"What will it be, child? Your synergy or your friend?" Herbert asked with a huge smile on his face.

Selene could hear her heart beating fast. The sound of Edith screaming in pain as the rocks continually crushed her was almost too much to bear. She watched at her friend bleed as the rocks piled up on her thin body, one after the other.

Selene glanced at Benjamin who was kneeling. He wasn't screaming like Edith but she could tell he was in intense pain.

"Tick tock goes the clock! You can still save one of them! Or should I begin to list the pros and cons?" Herbert asked.

Selene couldn't stand the sound of his merry voice. She knew there was no point running towards him. He'd just flick her away with his fingers.

"Just think about it. Who do you love more? It shouldn't be so hard." Herbert chuckled.

Benjamin's breath sounded shallow. His golden eyes looked dull. She could tell he wouldn't be able to hold on much longer. Edith's forehead was starting to bleed.

Herbert kept laughing happily despite how much pain he was inflicting on her friends. The last straw was when Benjamin let out a low moan.

Selene felt her blood boil. All of the pain her friends were suffering was because of her. She couldn't let anyone else die because of her.

She stretched her hands towards the other Telepathers who were watching the encounter with great interest. Some of them made a startled sound when they saw her eyes had become completely black.

Herbert was too busy laughing to notice what she was doing until it was too late to stop her.

A high pitched woman's scream filled the air. It was the woman who had been wearing red robes the previous night.

Herbert froze and turned around when he heard her scream.

"Anne!" Herbert gasped.

Anne's eyes were shut tightly as she screamed in pain. Her face was almost as red as the robes she had on her body.

The other Telepathers made a move to stop Selene.

"If you touch me, I'll kill her." Selene's voice sounded deeper than it usually did.

She turned to Herbert. Her completely black eyes looked more menacing than Edith's eyeshadow.

"Release my friends or I will kill the woman you desire!" Selene shouted.

She expected all kinds of reactions from Herbert—anger, fear, disgust. She expected him to attack her as well.

She didn't expect his lips to curl up in a beautiful sincere smile. He clapped his hands twice.

The floor Selene was standing on suddenly split open. As she fell through the passage, she tried to hold onto something but her hands were too sweaty.

Selene fell into a stone chair which tied her down at once. She struggled against the bonds, cutting her wrist in several places.

"It's best if you just relax. You won't achieve anything by fighting." Herbert smiles at her.

"You monster! Let me go! Let me go!" Selene shouted.

"So much passion and youth. You remind me of myself when I was younger." Herbert said.

"I'm nothing like you!" Selene snapped.

Herbert chuckled darkly. He folded his arms across his chest watching her snap and spit at him.

"Indeed? Why did you attack Anne? I'm curious." He asked.

"I don't have to tell you anything!" Selene said.

"So much anger. I'd rather not force you to tell me what I need to know, child. You wouldn't want me to get displeased, would you?" Herbert asked.

Selene shivered despite the anger she felt. She knew she was no match for Herbert who was the leader of the Brethren. If he decided to use his powers on her, she might never recover.

"I attacked her because you attacked my friend and my synergy." Selene glared at him.

"Yes but why Anne in particular? Why not any of the other Telepathers?" Herbert probed.

Selene pouted, refusing to answer.

"I'm waiting for an answer, child." Herbert smiled.

"Fine! I attacked her because you have feelings for her." Selene said angrily.

"And how did you know about these alleged feelings? You've been in my castle for less than 48 hours." Herbert raised an eyebrow.

Selene rolled her eyes.
"It was obvious to me. Last night, you kept looking at her when everyone was laughing." She said.

"And so?" Herbert asked.

"It's psychology. If you want to know who likes who in a large group, just look at them to see who they're looking at when they're laughing." Selene said in a bored voice.

Herbert rubbed his bearded chin.
"Is that so?" He asked.

"Yes. I can also tell she is undecided about her feelings. I'm guessing the difference in your ranks makes her somewhat uneasy." Selene snapped.

Herbert listened to her speak with a huge grin on his face. He began to clap loudly. Selene began to doubt his sanity.

"Yet you believe we aren't the same. You used Anne as an end to justify a means. I used your friends to justify my means. You're a smart girl. Let go of your anger and look at things logically." Herbert tutted.

Selene felt her rage boiling through her but she had to force it back. The easygoing way he spoke made some of her anger fade. She tried to understand what Herbert was saying.

The logical part of her brain which wasn't overcome by rage understood that no matter how angry she was, she couldn't fight with Herbert and win. He'd crush her like a bug in seconds.

"What possible means could you have for attacking my synergy? How can you justify attacking my friend?" Selene said through clenched teeth.

"How familiar are you with Eagles and how they train their little ones to fly?" Herbert asked.

Selene started suspecting the man had lost his sanity. She struggled against her bonds but she only succeeded in bruising her wrist.

"Well?" Herbert probed.

"What does this have to do with anything? You attacked my companions and you're asking me how much I know about bloody eagles!" Selene snapped.

