Prologue - Ch0

Cecilia woke up screeching from a nightmare that she couldn't remember. In the end she had moved so much that she had found herself tangled in her bright blue sheets on the hardwood floor near the floor length, silver mirror she kept near by. Trying to use the mirror to steady herself, she began to stand when an acute pain started in her spine and traveled up to her head. Screaming she fell back to the ground writhing in pain.

    Hearing her screams Gerald, Cecilia's older brother by eight years, ran in to find her in a crumpled state. At a loss for what was happening Gerald quickly made his way to her side and pulled her into his lap. Shushing her in an attempt to calm her, all he could do was cradle her small form in his arms.

    The next to appear was the third child of the house Ullis, Cecilia's older brother of six years. At his entrance Gerald looked up at his black haired younger brother in tears, "I don't know what's wrong with her. She won't answer to any of my calls."

    Seeing the state of the two Ullis made quick actions and ran back out in a search for a servant. Finding the butler Hudson finishing his evening rounds in the center courtyard, Ullis yelled from across to him, "Quick call for the doctor somethings wrong with Cecilia."

    Surprised Hudson quickly turned to the voice and jumped at seeing the usually calm second son running in his direction. "Did you not hear me a doctor quickly!"

    Ullis' loud voice woke Hudson from his stupor, and he finally processed what he was being told to do. In mean seconds the blood rushed out of his face and he took off toward the stables. As Hudson ran he noticed the faint wails of the young miss, 'To be able to hear her from here, what kind of pain must she be in.'

    Ullis stopped when he saw Hudson leave. He didn't know what to do next, his brother was already with her and Hudson was on his way to get the doctor. Just as he was reaching his wits end on what to do; a blanket was wrapped around him from behind. Turning his head he saw the old maid Martha.

    "Young master, you should head inside. You have no shoes on."

    Realizing in his haste he had forgot to put shoes on or even to finish buttoning his shirt. With his self assessment done he looked up and saw that at some point the entire house had been woken. 'That's not a surprise with how loud Cecil is screaming' Having finally had enough of the cold Ullis began making his way back toward Cecilia's room.

    After the flustered Ullis left Gerald woke from his shock and lifted Cecilia in his arms. He could just sit with her in his arms he had to make her as comfortable as he could. Walking over to the bed Gerald tried to lay her down but found that at some point she had grabbed his shirt in a vice like grip. Not wanting to cause any more pain to her by forcing her to let go, he decided to sat himself down in the middle of the bed with his back to the head board. Cecilia was then placed in his lap once more.

    It was in this new position that Ullis found his siblings. 'I wish father was here, he would know what to do right now.' Ullis only dweld on his thoughts for a few seconds before he opted to join his older brother in trying to calm Cecillia down.

***

    Cecilia wound up screaming for hours before the pain finally knocked her unconscious. By that time the whole house was up, a servant was sent to inform her father in the capital and another had returned with the local doctor. That said doctor way currently talking to Gerald, who had finally been let go after she passed out.

    "Young master I'm sorry, I really can't tell you what's wrong with her." (Doctor)

    "Nothing, but you spent a few hours looking at her." (Gerald)

    At Gerald's comment the doctor grimaced. He had tried all that he could in such a little time, but even his 34 years of practice hadn't prepared him for what the little girl was going through. He had searched all he could but there was nothing physically wrong with her. It was in that moment the doctor thought of something. 'That shouldn't be, she is far too young.'

"Young master if I may?" (Doctor)

The doctor's comment brought Gerald out of his contemplation. Looking up Gerald said, "Yes, what is it doctor?"

"I don't know if this holds any weight but I read in a book once that when a child comes into their powers early they will show similar signs as you sister. The only problem I find is that it has never happened to someone so you."

Gerald's eyes widened with the new information, He had never thought that this could be caused by a magic awakening. Gerald's mind raced before coming to a stand still, the doctor had only said it was a possibility Looking to the doctor Gerald said, "How do I go about confirming your theory?"

The doctor looked to be thinking before saying, "Anyone with mana control would be able to confirm if she has developed powers, but if you what to know specifically what powers they are you would need a Holy Paladin."

"That is not the easiest of things to do, even for our dukes family." Gerald was at a lost but came to a conclusion, that he would just have to wait until his father returned and talk to him about it. "Would you be able to help ease her at least?"

"I can try giving her some pain relievers but they might not work."

"That's fine we should at least try."

"As you wish." the Doctor then bowed and walked back into Cecilia's room.

***

Elrist walked through the glowing transportation portal in a frantic rush. The message he was given was vague, leaving him to only worry about what was happening to his children. As he took the final step through the other end of the portal he saw a dark gray carriage with the Duke of Faguals Twin turtle coat or arms. He also recognized the two spotted beige Clydesdale horses pulling it.

