"DINNER is ready," she heard Salome's voice from outside the door and glanced at the wall clock. Five minutes past seven.

Her eyes drifted back to the full-length mirror and accessed her choices. She wore a deep blue gown that fanned out in a graceful flare below her waist with lacy, transparent sleeves, and a delicate bow at the right side of her waist. She'd paired it with a sleek pair of white pumps and had her hair swept up in a ponytail.

With a firm nod of approval, she stepped out with a sense of confidence but stopped in her tracks when she found the hallway empty. She was about to head back and ring the bell beside her bed when the door next to hers swung open and out came Gema in a lacy burgundy dress that stopped at her knees. Her vibrant red hair spilled down in fresh waves, bouncing with every step she took.

Gema was quick to compliment Karyn's dress before she said, "Come on, we'll go together," and linked arms with Karyn at the elbows.

They had walked some steps down the stairs before Karyn asked, "You seem to get a kick out of setting things on fire, don't you?"

Gema laughed. "You're talking about the house at Emerfield?"

"And The City Hall."

"What can I say? We get abilities so we can use them, right?"

"And what of the things in the house? The library, the books. You burned all that."

"Jamie would freeze me alive. He used his transformation magic to seal all the important stuff in a box that's with him before it all fell to the fire."

"Oh."

The gentle click of Gema's heels punctuated the surrounding silence until Gema spoke.

"Karyn, I know these past few days have been a lot, and you've not had the space to collect your thoughts and decide what to do. I cannot even imagine how confusing everything must be and I understand if you don't trust us fully but." Gema stopped walking and turned to face Karyn with her brown eyes holding a tenderness in them as they peered into Karyn's.

"As wielders, we swore an oath to protect Wlerden, its people, and the royal family. Once we took control of the gems, we swore our lives to the good of our nation. As for Zack, we don't know him, and trusting him would be an arduous task. I know what he said about Wlerden hunting Endoni must have your head spinning and I know it sounds suspicious that we didn't know about it. I couldn't believe a word Zack said until I spoke to Lady Minerva and she confirmed it."

"She'd come here looking for a fresh start and that was why she built this mansion, for people who were looking for the same. I admit our communication with The Golder hasn't been as transparent as we thought. I know asking you to trust us is a lot, but we are ready to go on this journey with you, to train with you, and help you become who you are. Who you've always been. A leader and a princess," Gema said with a small smile, one Karyn couldn't return.

"I'll let you mull on that a bit," Gema said.

They continued their walk in contemplative silence until they arrived at a door. A man in a suit opened it and gestured for them to enter. They stepped into a long hall with a long rectangular table in its center and chairs on both sides. Lady Minerva sat at the head of the table.

"Karynanda! Gemannua! Come, come, your seats are right beside me," the lady gestured to the two empty seats beside her.

As Karyn headed to the left side of the lady, she scanned the table in search of the stranger she met in the hallway but couldn't find the unappealing scar. She thought back to the rucksack he had with him and wondered if he had gone. She found the seat beside Jamie empty as well. At the sight, her mind drifted to Marcela, and made a mental note to ask either Gema or Jamie about Marcela's health later.

Just as she settled in her seat, another woman in similar attire to Salome served her food. She shot a timid smile at Lady Minerva, who watched her keenly before she glanced down to a plate of steaming brown rice and vegetables by the side. Tiny peas and carrots garnished the dish as an unfamiliar but enticing aroma wafted up from the plate and into her nose. When she brought a spoonful to her mouth, she had to bite back the moan that threatened to escape her lips. With her eyes closed, she took in the array of flavors that assaulted her tongue.

"You still love it?" she heard Lady Minerva ask, which forced her to open her eyes.

"It's amazing," she said before she took another spoonful.

"This was your favorite dish when you were little. Cayalno rice," Lady Minerva started. "You used to ask for it to be the first thing you ate on your birthdays and any other celebration. You wouldn't even drink water until you ate it," Lady Minerva chuckled.

The more she ate, the more her mind searched, but every time she thought she was close to a memory, she would hit a mental blank wall. After a few more tries, she focused on the delight the sizzling food brought her.

Conversation flowed at the table until Lady Minerva tapped her wineglass with a table knife. The soft clinking sound was enough to plunge the room into silence.

"In honor of our latest guest, we are hosting a ball tomorrow evening. We have already sent invitations to those outside the mansion and I hope you can all attend dressed in your finest attire. See you there!" She raised her glass to the other diners.

Karyn could feel the excitement spark and gush across the table like an unseen energy that made the people more alive than they already were. Bright eyes twinkled with excitement and wide smiles spread across various faces as the air buzzed with an incessant youthful chatter.

"Karynanda, tomorrow will be your first ball in The Louriville Mansion and it has to be spectacular. Lady Idyna here," Lady Minerva gestured to the woman beside Karyn, "Will assist you in preparations."

