Who are you?
IX
The darkness was all she could see, all she could hear, all she could feel.
She could see it there.
She could hear it whisper to her.
"Vos enim se tenebras, et non ardebit in te. Resistit ne amplius sit parte."
She could feel it enter inside of her, feel it become one with her.
It told her how much she was connected to darkness, how important she was and she understood.
The moment she crossed the barrier when she was born, her darkness has suppressed, but now she was back, it has been regained.
I have become darkness itself. She whispered into the wind.
"Wake up daughter for it is time for you to fulfill your prophecy" A man whispered into the ears of Cassandra. She woke up and looked at her surroundings.
She tried to remember where she was or who she was but all she got was a sharp pain in her head.
"Who are you?" She tried to say but it came out croaked. Cassandra tried to clear her throat but it hurt her so she gave up.
A glass of what looked like water appeared in front of her and she stared at it. Skeptical to take it.
"Drink Daughter. You need it." The man said. He didn't appear to be trustworthy at all.
His crescent shaped eyes and that sinister smile. It felt like there was something in the glass.
"Is this water?" She asked, despite the protest from her throat that she should stop talking.
The man smiled. "You know not to trust anybody. That is your first lesson." He raised his hand and snapped his fingers. The glass forced itself out of her hands and another one replaced it.
Cassandra looked at the water, it was crystal clear but she still felt something was wrong with it. She didn't know how she knew but she suddenly lifted the cup in the direction of the light and saw something floating in it.
"Thank you for your kindness. I'll find water myself" Cassandra said after a while, wincing as she spoke. She noticed that the place was right near the forest.
Somehow, her sense of hearing had amplified. She went past the man to the open door and it suddenly slammed shut.
"You cannot leave yet. Not when you just arrived. You have to understand who you are"
Cassandra felt irritated and she spotted the two glass cups on a little stool. She wished it would fly and hit the man who she had concluded abducted her.
The cups suddenly rose with a little purple glow around them and flew straight for the man's head in a speed he didn't even expect.
The cups broke and one piece lodged itself in his face, right beside his left eye.
"Ah my Queen, pardon me for my mistake. I'll get you a drink to quench your thirst." The man bowed and left the room. He had tested her enough, she was indeed the one they had been waiting for.
Cassandra stared in confusion. She didn't understand what was happening to her.
Where was Cody, Cordellia and Mama? She thought.
She looked around her and found the design of the room to be extremely creepy.
The theme of the room was all dark but that wasn't what creeped her out. It was the writings on the black ceiling that gave her chills.
There were three sentences written with what looked like blood.
Cassandra tried to read it but it looked like it was written in a hurry.
Hoc est corpus quod elegi. Confundantur animæ meæ.
Dimitte me damnum meum.
"Hoc est corpus quod elegi" she read out loud and that sentence lit up.
"Confundantur animæ meæ" she began to feel dizzy and the wind around her picked up, throwing the glass pieces around.
She decided to stop but something hissed in her ear to continue reading the writings.
"Dimitte me damnum me..." The door slammed open and the wind dropped.
Cassandra stared at the man as he placed a golden cup on the stool and began to clean up the glass, not even questioning why the room looked like it was thrown upside down.
Cassandra walked to the stool and picked the cup.
She felt as if something spoke through her because what came out from her mouth was not her doing.
"I have no need for the drink anymore Gaius. I hope this is a lesson to you that I do not like tricks" Gaius bowed and apologized repeatedly.
Cassandra felt she should stop the man but her body suddenly turned and sat on the bed.
She opened her mouth to express her discomfort but something else came out.
" I hope you have been preparing well for me. Yes?" Cassandra frowned or tried to. What was wrong with her?
She felt a force raise her hand and examine the cup before placing it back down. She raised her eyebrows up and the man immediately avoided eye contact.
"Yes my queen. I have been gathering vessels to your liking but it seems you already chose one." Cassandra's brain froze for two seconds.
Vessels?
She was possessed? She didn't believe it and decided she was having a nightmare and wondered when she was waking up.
"Mmm Yes. This one had been promised to me a long time. It was high time I came back. After all, the present Queen is weak."
Promised? Cassandra felt a headache coming up.
"However, this one thinks too much. She is already giving me a headache from her constant diversion into different topics. How do I silence her?"
Cassandra realized the spirit was talking about her. She felt devastated that she couldn't even control her own body and could only watch what was happening.
She hadn't even heard from her family.
Her most important prayer was for them to be safe.
A thousand miles away, in a little cottage, a lady was having a dream.
In that dream, she heard knocking on her window while she passed by and she turned and went to take a look.
The cottage was in the middle of the forest and no one came here often so she wondered who it was.
She draws the curtain open and her image is clearly seen. She is the exact copy of Cordellia. The difference is their features. While Cordellia's features are sharper and rough, her's were softer. Cordellia's hair was slightly curly, her's were straight and she wore it down.
She gasps at the image she sees and immediately wakes up.
The lady sat up midgasp and looked around her, trying to calm her quick breathing.
She got up from her bed and went to the window but she didn't see anyone.
"A dream" she says and stands there silently,not moving, just thinking.
An older man walks into the room to find her in that state.
"We have a problem" his thick and deep voice announces.
"What is it?" The lady asks without facing him.
"Do you remember the spell that was put on the child cursed with the spirit of Duana?" He asks and the lady shrugs.
"I wasn't born then but you have told me the story. It's the one who was really bad news and would bring great evil so she was sent to the human world right? "
She saw Alderon nodding through the mirrors reflection before he spoke up.
" Yes she's the one. "
" What happened to her. Did she die? " The lady asked nonchalantly as she stared out the window.
"No. It's worse." He paused and the lady sighed.
"Speak up Alderon."
Alderon scratched his head, he didn't know how she was going to react.
"Well, the curse was stolen by a witch and said witch said she gave it to someone else. Now the child has received the curse and crossed a border and you know what that means. Also, I just found out that child comes from the family I put your sister in. " He rushed the whole thing but whispered the last sentence but she caught it.
" What? "She whirled around to face him and the man took a step back.
Hybrids were dangerous but this one was a mixture of too many creatures.
" Melaine can you calm ... "He didn't finish the rest before a lightbulb lost it's power and he gulped. He knew she hated that sentence.
" Pack your things Alderon. We're going back home. " She declared and made for her room.
" But the Queen hasn't sent for you yet. Also your twin hasn't found you! " Alderon tried to protest but Melaine paused at the door of her room.
" Mother hasn't sent for me in fifteen years. It's high time I paid her a surprise visit. And as for my sister, she already found me."
Alderon opened his mouth to object but paused" When was that? "
Melaine smiled.
" A few minutes ago. I know how she looks like and she is in a horrible state. It's time she knew who she truly was. "
With that, she slammed her door shut and the older man couldn't do anything but sigh helplessly.
Once that child had made up her mind, there was no turning back.