing in front of her. In the next second, Keyra seemed surprised by the woman's graceful appearance. Her gray hair was neatly combed and tied up. She was wearing a dark gray long dress and.. Wait, her clothes! Her clothes are like the clothes worn by women in ancient times.
"Are you going to continue looking at me with your admiring gaze, Miss?"
The woman's flat voice interrupted her thoughts
"You're not well enough, you should—"
"Who are you? And where is this place?" Keyra interrupted the woman's words. The woman stared at Keyra silently. Intimidated by the woman cold stared, Keyra tried to run away, but she couldn't get anywhere. It was as if there was an invisible barrier surrounding her.
"Let me go! Let go!!" she screamed and banged tha invisible shield. But the woman just stared at Keyra silently.
Someone came rushing towards them. A man who walks with a slight limp and has a hump on his back.
"Madam..." called the man. The woman turned around.
"Mr Barlock."
"Maam... Mr. Darius asked the girl to come to his house." Barlock spoke without looking at the woman's face. His voice is also small, more like a squeak.
"Okay, I understand."
Barlock turned around and left them. The woman looked at Keyra meaningfully.
"I will remove this barrier. On condition, don't run away, don't attack or do anything stupidly, do you understand?" the woman said in a firm and even tone of voice. Keyra was hesitant at first, but in the end she nodded. Keyra saw the woman as if she was chanting something and then the invisible protection disappeared. Keyra tried to touch it again and sure enough, the protector was no longer there.
"Now put this on." The woman handed Keyra small black heeled women's loafers. "I think that's your size and it's better than walking barefoot."
Keyra looked at the shoes for a moment then put them on.
"That's much better. Come with me."
The woman turned around and started walking.
"Wait, where are—" the woman ignored Keyra's question and continued walking. Keyra, who didn't know what to do, was forced to follow the woman. On the way, she saw ancient looking buildings. Even the clothes people wear here are old-fashioned. The women wore overalls like women and men wore in the 1800s. Keyra also just realized that she was also wearing that type of clothing at this time. She didn't pay attention before. She was busy running away. Sometimes Keyra trips over her own dress because she's not used to it and still followed the woman walking in front of her. Several times people greeted the woman. The woman only responded with a small nod. She even wasn't smile at all.
"Is this on the set of a colossal film? Or maybe I went back to the past? Ahh stupid thinking." Keyra smiled and shook her head thinking about all that.
Soon they turned and entered the grounds of a simple house. There are several ornamental plants on either side of the yard. They stopped in front of the door. Then the woman knocked on the door. Not long after, the sound of the door opening was heard. A woman came out who was old but she still looked beautiful. The woman wore a long blue dress and had long gray hair tied back. The woman looked elegant in her simple clothes. The woman, Irina, smiled when she saw Keyra.
Irina held the hand of the woman who accompanied Keyra. "Thank you for bring her here, Ana. Come on in, I'll make you some tea."
"No, no need Irina, thank you. I still have things to do, I'll say goodbye first." Anna refuses Irina's invitation.
"Okay then, good afternoon." Irina let Anna go. Anna just smiled a little and nodded then left. Keyra was still stunned by the incident.
"You must be Keyra." Irina smiled at Keyra who looked confused. "Welcome. We've been waiting for you. Come on in." Keyra looked doubtful and Irina knew that. "Don't worry, nothing will happen. The old man will only talk to you. Come on."
"O-old man?" Keyra was surprised.
"My husband, Darius. Come in."
Irina invited Keyea, who was still standing in front of the door, to enter. Irina closed the door and asked Keyra to follow her. Darius' house is simple, not too big and not too small. The paint inside the house is light brown and the house is very neat and clean. It's almost like no one lives in the house because everything is so neatly arranged. Keyra passed the kitchen and was now in the back yard. The backyard is quite large and there is a forest behind the house. There is a beautiful flower garden to Keyra's left. Keyra looked at the flower and looked amazed.
"Oh right." Irina stopped walking and turned to face Keyra who was walking behind her. Keyra stopped her steps. "My name is Irina Ardelean, you can call me Irina." Irina said kindly. Irina smiled softly at Keyra. Keyra nodded slowly. Irina turned around again and walked. Keyra and Irina continued walking towards the forest behind them. The forest looked vast. Keyra followed Irina, wondering where she would be taken. Not long after, she saw a fat, middle-aged man chopping logs to make firewood.
