"Proaeto bu'rx daedae, oaek daedae. Ik v'rr lorv vai goor dokkou." Soft, scarred hands caressed a beaten face, blood and scars masking the gorgeous woman's features, strands of brown hair falling across her cut brows.

The poor woman coughed into her red hands, holding on to a thin handkerchief clutched in her loose grip. "Tlouo 't ra lavo rogk gau do" the woman whispered back to her daughter, reaching up with her hand to gently brush away the dark strands of hair that covered her ever-curious eyes.

"No, don't say that. There is always hope" Alesandria spoke, flickers of light dancing inside her watery orbs. Her lips were pulled down into a thin line, clumps of hair falling in front of her gaunt face. Long, bony fingers held a crafted bowl of vegetable soup and a spoon, carefully feeding her mother with what she hoped would cure her.

A throaty laugh escaped out of Parcia's lips, dry and dying as her moment of happiness was short lived. An irritating itch crawled up her throat, exploding in her lungs as a cough escaped her pruned lips.

Spots of blood tainted the silk handkerchief, a burning desire to throw her insides out crawling out and all over her body. A sigh left Alesandria's lips, her sad eyes looking on as her mother relaxed her head back on the pillow on the floor, her eyes still swollen and closed from the attack.

The house was relatively empty, Eros still sleeping in what was left of his bedroom upstairs while Onyx had decided to venture out into the still dark outside world, not bidding a goodbye before she left.

It had been three days since the attack. Three days since Parcia was viciously attacked and left for dead at the foot of her own doorstep. Three days since both Onyx and Alesandria almost lost their lives.

Damn those three days.

A lot has happened after that. The house, once supposed to be a pride and comfort and protection of any harm's way now chipped away into pieces, long slabs of wood and bricks slowly chipping off with each rustle of the wind. Debris of glass, dirt, and blood littered the floor, strewns of torn fabric of clothing and flesh coating the floors.

The strange, metallic stench of blood still lingered in the air, the aroma of burned dead bodies growing heavier like a thick fog that hung over the crumbling house.

It has been a long painful three days, taking care of Parcia and Eros while Onyx conjured up a plan to help not only her mission but her family as well. It seemed as if all hope had disappeared into thin air, leaving nothing but ruins in its wake.

Onyx had suggested visiting Castrin again, knowing he was the only one in this whole damned kingdom that didn't run away, screaming "Bloody Murder" every time his eyes laid upon Alesandria. He was a smart guy and he knew her better than anyone else.

Yet even though it seemed like a good plan, the thought of disrupting the Dark Magic Summoner for her own weak and unpurposeful needs struck the village girl, leading her to deny the idea before it was even spoken to its full extent.

It just didn't seem right.

Sighing, Alesandria gently set the bowl of soup down on the chipped floors, nudging a pile of gray ashes away into the slightly opened door. The soft sound of her mother uttering sweet nothing underneath her breath traveled in one ear and out the other, her attention straying to the barely awake sky.

Plump clouds of gray hung over the dark blue sky, trails of sparkling stars still littered on its dark, infinite surface. The sun was barely awake, sleeping below the horizon until the moon sunk back into its home of darkness.

"Maybe you should go to Castrin. He will protect you and will find a way to protect us" Parcia croaked in a harsh voice, closing her eyes to calm her breathing. Still, the village girl shook her head, running her fingers through her hair as she plastered her palms on the floor and pushed herself up.

"No. I need to be here to protect you and Eros" she spoke, walking her way over to the nearby table. Her hands wrapped around a tall glass, pitcher moving it closer to a bowl and pouring the hot water into the bowl.

Another cough came from the poor woman, her hoarse voice muffled as she buried her lips into the soft handkerchief and coughed her guts into it. Spots of blood appeared on the soft material, a small sigh escaping her lips as Alesandria returned back with the bowl of hot water, gently setting it on the ground before falling to her knees.

"Putting yourself in danger won't protect either one of us Alesandria. You know it too" Parcia spoke softly through her chapped lips, swollen, red eyelids struggling to open. A static silence crackled through the air, the village girl reaching inside the pocket of her dress and pulling out a blue towel.

Silently, she dipped it in the water, allowing the hot substance to soak through the heavy wool material of the towel before gently pulling it out of the water, balling it tightly in her hand.

Snaking her fingers around her mother, she gently placed the towel to her mother's head, letting the hot substance soak into her severe cuts that pulsed with blood.

"I would risk myself just to keep you and Eros safe" Alesandria reassured, moving the towel from her mother's forehead to her cheek, wiping away a smear of dried blood against her scarlet, wrinkled skin. "Things change and people change."

