Tianna was standing with her arms crossed across her chest. She looked chic in a royal blue dress that hugged her figure to perfection. Tianna always looked classy. Selene often wondered if they were really related.

"Good morning, Aunt Tianna," Selene said politely.

Edith muttered a greeting of her own. She seemed less talkative for some reason. It was like she was less comfortable speaking around Tianna. She continued eating the cereal even though it had gotten soft and soggy.

"I see you've become acquainted with each other. That's good. We have a lot to discuss this morning." Tianna said.

"You mean I have a lot to explain," Edith said dryly. Her dark eyes were unreadable.

"I've never known a Necromancer to mince words," Tianna said smirking.

"We say things as they are. You do not understand my presence or how I know the things I do. You desire to know if I can be of any help to the Child of Black Day. Deceit is not in my nature. I shall tell you everything." Edith said.

Benjamin chose that moment to come into the kitchen. He looked extremely sleepy and tired. His hair was damp from the shower and his eyes were slightly red-rimmed. Selene had to stop the sinful thoughts on her mind from surfacing. He looked so hot.

"Looks like I'm the last one to get ready. I hope you didn't have to wait long." He rubbed his eyes tiredly. He didn't look like he'd slept much.

"I just got here as well. I can't wait to hear why and how Edith came here. It must be a fascinating story." Tianna said disappearing into the kitchen to bring more bowls.

Benjamin looked at Edith strangely—like she was a ticking time bomb or something. Selene wondered why her aunt and Benjamin kept acting strangely around Edith.

She didn't realize that the five-minute conversation with Edith had brought her closer to the younger, mysterious girl. She felt more comfortable with the girl than she'd ever felt around her aunt.

Tianna returned with two more bowls and spoons. She handed Benjamin one before sitting beside Selene. Benjamin didn't seem pleased but he took the last seat beside Edith. He looked at Selene who was already staring at him with an innocent, sweet look on her face. He wondered how it was possible for him to still be so confused about her feelings. One minute, she seemed distant and the next, she'd look at him like he was the most delicious thing she'd ever seen.

"So, Edith tell me. Why has a Necromancer decided to grace me with her presence? I thought you people find it unpleasant interacting with the human world." Tianna looked at Edith intensely.

Selene opened her mouth to say something about the rude way Tianna was speaking to Edith but Edith met her eyes before she could speak. The girl wanted to defend herself. She turned to look at Tianna.

"I prefer interacting with spirits but as you also know, Necromancers go wherever it is that we're needed or sent. I was sent to you." Edith shrugged off the intended harshness. She didn't seem to care if they wanted her presence or not.

"Why? How come you know so much about Selene?" Tianna demanded.

"I know because I have to know. I don't think I need to explain how Prophecies work to a Senser." Edith said bluntly.

"You can explain it for my benefit. I'm still new to this." Selene said quickly. She could sense her aunt was getting irritated. Edith didn't seem like the kind of person who'd like to explain what was obvious.

Edith looked ahead like she wasn't seeing any one of them anymore. Her eyes looked glassy and blank.

"It is my destiny to help you. My place is by your side. I cannot see any better way to explain it. I know things because I am meant to and I see things because it has been written several millennia ago." Edith said.

"Necromancers don't usually involve themselves in human worries," Benjamin said. Unlike Tianna, he didn't sound harsh; merely curious. He caught Selene staring at him again.

"We don't. But I was sent here to help. I don't know how or why. All I know is you need me and I will follow you until I fulfill my part in the Prophecy." Edith said.

"What possible help could you render? Why are you so eager to help, young Necromancer?" Tianna asked.

"I can help because Telepathers and Necromancers aren't so different. I am eager to help so justice would be served." Edith said mysteriously.

"How are they the same? Necromancers and Telepathers, I mean. I thought you see dead people and I'm supposed to be a mind controller." Selene blurted out before anyone could speak.

"Death and mind control are the two things humans fear the most. Neither of us will ever be accepted by the other magical beings in Rodia. People fear what they cannot understand. Only I can understand the discrimination and hatred you would face because of what you are." Edith said.

"Isn't that a bit much?" Benjamin offered weakly.

"It is not. You do not fear Selene because she is your Synergy but you still possess an in-born unease about her abilities. You fear her power but the overwhelming love and desire you feel for her overcomes that fear. Not many people have reason to love Selene as you do. Were you not taught of the Great Separation?" Edith demanded.

"Is it that thing where Telepathers stopped living with other magic users?" Selene asked.

"Yes. They were hated because they could not be controlled not because they were dangerous. Same with Necromancers. We do not choose to see death but we cannot change the fact that we do. I understand what it is to be hated because of what you are. Neither of you do." Edith said pointedly to Benjamin and Tianna.

"Hate is a strong word." Tianna raised an eyebrow.

"Strong but valid. I say things as they are. Sensers are valuable to the state and Magis are seen as supreme and important. Even though Necromancers work hard, we are not accepted because we do not see the world as you do. If Magis were not stronger than us, we'd have been sent away the way Telepathers were." Edith said coldly.

Tianna sighed. Benjamin looked uncomfortable.

"I do not blame you but none of you can understand or help Selene the way I would and you know it. We are wasting time talking about this when we have a bigger issue." Edith said.

