Chapter 32: The weird voice

"Elliana,"

Elliana heard a soft voice. It almost felt like someone was breathing in her ears. The voice was so cold and devoid of emotions that a creep ran down her spine.

"Stop it," Elliana mumbled, wanting to sleep.

"Elliana," the voice came again, and Elliana groaned before opening her eyes.

She turned her head to see if Mr. Marino was there, but when she didn't find him, her confusion grew even more.

His side of the bed was cold. It means he hasn't even returned to the room to sleep.

"Elliana," she heard again.

Elliana looked around the room, feeling a bit weirded out now.

There was no one in the room. How come she is hearing this voice in her head? What kind of -

"Come to me," The voice said, and Elliana climbed further back into the bed, bringing her legs closer to her body.

There is no way she would act like those useless heroines in the movie who follow the voice despite knowing something sinister is waiting for them at the end.

Elliana looked around for a few seconds, and when the voice didn't come again, she closed her eyes.

It's better to wait for Mr. Marino to arrive before returning to sleep. She placed her head on her knees with her hands extended in front of her.

"Elliana, come to me," the voice came after a few minutes, and Elliana's eyes flew wide open.

This can't be a hoax only.

"Who is it? What do you want from me?" Elliana shouted, hoping no one would reply. However, her hopes came crashing down when the voice replied.

"I am you. Don't you remember me? We have met before too,"

"That day near the forest when your hand was starting to absorb the negative energies of that lake, I was there to save you. Wasn't I?"

The voice said again, and Elliana looked at her palm instinctively. Just like she had thought, there was a faint glow in the center of her palm.

A dirty black-colored glow. It was hard to see in the dark room, but Elliana could see it. She has no idea why the hell these glows in her hand change colors repeatedly.

The more time passes, the more mysterious it becomes.

It was funny how no one could see it, or that was what she knew.

It's almost like this glow is only for her.

"Do you remember now?" The voice came again, bringing Elliana out of her thoughts, and Elliana looked ahead before scoffing.

"I only remember the important things. You say you are me. How is that possible? How can I talk to myself? This is absurd," Elliana said, and as soon as she completed her words, the glow in her hand spread across her hand, and it looked like her hand was almost burning from some black flame.

Elliana looked at her hand in horror. Her entire body trembled with fear. Cold sweat beads appeared on her forehead. This isn't true. Nothing of what is happening is real. This can't happen. It's just a weird dream.

She coaxed herself to get her mind to calm down. The more she panicked, the more intense those weird heatless flames became.

It was almost like they were feeding off her fear and anxiousness, like some demonic power within herself that was feeding off her own self.

Elliana gulped and looked at the door in hopes. She needed to call someone. Maybe if someone would be here with her, this would calm her down. It always happens like that in movies, no? In fact, her glow dims most of the time when someone else is near her. This might work on this weird dark energy too.

Elliana took a deep breath before shouting with all her might. "Mr. Marino! Miss Zoya!" She screamed the loudest she could, and anyone in the entire palace would've heard it. The only problem was, no voice came out of her mouth.

Even when she used all her energy and force to scream, it was as if she had gone mute. No words or voice came from her mouth like her vocal cords weren't there.

What is happening? How is it even possible? Is it normal for people who unlock their chakra potential to have these weird things happening to them?

Terrified, Elliana placed her foot down from the bed, her entire body shaking from fear. She clenched her eyes to stop the tears from flowing out and give this negative energy more power.

Mr. Marino! Elliana wanted to yell, but it was of no use.

"Elliana, come to me," The voice repeated like a broken record, and Elliana bit her lower lip in anguish and frustration.

"What the hell do you want?! Why are you doing this to me?!" Elliana shouted. This time she was able to speak.

Does that mean she can only speak to this voice now? The realization scared Elliana even more.

"What do I want? Who am I? Why am I doing this? All these will be answered if you come to me. If you accept me," The voice said.

Every question will be answered if she goes with the voice. Go where? This is obviously a trap. A trap to lure her in and play whatever sick game it was. But did Elliana have a choice against it?

It didn't look like a dream anymore. It looked like her reality. What would really happen if she didn't follow the voice? Will she never be able to speak again? For once in her life, she had finally thought that she might find a chance at happiness, but that doesn't look like the case anymore.