A wince escaped Parcia's lips, her fingers curling around her stomach as her daughter moved the towel from her cheek to her collarbone, scraping away at the black, charred scab that had formed over the wounds and wiping away the excess blood that pulsed out of her wound.

"Yes, they do. I just don't want you to change my dear" the woman uttered to her daughter as she dipped the towel in the bowl of hot water once again, ringing out the water trapped inside the material before applying it at the base of her throat.

A short pause, Alesandria biting her lip as she watched her mother's eyes open, a mirage of amber colors blended with the hues of a forest to create a beautiful color that didn't quite match her eyes. So many stories, there were so many stories trapped behind those eyes. Stories that she desperately wanted to know.

She already knew a few, the most important one still scripted in her brain and heart forever yet she yearned, thirst to learn more about the woman that took care of her for as long as she could remember.

Clearing her throat, the village girl shook her head, not bothering to move the lock of dark hair that fell in her eyes as she kept on taking care of her mother. "Change is inevitable, mother. It will happen no matter what."

Another sigh escaped Parcia's lips, her distant eyes gazing down to the bruised hands and knuckles that took care of her, trying so desperately to clean her skin of any red marks. Locks of dark hair fell into Alesandria's her watery eyes, her bottom lip caught between her teeth to hide the pain that hid so desperately underneath her calm exterior.

Parcia could see the pain, the small tiny girl desperate to break free from a curse that has been bestowed upon her. It made her heart ache knowing she couldn't do anything to stop her pain, a terrible feeling that spread throughout her entire body to the curve of her fingertips.

Gently laying a wrinkled, red hand on top of her daughter's, she spoke in a soft voice, "I remember the days when I used to take you and Eros to the Aura Festival. You would pick fresh berries from the market while Eros dipped his feet in the town square fountain."

Memories, images of those happier moments, of the moments when her smile was genuine materialized in the village girl's mind, a flicker of warmth beating in her heart. A smile, something small and concealing poked at her lips, desperate to spread to her blushing cheeks.

Still, Alesandria bit the inside of her cheek, focusing her attention on cleaning her mother. "Those were the days when I was normal. When I didn't have powers" she replied softly, letting the towel slip loose around her fingers.

Yet her mother continued speaking, the determined spark in her eyes desperate to break her. "I would go around selling sweets while you helped Eros out of the fountain, cleaning him with a towel."

"Mother, please. That was a long time ago."

"Then your eyes would find Jaris and you would abandon everything, running straight into his arms and engulfing yourself in his embrace" she continued speaking, amber shattered eyes watching as the fingers around the towel placed on her neck loosened, shaking as they withdrew away.

"Please, stop. That was a long time ago." Veins of gold illuminated her arms, the anger coursing through her body expressing themselves within the magic rushing through her.

Still, Parcia didn't stop, watching as her daughter's fingers curled into her palm. "Then you would meet Eros and I back at the town square as the sunset, sharing a kiss with Jaris as the last rays of the day sunk behind the horizon."

"Stop it! Just stop!"

The tears swimming in Alesandria's eyes were present, streaming out of her cerulean light eyes and flushing down her cheeks to where they stained the neck of her dress. Her fingers were buried in her hair, her veins burning brighter.

"You were in love, careless. Hopelessly free. And deep down in your heart, you know you ache for those moments back. Those moments were Jaris could hold you, make you laugh, kiss you until you smil-"

"Stop it! I can't take it! Just please, stop!" Her voice cracked on her last words, shattering inside her throat as her protests became drowned in her tears and her body sunk to the floor, the illuminating light of gold still flickering within her veins. Surprisingly, they didn't burst, instead watching her with careful eyes through her skin.

A sob escaped the village girl's lips, her body falling to the floor as she finally wept out all her desires, all her sorrows. She wept for the life she would never get back, of the love she would never fall back in, of the hopes and dreams that were shattered as soon as the first rays of her powers showed.

Gently, Parcia wrapped her arms around Alesandria and pulled her into a tight embrace on the floor, charred mangled fingers gently running themselves through the tangled locks of her hair. Alesandria wrapped her arms around her mother's waist, sobbing into her chest until her throat became hoarse.

"Why did you do that to me? Why?"

The question seemed to have struck an odd core inside the suffering woman, her lips pulling down into a frown as her brows knitted themselves into worry. The chipped floor scraped her knees as she moved her legs, her toes brushing against her daughter's ankles.

"I haven't been the best mother and you haven't been the best daughter" she started off, placing a kiss on her hair with each breath she took, the constriction in her lungs ringing through the village girl's ear. "We've both been through some traumatic stuff. Events that will stay with us no matter how many moons pass by."