In haste, Elrist made his way to the copper lined door of the familiar coach. Upon entering the dimly lit transportation, Elrist noticed that the person sitting on the purple cushioned bench across from him was his oldest son Gerald. While a little relieved at seeing him, it didn't last long upon seeing the state gerald was in. Gerald's white hair was a mess, and his clothes looked like he had just thrown on whatever he found. What really scared Elrist was the pain echoed in the silver eyes accompanied by the worry that's etched into the soft curves that made up his face.

"Gerald what's wrong son? Why are you in this state? All the note said was that something had gone terribly wrong." Elrist tried to gently coax the answers from his 14 year old son.

Gerald hesitated for a moment, swallowing his uncertainty he looked at his father. "I woke up this morning to Cecilia's screams. When I got to her room she was on the floor holding her head … She was screaming so loud that the entire mansion could hear her. And ... an-" pausing for a moment Gerald composed himself once more, "I have already called for a doctor, but he has told me that he cannot help her."

Elrist's eyes widened, " He said she can't be cured."

"Well…" Gerald paused, he didn't know if what the doctor was true and he didn't want to get his father's hope up.

"Well what, did he say something else?" Elrist had seen the uncertainty in his son's eyes and nudged him to continue.

Realizing he already had his father's attention and needed to continue he decides what could e the harm of his father knowing. "The doctor hypothesized that this might be an early magic awakening." Having said his piece Gerald watched his father as he thought about this new fact.

"While it's not unheard of, it had never happened to someone as young as her before."

"So you think the doctor's words could hold truth."

"I can't say Ger, but I do know someone who would."

***

    Cecilia's head was hazy when she finally awoke. The last substantial thing she could remember was waking from a nightmare, but that didn't feel right she felt as though a large chunk was missing. No not missing per say, but she just couldn't recall them.

    Not liking the feeling she had, Cecilia crawled from her bed to find her older brother Gerald. That was the plan until she passed that mirror again and saw the long white hair falling around her gray eyes. That wasn't what made her stop though it was the round baby face that did. 'Why doesn't this look right. I look to young … young, but i look the same and yet why doesn't it feel right?' 

    As Cecilia looked she had these thoughts and then one that disturbed her crossed her mind. 'Wasn't I injured?' Even though she knew she wasn't, she still could not help but to check for a wound.

    Looking to where she thought it would be her eyes flash and all she could see was the blood from the possessed hand sticking out of her chest, but as fast as it had come it had also left. The suddenness of it caused Cecilia to fall to her knees. 'None of that is real, It's just in your head.' When Cecillia looked up, she didn't see herself in the mirror but that of what she would look like years into the future.

    It was in that moment that the memories she was missing began to fall into place. Her death at the hands of a young man named Kylo who had been consumed by the vengeful sea spirit Balaena. The hand he had used to rip into her was dripping with blood. 

    "Poor, poor miss Cecil." Twisting around in her chest Balaena found pleasure in her pain. "Oh, sorry does that hurt? I didn't mean it, really. You just seemed so ripe for the taking, i couldn't hold myself back."

    "W-Wh-h-y" Cecilia was in so much pain she could barely stay awake.

    Cecilia's comment seemed to flip a switch in within Balaena, the words spoke seemed to be coming from an entirely different person. "You bitch, do you really not know. What a fool. I knew you were evil but to have someone killed and not even remember. I died in those ruins because of you led me to them, you taunted me with that moon star saying i would never have one because I would never be brave enough to go into the Sea maze. I'm in this state because you decided to trick me into going into that awful place. That's when Balaena struck taking my life and using my body to murder people." It was in that moment that Kylo ripped Cecilia's heart from her chest. 

    As the image began to fade Cecilia felt herself being pulled into another. This time she feels dread creep into her soul. She didn't like the last memory she was in but she had a feeling that the next ones she was going to like even less. And how true that was. 

    In these visions Cecilia was a bystander, and the memories of being these future Cecilia's left only diluted emotions. She watched as she treated people like bugs, finding any reason to find fault and using it to make fun of them. Cecilia watched as her future self was hated and bullied right back, that those she humiliated turned around and would do the same.

    These memories made Cecilia begin to hate herself. If this was all that she could look to she might as well die here. Who is to say that she really didn't deserve the pain that Kylo inflicted upon her death. As she began to sink into an abyss of negative thoughts she heard her name being called.

    "Cecil….. Cecil over here. Come look at what I found." Cecilia turned her head finding the owner of the voice Delphine, her cousin of the same age. 

    "What is it Del?" Cecilia watched herself as she laughed and played with her cousin. The memories of the two together at a young age and how Cecilia would always shield the easily manipulated Del. Cecilia watched as her slightly younger self but still older self spent so much time with her family and seemed like a much better person. That the traits that had been good about her shined.

    These memories gave her hope that she didn't have to be that wicked girl that loved to see people in pain. But they also raised questions, what had happened to change her so much from what she used to be (was) to that girl she died as?