Karyn turned to meet a woman with a vibrant smile, her lips adorned with glossy red lipstick that caught the light. She averted her gaze from the woman's lips as the memory of another pair of red lips flashed in her mind.

"Of course, Lady Minerva." As Lady Idyna spoke, her sultry voice washed over Karyn like a gentle wave. "It would be an honor to help."

"Won't you also need to prepare?" Karyn asked.

"Don't worry about me, Lin Silverein. I would be there to make you look perfect!" Idyna gushed, her lips stretching into a wide grin that raised her cheeks. Despite the sight of red, Karyn smiled along with the woman.

♛ ♛ ♛

FOR the first time, Karyn wasn't running in a forest that reeked of doom and destruction. She wasn't sprinting from a sight she couldn't recall. Instead, she stood still, in a wide field with low grass as a solemn breeze tickled her skin.

Two moons and golden stars that were much bigger than any she had ever seen adorned the darkness above her. In the next moment, the tranquility shattered as the wind picked up in speed and fervor. Her clothes flailed around like they were alive and trying to break out of a cage. Her hair thrashed and whipped her in the face, forcing her to squint and raise her hand to her face.

With her hair tucked behind her ears, she looked forward to seeing a figure. Despite the wind, a cold sweat broke out on her forehead as her heart raced. In the next moment, the figure charged at her with an unnatural speed.

She turned to break into a run, finally finding control of her lower limbs, but stopped in her tracks when she saw blazing red lips. She tried to swallow past the lump in her throat that made it difficult for her to breathe. As she took a step back, her legs felt unsteady, as if they could give way at any moment.

In the next moment, the darkness of the sky surrounded her.

"Change will come with loss, betrayal, and chains."

The lips curled up into a wicked smile that sent shivers down her spine before she shot up from her bed drenched in sweat. The sound of blood rushing in her ears drowned out her ragged pants. She clenched her fists, rumpling the bed sheet in her grip as she tried to still her quivering hands.

If The Faceless existed in Raele and could only leave every seven years, how could she see one in her dreams? Did she have some connection with them? Now would have been the time she would have analyzed the cryptic message with Kara.

She let out a groan of frustration. Did this mean another month of tortured nights? No. She shook her head.

An excited Lady Idyna would walk in any moment and she needed to freshen up, not sit and drown in thoughts. So she forced herself to prepare, all the while putting a lot of energy into stopping herself from worrying about her dreams.

When the knock came, her shoulders sagged in relief. Hopefully, the excited lady would help take her mind off things. She opened it to see Lady Idyna, who sported a radiant grin with her hair up in big rollers and her makeup already done. Karyn couldn't help but smile back.

"Lin Silverein!" she greeted and reached out to hug Karyn. They pulled apart before Idyna strolled in with a spring in her steps.

"What does that mean?" Karyn asked as she sat at the vanity table while Idyna arranged various makeup items on the table. She recalled the stranger had said something along those lines when he referred to her.

"It's a respectful way to refer to a wielder. When we are parting ways, we can also say, Vador Lin Silverein, or Vador Lin Emeraldine. That means more power to the Silverein, or whichever wielder we're referring to."

"Oh. I would prefer it if you called me Karyn."

For as long as she could remember, she had been Karyn Whyte, no long forms, no titles, and no special greetings.

"That's fine. Karyn," Idyna tested before her smile returned. "So we'll start with your hair and-Oh, that looks so lovely."

Karyn watched Idyna walk some steps before she realized what had captured Idyna's attention.

"Don't touch it!" Karyn jumped from her seat just as Idyna reached out for the cylindrical jar, which made Idyna recoil as if harsh flames had licked at her skin.

"I'm sorry," Idyna said with a downcast gaze as she moved back to Karyn, who was settling back in the chair.

The silence that descended upon them brought a wave of shame and regret upon Karyn. Idyna had been nothing but nice and welcoming and here she was reprimanding the woman over a jar.

"No, I'm sorry," she said into the silence as Idyna started brushing her hair. "I, uh, made that for my sister."

She saw the question on Idyna's face in the mirror before Idyna asked, "Your sister?"

"She was like a sister to me," she sighed before she admitted, "She was my... Turund." As much as she hated to say it, it was the truth.

Recognition dawned on Idyna's face. "Oh!" Then her lips dipped into a frown. "Was? Because she's..."

Karyn could only nod, before she said, "That's her... dust."

"It's a lovely piece of art. You're quite talented."

Karyn forced a smile. "Thanks."

Then Idyna dropped the brush and held onto the chair Karyn sat on.

"Well, let's turn you away from this mirror so that the result will be a surprise."

As the lady worked, Karyn pondered, and only the sound of Idyna's fussing and rambling resounded around them. It was only when Idyna held a pin between her lips that Karyn asked, "Do you have magic?"

Since she'd known the concept was real, she had only seen the trio of Wielders practice magic. Even Zack, who said he had magic, hadn't shown her what he could do yet. The prospect of an entire nation built with magic fascinated her and more so the people.