The room became quiet, not a breath to be uttered as she continued, "You are in pain, a great amount of pain and yet you choose to hide it. It does no good, Alesandria. We all know how much you are hurting. I wanted you to acknowledge that first before making any irrational decisions. You are hurting."

Alesandria didn't utter a word, her sobs dimming to nothing but quiet whimpers as she listened to her mother, the pain striking her heart as sharp as a knife cutting through her skin on cold winter's day. "I want you to go to Castrin with Onyx to seek help. Let them help you. Guide you. I will be okay, Eros will be okay. But you have to be okay in order for everything to work out."

The village girl listened carefully, raising her hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. She dared not to utter a word, knowing she would never be okay as long as she was a possible Mind Siphon.

Her whole life was flipped upside down, maybe destined to stay that way. Dangers of all kind have threatened her, scratching and clawing at her skin, at her loved ones all in an effort to break her.

They didn't need to try. She was hurting, breaking before any of this happened.

She was wrecked and broken and absolutely lost with not hope to turn to.

But okay...maybe she would be one day.

Finally, clearing her throat Alesandria simply nodded and uttered. "Okay, I will go. Just not now" before curling herself in her mother's embrace, laying her head on her shoulder. The two broken heart laid on the floor, looking at nothing but the crumbling ceiling for their last shred of hope.

The wind rattled the mighty structures of the forest trees, rustling past evergreen leaves that coated the earth floor and past the debris of trash that littered the natural resources.

Crashes of the ocean nearby and the sounds of the sky birds crying out into the silent atmosphere broke through the morning sky, the Kingdom of Serius still dormant.

Onyx Ashrevion let herself wander through the forest, one hand rested on the head of her crafted sword and the other reaching up to tuck the delicate strands of hair that blew past her face.

Her footsteps echoed throughout the forest, her cloak rustling against the leaves on the forest floor. She let herself wander around mindlessly, letting her mind wander free and conjure up any thoughts without her walls rising up to push them all away.

Ever since the attack, something within her had evolved and her instincts had kicked into overdrive. She was wary, careful, taking in every single detail of everything that surrounded her. She watched people with ease, documenting their specific moves, their appearance, the poise in her mind.

She watched every single person that passed her with such curiosity, one would think she was staring at her admirer. The assassin couldn't bring herself to trust anyone anymore, not even Alesandria who had been too kind to her.

After relishing in the fact that she could have almost gotten herself killed in the attack and letting the fact that she could have ran out that door that day and save Parcia from a vicious assault sink through her bones, she couldn't even trust her own instincts, believing they have failed her as much as she had failed Alesandria and broken her promise to protect her.

Nearing a white oak tree with silver ash detailing, Onyx took a breath and let her back hit the rough exterior of the tree, her body sagging down in defeat and sorrow. Her black shoes were scratched from the endless rocky lands she had to track through to finally reach the forest and her bare knuckles were covered in mosquito bites and cuts from whittled branches.

A frustrated sigh left her lips, the unwelcoming sting of tears burning inside her eyes. Biting her lip, the assassin drew her knees to her chest and rested her chin against her knees, letting the tears just swim freely in her eyes.

Her mind was crashing, colliding with too many thoughts that made her heart ache and her mind numb, her fingers trembling with an unknown emotion and she let herself sink into her profound sorrow.

The forest was quiet around her, golden eyes taking in the scenery of snow-capped mountains that seemed miles away and endless creeks that flowed beside her feet. She took in the dusty leaves covered in dirt and blood and the grass, wet and fresh from morning dew.

A place where peace was supposed to reign wasn't truly peaceful, little hints of blood, anguish, and wars intertwining their way through the peaceful atmosphere.

The Mind Siphon was so drowned in her thoughts, so completely lost inside her whole mind that the slight pulling of the bond in her mind didn't disturb her, didn't move her until the irritating voice she didn't want to hear whispered inside her mind.

"Why such a glum face?" Rheynoak asked her through her thoughts, his voice not containing the humor she had been expecting. "The attack was a blood mess and Parcia and Alesandria nearly died but no need to blame yourself."

Frowning at his voice, Onyx sat up straighter, using her hand to wipe the first tears that streaked down her flushed cheeks. "Now is not the time to taunt me Rheynoak. I'm not in the mood" she spoke aloud even though she knew it wasn't necessary.

A laugh rang through her head, low and menacing and the tiny feeling of fingers grazing past her shoulder made her body twitch, jump with anxiety. "But you see, now is the perfect time. Now I can tell you how incredibly stupid you were to stay in this kingdom for that long."

