The war room glowed with enchantments.
It was meant to keep everyone inside safe and to make sure nobody uninvited could get in. Floating sigils hovered above the long table as the map pulsed with a soft blue light. Warriors/Sorcerer's from two very different clans stood on opposite sides of it. The air smelled a bit funny like the faint scent of ash and rain.
On one side stood the Vermilion Clan. They had sharp eyes and wore armor etched with flames. They looked like they were born to rule and could punch anyone who stood in their way.
On the other side stood the Nimhar Clan. They wore robes made of forest-colored silk with gold threads. They didn't carry any weapons you could see, but the room seemed to shift around them. They felt calm and patient, staying still like stones.
At the front of the group stood a woman who really caught my eye. She was tall and curvy, with a thick, build that made her look both strong and beautiful.
She had long, dark purple hair that fell over her shoulders. She looked completely calm, but her pupils were cloudy and pale. I wondered if she was blind. I heard she was the High Guardian Maeven of the Nimhar.
She inclined her head toward Kaelron.We are not here to start a war, she said. We are here to prevent a greater one.
Kaelron did not bow, but he gave a sharp nod. We'll do what must be done. If that means burning the Gabunan out root by root, so be it.
Sir Nathaniel stepped between them, hands folded behind his back. Balance, he said calmly. That is why we need both of you. The convergence has awakened something deeper. The Gabunan are no longer hiding.
Their camp is shielded with old blood magic, Maeven said. If they have fed recently, their bodies will be nearly impossible to hurt.
Kaelron scoffed. Then we burn them faster.
Beside me, Zuriel shifted and muttered under his breath. Always burn everything. That's all they know.
Nathaniel shot him a sharp look. Zuriel.
Zuriel didn't break eye contact with the map, but he said nothing more. Nathaniel stepped closer to him and lowered his voice. I know why you hate them, he said quietly. But control yourself. This war is bigger than your scars. We need them for now, so I'm asking you to hold it a bit longer or I will transfer you to other jobs.
Zuriel gave a tight nod, though his jaw remained clenched.
Eris moved to stand beside her father. Their numbers are too large for a direct assault, she said. We'll need layered enchantments. Nimhar can seal the flanks.
Maeven nodded once. We will cast a mana net. It will not kill them, but it will make them slow down and take time to get free.
Nathaniel leaned over the glowing map. We divide the assault, he said. Vermilion leads the charge. Nimhar surrounds the perimeter. My team will breach the center and find the source of their strength. Since we don't have the white-haired Gabunan leader yet, we need to find how they can fight like this without one.
His eyes flicked briefly across the table. Whether it is a spell altar… or something ancient artifact
My stomach twisted.
They still hadn't said it. None of them knew about the Nephilim Book. None of them knew what was really being hunted,
Me.
I glanced at Zuriel. He avoided my gaze. So he knew too, but he wasn't speaking either.
I stayed silent. Not because I fully trusted Nathaniel, but because I didn't know who would listen or what they might do if the truth came out now.
-----ಥ‿ಥ-----
The meeting ended in quiet tension. armor shifted and boots echoed down the long stone corridors.
finally the meeting finished. it took so much time for them to decide and argue. I lingered by the wall, my shoulders tight. kaelron passed me without a glance, but maeven stopped.
the nimhar leader studied me with her cloudy white eyes. she was not looking at my face fully, so she really was blind.
you are not like the others, she said softly. you carry something that does not wish to be remembered. but it waits.
I swallowed hard, What do you mean miss???
Maeven gave me a faint, knowing smile. Just a hunch. The forest remembers, she said. It always does. She patted my head.
Then she turned, mist trailing behind her, and walked away.
-----(•‿•)----
I walked to the tower that was still part of the monastery academy. The moon was full tonight, casting a silver glow over everything. It was quiet here, far from the noise of the war plans and the shouting of the clans.
I sat on the very first step of the stairs. I didn't climb up any higher because I was afraid of heights. If I looked down from too high, my head would spin. So I stayed low, with my arms wrapped around my knees, staring at the stars through the tower window. They shone so bright in the dark sky.
I wished I could just be free like them, without any mystery about myself or wars to worry about
A soft footstep sounded behind me. Zuriel dropped down beside me without a word. You always find the quietest places to think of dramatic things, huh? he muttered.
You followed me, stalker, and I don't do that, okay, I said without looking at him.
I was bored, he replied. And maybe a little worried you'd get ambushed by a rabbit in the bush again.
I rolled my eyes. Silence stretched between us. Then Zuriel spoke again, his voice lower. You're not the only complicated one on this team.
I turned toward him. He kept his gaze forward. I used to belong to Vermilion, he said. Or I was supposed to. My fire magic appeared early. It was too strong. They wanted to train me and raise me as one of their knight-mages.
He gave a dry laugh. But my mother… she wasn't like them. She saw what they were turning gifted children into. Warriors. Weapons. So she ran, he said quietly. She took me with her. She hid me.
I whispered, What happened to her?
Zuriel's jaw tightened. She died, he said. Protecting me. From one of them.
Silence followed.
Sir Nathaniel found us after that, he continued. He didn't agree with what Vermilion was doing. He took me in and adopted me. He said if I trained under him, they couldn't claim me again.
He finally looked at me then. Blue fireflickered faintly in his eyes. That's why I hate them, he said. Not just because of my mother. But because they think power makes them entitled to you. Like your magic means you belong to them.
I felt my chest tighten. I'm sorry, I said quietly...
He shrugged. I'm not asking for pity.
We sat in silence again, listening to the wind. And the crickets
Then I spoke. I didn't tell the others this, I said slowly. About what I saw in the forest. The family near the river. They weren't human, not fully. But they didn't attack. They just… existed.
His eyes narrowed. You think there are good aswang?
I don't know, I admitted. But they had children. And they looked peaceful.
You can't afford to see them that way, he said quietly. Nathaniel's right. They'll wait until your guard drops. Then they'll tear you open like livestock.
I didn't argue. Instead, I leaned back against the step, staring at the sky. It felt peaceful, I said. Being here. Sitting with you. I hesitated. Like I've done this before. It's strange, but it feels like I've sat here with you… in another life. Another time. Déjà vu, I guess.
Zuriel turned toward me. I met his gaze. You still don't remember anything, even just a tiny bit? he asked. It almost sounded like it hurt.
I blinked. What do you mean????
Zuriel forced a crooked smile. Never mind.
I stared at him. What do you mean by that?
But he stood up, stretching with a groan. You should sleep, he said. Big day tomorrow. Try not to get eaten. And Sir Nathaniel told me you shouldn't force your memory without help from a great mage, because stress might let Malekai take over your mind.
He turned to leave, then paused just long enough to add, One day you'll remember. When you're ready.
Then he disappeared, walking away to his room and leaving me alone beneath the stars. My heart was pounding for reasons I did not understand. I wanted to stop him to ask more questions, but he walked too fast.
-----•́ ‿ ,•̀-----
The morning of the attack came with a heavy fog. The academy was busy and everyone was nervous. I could hear the sound of boots on the stone floors and the humming of magic as spells were prepared. But my mind was somewhere else.
Zuriel's voice from the night before still echoed in my head. I kept thinking about the story of his mother and the things he didn't tell me.
Without thinking, I touched my cheek. My fingers brushed the small mole under my right eye. It always made me feel a little better. Then I noticed Zuriel watching me from across the courtyard. His eyes narrowed, like he was looking for something he couldn't put into words yet.