𝐋𝐔𝐗 𝐀𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐀

𝐒𝐄𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐌

— 𝐂 𝐇 𝐀 𝐏 𝐓 𝐄 𝐑  𝐒 𝐄 𝐕 𝐄 𝐍 —

FRIENDS.

What an incredibly absurd word, in the most charming way possible. They were the most precious achievement of one's soul, as the world taught me the more I advanced in age, the entanglement of a stranger's essence with your own. I liked to believe that having the power to earn a person's friendship, having them offer you their soul on a silver platter and calling it a mere act, was the equivalent of moving this earth's mountains. Both stubborn yet open to persuasion if shown a little kindness.

My eyes held the weight of marvel in their reflection, scrutinizing the length of my hair similarly to the way a child would with a passing wander. Twenty minutes had passed since I entrusted the two sisters I had grown fond of with what could be considered one's most prized possession, the silky locks of hair I had spent years growing out swiftly cut off in a matter of minutes. I wove my fingers through the shoulder-length curls and let a smile etch itself on my lips, the softness of it a gentle reminder of what could be preserved in a world full of tainted sacrifices.

Although the girl in the mirror presented herself with an abnormal familiarity, she was no more than a stranger. Alana Myers, the recently deceased whose hopeless soul remained forgotten and erased from human existence had been rebirthed into none other than the Nightshades' Lux Aeterna, the eternal light that was destined for the ruin of all vile things. And as to who I was, well that was simply a mystery in itself, for Lux had still yet to demonstrate the kind of hellfire she was willing to thrust upon those deserving of it.

I stepped away from the looking glass and back into my room, the lifeless walls still in need of their occupant's creativity. My imaginative process had been cut short by the sight residing at the end of my bed, my eyes narrowing at the simple, bow-adorned box that I knew for a fact was not left behind by one of the girls. It was of a slick back, a classic crimson wrapped securely around it as it held up a note in its confinement.

'For our Lux' — the note short, but sweet. I couldn't help the involuntary grin that tugged at my lips, my heart swelling with an unknown emotion as I read the brief text. I pulled the lid off with a child's excitement, a quiet gasp slipping off the surface of my lips. A deep red, velvet material encased the sharpness beneath it, the polished hilt peeking out and confirming my deductions. I pushed the fabric aside to reveal two translucent blades, light between my fingers as I admired the silver handles. They were adorned with angels whose gentle hands enveloped the sun, the rays beautifully carved into the metal — the pair maintained a deadly beauty that had caught my eye from the very start.

I knew exactly who was deserving of my gratitude, a certain forest green coming to mind.

I stacked the two weapons back in their box safely, hesitating for a split second before grabbing the letter residing on the nightstand and stashing it away. There were a few other things I had to take care of before laying my eyes on the dedicated handwriting.