    As she contemplated this she felt herself being dragged deeper into another memory, similar to the first. The consciousness she was holding onto as she became the young Cecilia once more. When she opened her eyes, she didn't know were closed, she again saw the young five year old staring back at her.

On her cheeks lay trails from all the crying she had done. If one looked closer in the silver eyes that glowed, they would see a new determination to live. Cecilia didn't just want to save her life but that of the people she had ruined the life of in the future. The strength that she saw was going to be put to good use instead of personal gain. The events that she saw must never come true.

First what is something that she can do. What could she do to prevent the outcomes. Cecilia then remembered the face of the one that killed her. The empty brown eyes that looked straight at her in contempt, a shiver ran down her spine. Cecilia began to think about what he had said. She had no recollection of him or the event which meant that it hadn't happened yet.

Yet, but how could she be so sure that it was going to. How would she know if it could happen and wasn't her mind playing tricks on her, that the years she had lived in the dreams wasn't just fake. How would she know if she wasn't just going crazy. The ramblings of her mind mind was interpreted by her whit bedroom door opening.

Gerald had just gotten back from his tutoring session and wanted to check on Cecilia. She had been asleep for a week now and didn't show signs of waking. The Paladin their father had brought in had confirmed that she had been going through a magic awakening and that the was going not one but three different ones at the same time.

He had explained that three types of magic wanted to claim her and were fighting for a place inside of her. The three magics all held the dominant trait and so they didn't want to settle for a lesser role than the others.

When asked what the three powers where and what that meant for her, all he had to say was, "The three powers currently circulating are spirit affinity, soul/mana manipulation and … Oracle. That when the powers finally finally settled on which was going to take form within her. … … … That to be warned that if she should awaken to the oracal that many people would wish to either use her or have her dead." After promising secrecy to their father the Paladin left as quickly as he came.

With many things on his mind Gerald quickly opened her door. What he found however was not her unconscious but on the floor in front of the mirror. She looked like she had been crying but had many emotions flitting across her face. The thing he noticed most though was that her eyes had the knowledge of someone much older than that of who went to sleep.

    Still unsure Gerald whispered, "Cecilia?"

    This caused Cecilia to snap her head to him with wide eyes. Realizing that it wasn't his imagination, Gerald rushed to her and crushed her in a bear hug, swinging her around.

    "Brother .. I can't breath." Cecilia managed to get out.

    Quickly putting her down Gerald grabbed her face, "Your awake. Really awake." In that moment he looked like he came to a realization, dropping his hands, "I have to tell father. He will be overjoyed that your awake."

    Just as Gerald began to turn Cecilia grabbed his arm with a troubled look. This made Gerald worried once more for her condition.

    "What's wrong Ce?"

    "Ger, w-what happened to me? W-why did I pass out like that?" Cecil was worried that whatever had happened caused her to hallucinate and if so was it a permanent problem.

    Gerald saw the fear on his younger sister's face and knew that if he left now when she was so unsure, something might happen.

    "Ce, what is the last thing you remember?"

    "I woke up from a nightmare. And then I was trying to get up when an overwhelming pain in my head hit." Cecilia looked up at Gerald with eyes searching for answers.

    "Ce, You've been asleep for a week. We had a Paladin come in to check on you and he said that you were going through a magic awakening. That three powerful types of magic were fighting over who got to place themselves inside you." After saying his piece Gerald waited for the young Cecilia to process what he had said.

    Cecilia began thinking about what she was told and could only think of one very important question, "Brother, is one of those powers able to show you things that haven't happened yet?"

    Gerald thought about what she was asking and if what she asked gave clue, than that meant the magic of Oracle had won the battle. At that moment the image of her in front of the mirror with eyes far to old for age came to mind. Those eyes made him realize she had already seen something and just want to know if what she saw was real. Does that mean she is no longer the original Cecilia?

    Gerald once again looked into those eyes, the naivety was gone but the innocence that had started their was not. She was still who she has always been just more wiser than before. 

    "Cecilia, that's called the power of the Oracle … Did … did you have a vision?" Gerald wasn't sure he was allowed to ask. He had never met  someone who could see the future. Yes he had met a clairvoyant but that dealt in the past not what will be.

    Cecilia hesitated she still felt that some of her memories had not returned. She could vaguely remember remember a voice saying, "Be careful of how you tell your visions for it can either fix them or make them worse." The voice seemed to have a place and yet didn't at the same time. Who did the voice belong to?

    Cecilia pushed those questions to the side and really thought. 'I'm going to need help, I can't do this all on my own.' Making up her mind she looked to her oldest brother. "You have to promise not to tell anyone, not father, or brother, not another soul. Promise?"

    "Yes, I give an oath of secrecy."

    With Gerald's oath Cecilia stopped hesitating, "When I woke up earlier-"