章節 21: The Prophecy
***Warning*** There are mentions of suicide and some other things in this chapter, so if you're not comfortable or will get triggered by it, please be entirely sure before you proceed to read this chapter. I'll mark it out with (*****TRIGGER WARNING*****) and (*****END*****) so you can skip the parts that are potentially triggering. Read at your own risk I have warned you so please don't complain that I rated the book wrongly or I didn't warn you.
Lillian's and Liz's eyes widened.
(Lillian) "I'm sorry to hear that. But can I ask… how did he kill her?"
Liana shook her head.
(Liana) "He wasn't directly responsible for her death. However, he was the root of it all."
She lowered her head, gathering her thoughts. Lillian and Liz gave her the silence she needed to think. When she looked up again, her eyes glistened, but she took a deep breath before releasing it.
(Liana) "I had just turned twelve, and we were playing just outside the palace walls. By that time, I had already started taking combat lessons along with training my magic. For that reason, there weren't as many guards around me, as I wanted to be more independent and my parents also thought it would be good for me. I regretted asking my parents to lower the guards, and I still do, as it could have prevented everything from even happening."
*********TRIGGER WARNING***********
She paused for a few seconds before continuing,
(Liana) "It happened so suddenly. One moment we were just laughing together, the next—"
She inhaled shakily and Lillian moved over to sit beside her before grabbing Liana's hand and squeezing it comfortingly. Liana smiled gratefully at her before continuing,
(Liana) "The next moment she was being dragged away by men dressed in black. In the middle of the day. The Royal Guards searched and searched for her, until a few months later I was almost giving up hope of ever seeing her again. I had gone out hoping to hear something, some clue of where she was taken. This time I took double the initial number of guards with me. I don't know how it happened, but we found a warehouse, and she was tied up to a chair in the middle of it. It was protected by a few guards, but my guards made quick work of them. I had finally found her."
Tears welled in her eyes but Liana swallowed and continued.
(Liana) "I will never forget how she looked when we found her. She was unconscious and naked, covered in wounds and bruises. There was almost no skin on her body left untouched. We brought her back to the castle and I healed her, all her wounds, even the few internal wounds she had gotten. When she woke up, she started crying so hard, saying she thought we would never find her. Weeks passed, and she was recovering mentally, as her physical wounds had all been healed. Or so I thought. She had elected to just stay in the castle, and she was assigned a room close to mine. One night I went out of my room as I couldn't sleep, and as I passed her room, I heard noises coming from her room. I knocked lightly, but she didn't respond, so I went in. It was then that I discovered one of my skills."
She stopped and looked at Lillian.
(Liana) "I'm sorry I pretended to completely not know about skills. I knew I had them, but I wasn't too sure of exactly what it was. When you explained it to me, I immediately knew it was that. There are a few more things I kept from you but for now… I can see peoples' dreams, or what they see when they're sleeping."
She turned to Liz.
(Liana) "The reason I knew what to do was because I had done it before. Emily was dreaming of something that had happened to her while she was captured."
She turned back to see Lillian's face paler than usual. Giving her a small but pained smile, Liana looked back at her lap.
(Liana) "I say it was Drew's fault because he was the one who asked the Gang to take Emily. He was the one who tortured her. Or at least contributed to a lot of it. He was also the one who suggested they…"
She broke off. She gathered herself for a few moments, Lillian still holding her hand comfortingly, though now rubbing her thumbs against the back of Liana's hands.
(Liana) "Although I say it was Drew's fault… I also know I could have stopped it. I could have prevented it. Those dreams went on for a few weeks after that. Every night, I would help her out of it. I wasn't sure how much I helped… and I found out just how much, or how much I didn't help, one morning when I went over to her room to check on her."
Her voice broke as she finished her last sentence, tears welling in her eyes.
(Liana) "She was lying on her blood-soaked bed with a knife in her hand, a slit on her neck, and a note on the table next to the bed."
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The tears welled in her eyes now flowed freely down her cheeks. Lillian moved and wrapped her arms around her.
(Lillian) "I'm so sorry."
Liz wanted to get up as well but knew she wouldn't be able to help as much as her sister. Liana buried her face in Lillian's neck as she sobbed silently. After a few minutes, Liana's body relaxed but she kept her face buried in Lillian's shoulder as she regained her breathing rhythm. A few more minutes passed and her breathing was finally back to normal. She sat up slowly, keeping her head down.
