Aunt Mariam part 2 (+18)

I trusted her. Stupid me.

Stephanie had been a beacon in my once-lonely life, a shining light I foolishly followed. Our friendship had been so beautiful, so real—or so I thought. We shared secrets, or rather, I shared mine, and she gave me the illusion of confidence. I told her everything I thought mattered, everything that made me vulnerable.

The most damning of these was the reason people avoided me like the plague, something I hadn't confessed to anyone else. I even showed her a few pages of my diary. In those pages, I recorded every fleeting moment—my joys, my sorrows, and the echoes of my isolation. I didn't show her everything, of course; I wasn't that naïve. Deep down, I knew people could be fickle, but I hadn't expected her betrayal.

Stephanie wasn't content with a glimpse into my world. She wanted more—not for herself, but for everyone else. It began with whispers in the school halls. By the end of the week, the entire student body at Raven's Peak High School—and likely their parents—knew everything.

On the day I was born, my father was struck by lightning, and my mother died in childbirth. Coincidence or not, people started calling me "The Cursed One." My birth was marked by violent storms, a tempest that tore through our small community. The sky split apart in a deafening roar, and torrential rain washed away homes. The superstitious townsfolk decided that my mere existence was a blight on their lives.

Then Stephanie elevated the cruelty.

She stole my diary, made photocopies, and handed them out like party favors. She exposed my private thoughts to everyone—the hurt, the loneliness, the deep sense of rejection that gnawed at my heart.

The entry that stung the most? The one where I called myself "The Unwanted One."

I had written those words in the grip of despair. I felt cursed, unloved, and unworthy. I believed God had abandoned me, that my parents' deaths were a divine punishment, and that the unkindness of others was proof I didn't belong in this world.

Stephanie, Stacy, and Julia read it all aloud in front of the entire class.

And then Stephanie laughed.

"Our friendship was a prank," she had said with a grin. "Do you really think I'd be friends with someone like you?"

That was three years ago.

I stopped watering the mysterious flower in the garden and retreated indoors, the memories too much to bear. As I opened my textbooks to distract myself with homework, I made a silent vow. I would never trust anyone again.

_____________________________________

Aunt Mariam's View

It has been seventeen years since I took in Golderine, my late sister's daughter. Soon, it will be eighteen. Just a month and a half until she reaches the age when everything changes.

Raising her has been a challenge. She is strong-willed, stubborn, and fierce—traits I encouraged. But I sometimes forget that she is not one of my soldiers, nor one of my subordinates from Aethoria.

Ah, Aethoria. My true home.

A land of iridescent beauty, where magic thrums in every breath. Shimmering skies, forests alive with light, and creatures beyond human imagination populate its lands. Faries, Emberwyrms, and humans with incredible magical abilities exist in harmony and chaos.

As the Warrior Queen of Aethoria, I commanded armies of forty thousand soldiers. I earned names like General, Leader of Legions, and Protector. But my favorite title remains Warrior Queen—a name that inspires both fear and respect.

Aethoria was also home to the magical humans known as Arcanists, Shadowdancers, Wilders, Chronokeepers, and Dreamseers. Each wielded unique powers:

Arcanists: Masters of elemental magic.

Shadowdancers: Experts in stealth and deception.

Wilders: Guardians of nature's forces.

Chronokeepers: Manipulators of time.

Dreamseers: Intuitives who delved into minds and dreams.

Then there were the rare and powerful beings who commanded the primal forces: fire, ice, water, air, and even plants. The latter, plant magic, was so coveted that those who possessed it often went into hiding to avoid exploitation.

I myself have lived for 2,591 years, granted immortality through my service and sacrifices. And now, here I am on Earth, raising Golderine.

She doesn't yet know who she is—or what she is. When she turns eighteen, her dormant powers will awaken, and the Moonflower in the garden, bound to her life force, will bloom. Its petals will serve as her crown, granting her unimaginable power. But first, she must survive seven perilous days when she will be hunted by those who wish to steal her abilities.

If I fail to protect her, she will die. Permanently.

Aurora and Aesen—her parents—would have been so proud of her. She is a remarkable young woman, brave and brilliant. But I wish they could see her now, see how much she's grown.

And Stephanie. Oh, Stephanie. That girl has hurt my niece more than she can ever comprehend. Perhaps it's time I pay her a visit.

After my shower, I dressed in comfortable clothes and headed to the study. Aesen's study, to be precise. His old oak desk still held the faint scent of cedar, a reminder of the man he was.

I picked up my phone and dialed a familiar number.

"Lucien," I said when the call connected.

The voice on the other end was immediate, excited. "It's been so long! I thought you forgot about me. How are you? Do you need my help? Can I come see you?"

Lucien. One of my most trusted subordinates. I found him as a street orphan at the age of seven, took him under my wing, and trained him. Now, he's a formidable warrior with control over both water and plant magic. I told him to hide his plant magic, for his own safety. People in Aethoria would exploit him for it, and I wouldn't let that happen.

"Lucy," I said with a smirk, "you've missed me, haven't you?"

"Of course not," he said, but his voice betrayed him. "But I'd like to see Golderine. Is it finally time?"

"Yes, it's time. I'll make arrangements for your arrival. But I need you to do something for me first."

"Anything."

"I need all the information you can gather on a girl named Stephanie from Raven's Peak. Her family is wealthy. She attends Raven's Peak High and is friends with Julia and Stacy. Get details on all of them—where they live, their routines, everything."

"That's easy. What else?"

"Bring three doses of Sleeping Potion, a Protection Potion, Devil's Claw Potion, Rose Berries, Black Rose Water, one Blue Amber Rock, and a diamond."

There was a pause. "Mariam, Devil's Claw Potion? Do you know how dangerous that is? A single drop can kill. What are you planning?"

"It's not for Golderine, if that's what you're thinking," I assured him. "I'll never harm her. It's for someone else—someone who deserves it."

"Fine," he said after a long sigh. "But I'm bringing it with conditions. And when I arrive, I'm going to spoil my fake cousin rotten."

"She'll love you for it. Also Lucien you will be a friend to Golderine and you will protect her. Bye ."

I hung up and went to the kitchen to prepare dinner for Golderine.