Chapter 1: Only Fate Knows

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About two and a half dozen years ago, Humans, Specials, and Creatures signed the Great Peace to halt the wars between them. Many weren't happy about this action, but they had to abide by the rules.

Humans believed that Creatures should be banished from the lands, Specials felt they deserved all the control, while some Creatures just wanted to raid towns for whatever they desired.

However, due to this agreement signed by the leaders of all three factions, peace reigned—until a prophecy was cast.

A wizard by the name of Azrael pronounced a prophecy. The contents of this prophecy angered the Specials and Creatures, while most Humans rejoiced. Due to this it was rumored that in their fury the elders eliminated Azrael through means unknown to any. As years passed, everyone came to believe that the prophecy would never come true—until...

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It's the middle of the night, a very cold night, but I and my sisters are venturing away from our home he cold wind tugged at the dresses ventured away from their home, guided by the light of the moon illuminating their path. In the small town of May's Weather, night had descended. T

A faint breeze blew past, rustling the bushes around. The sound sent fear creeping into one of the girls' hearts, making her start to second-guess their plans.

Her brown eyes judged the cart they were approaching, her gut warning her that something wasn't right.

"Can we really trust these people?" Katrin timidly voiced her concern to her sisters. "Their cart doesn't look... professional."

Malissa, another of the girls, rolled her eyes at Katrin's worries. "Don't worry, Katty. I'm sure we can trust them. One sip of their potion, and you'll become just like us. Don't you want that, sister?"

Katrin pondered the offer before nodding eagerly. She had always yearned to be like her sisters—Specials. As the town bell prepared to toll midnight, her lifelong dream—at least for as long as she could remember—was finally within grasp. All she needed to do was reach that cart.

Two men sat outside the cart, their drunken slurs punctuating the air occasionally. Their voices were loud, sending shivers down Katrin's spine, bringing back her doubts. She turned to her sisters, who were looking ahead with unwavering expressions.

Noticing them, the men approached.

"Is this the girl?" one of them asked. He possessed a muscular frame, a scar tracing from his left eye to his right cheek, his harsh gaze dissecting Katrin's form.

"Yes, it's her," Malissa responded, pushing Katrin forward.

The man grunted with a nod, gesturing for the girls to come with him. The other man, leaner with a bald head, followed behind.

They reached the rear of the cart, where the lean man knocked on the door in a coded pattern. "They've arrived," he announced before stepping back, allowing the cart door to creak open.

A frail woman emerged, hopping out of the cart. She had gray hair cascading over a hunched back, and her yellow eyes peered from beneath her purple hood, assessing the girls.

"Which of you young ladies wishes to become a Special?" she rasped.

Katrin raised her head slightly, meeting the woman's gaze. "I-It is I," she whispered, and surprise flickered across the woman's face. She opened her mouth to speak, but a glance from the men cautioned her to be careful.

She raised her hands to take Katrin's, locking eyes with the young girl. "Are you absolutely certain about this?" she inquired, glancing at her sisters who stood behind.

For the third time that night, Katrin began to reconsider her decision, but an impatient sigh from Malissa broke through her thoughts.

"What's wrong with you, old hag? We came all this way. Let's just get on with it."

Katrin shook her head before nodding. "Yes. I'm sure."

The old woman held her gaze for a second more before she sighed, retreating into the cart momentarily.

She reappeared with a small metal cup in her hand, in it was a dark liquid that simmered in the moonlight.

"Here, drink this," she instructed, passing the cup to Katrin. "Once you do, it will only take a second before the effects take course."

Katrin examined the purple liquid with caution. The smell of it was really strong, like burnt roses.

But, could it really be that simple? Would one gulp of this liquid transform her into a Special, just like her sisters? She could finally fit in to her family.

Without any more hesitation, she brought the glass to her lips, closed her eyes, held her breath, and emptied the contents into her mouth, swallowing hard.

The moment her lids opened, weakness overcame her; she lost her balance and slumped, but just before she hit the ground, the scarred man reached out and caught her, pulling her into his hold.

"What happened to her?" her younger sister, Ruth, inquired with concern. She tried to move closer to Katrin, but Malissa held her back.

"Calm down, Ruth. These people are professionals. They know what they're doing."

Though her words were meant to reassure Ruth, her expression hinted at her own uncertainty.

"Hey, old lady, what's wrong with her? Is she dead?"

The old woman moved to inspect Katrin's body before she answered, "She's fine. The potion just has her temporarily paralyzed. It prevents her from struggling or trying to escape."

Katrin's eyes peered around, confusion etched across her face. She tried to lift herself up, but she couldn't feel any part of her from the neck down.

"What's happening? Why can't I move?"

A menacing chuckle from Malissa at Katrin's plight passed through the cold night air.

"You're so naïve and gullible, Katty. A potion that turns you into a Special? Did you really think that was possible?" She laughed, approaching her immobilized sister.

"Remember this, sister,"—the way she called her 'sister' sounded so sarcastic—"you're either born a certain way, or you're not. You can't change that."

Her laughter died down as she turned to the men, disgust evident on her face. "She's your responsibility now. Do what you want."

The scarred man nodded, lifting Katrin into his arms and carrying her into the cart.

Katrin's back hit the wooden floor hard, but she didn't feel anything. She didn't even feel herself fall. She tried to sit up, but nothing responded.

Tears pooled in her eyes, hope fading—until Ruth's worried voice reached her ears through the slightly opened door.

"Wait!"

A sigh of relief escaped Katrin's mouth, hope filling her heart from her sister's intervention.

Ruth was the nice one, and although she always went along with Malissa's evil schemes, she never crossed certain lines.

Ruth turned to Malissa with a pleading look. "Malissa, I'm not sure about this. Aren't you going a little bit too far? What will mother say when she discovers Katrin is missing? What will you tell her?"