"You have a guest." Irina said to the man. The man turned to the person he was addressing and immediately smiled.
"Ah... You must be Keyra." the man said kindly. Keyra just nodded slightly. "My name is Darius Ardelean." Again Keyra only answered with a small nod. "Thank you darling." Darius looked at Irina, his wife.
"I will make tea for you guys." Irina smiled and immediately left the two of them.
"Sit down. Forgive me. There is only the trunk of the old tree."
"No problem sir." Keyra walked towards the tree trunk that had been made to be used as a seat.
"Don't call me sir, please. Just call me Darius."
Keyra nodded as she sat there. Darius split another piece of wood then he took off his gloves and sat across from Keyra.
"Are you okay? How are you?" Darius wiped his sweat-covered forehead while looking at Keyra. Darius's gaze was very friendly, Keyra realized that. At first he was hesitant, even a little afraid.
Keyra nodded. "Much better."
"Good, that's very good." Darius nodded. Keyra was silent and looked down. There was too much on her mind. "I understand, you must be confused and afraid." Keyra still lowered her head. "You can ask about anything."
Keyra looked doubtful. She thought, maybe the person in front of her would do something to her. Even though Keyra could see the sincerity in Darius' eyes.
"Your mother and younger siblings are fine."
Darius' words made Keyra stand up from her seat and look at Darius sharply. Her hands clenched into fists. Her breath was ragged. But Darius just looked at her with a concerned look.
"Where are they?" Keyra asked in a slightly firm tone.
"They are safe. In your home."
Keyra frowned. The man in front of her could answer all that easily. "What have you done to them?"
"We healed their wounds, with magic and potions, of course. Their injuries are quite serious, especially your little brother. He needs time to heal. But they are all fine. The Guardin are guarding them. The possibility that the Darkens will come is very big. Of course, because they know exactly who you are now." explained Darius. Keyra increasingly doesn't understand.
"Wait..." Keyra massaged her forehead. This made absolutely no sense to her. "I really... Really don't understand. With all of this. Magic?! Potion?! Dark—what? Are you crazy?!"
Darius took a deep breath. "I will explain it to you. Now calm down please and sit down."
"I will not calm down or sit down. This is absolutely crazy! After my father's sudden death, leaving behind all the debts, my mother and I had to work so hard make our live back to normal. now I was almost dead!! Isn't it too much to ask me to CALM?!" Keyra screamed again. "Now you are saying nonsense!!"
"This will all make sense Keyra." Darius' words were still the same. Calm and gentle.
"But.. HOW?!"
"First you have to calm down." said Darius, greeted by a harsh snort from Keyra. "I will explain."
Keyra sat roughly on the wood. "How is this unreasonable will explain everything." he muttered. Darius had just opened his mouth to explain, Keyra spoke again before him. "I want to meet my family. I don't care about any of this. I just want to see my family."
"I can't let you meet them." Darius answered. Keyra was about to speak again, but Darius preceded her. "Not until you master your powers."
"Wait, what? What power do you mean?"
"Magic." Darius chanted a spell and then a butterfly with sparkling wings emerged from his hand. Keyra stared at it all dumbly for a moment then laughed awkwardly.
"Then what does that have to do with me? Those of you who... have that... Uhm magic. I don't have it!"
"Are you sure?" Darius looked at Keyra meaningfully, making Keyra, who was about to answer, fall silent again. She seemed to be thinking. She remembered all those incidents and yes, she remembered them. She remembered very well that she had blown away several people with her hands. She even attacked a woman on the way here. Keyra looked at her hands. Is it true?
"I will try my best to answer your questions." Darius interrupted Keyra's thoughts.
"But why? I mean... I've never done this before. My family are not witches."
"No, not until your father died."
Keyra frowned. "What's that suppose to mean?"
"There is an ancient spell that protects your family. The spell that your ancestors recited. This spell protects your family from magic. Which means your magic will remain closed and invisible. In fact, no one can even know that you are a witch."
"So you're saying... I—no, my family are witches?"
"Your family is one of the most powerful witch families and after what we witnessed during the attack on your home, we now know for sure, you are the chosen one."
"The chosen?"
"The strongest witch."
Keyra stared in disbelief. All this made her head hurt even more. What is this all about?