"I do. I have similar magic to Jamie's but a diluted version," Idyna said and Karyn's eyebrows shot up. She hadn't seen them talk or regard each other during dinner, though she was more focused on finishing her supposedly favorite food. "We're distant relatives by some relationship even I can't explain."

"Was that why you left Wlerden, because of your powers? Were they hunting you down too?" Karyn asked and watched as the light died in Idyna's face. It was the first time her face didn't ooze cheer and hospitality. A cold bucket of remorse soaked Karyn as she pressed her lips together.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

"No. No need to apologize, it's just..."

The silence dragged on as Idyna's brows knitted. Karyn wondered if they did so in concentration or contemplation. When Idyna spoke, Karyn got her answer.

"I was fifteen when the SiatJans appeared and they took everything from me. It happened at lightning speed, just after we heard about the disappearance of the royal family. No one knew what they were or what they wanted. But one thing was obvious. They left ruin in their wake as they rose from the land and took the people with them. They remolded and morphed, crushing and melting the people as if their lives meant nothing."

Karyn swallowed past a lump as Idyna moved to work on her hair from the back.

"They hadn't formed The Red Guard when I left, so I didn't leave because they hunted my magic. I left because I had nowhere else to go. Or so I believed. The only person the SiatJans didn't take from me was Damien, my first love. He had just sworn his heart to mine at the back of my house weeks before, so our relationship was still new. But he was all I had left."

"He said he knew of a world outside Wlerden, but for me, Wlerden was all I had ever known and it was huge enough to be the entire world. Sure, there had been talks of people who left and some who were brave enough to come back and share their experiences, but I still couldn't believe it. I had countless questions as we journeyed to the nearest portal in haste before the SiatJans would damage it irreversibly."

"Where would we sleep? How would we get food? How would we survive? But he would hold my hand and tell me he had made plans. He was all I had when the world I knew had crumbled, so I believed him until I believed I would be nothing without him. I never questioned how he knew the people who easily took us in when we arrived. I never questioned the strange powders and drinks he took. And that was when it went downhill."

"Damien became an addict, an angry one, and he took out his rage on me. He claimed he had left Wlerden because he wanted to make me happy, but now I wasn't and that was my fault. Suddenly I was the reason his life sucked, even though his hands did more destruction than I could ever. And I took it, all the blame, until I could no longer. I..."

Karyn heard Idyna suck in a deep breath from behind her and didn't feel Idyna's hands move on her hair. She raised her hand to remove Idyna's hands from her hair and held onto them, hoping she could take away the pain she heard from Idyna's words.

Karyn could hear the tremble clear as day when Idyna continued. "It was a mistake, but I couldn't take it any longer, so I... I fought back."

She hadn't known Idyna until yesterday, but hearing what she had been through struck a painful chord in Karyn's heart.

"It was Lady Minerva that saved me," Idyna said after a while. "She pulled me out of that hole of misery and guilt. I believed I had a hand in Damien's wrong choices, but Lady Minerva made me realize the word, choices. Damien chose that way of life for himself. He knew the consequences, he felt them, yet he went ahead. It wasn't a simple journey getting back from that, but I did. Sometimes it still gets to me."

Idyna chuckled before she sniffed.

Karyn finally found her voice as Idyna softly rested her hands on Karyn's shoulders. "That was brave of you, Lady Idyna."

"I didn't feel brave most of the time. If not for Lady Minerva, I don't know where I would be. She tells me not to sweat it." Idyna chuckled. "But I will never forget what she did for me. Now I'm a psychologist and I remind my patients that we should hold everyone accountable for their actions and choices, no matter who they are to us."

"That's beautiful, Lady Idyna," Karyn said as Idyna's hands moved from Karyn's shoulders and back to work on her hair.

The once painful silence, interrupted by Idyna's bitter tale, had now transformed into one of peaceful serenity. The gentle caress of a light breeze softly entering through the open windows further enhanced the atmosphere of calmness.

Idyna came around to crouch before Karyn and held Karyn's hands.

"I can't put myself in your shoes, but I can understand. I left Wlerden, and all I knew and came to this unfamiliar Earth and now you're doing the opposite. Such a transition must be with the right people and you are fortunate to have the Wielders making this journey with you to The White Castle. I will not ask for anything and I will not make you promise to do anything, but make sure you always do what is right. Don't be like me and see something that's wrong and let it happen."

The love radiated from Idyna's sparkling eyes and rang out through her voice before she cast Karyn a smile. With the usual cheer present in her voice, Idyna said, "Now let's make your face shine!"

As Idyna went back to work on her hair, Karyn couldn't help but realize that Zack was right.

The brightest smiles hid the darkest pasts.

♛

ITNC: Violins, cellos, and harps come to life with a vibrant melody, but the interaction between Zack and a familiar stranger sings a different tune.

♛

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The Sparkling Authoress,
Mis. A
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