Volume 1.16 Awakening (1)

"I have returned Ares," Myrene said as she dumped the dead boar in front of him that she caught on her way here. Then she lent him her coat. Then the notes she had taken as well.

"A splendid job as always, Milady." Ares received the items. "I have prepared the bath for you as well. Myrene didn't utter anything and went straight to her room. Not bothering to remove her shoes, she jumped to her bed and looked at the ceiling blankly. Once she closed her eyes, those misty purple eyes came to her mind.

'If they are capable of entering this place, then they would be capable of going back.'

Somehow, Frayah's crazed purple eyes flashed through her mind. She instantly opened her eyes.

'Hah.' Myrene released a deep breath, then put her arms in her head.

'I wonder if I will be capable enough to escape in this place with my brother as well.'

Two days passed quickly and Myrene was throwing daggers towards the pear. It directly hit the pear and crushed to pieces.

"You have learned everything perfectly now, Milady." Ares who was watching behind her spoke.

Myrene went ahead to pick up the dagger. "Ares, tomorrow, I will be leaving this place as well right?"

"Yes, Milady." Ares said. "Depending on your results, you will be able to meet your brother once again."

'Meet my brother,' she glanced at the sky that had stars brightly shining. 'I feel like so many changes within me, I no longer tremble taking away the life of the animals I hunt. If my training was like this, how much is for my brother knowing that Frayah was on his side.' Myrene felt in these two years, her brother was like the stars, unreachable since she was still weak back then.

"Ares, would you grant me one request?" Myrene asked without looking back at him. Her eyes were just fixated in the stars.

"It depends on the request, Milady."

Myrene faintly smiled. Time to time these answers kept reminding me that she was nothing more but a prisoner right now. "It is not that big. Tomorrow, will you prepare me the seeds of the Flame Tree. I want to bring those with me when I leave this place."

"Yes, Milady," said Ares without asking anything. It meant that she was allowed to bring such things.

After that, the two years training of Myrene with Ares came to an end.

Still not able to sleep, Myrene decided to take a stroll outside her garden. She walked to the Flame tree that her mother loved to see. Sadly the flowers were not blooming since it only bloomed between May to July.

{"Mother! Tell us more about the story of the hero!"}

Under that tree, Myrene, her brother, and her mother, had always been together there. A faint smile escaped her lips when that past lingered in her mind. "Mother, aren't you too cruel for your children? Telling us the story of the hero whose only mission is to kill the race which runs to the blood of your children?"

Myrene strummed the strings of the small harp she brought with her. And started singing the song that their mother always sang to her.

{"The lands blessed us with their crops.

The water blessed us with life."}

'But maybe it is your only way to give your children hope and have a brighter future ahead.'

{"The winds blessed us to be calm.

The fire blessed us with their warmth."}

'You don't want your children to know their real identity. You want us to have normal lives and grow normally. That is why you tried to escape. However, if we ever make it out here, is there a place for people like us?'

{"The light blessed us with hope.

While the dark blessed us with its solace."}

She stopped playing when she sang the last part of the lullaby. "If ever we manage to escape, I guess it is alright as long as we are all together." She clutched her chest as her mother's falling body played in her mind. Her face was in tears as she desperately tried to reach for her children despite falling. "Mother, it is getting near..."

She turned her back and walked away from the flame tree. "Mother, so please wherever you are, if you're among those stars, I hope my words will reach you. I will meet my brother, and do everything so that we will be able to live the life you wanted for us together to have."

That night as the cold wind blew, something deep inside Myrene was slowly awakening.

***

The next day came...

Myrene looked at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a black dress as if she was mourning her death. She stared at her pale face and naturally red colored lips. Then her eyes, that were the color of the blood.

Her fingers covered with a black gloves trailed towards her eyes. "Happy sixth birthday, Myrene."

When she went out of her room, Ares was already waiting for her there holding one luggage with him. "The seeds?" Myrene asked.

"It was already in the blue box inside your luggage, Milady."

"I see," said Myrene as she walked ahead of him. However, she stopped from walking. "Ares, I can't ever forgive you for taking away my brother. However, for these two years," Myrene faced Ares and like everything she learned from the etiquette class she have to him as well, she gracefully held her skirt, and bowed to Ares. "Thank you for teaching me to become stronger."

There was a brief surprise in Ares face, but it reverted back to his usual emotionless one. He also bowed down with his right hand on his chance. "Your words are wasted on me, Milady. It is my honor to serve one of his majesty's children."

'I see, so he did everything for his king. But nonetheless, if not for him, I might still be a defenseless child. And once I awaken my magic, I will grow stronger.'

***

They headed towards the basement of the mansion. And to Myrene's surprise, there was a plight of stairs heading underground that appeared in the middle of the basement as soon as Ares pulled one of the torches.

"Please follow after me, Milady." Ares said as he went down to the stairs. Myrene followed him without saying anything.

It was finally time for Myrene's naming and awakening ceremony. But Myrene's body froze as soon as she stepped on the place where she would hold the ceremony. It was the same arena where she fought a one-sidedly battle against the ogre.

And in the middle of it were three people cloaked in black and together there was someone too that Myrene hadn't seen for two years.

Her menacing smile still remained as nasty as before.

"My dear daughter, happy birthday."

'Frayah.' Myrene clenched both her fists.