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T iny white flowers dotted the walls of Lilith’s bedroom.

They were the first thing she noticed as her eyes adjusted to the light.

She rolled onto her back and scrubbed her hands against her eyes, her muscles screaming at her in protest. Sweat covered every inch of her, making her dirty, sage green dress cling to her body.

Her heart was racing as she slowly sat up.

A white burst of stars exploded behind her eyes.

She breathed slowly, gathering strength as she pushed herself to an upright position.

Dark black markings encircled her wrists, like manacles branding them.

They were runes, a language Lilith had seen in one of her father’s books.

A single line of them snaked upwards towards her shoulders and split in two.

One line curled around her collar bone and disappeared below the neckline of her dress.

She pulled away at her clothes and spied the runes meeting at the centre, just above her heart.

The other line of runes draped down from her shoulders and formed a line of markings that laid along her spine.

She started to sob as she fixed her dress and moved off of her bed. There was a short rap at her door and her father gingerly entered her room.

“He’s gone.” Cyrus stood at the door unable to meet his daughter’s eyes. “I… I am so sorry.”

“You’re sorry?” Anger ignited and swelled within her soul. “All you have to say to me is you’re sorry?” Pointing to the runes she started to yell, “Look at what he did to me! All you did was watch as I begged you to stop him.”

Tears poured down from his red rimmed eyes as he finally looked at his daughter.

Her green dress was stained and torn. Her dark black hair that usually flowed down her back like a sheet of silk, was now a matted mess.

Taking in her face broke all semblance of his composure.

All traces of the once joyous child he knew, her carefree smile that had been a permanent fixture on her face, was gone.

He covered his face with his hands and wept.

The soft touch of Lilith's hand gently rested on his shoulder. He lowered his hands and beheld his youngest child. A look of empathy shone in her eyes. He reached for her and enveloped her into a hug. They sat on the floor of her room holding each other, submitting to their sorrow.

“I promised your mother before she left us that I would keep you safe, and I failed. I failed you,” Cyrus told her, as he wiped away her tears. Lilith nuzzled her head on her father’s chest, something she hadn’t done since she was young.

“What did he do to me?” She asked him.

“Lord Elwin has bound your magic,” Cyrus started. “He’s afraid.”

“Afraid of me?” New tears now spilled down her cheeks. “I haven’t even gone through my emergence. How can he be afraid of my magic? ”

“There was an oracle. She saw you and Lord Elwin’s son, Amiriel…

” Cyrus paused, trying to think of the best way to explain this.

“Your magic will grow to the point where you would risk losing control. United with his son, you both could have the potential to be the most destructive force this world has seen. The oracle saw a sea of death laying at your feet, and you on a throne of shadows seated beside him.”

“So, Lord Elwin acted based on the visions of this one oracle? A vision that is not set in stone.”

“I do not want you to think I am fully behind Lord Elwin’s actions.

However, this particular oracle is not some showy fortune teller.

She saw what you will become after your emergence, and it would be wise to heed her word.

That being said, her voice was just one factor that pushed Lord Elwin to act.

His Lordship has struggled to contain his son’s raw power since his emergence.

The steps he has taken thus far are no longer working.

When he found out there would be another, one as powerful as his son, he felt confident in his decision to bind your magic. ”

Lilith sat in shock, unable to fully comprehend what her father was explaining. “These runes, these chains, are they forever?”

“Lord Elwin explained that the runes are temporary. A safeguard to help control your powers. You will still be able to draw some of your mana and cast some spells, but you will notice a limit. When you go through your emergence in the fall, your fullest powers will not be released, but you will still experience a minor increase. He said that in terms of a comparison, you’ll be as powerful as Arlen or Jasper.

” Cyrus considered his words. Was that enough for his daughter?

To never know the fullest extent of her abilities.

He was furious that Lord Elwin forced his will upon them without including them in the decision.

“What if I promise to stay away from his son? What if binding my magic makes things worse? How could this be the only option for preventing what the oracle saw? And what’s next?