(Liana) "I'm sorry, I—"
(Lillian) "Shh… It's not your fault. It's alright."
All three girls knew the second meaning behind those words.
(Liz) "Lil is right. There's no way you could have known."
Liana shook her head, her eyes on her legs which were folded under her. Apparently, she had moved them, but wasn't aware of it. She looked at Liz, sitting across from her and half-smiled.
(Liana) "I think you've figured it out by now, but I can read emotions too."
Liz smiled gently; Lillian quiet but had a reassuring hand on Liana's the whole time.
(Liz) "I know. But I still hold to my statement. There's no way you could have known it was that bad. Even if you did, there's not much you could have done either."
Her face becomes serious as she asks her next question.
(Liz) "Do you trust me?"
Liana frowned slightly but nodded her head in affirmation. Liz looked into her eyes for a few seconds before Lillian stood up and Liz moved over to take her place. Lifting her hand to caress Liana's cheek, she looked into her eyes and brought her forehead to touch Liana's, maintaining eye contact the whole time. She closed her eyes halfway and her hand on Liana's face started glowing.
*
Lillian had moved to stand beside the couch Liana was sitting on and now she frowned at Liz's actions.
(Lillian's thoughts) 'What is she doing? She doesn't have to…'
A strange emotion passed over her expression but it disappeared as soon as it arrived.
*
A few more seconds passed and Liz's hand stopped glowing as she sat up straight with a grin on her face. On Liana's face was an exact copy of her expression, except with dried tears on her cheeks. Liz turned her head and met Lillian's gaze before nodding almost imperceptibly before shifting off the bed and standing beside Liana. Lillian moved to sit in front of Liana and as she cupped Liana's cheek with her hand, the tear streaks on Liana's face disappeared. Liana was still grinning, though it had softened a little. Her eyes half closed as Lillian's thumb stroked her cheek.
(Lillian) "Feeling better?"
(Liana's thoughts) 'Why do I kinda—'
Lillian dropped her hand to her lap but kept her gaze on Liana.
(Liana) "Yes, but how—"
(Lillian) "Liz's skill is like yours, just that she's able to control the other person's emotions as well."
Liana's eyes still showed hints of confusion but she merely nodded. Lillian sighed and said softly,
(Lillian) "You don't need to tell us the other things if you're not completely comfortable. It can wait."
Liana smiled gratefully but shook her head.
(Liana) "I said I was going to tell you, and I intend to keep my word."
Lillian nodded slowly, still unsure.
(Liz, through mind-link to Lillian) "She'll be fine."
Lillian trusted her sister fully and relaxed when she heard her assurances. She sat back down on her original seat and Liz did the same. They both were silent as they waited for Liana to gather her thoughts. Liana kept her gaze on her lap for a few minutes before finally looking up, determination burning in her eyes.
(Liana) "Lillian, you remember just before we came here you were shocked that I could see the wolf?"
Lillian's eyes widened. Liana smiled guiltily as she said,
(Liana) "I already knew, I guess, when I saw it. I only asked to see whether you'd tell me about it. When I was born with the Mark of the Dragon, my parents immediately tried to find the whole version of the prophecy, but we only had half of it."
She smiled strangely.
(Liana) "I'm sure you also know about it?"
Lillian was frowning by now but she nodded slowly. Liz was quiet, though she had a confused look on her face.
(Liana) "I'm guessing you have the other half. From what my parents knew of the prophecy and the half that we had, I was to meet a girl with the Mark of the Wolf. When I saw the wolf, I was shocked. I wasn't sure whether you were the person I was supposed to meet."
Lillian had an unreadable expression on her face and Liana took a breath as she continued.
(Liana) "Because of the mark, since I was young, I've had training in beast taming, along with my magic training. Although the Fire Queen was a Master of Elements, the prophecy stated that the one with the Dragon Mark was to be a Master of Beasts. My parents trusted it and trained me accordingly. But, just in case, they made sure to train me in anything else I'd need."
She paused, thinking.
(Liana) "They told me that when I found the one with the mark of the wolf, I would know immediately, or that's what they thought from the prophecy. That's why I was unsure. I've always been able to understand any creature, and they seemed to understand me as well, so the training was easy."