Herbert chuckled.
"Your anger, while justified would not get you anywhere. I won't ask again, child." He said in a voice that commanded respect.

Selene glared at him.
"I know their mothers take away the comfort in the nest then push them out. They allow their eaglets fall but catch them several times until they eventually learn how to spread their wings and fly." She said finally.

Herbert grinned at her.
"Quite harsh, wouldn't you agree?" He asked.

"It's necessary. An eagle must learn how to soar." Selene raised her eyebrows at him.

"The same way it is necessary for an eaglet to be dropped severally till it learns how to soar is the same way it was necessary for me to attack your friends so you would be forced to use the powers you have insisted on rejecting." Herbert said logically.

"What?" Selene couldn't believe her ears.

"You are a Telepather thus you can be likened to an eagle in the sky. You were not born to grovel like other birds. You are meant to be the ruler of the skies. You cannot reject your birth right regardless of whatever might have happened." Herbert said.

"You could have attacked me instead. You didn't need to attack my friends. They suffered because of you! That wasn't fair!" Selene accused.

"Life isn't fair. When the first Selene was attack by over a million magic users, none of them consider fair or what was right. They would have killed her and wouldn't have felt pity. You wouldn't have fought back if I had attacked you. I attacked your friends because that was the only way I could decide if you were worthy." Herbert said.

"What would have happened if I hadn't fought Anne? What would you have done if I had chosen Edith or maybe Benjamin?" Selene asked.

"I would have killed you. Your carcass would be sm excellent meal for the birds of prey. A dead eagle is better than one which refuses to soar even though it can." Herbert said without hesitating.

"You're crazy!" Selene shook her head.

"Perhaps. I've been alive for more years than you can imagine. You desire a world where everything is fair but you cannot have that. Your mind cannot even begin to comprehend the evil which you shall face on Black Day. You would beg me to kill you if you could see a shadow of what you must face." Herbert said.

Selene swallowed what was left of her anger. She remembered the things that had attacked and killed her mother. She remembered her aunt's screams of pain.

"How much do you know about the Prophecy? How much do you know about me?" Selene asked.

"I know enough. You cannot proceed without my help anymore than you can without your friends. You require my knowledge and guidance otherwise, you are as good as dead. The only question is if you'd hold onto your silly grudge or if you're willing to learn under me and avenge your mother's death." Herbert asked.

"How much help can you offer?" Selene asked suspiciously.

"I can offer you the knowledge you need. I can teach you how to use your powers. I can teach you the secret behind Telepathy. Without that, you are a dead eagle. Your choice." Herbert said shrugging.

Selene didn't reply immediately. She knew that the woman who had sent her messengers to attack her wouldn't stop. Selene had only survived that long due to the sacrifices her kin had made.

She had to defend herself. There was so much she didn't know which made her vulnerable. She had to let go of her grudge if she wanted to know more.

"I'm willing to learn. Teach me all what you know." Selene said finally.

Herbert grinned at her.
"A wise choice. We shall begin at noon."

***************************************************************

Selene sat opposite Herbert in his private study feeling uneasy.

She had seen what he had done to Edith and Benjamin. Edith's wounds were merely physical but Benjamin was broken. She hated seeing him look so helpless and weak. His golden eyes were pale and redrimmed. Selene couldn't even imagine what his worst nightmare was.

She'd had to leave him in the infirmary so she could begin her lecture with Herbert. She felt a lot of resentment towards the man but she knew she had to put her emotions aside for once.

"I'm sure by now you know that Telepathy is the strongest form of magic in entire province." Herbert said.

"I've heard it enough times for it to stick." Selene mumbled.

"Yes. But can you tell me why?" He asked.

"Why what?"

"Why it is the strongest form of magic."

Selene leaned back in her chair. She'd been expecting an action packed lesson, very similar to how he'd attacked Benjamin and Edith. She was a bit disappointed.

Herbert chuckled at the expression on her face.

"Well, child? I'm waiting for an answer. You've experienced the power of Telepathy. You can even use Telekinesis which is quite rare for someone your age." He prompted. Selene didn't bother asking how he knew she could use Telekinesis since the man seemed to know everything.

Selene played with her robes while she thought. For some reason, her head felt completely blank.

"I'm not sure." She sighed.

"You lack the confidence of a Telepather. Think." Herbert said with said an eyebrow raised.

Selene tried to think. The distant sound of human voices seemed alien to her while she sat in the room alone with Herbert. Eventually, she was able to gather her thoughts.

"It's because it has to do with mind control." Selene said finally.

Herbert drummed his long fingers on his desk.
"You are like an eagle who got separated from its parents. You look like an eagle, you think like an eagle but you do not behave like one. You have so much potential, child. It's a pity we do not have the time to train your body and mind." He sighed.

Herbert looked at Selene for a while. He seemed to have forgotten she was even in the room.

"You are right. Telepathy is strong because it has to do with mind control." he said.