I’m supposed to go to Ardaven just to be under Lord Elwin’s watchful eye?

What if he’s dissatisfied with this limit?

What if he takes more away from me?” The panic that Lilith was feeling turned into a spiral of despair.

Her mind raced dwelling about all the possibilities.

Cyrus rubbed small circles on Lilith’s back and waited for her to calm.

“Your brothers were arguing the same points. While Lord Elwin reassured us that this would not affect your acceptance into the school, I think it would be best for you to not attend Ardaven. Arlen is in the same class as Amiriel. He will keep a watchful eye on him and I will find you another school.”

“And what about these?” She lifted her wrists. “How do these go away? What do I need to do?”

“You will learn to control whatever powers you already possess, and you will figure out the rest after you go through your emergence.”

She spent the first two days after Lord Elwin’s visit stuck in bed.

Her body needed time to rest after what happened.

This did nothing for her mental wellbeing.

Images of her being pinned down, her powers draining from her replayed over and over, haunting her, and all she could do was wait until she recovered.

Her brothers checked in on her after the first day.

They both sat with Lilith as she dealt with her grief.

Arlen was a blubbering mess, mothering over her.

At first, she appreciated the care he showed her; he would bring her snacks, read to her, and provide constant chatter when she started to spiral.

But after a while, his constant fretting bothered her, and she ended up reassuring him that she would be fine.

On the second day, Jasper cracked open her door and peeked in. “Check this out.” He handed her the latest newspaper.

Apostles of the Reckoning Provide Food and Shelter for Evacuees

By Beatrice Bane

As the capital opens its doors to evacuees from the south, a small religious sect called the Apostles of the Reckoning provides relief for the displaced families. Beds and hot food await those that are homeless. They are working with locals to set up housing for families in need.

The twelve Apostles are encouraging others to donate to the cause.

They will hold a special vigil for those that have lost their lives and those that are still missing.

For those that are interested in learning more about the Apostles of the Reckoning, several of the Apostles will be stationed around the city to answer questions .

“That’s good, right? What has the king done to help those families? At least someone is trying to help.” Lilith reread the story and handed the paper back to Jasper.

“Their charity comes at a cost. What do they get out of helping these evacuees?” Jasper bantered. Lilith mulled his meaning in her head. It was both stimulating and tiring arguing with Jasper. He was always one to debate current politics, and challenge Lilith’s perspective.

“Publicity? They’re shining a light on themselves and in the process they'll probably gain new followers.”

“Exactly. Whether they’re actually worthy of worship is still up for debate.” He was egging her on. This was a game of his that would often end up in a yelling match.

“I’m tired, Jasper. I don't want to play this game.” Lilith rolled over and covered herself in her thick, fluffy blanket.

Jasper playfully threw it off her, “Lilith. You’ve been stuck in this bed for too long.

Please, you’re starting to blend in with the furniture.

I’m not leaving until you get out of this room.

” Lilith let out a little growl of frustration and gave in to his demands.

He was right. She couldn’t stew any longer.

While Cyrus spent his time squirrelled away in his office, sending letters to multiple academies and researching the binding spell, Jasper and Arlen followed their sister to the familiar forest.

“It’s best to see what you’re able to do.

” Jasper stood beside his sister, arms reaching out .

A sphere of water formed between his hands.

Arlen and Jasper had always shared their magical knowledge with Lilith.

She was eager to learn and naturally gifted with her mana.

“Go ahead. See if you can do the same,” Jasper encouraged.

“Pull the water from the earth. Harness your mana, your energy, and draw the water up.”

Lilith raised her hands and concentrated. She gasped as she felt a small sphere of water spin between her hands.

“See, that’s a second year spell. You caught onto that one fast. Let’s kick it up a notch.” Jasper was hopeful for his sister. The sphere that was between Jasper’s hands grew into a large shield.

As Lilith focused on the small sphere, she felt the mana draw up from her centre down her arms and through her hands. The sphere grew, circling and shifting between her hands, reaching the size of a large ball, until it burst.