Silence: City of Ivory and Shadow

Prologue

Zephaniah Xanth's POV
December 15, 2000

I quietly look out the window of the carriage as it traveled along the familiar road I used to walk by when I was younger.

It's been a long time. So long things started to be blurry in my mind yet, this place still looks the same and the feeling I had for this place remained. Lingering. Memories and emotions that been left here for a long time sadly those things wasn't the same anymore.

I took a deep sigh. "5 years felt so distant but the pain it brought felt like it was just yesterday."

The coachman gently knocks on the carriage door before opening it, saying, "Miss, we have arrived."

I step out of the carriage as my friend Luke offers his hand to help me get down from the carriage.

I mumbled a soft. "Thank you."

I then carefully scan the area until my eyes land on the open window on the first floor of the ruined grand house in Amsterdam surrounded by oak trees.

My gaze then shifted to the barely open door.

"Wait for me Isabela." the child in purple robe with gold lining shouted.

"Zeph, you have to run faster." The other girl in purple robe with silver lining replied as she giggles and slowed her way down.

I smiled bitterly. "This memories are killing me."

I was about to reach out to the door knob when sudden vision flash before my mind. It was too fast to make sense. It was a combination of past and future events. I often have these precognition but often times it's blurry and only pieces of images and it doesn't make sense.

I feel a little lightheaded when a flurry of pictures and memories suddenly jolted through my head. Image of a witch in a black robe stands in the large house's cellar, watching the two young witches flee for their life. This time, she noticed the older woman was hiding something in the stacks of discarded boxes.

The sound of the door creaking brought me back to reality. I reach out to the wall for support.

Luke looked at me with worried eyes "Are you okay?"

I hold his hand and reassured him. "I am."

I made long stride and made my way pass him and smiled.

-----
Zephaniah's POV
Ten Years Ago | September 1, 1990

On the open window on the first floor of the grand house in Amsterdam, a young witch wearing a vivid purple cape over a vintage black dress could be seen.

She was- YES. She was me when I was 10. I pull my wand into my robe and begin washing it down with a fresh, white cloth. Everything was peaceful and quiet up until that dreadful day.

It all started on a fine autumn morning in the year 1990 when my sister Isabela came home rushing with heavy beads of sweat carrying a black cloth-covered parcel. She makes a back-and-forth look as though she is worried.

"Zeph, hurry get your things." She commanded me with a sense of urgency as she puts the black cloth-wrapped package into the bag she had spotted in the chair.

I know I should get ready, but I was too startled by her actions.

I observe her as she instructs each of our servants to barricade the doors, seal the portals, and lock the warp.

"Isabela?" I tried to call her attention but to no avail, she just abruptly turned off every damn light in the house, and the windows, drapes, and doors of the stately home are all shut with a swift wave of her wand.

"What's wrong, Jen" I asked my nanny, as she was busy packing my things.

"Young lady, please no questions for the moment." She then look at me apologetically as she zips my bag off.

I turn my way to my sister. I was just about to open my mouth when she silence me.

"Shhsss. Later we have no time. I'll explain everything later" She dismissively answered as she ushered me to get into the basement. Once I was inside I heard the servants convince her to flee with me.

"Make haste my lady" I heard our butler says to her before he gently push my sister into the basement. Inside the basement, with one swift of her want my sister Isabela opens a secret passage that connects to the woods.

"Walk faster or they might come after us."My sister ushered me to go faster as we walk along the forest.

"Who is coming after us? Why are we running like some sort of criminals?" I asked trying to get some answers from her.

"Zeph, there are things better off, unheard and there are things better if people wouldn't say." She replied as she held my hands tightly as if she was trying to reassure me.

That was my sister's last words to me before she used a spell to put me to sleep. Confused by her statements, we fled deep into the woods. That as well as the last time, I saw her.

-----
Later that afternoon I woke up in a tavern that is very familiar to me. It was the tavern of our trusted butler.

I am back in Kaltain also known as the dark town.

While I am unconscious we probably passed through Leofrun, the kingdom of portals to get here. The kingdom of Kaltain is one of the domains in the Hohenheim empire.

A short while later, Luke and the widowed butler, who is in her late 50s, arrive and offer me a glass of water. I took it and drink it and place it on the table beside the sofa I was sleeping on earlier. I tried to look around searching for my sister's presence. When my sister was not in sight, I felt scared and worried for her.

"Where's my sister? What happened to me? Why am I here?" I was cut off momentarily as a sudden realization hits me.

The elderly woman and Luke exchange glance before leaving me behind. They are trying to avoid my questions. Before leaving once more, the elderly woman said something in a hushed voice to Luke.

I frantically ask Luke a second time, "Luke, please answer me. Where is my sister?" but he remained silent for some time. We are surrounded by stillness until he speaks.

"I'm, I'm sorry." He then hugged me and continued, "When we got to Amsterdam, the city was already in the commotion and your house was on fire." He paused for a moment. " Zeph, everything is in complete chaos when we arrive, your helpers and other servants were all dead. You were the only one we saw in the woods with the pocket watch in your hands.

"What about my sister?"

"We tried looking for her for hours, but all we saw was her cloak lying still in the opposite direction of where we saw you unconscious.

I was taken aback by my reverie when Luke called me. "It's already time, Zeph."

He gently push the slightly open door and we made our way inside. I followed his trail in silence.