"But why? Why is it so strong?" Selene asked.

"Can you tell me what you did to Anne when I attacked your synergy?" Herbert asked.

Selene pulled at her hair. She felt a bit uncomfortable with what she had done to the woman.

"I tapped into her pain receptors and created an illusion that she was being burnt alive so she could feel pain even though she wasn't. I'm not sure how I knew what to do. I just did." Selene sighed.

"Indeed. You see, all other forms of magic are manifested outside the human body. Magis conjure using the energy around them and sometimes their life force and Necromancers use the power of death. While all these forms of magic are strong, nothing can beat the magic of the mind and brain." Herbert said.

"I still don't understand why Telepathy is so strong." Selene sighed.

Herbert sighed, looking disappointed.
"Child, I assume you did a bit of biology in your earlier days. The brain is perhaps the most important organ in the human body. It's basically like a control unit which tells other parts what to do—like a commander in the army."

"I remember that." Selene nodded.

"Picture it like this. If you want to crush and dominate a province, the easiest way to do that is to attach yourself to their leader. If you control the leader, you control the people. Thus is the case for Telepathy." Herbert said.

"And there I was thinking Telepathy just involved communicating with the mind."

Herbert threw back his head as he laughed.

"That is a misnomer—a smokescreen to ensure that no one really understands the extent of our power. You control your enemies by attacking their mind. You can either attack their physical bodies or attack them by showing them their deepest fear or pain. You can control them without speaking and twist anybody to your will. In the past, we were often referred to as brain washers. Many were and are still wary of us." Herbert said.

"I can see why! Telepathy sounds awful and dangerous. It's a power that can be easily abused." Selene said frowning.

"Ah, you are right. Humans have been known to abuse any form of power they wield over another. However, Telepathers are a bit like Necromancers—misunderstood and judged. While there have been some who have gone rouge, majority of those born with the power aren't comfortable with using it on others." Herbert said.

"You used it on my friends. I used it on Anne." Selene pointed out.

"While that is true, I'll remind you that we were in battle. All is fair in love and war. Would you be comfortable with using your powers to harm your synergy?" Herbert asked.

"No."

"Most Telepathers share that same thoughts. Although we do not completely detach ourselves from the physical world like Necromancers, we feel the pain of being judged. We desire love but we cannot receive it due to fear. You understand how that feels." Herbert said.

"I do." Selene remembered how her grandparents had referred to her as a 'demon child'.

"With great power comes great responsibility. But that is not the point. I'm not here to tell you about how dangerous your power is because you already know. I'm here to tell you that even a power such as Telepathy has great limitations." Herbert said.

"It does?" Selene blinked.

"It's kind of like being a burglar. There are houses you'd visit with little security and others with maximum security. While it is rare for a mind to completely resist Telepathy, it is difficult to penetrate a strong mind." Herbert said.

"You attacked Benjamin and you said his mind was strong."

"I attacked him with his greatest pain and resentment: his love for you. I observed the tension between you two the way you observed my desire for Anne. I was able to exploit it and I sealed off his ability to use his magic to defend himself. He resents the relationship you had with his stepbrother and believes a part of you still loves him. I was able to use that pain despite how much he'd tried to mask it. It takes years to understand the human mind. You do not have years." Herbert said sadly.

"Then teach me what I need to survive."

"The first step to breaking a human mind is by understanding it. Just as people differ, minds differ. You must understand who they are and why they behave the way they do. You can do this by tracing their history. Once you understand a human mind, controlling it is easier than bending a man who loves you to your will." Herbert said.

"So basically, I have to understand the mind to be able to fuck with it." Selene nodded.

"Not the words I'd use but yes. With your power, you could train for a year or two and be able to control any mind but like I said you do not have much time."

"Time is always the problem. Time and knowledge. There's so much I don't know. I don't even know the words of the Prophecy that relate to me." Selene sighed.

"You can learn by going to the beginning, rather than starting at the end. Strip the mind you desire and then crush it at its core."

Selene nodded even though she didn't fully understand.

"I guess I'd better get started tomorrow. I'm hoping your power would have lost effect on my synergy by then." Selene glared at him.

Herbert laughed.
"Certainly. I only hope you never forget how much pain I inflicted on him by using his emotions. His love might be a blessing to you but it's a curse to him. Being considerate is very important. It is difficult to love and hate someone at the same time." He said.

Selene blushed and nodded.
"One last thing. Can you tell me why Telekinesis is so hard for most Telepathers?"

"Just the same way humans have brain that control everything, inanimate objects possess a core. Most people think rocks and wood have no life but they're mistaken. It takes a lot of discipline to understand this extreme form of Telepathy. You have done it before without understanding and you can do it again." Herbert said.

Selene chewed her lips and nodded.

"You know what you need to do, child."

"Yes. I'll be leaving the castle at dawn. I'll need directions to the place it all began." Selene nodded.

Herbert smiled at her.
"You are indeed worthy."

#M.M💀🖤