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Elu stood in front of the palace, time had passed very quickly so quickly in fact she didn't even know she was eight years old now. The last time she felt conscious and truly awake she was only five, she wasn't sure how 3 years of her life could speed by in a blur she couldn't quite remember. 

Her life up until now had been a blur. Her head swirled with moments trapped in time, although she had no recollection of them they flooded her head like a forgotten memory.

She wasn't sure what was going on but since the moment she entered that strange building her life has changed so much she was struggling to process what was happening. The constant feeling of being outside her own body or disassociating she wasn't sure what was wrong with her. Was she a puppet in a life or story that was slowly becoming not her own? 

She heaved in a deep breath and tried to force away all the negative feelings and thoughts that were trying to consume her and focus on the palace in front of her. 

In a matter of an hour, twenty minutes, and thirty-four seconds she would be entering the palace and trying to enter the royal family. The very people who killed her once upon a time she would be forced to live with them once more. She wondered if she would be able to look Kaene in the eyes after what he did to her. Or if she would stomp on his foot and scream at him and ask him why he hated her so much. 

"Elu." She winced when she heard his voice, she gathered whatever courage she could and turned to face him. 

She stared at Lennox, he stood in front of her. For the first time in a long time, she could see him clearly. His face was tired and had more than a few wrinkles his hair was a dark shade of gray and his hazel eyes were so clear Elu felt like time had stopped for a moment. His skin is so weirdly tan when he's normally pale from being a recluse, he looks so familiar yet unfamiliar. 

Polaris stood behind him she looked so meek and her smile didn't quite meet her normally bright blue eyes. She looked just as tired as her husband but she didn't move or talk to Elu instead she kept her gaze trained on the floor. 

Elu found herself internally laughing, she wasn't sure why she ever put her blind faith in them. She tensed up her shoulders and briskly walked forward towards the palace ignoring the soldiers that paced the grounds. 

She felt herself freeze when she saw a familiar figure taking a walk in the garden to the east of the path; there standing next to a bush of clematis flowers. Her fingers were brushing against a flower when she turned her black hair swayed in the wind and a set of pink eyes met her own. 

Elus's own pink eyes looked muddy and dark when compared to her sister's bright bubble gum pink eyes. Saylor blinked in surprise as if she couldn't believe another girl with pink eyes had entered the palace. As if carefully gaging the situation, her eyes dragged over each of her features scanning for any possible clue as to who she was. When she couldn't find anything she walked away with urgency in her every step and movement. 

she watched her leave and only when she was completely out of sight did she feel herself actually breathe again. She shook her head and continued on with her march toward the palace, without her noticing her parents had already made it to the door of the palace and seemed to be waiting for her. 

When she got closer Lennox gave her a look and dipped his head slightly to the guard standing in front of the palace doors. The guard bowed and opened the door for them as another guard moved forward and lead them to the Emperor's throne room. 

Upon entering the room Elu noticed Kaene and Daliar were already in the room talking to their father when they arrived. Lennox stood in front of Elu and bowed before the emperor and waited for permission to speak.

"What could be so important you parade into my home?"

Lennox chuckled nervously and greeted the emperor as politely as he could, "Mi rex, Deus meus, te sequatur gloria"

"Tongue of the forgotten language huh? What brings you here tower mage?" The king's eyes seemed to darken a faint glow twinged in his deep red eyes. 

"I have come to return the lost princess, daughter of Consort Soph, your highness."

Elu closed her eyes and tried to focus on the carpet under her shoes when the emperor let out a loud laughter that filled the entire room. 

"I should kill you where you stand."

She didn't have to see to know he was getting pissed off. She wasn't sure what made her peek from behind her fathers leg but when she did she saw the curious eyes of Kaene and Daliar. Her grip on her fathers pant leg tightened when she felt the Emperors murderous gaze on her.

"Your majesty, I beg of you to look at her. She has the royal eyes and she looks just like Consort Soph. Tell him Elu."

Lennox turned and grabbed her and practically shoved her forward towards the emperor. Elu felt her eyes water and for some unknown reason she told the Emperor the truth of the situation. Maybe it was his murderous gaze. Or possibly the threat of death in front of her or the possibility to change the future.

"I'm not really your daughter your majesty." Elu turned and pointed at the man who raised her for the past eight years of her life. "He killed your actual daughter and forced her magic into my body. He's a bad man."

She surprised herself with how calm even and almost natural her voice and tone sounded when she spoke. It was like she had repeated this line over and over again.

"You little bitch." Lennox grabbed her roughly by the shoulder and shoved her to the floor.

Before any one could do anything a red light flashed and Lennox's head rolled next to Elu's foot. Her stomach dropped and she felt sick as she stared at him.

Polaris jumped in front of her, her own eyes flashing blue. She used her magic and summoned two big cats to fight by her side.

Elu gulped and by the time she had blinked the Emperor was already in front of Polaris with a sword in her abdomen.

He turned to her and raised his sword up and that was last thing she saw before the world went dark.

Angry dark red eyes that glew so brightly.