"Rheynoak, I-"

"No, don't you dare interrupt me Onyx with one of your foolish excuses" he cut her off, his angry voice echoing like a thousand screams inside her too vast, too cluttered mind. "You see, we made a deal. A simple mission. Find her, bring her, or kill her. Easy and simple. Yet you had some other foolish plan intertwined in your own head to be the savior and protector and all this other foolishness and look what almost happened. She almost died."

A pause happened in between his words, his breath trickling down the mental bond between both of their minds and causing her to shiver, the feeling of cold ice tingling down her back.

"You almost died Onyx." His words seemed to send an invisible shock through her body, the tears in her eyes almost stopping as she took in what he had just whispered to her. His voice wasn't gritty with anger or mocking her with laughter. He sounded genuinely worried, truly and deeply.

That alone made her more on edge.

"Well I didn't" she whispered back, raising her hand again to wipe the tears away from her face. "Listen, the situation is so much more complicated. There is evil lurking in this kingdom and dangerous creatures. They all seem to be after Alesandria. I can't leave with her until I figure out what's going on with her and keep her safe from harm's way."

Onyx took a breath, relaxing her head against the bark of the tree she sat against. "Please, just give me more time. I promise, will keep her safe from harm's way and return back to the desert with her but one month isn't enough."

Another silence seemed to reign in between her words, her mind waiting for his answer. Her fingers shook with impatience, her lips quivering as her heart hammered against her wounded ribs, aching from the wounds she had received.

They would heal soon. Hopefully, at least.

Rheynoak let out another frustrated groan through their bond, the sound of something slamming against his desk being heard. The Siphon didn't dare ask what it was, knowing the tribe leader was impatient and on edge.

"I can't keep sticking my bare neck out for you Onyx just because you want to choose now to dig through your past and hers and uncover all the secrets of Serius" he informed her, the practical feeling of his impatience seeking down the bond. "There are others out there who are hunting for you both, who would die to sink their claws into your flesh. Those Black Magrus and all the other immortal that attacked you, they did it for a specific reason."

"They attacked me to get to Alesandria. I don't need that reminder. Trust me" the Siphon uttered back, picking at the dirt buried underneath her long, untrimmed nails.

"That's the surface lie. Underneath that is a truth you have yet to explore" the tribe leader whispered to her, shaking his head as he said so. "You have no idea who or what is chasing after you. That's why I need you to return quickly."

Another scoff left her lips. "So tell me Rheynoak. Tell me who or what is chasing after me and then maybe I will return back. Just tell me" she begged, running her fingers through my hair.

Still, silence reigned between them, a dead cold silence that sent a shiver down the bond that was connected between them, both magical beings feeling a tingle run down their spine. "I can't Onyx" he whispered to her finally. "I just can't."

Onyx sat there, underneath the tree. he let her fingers pick at the dead skin on her knuckles, keeping herself entertained. The tribe leader sighed once again. "One more month. I am adding one more month to the deal but that's it" he hissed at her. "Two months should be enough Onyx. I can't have you both in that kingdom for too long. I can't lose you both in that wretched kingdom."

The Mind Siphon nodded, looking down at her Ruge covered arm, her fingers tracing the delicate carving etched on her skin with black ink that didn't seem to smudge. The mark seemed too real like she had been born with it.

"Deal" she uttered back to him, curling her fingers back into her palm.

Rheynoak uttered something inaudible down the bond, words that the Siphon herself couldn't decipher as she let her arms fall to her knees, curling her fingers deep into her own skin. She didn't let herself think for too long, choosing to relax in the silence of the forest.

A white-eyed owl, quite rare in Serius soared its way through the sky, its light eye color shaming it from the night and choosing to embrace it in the sky. Wings of snow and night intertwined together to create a powerful weapon that sliced through the wind, guiding it freely.

The bird casted its gaze down towards her, flapping its wings in her direction. A cool breeze brushed past her flushed, tear-streaked face, a smile pulling at her lips.

"So, why did you choose the forest out of all places to run to?" the tribe leader asked as the bird made its way towards her. Her smile stretched further, letting her cheeks burn as she held her hand out as a safe landing slate.

Sharp claws dug into her flesh as the bird landed on her skin, curling its sharp talons into her practically indestructible skin. White snow eyes stared at her, curiously shifting from her golden eyes to her bruised knuckles, cooing at her.

Onyx smiled at the creature once more, using her other hand to stroke the soft feathers of the tiny bird. Her touch danced against the curve of the wings to the span, watching as the bird rustled its head, feather shedding off their body.

"The forest has always been my safe place" she explained, pulling the bird close to her chest. The bird rested its head on her chest, cooing at her once more. "It always spoke to me, listened, never judged me despite what I am."