The heavens won't let her be happy, no? They always find a way to torment her in one way or another. Only some lucky people get their chakra potential under control? She was the lucky one?

What the hell should she do with this kind of luck? The luck that was ruining her today.

"I am not the bad guy here, Elliana. I am the good side, the good side of you that wants you to live your life happily and unravel your secrets that should've been unraveled long ago. Accept me, Elliana," the voice said, and suddenly out of nowhere, Elliana felt like someone was walking towards her.

That someone didn't have any form. It was invisible, but it was there. Elliana could feel the essence of it.

Elliana clenched her eyes shut, expecting the worst.

"No. Please don't hurt me. I want to live. Please. I want to find out who my mom is. I beg of you," Elliana mumbled softly, and the presence she felt suddenly stopped in front of her.

A few seconds passed, and a scream almost left Elliana's mouth when she suddenly felt someone holding her hand.

"Aaa! Go away! Please!" Elliana shouted in fear, and she heard soft breathing.

"I will never hurt you, my love. Can a soul kill her body? Is that even possible? I just want you to accept me and stop forcing me down. I was meant to be a part of this world long ago, but you have always kept me on a leash. I want you to let go. Come to me and accept me, Elliana," the voice said, and Elliana's heart started drumming in her chest.

It was pounding so loudly that she could hear the sound in her ears. Heat crept up to her head, and she almost felt dizzy. The silence in the room was deafening.

Nothing this voice was saying made sense to Elliana. She was speaking their language, but it almost appeared foreign because she couldn't understand the meaning behind it.

She kept the voice on the leash. She is forcing her down. How is any of it possible?

"Will you let me go, Elliana?" The voice asked, and Elliana looked down towards her lap, her eyes widening slightly and tears brimming to her eyes when she saw that the voice was finally forming a face. A face that was too familiar to her.

A rogue tear rolled down her cheeks. The voice was none other than the child version of Elliana.

"Please let me go and accept me. Stop forcing me down. Let me see the world," The voice said, and Elliana gulped before a sob broke out from within her.

The child inside her wanted to be let out. She wanted to live the world, the world that she should've lived at her age, but couldn't because of the restrictions.

To ensure she can live a long life until she finds her biological mom, Elliana suppressed the child inside her and turned a blind eye to all her desires. She became a robot that only took orders from the elders and did whatever they asked her, even if it meant getting almost molested.

As Elliana looked into the eyes of her child self, she cried, covering her face with her hands as it was becoming hard to face herself now. It was becoming unbearable for her to control her pent-up emotions.

It was after a really long time she was crying like this, and the more she looked into the innocent hopeful eyes of her child self, the more pathetic she felt.

She was good to everyone in this world. She respected everyone she crossed paths with because that's what she had become. The only person she has done wrong with was herself.

She never respected herself. It was always about putting others' wishes above hers. She never cared for her. It was always about catering to others. Elliana hated what she had become under her stepmom's guidance.

She was a puppet. A puppet that they were still using even after she thought the marriage had freed her and cut off those strings.

"I am sorry. Please forgive me. I couldn't recognize you. For all the time I was wrong with you, please forgive me," Elliana let out another sob, and her child self stood from her place and hugged her.

Elliana hugged the voice as tightly as she could. It was probably a dream only, but she wanted to hug herself and tell her it was okay. It was okay to be hurt and cry sometimes. That happiness isn't too far anymore. That they were reaching their destination.

"You did well, Elliana. I am proud of you. You are one of the strongest people I have ever known. It's time for you to unleash me now. Let me live and breathe," the voice said, and Elliana nodded.

"You are right. I should. I accept you, my child self. Let me come to you, and you come to me. Merge into me," Elliana said, feeling emotional.

However, as soon as she said that, the voice she had been talking to started reforming.

Elliana looked at the shadow in horror as it started getting bigger and bigger. The bigger it grew, the more it glowed. It almost looked like a large ball of mixed colors.

It was so beautiful and ethereal that it almost scared Elliana.

"Thank you, my girl. It wasn't so tough now, was it?" The voice immediately changed to that of an elderly woman, and Elliana crawled back into the bed.

Her body trembled with fear again, and she dashed towards the door.

"Not so soon, my love," The voice said, and Elliana felt her body being lifted in the air.

"Aaaaaaaa!" Elliana screamed, and this time a voice indeed came out of her mouth.