The Girl of Shadows [COMPLETE]

Twenty-Eight

["I won't ever forget you and maybe that is the only forever the two of us together were ever meant to have." -S.L. Gray]

I spent the majority of the night wondering sweet nothings to myself. Contemplating things that had no business to worry me, but there I was, eyes peeled to the shimmering night sky. It glowed on my face, making it paler than it already was.

Maren finally had her bed, enjoying the tranquility of a brand new comforter. She tossed and turned as I snuck out of the room, making my silent footsteps head toward the balcony. The curtains guarding the glass swayed as they had been opened for the night, making way for the chilly November breeze. It hit my arms and they shivered, feeling the blade of the wind against my skin. I ignored the stabbing pain from the twenty-eight degree weather and sat on the frozen chair that stayed there lonely all the time.

Snow trickled down the air, gracefully falling into the piles of already fallen snow. It was shimmering against the moonlight, barely lit by the fall skies. They looked as if tiny crystals and shards of glass were spread across the pillowy texture that covered the grass.

My legs were covered in a fleece blanket as they held my head up.

I felt out of place, almost like I had no purpose anymore. No one needed saving, we found my sister and brought her home, and I had read all of my books. What next? What adventures were calling my name in whispers unheard by my ears? All of it I longed for - and needed. I wanted that adventure. I wanted that rush of adrenaline. Even if it meant getting myself killed.

I had nowhere to go. Nowhere to be. The world was so vast, but I was trapped in this corner. I wanted to leave so badly but I knew it was against the rules. And I would be swarmed with angry citizens in an instant.

Why did I feel so... odd?

A few seconds later, I held my Talisman in my hand, tracing my fingers on the sharp edges of the shiny crystal. Each felt so straight, so perfectly defined in every way. It reflected the sky's light like the snow did, but more directly, almost blinding me in the process.

Thinking to myself, I decided what I had to do next. I was going to spend the rest of today on Earth and fly to the Dark Realm early tomorrow. It was official.

I snuck back into my room, grabbed the duffel bag I had used so much, and began putting everything meaningful into it. My seashells, photos, little trinkets. All of it was spent with tears trickling down my cheeks, staining the black colored satin sheets with its saltiness. Soft sniffles and uneven breathing could have been heard in between the waterfalls of naturally emitted teardrops.

I wanted to leave, but not leave my family behind. They're the only ones I've ever known, loving me for who I was and for who I became. They loved me through every single flaw I had, blinded by the fact I was sad and broken and completely losing interest in life.
Nobody really understood me, nevertheless.

That's why I'd decided to go. Travel not far, but far enough away so where I didn't have to feel the ache of missing them for long. I had to keep myself together, as my blatant vulnerability was present among my face.

Besides, I had my own world to rule. My own world...

Thinking about that helped a lot. Feeling superior was something I was practically addicted to, enjoying the rush of power through my veins. And if I was destined, why waste it?

My reasoning felt somewhat logical - whether it be decipherable or not - as I processed it more. I wanted the crown, the dress, the scepter. All of it, in theory, felt so amazing.

I cleaned out the trunk of treasures from under my bed, which was then a hollow box. It was dark then, holding absolutely nothing, and was put back in the exact spot where it had been for so long. My duffel bag was also stuffed under the bed, disguised from any wandering eyes - I was talking about Maren - when she would wake up.