Golden eyes admired the bird, soft touches caressing its body. "The forest is the mother I never had."

She didn't know if Rheynoak was listening anymore or just enjoyed hearing her agonizing story yet, either way, she didn't care. Her mind was drifting towards his betraying ways or how his words cut through her skin like knives. Her mind was far away from the feeling of disappointment that had dawned on her after the attack and had ran away from the abandoning feeling that crawled underneath her skin the first few years of her early life when she had to fight to get one bite of food in her mouth.

The forest her place, her warmth, her blanket and it refused to let her dwell on such painfully true events.

"How did you connect to the forest in the first place?" Rheynoak asked, startling her out of her trance. Her body jumped, her feet hitting the back of the tree as he spoke to her. The owl seemed to notice her frightened vibe, snuggling closer to her chest, its wings rising up to graze against her wrist.

Wetting her lips, Onyx sighed, relaxing her head against the bark of the tree. How could she not remember how she connected to her safe place? Even though it was a long time ago, every event was so clear as if she was back to that day once again, looking at the world through her once innocent eyes and appreciating the beauty of it instead of the darkness around her.

Wanting to tell her story and lift something from her chest, Onyx couldn't bring herself to. She simply couldn't open her heart to anyone, nonetheless Rheynoak and let them into her dwelling thoughts. She couldn't bring herself to let another person see what was buried inside of her soul and twist her to their advantage.

She simply couldn't bring herself to.

"That's a story for another time" she uttered back to him, outstretching her hand that held the bird. The White-Eye owl rustled its body once more, spreading its wings free. Its head perked up, seeming to listen to the wind that surrounded them.

Onyx let herself listen to, her ears listening to the ruffle of the bushes and the sounds of rough footsteps tiptoeing around the forest. Even though it was hard for her to hear properly through the high wind, her heightened sense of hearing made it easy for her to make the noise more distinctive.

"What's going on Onyx? I can feel you tense up?" Rheynoak asked, his voice laced with actual worry. The Siphon ignored him, letting her hand go immediately to the sword around her waist. The footsteps kept drawing closer, pawing through the ground and jumping through bushes.

Her heartbeat quickened, her feet scrambling to get up as she pulled herself up off the floor, looking around the forest, her safety blanket for the intruder. Trees stood tall, mighty protectors and branches gnarled together, whittled warriors as they too looked around the forest, the wind seeming to pick up as the noises grew closer.

The leaves began to rustle, picking up into a tornado that whispered against trees and echoed around the tree barks. Leaves whispered against her feet, dirt kicking into her face as she held herself and the owl close to her, her other hand holding the head of her sword in place.

"Onyx, can you hear me?"

No, no she couldn't. Her lips quivered, her sharp eyes looking around for an enemy she couldn't find. The wind seemed to be kicking up, roaring to the point where she was blinded by the amount leaves and dirt that kicked into her face.

Mother nature twirled around her foot, knocking her off her balance as she crashed down to the floor, her face digging into the dirt coating the earth ground. She could feel her fingers curling around the feather off the bird, taste the leaves, dirt, and blood in her mouth as nature took over, desperate to find the intruder as well.

It seemed to be forever when the wind died down and the rustle of the leaves stopped, leaving Onyx to lay down on the floor, her fingers digging into the dirt. When she looked over at her hand, she didn't see the White-Eye owl anymore, instead hearing it as it cried out into the air.

The Siphon turned around just in time to see the creature on the ground, looking over its shoulder to meet her eyes. It bowed its head down at her, eyes twinkling with a warning she couldn't decipher.

As graceful as the bird it was, it spread its wing free soared into the sky, leaving her alone in the forest with only her thoughts and the wind. 

A/N: And that is the end of another chapter! I am sorry for the wait. To be honest, I have been experiencing major writer's block for some reason and it took me some time to figure out the rest of this chapter.

Also, I never really plan the chapters, they just write themselves. I just proofread.

This chapter was a bit shorter than what I was going for but I really wanted a scene where you could see the interaction between Alesandria and her 'mother' Parcia and how they got along. Very different from what all of you would imagine.

This chapter wasn't as descriptive as I wanted it to be but I guess it will do for now. I will definitely go back and edit, adding some new stuff here and there before finalizing anything.

But the descriptions in this chapter I used are quite breathtaking in my opinion. Ahhhh, I owe everything to English Class. That writing prompts help kids!

Thank you guys for all your constant support. It means so much to me that you enjoy this book. I enjoy writing it and to hear your feedback always makes my day!

So tell me what your thoughts are on this chapter and don't forget to comment down below and vote if you liked it.

Until next time Lovelies!

With love, May