Liana looked Lillian in the eye.
(Liana) "When I saw you in your wolf form, I immediately knew it was you, and not only because Liz was protecting you. When we made eye contact, the bond was half-formed. I'm guessing I need to be in dragon form for it to be fully formed."
She paused, remembering the feelings she had when she saw Lillian in her wolf form for the first time.
(Liana) "I remember the thoughts running through my head, and one of the things I thought at that moment was that even though you were pinned to the ground, I knew that it was because you let them pin you and not because you weren't strong enough to get out."
She smiles at her lap as she continues,
(Liana) "If you were in any danger, I don't think I'd have been playing around like I was. When I fought with them, I fought to defeat them, but just mainly to show you how much I'd progressed. And to show you that I'd be a worthy companion. Although my parents did have me go through some combat lessons, it was only the basics, as I always had my magic."
Lillian was quiet for a few minutes, the room silent but not uncomfortable. Liz felt like she wasn't supposed to be in the room as they were talking about things that only mattered to the two of them for now. She had heard Lillian and her parents talk about it before they passed, but it was very vague in her memories. Lillian never talked about it again after they died in battle, but Liz knew, or rather felt that her sister thought about it often.
*
Liana looked up when Lillian finally responded.
(Lillian) "My parents told me what they knew about it. I was confused at first, but they gave me some records of how it ended up that I was the descendant and it explained things. They also gave me the half of the prophecy that we had before…"
Liana nodded in understanding. She didn't need her skill to tell her that Lillian's parents was still a sore spot for the silver haired girl, but what comforted her was that she also knew Lillian had come to terms with it and fully accepted it.
(Lillian) "I didn't think it was you, but then again I never actively tried to look for the person with the mark. I knew that she, well, you, were supposed to be born into your family but I was still unsure and, well. I never actually thought much about it."
Liana understood, as in the prophecy it stated that no matter what happens, their paths will definitely cross, but it's up to them what they want to do from there. Lillian shook her head.
(Lillian) "We're not allowed to choose."
Liana was shocked for a moment until she realised that Lillian was reading her thoughts. Lillian froze as she realised what she had done.
(Lillian) "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to! I let down my guard and when I do, all thoughts flow into my head and I sometimes can't tell the difference between thoughts and what people actually say—"
Liana laughed, stopping Lillian's frantic attempt to excuse what she thought was her accidentally reading her thoughts. Liz frowned when she heard her sister talk faster than she had ever talked before. If this were a usual case, she would find it funny. But it wasn't. Liana regains her composure and puts on a more serious expression as she asks,
(Liana) "What do you mean we're not allowed to choose? I thought it was only that we are destined to meet?"
Lillian shook her head once again, the both of them completely forgetting about Liz quietly frowning at the side. Well, not completely forgetting, Lillian still knew she was there but she trusted her sister more than anyone.
(Lillian) "In the part that I have, it says that if we choose not to work together, we will eventually become enemies, because of the power we both will wield. I also think that because our powers are linked to each other, the universe intends for us to work together no matter what we try to do."
Liana raised an eyebrow, but she understood where Lillian was coming from. If their powers were connected, them being apart would be detrimental to both parties.
(Liana) "So? What now?"
Lillian was unsure as well. She thought for a while and come to a decision. Before she could speak, however, Liz cut in.
(Liz) "Although this is really interesting and I want to know what you decide, I feel this is probably something that you two should discuss privately."
Lillian and Liana watch with mild surprise as Liz stands up and walks out the room.
(Liana) "Does she always talk so formally? That was weird."
Lillian laughed at Liana's expression and somehow manages to reply her,
(Lillian) "She can be serious when she wants to, but can you please not make that expression? It's very hard to be serious with that expression on your face."
Liana tried and failed to maintain the same expression on her face. The sight and sound of Lillian laughing got her laughing too.
創作者的想法 
Phoenix169
Phoenix169 Edited/Proofread by: c_wyvern
Hey guys I'm sorry about the heavy first part of the chapter, but I found it necessary for the story line.
Anyways the prophecy that is mentioned in this chapter will not be actually written as I'm horrible at writing those sort of things, but it should (Should) come together in the end.
Thanks for reading!!
You know I actually wonder how many people open the authors comments
WC: 2618 (Not including the note at the top)
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