Malissa scoffed, she had already considered that. "We'll tell her that she ran away; with a man or something. Besides, it's too late now. I've taken the money, it's a done deal."

"But..."

"No 'buts,' Ruth," Malissa warned. "Unless you want to take her place, you'll move your legs and come. with. me. Now! let's go." Ruth cowered down, yielding to her sister. Her gaze apologetic as she glanced back at Katrin before she turned away, trailing after her eldest sister.

Left behind, Katrin laid immobile in the cart, she watched the old lady climb into the small spaces and after a whole she heared the sound of wips and horse hooves moving on the stony road.

She wanted to cry but the tears went leaving, only a frustrated sigh left her lips as she was whisked away to a destination only fate knows.

***

It was the middle of the night, a cold, bitter night, but my sisters and I ventured away from home. The icy wind tugged at our dresses as we moved through the quiet streets, guided only by the pale glow of the moon.

In the small town of May's Weather, darkness had fully descended. A faint breeze rustled the bushes around us, the sound sending a shiver down my spine. My heart pounds in my chest, doubt creeping in as I second-guessed our plan.

My brown eyes locked onto the cart ahead, my gut twisting in warning. Something about it felt... off.

"Can we really trust these people?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "Their cart doesn't look... professional."

Malissa, the boldest of my sisters, rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, Katty. I'm sure we can trust them. One sip of their potion, and you'll be just like us. Don't you want that, sister?"

Her words ignite a deep longing in me. I had always yearned to be like my sisters—Specials. With the town bell preparing to strike midnight and the end if my eighteenth birthday, my dream was finally within reach, all I had to do was step forward.

Two men sat outside the cart, their drunken slurs punctuating the night air. Their laughter sent another wave of unease through me, but my sisters stood tall, their expressions unwavering.

Noticing us, one of them approached.

"Is this the girl?" he asked in a rough voice. He was muscular,his frame almost a jagged scar running from his left eye to his right cheek. His gaze raked over me, assessing.

"Yes, it's her," Malissa answered, pushing me forward.

The man grunted, nodding toward the cart. The other man, lean and bald, trailed behind as we were led to the back of the cart. He knocked in a distinct pattern on the wooden door.

"They've arrived," he announced.

The door creaked open, and a frail woman stepped out. Her gray hair spilled over a hunched back, her yellow eyes peering from beneath a tattered purple hood. She studied us carefully.

"Which of you young ladies wishes to become a Special?" she rasped.

I hesitated for a moment before stepping forward. "I-It's me," I whispered.

The woman's brows lifted in surprise. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but a glance from the men silenced her. Instead, she reached out, taking my hands in hers. Her grip was firm but not unkind.

"Are you absolutely certain about this?" she asked, her gaze flickering to my sisters.

Doubt clawed at my chest, but an impatient sigh from Malissa pulled me back.

"What's wrong with you, old hag? We came all this way. Let's just get on with it."

I swallowed hard, then nodded. "Yes. I'm sure."

The woman studied me for a second longer before sighing. She retreated into the cart and returned moments later with a small metal cup filled with a dark, simmering liquid.

"Drink this," she instructed, handing it to me. "Once you do, it will only take a moment for the effects to set in."

I brought the cup close to my nose and winced. The smell was overpowering—like burnt roses. Could it really be this simple? Would one sip of this liquid make me a Special, like my sisters?

With a deep breath, I tipped the cup to my lips, closed my eyes, and swallowed.

The moment my eyes fluttered open, a wave of weakness overtook me. My legs buckled, and I crumpled, but before I could hit the ground, the scarred man caught me, hauling me into his grip.

"What happened to her?" Ruth, my youngest sister, asked, concern lacing her voice. She moved toward me, but Malissa held her back.

"Calm down, Ruth. These people are professionals. They know what they're doing."

But even as she spoke, her expression wavered.

"Hey, old lady," Malissa snapped, "what's wrong with her? Is she dead?"

The woman approached, pressing two fingers to my wrist before shaking her head. "She's fine. The potion has her temporarily paralyzed. It stops them from struggling... or trying to run."

Panic flared in my chest. My eyes darted around, confusion clouding my mind. I tried to move, but nothing responded. My arms, my legs—everything was numb.

"What's happening?" My voice trembled. "Why can't I move?"

A low chuckle escaped Malissa. "You're so naive, Katty. A potion that turns you into a Special? Did you really think that was possible?" She laughed, stepping closer.

"Remember this, sister,"—her voice dripped with mockery—"you're either born a certain way, or you're not. You can't change that."

Her amusement faded as she turned to the men, her expression cold. "She's your responsibility now. Do what you want."

The scarred man nodded, lifting me like a ragdoll and carrying me into the cart. My back hit the wooden floor with a dull thud, but I didn't feel a thing.

Through the slightly open door, Ruth's voice cut through my despair.

"Wait!"

Hope flared in my chest. Ruth—sweet, kind Ruth—was the only one who might stop this.

She turned to Malissa, pleading. "Malissa, aren't you going too far? What will Mother say when she finds out Katrin is missing? What will we tell her?"

Malissa scoffed, already prepared. "We'll say she ran away. With a man or something. Besides, it's too late now. I've taken the money. It's done."

"But—"

"No 'buts,' Ruth," Malissa warned. "Unless you want to take her place, you'll move your legs and come. with. me. Now."

Ruth hesitated, glancing back at me. Apology filled her eyes before she turned away, following Malissa into the darkness.

Left behind, I lay immobile in the cart, helpless as the old woman climbed in. Moments later, the sharp crack of a whip rang out, and the cart jolted forward.

Tears stung my eyes, but I couldn't cry. All I could do was sigh as I was carried off to a fate unknown.

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