"Issues or not, I have to be sure you are what you say you are. My allegiance is to Selene." Tianna said.

"Your allegiance is to your dead sister, Tabitha. You idolize and love that which is gone. You do not feel the same emotion towards Selene. You are protecting her because her mother asked you to not because you want to. She is merely the daughter of the woman you always wanted to be. Benjamin is the only one who protects her because it is his heart's desire and his place is by her side." Edith said quietly.

"That is not true! I care about Selene!" Tianna snapped. Selene noticed that her aunt didn't sound as certain as she should have.

"Perhaps. But you also fear what she is. You do not love her the way a mother should which I cannot blame you for." Edith turned away to look at Benjamin.

Benjamin met her eyes without flinching or blinking. He looked at her like she was an object of curiosity.

"You love because you have no choice. You desire but you are wary lest you get hurt. There are emotions you have bottled up like red wine." Edith said.

"Am I that easy to read, Edith?" Benjamin had a sad half-smile on his lips.

"No. You are guarded and intelligent. I can see this because I've seen the situations you have handled. You are hurt and you do not even know it yet. The pain you have been forced to watch and endure for years threatens to pull you in. In the bid to be understanding, you have forgotten to understand yourself." Edith rose from the table with her cat.

She disappeared from the dining and emerged a few minutes after wearing outdoor clothes. Selene stood up and followed her strange new friend to the door.

"Where are you going?" Selene asked innocently.

"I have said things that needed to be said a long time ago. I have stirred up tension. I need to be with the spirits for some time." Edith smiled at Selene before she left with her faithful cat.

Selene turned to look at her aunt and Benjamin. They both looked stricken and uncomfortable.

"I need to strengthen the wards around the house." Tianna avoided Selene's eyes.

Benjamin picked imaginary lint off his black shirt. He looked especially yummy to Selene that morning. He gave her an absentminded half-smile which managed to reach his eyes.

"Bad girl." She said aloud before she could start having illicit thoughts.

"Sorry?" Benjamin looked at her like she'd lost her mind.

"I was just humming. You look tired." Selene sat opposite him.

"I wasn't able to fall asleep until very late. Just one of those days." Benjamin said spooning some cereal into his mouth.

Selene tried not to look at him too much while he ate. She still felt a bit awkward around him and couldn't explain why.

"The more I hear about this Telepathy, the worse it seems." Selene sighed.

"Telepathy is a fantastic ability. I've never come across a Telepather but whenever I read about it, it sounds amazing." Benjamin said.

"An amazing ability that makes everyone hate you and want to hunt you down." Selene rolled her eyes.

"You'd be hated regardless of who or what you are. I'd rather be hated because I have that much power." Benjamin said.

Selene sighed. She tapped her chin with a worried look on her face. She couldn't help but worry about all the other things she'd found out recently.

They all said she was a Telepather with amazing magical abilities but she couldn't seem to remember even the littlest details. She couldn't even remember how her mother had been killed.

The worst part of the whole business wasn't even the fact that she had powers that everyone seemed scared of. The worst part was the fact that a crazy woman was trying to kill her because of some past grudge.

The woman had succeeded in murdering her mother in the most brutal way possible and she had sent those creepy beasts to bring Selene back.

Why did the woman seem so interested in her?

Why did she want to kill her just because she was born?

She didn't even know her father and could barely remember her mother. Selene couldn't help but feel like there were things her aunt and Benjamin still hadn't told her about the whole business. There was so much she was supposed to know that she didn't.

Selene knew that the easiest way to defeat an opponent was by using their ignorance. The woman knew so much about her already while Selene didn't even know what she looked like.

Everyone around her was in danger. Her aunt, Benjamin, Edith....everyone.

Edith had even said Tianna didn't love her. She just wanted to satisfy her dead sister's wish. She'd always felt like she was a burden to her aunt.

Selene knew her aunt would have had a more fulfilled life if she hadn't been in the picture. The phone call Tianna had received from her mother before she left for camp proved that. Her grandmother had told her aunt to poison and kill her. She'd even mentioned a man her aunt had probably been in love with.

Selene had seen many men hit on Tianna. Her aunt had even dated some of them out of curiosity but the minute they found out about Selene, they all ran off to the hills.

They didn't like the idea of dating a single parent even though Selene wasn't technically her daughter.

It was the same case with Benjamin. He was powerful and handsome yet he was risking it all to help her because of some stupid Synergy bond. He had his whole life ahead of him but he could die because he kept trying to help her.

The woman who was after her obviously meant business. Just because she didn't succeed didn't mean she would stop trying.

So far, the only thing they'd all succeeded in doing was telling her she had power but couldn't remember anything useful. Benjamin hadn't even been able to draw out her power despite the invasive way he'd kissed her.

The more she thought about it, the most hopeless she felt. She didn't feel like she really had anything to fight for and she didn't feel exceptional in any way.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Benjamin's voice broke into her melancholic thoughts.

She looked at him for a while, feeling like she couldn't even see him. Suddenly, something Edith mentioned earlier flashed into her mind while she was speaking about her connection with Dusk.

"Is there any way we can sever the Synergy bond between us?" Selene asked.

#M.M💀🖤