Delay

After what felt like hours of falling, she landed on the ground, softly, to her surprise and she gasped as she looked down and saw she was sitting on top of water, that shimmered like glass and reflected herself. 

She wondered what was happening as she looked around and saw a dark surrounding with radiant and tall blossom trees, each of different colour and part of the area had a little bit of light seeping through the darkness. 

Ophelia wondered where she was, she could feel that she had little time left to live and she barely had enough energy within her. 

"Where am I?" She asked. 

"Ophelia right? The illegitimate child? The child who was not supposed to be born in that family... What a pleasant surprise but you look like you won't last long... Were you the one who hoped for a second chance?" A voice, cold, firm and yet a little gentle asked. 

"Who is there? Who are you?" She asked. 

"Answer my question first," The voice responded and she lowered her head, as she looked at her reflection and the spear that was still within her. 

"Yeah... But I didn't say it out loud, so how... What do you want from me? Where am I? Who are you?" She asked and an amused chuckle echoed around her. 

"You might not have said it out loud but I still heard you, I know everything about you, little girl, you are quite a pitiful and damaged soul aren't you?" The voice asked. 

"Know everything about me? How? Who are you? Are you mocking me?" She asked as she clenched her fists. 

"Mock? No, but amused? Slightly, you still have fight in you, I can feel it coursing through you, which means you still have hope, as for who I am, I am no one that means harm to you, you can simply say I am a guardian," The voice responded. 

"Guardian? I am confused I won't pretend that I understand, well, since you said you already know me... Then you should know I have nothing to offer you... I am dying anyways...." She said. 

"I know that as well, well let me clear the confusion for you child, I am a being that has been watching over these lands for centuries, a being above all else, one that has the power to destroy as well as create, I have seen you in my visions before, which is why I know everything about you, I am a lot of things," The voice said and she tilted her head. 

"You are a magical being then? I understand what you just said, I understand how you know me, but just what are you? Are you the reason I can see now?" She asked. 

"Yes, I granted your vision which apparently was taken from you and not by mistake, I hope you are not naive to believe it was... Do you understand what has happened to you so far?" The voice asked and she lowered her head, clenching her fists. 

"Yes, I understand what has happened to me very well... I was betrayed... All my life... A pawn... In a game I didn't even know I was a part of," She responded. 

"Yeah, that's right, you were a pawn, used and thrown aside, manipulated, betrayed by the ones you trusted yet you are still partially in the dark... You have endured pain and suffering more than anyone else, pain and suffering that was not supposed to be, that which someone like you did not deserve, tell me do you hate the life you lived so far?" The voice asked. 

Her eyes widened when she heard the question she was asked and deep down, she knew that it was not something that she could deny, for she had even started to hate herself but despite that, Ophelia had an unwavering spirit, unlike most people a spirit that refused to be taken down no matter what hell it had to go through. 

The being that was questioning her, looked at her from afar with a piercing golden and red eyes, that would make anyone quiver with even a simple glance, yet there she was unbothered by the fact, that she was in a powerful being's presence and what could possibly happen to her. 

"Yeah, but you already know that answer don't you? You seem to know me, better than I know myself," She responded as she manged to stand up and a low rumble occurred in the space and she looked around. 

"Yeah, you are right, I already know the answer, you are a broken soul child, filled with many mysteries and a depth further than the abyss itself, tell me, the darkness doesn't affect you... Why do you think that is now?" The voice asked and she looked at her reflection. 

"Because..." She muttered, unable to keep herself going further and the voice chuckled, as the ground beneath her feet, shook.

She gasped as she looked around and a strong gush of wind blew towards her, causing her to lose her balance a bit but she quickly regained it. 

"Because there is also a bit of darkness within you now, after all, that you have been through, an amount of darkness clenching at your pure and innocent heart, you have had quite a life all because you are a threat to their power and envy, girl," The voice said and she clenched her fists, feeling the anger within her rising with each word. 

"Why am I still alive despite this spear being inside of me until now?" She asked with a cold gaze that would make anyone tremble and the voice chuckled. 

"I am delaying your death, I cannot stop it, it's the cycle of life but seeing that look in your eyes now, there is a twist, answer my questions and you will be rewarded child, I will reveal myself to you first, then your final step will be taken am I clear?" The voice asked. 

Intrigued by what was happening, Ophelia nodded without hesitation and just then, the ground began rumbling and the wind circle around her growing stronger and a fog appeared as the atmosphere around her, got heavy and cold as she fell to her knees on the surface. 

When she looked up her eyes widened and she gasped as a large dragon was floating in the air before her, her eyes and its eyes poercing into each other's very being.