Where Destiny Lies

N | 1

AT THE ESSOS's house, the dinner table was set, adorned with a pristine white tablecloth and an assortment of gleaming silverware. Warm candlelight cast a cozy glow across the room as Navalia sat down with their family for an evening meal. Her older brother, with a mischievous smile, playfully nudged her shoulder.

"Hello, Neron," She squezzed his hand for a brief second.

"The sky looks slpendid tonight, doesn't it?" Navalia's father remarked as he sat at the head of the table.

Her mother, dressed in an elegant gown, nodded in agreement. "Indeed, it's a fitting moon for such a grand celebration." Navalia couldn't help but notice that it was a full moon, its ethereal light casting an otherworldly glow upon the room. "Happy birthday, my dear," she said, kissing her son in the cheek.

At his twenty third summer, the gods had granted him a good omen. The air buzzed with anticipation as the family raised their glasses in a toast, honoring the auspicious occasion.

Navalia's brother, wearing a tunic adorned with the family crest, beamed with excitement. "Thank you, Mother. I can hardly believe I'm another year older!"

She contained the urge to roll her eyes. The golden boy portrait, the mask of perfection always intact.

As the presents at the table raised their glasses, a toast for his birthday, the room echoed with the sounds of clinking goblets and lively conversation. The familiar banter of family filled the air, interweaving laughter and stories into an atmosphere of joy and connection. Meanwhile, servants expertly laid steaming plates of their favorite home-cooked dishes, filling the room with a tantalizing aroma of roasted filé, seasoned vegetables, and savory potatoes.

As everyone settled into their seats, laughter and stories intertwined, creating an atmosphere of joy and connection. Their father, drunk, raised his glass and proposed another toast to the simple joys of family and togetherness. Glasses clinked, filling the air with a symphony of delicate melodies.

While Neron seemed amazed by the festivities, his attention shifting from one face to another, Navalia grew increasingly uncomfortable. Her eyes wandered to the exit, longing for her quiet room.

Neron, sensing his sister's disquiet, leaned closer and whispered, "What troubles you? You seem distant tonight."

Navalia forced a smile, but her eyes betrayed a hint of anxiousness. "This family talks too loud," she murmured under her breath.

Neron raised an eyebrow, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Ah, and you always so quiet. I suppose silence is your solace."

"It's nothing, Neron," she replied, her voice tinged with resignation. "Just lost in my own thoughts, I suppose."

He sighed, leaning back in his chair. "It's my birthday, could you not, at least, pretend you are happy?"

"I could," she pondered, resting her head on her hand. "Although, I am not."

"Classic Navalia," Neron chuckled softly.

Her patience wore thin with each passing moment. There was no specific trigger for her current mood, but rather a feeling churned in the pit of her stomach. A bother.

"The feeling in the air is off tonight, don't you think?" Navalia whispered, her eyes scanning the room for any signs of the source of her unease.

Neron followed her gaze, his expression growing serious. "I don't feel anything off."

Navalia's restlessness grew, but she knew better than to disrupt her brother's birthday celebration with her own troubles. How could he not be feeling whatever she was? Neron had more hold of his arum than she did, it should be easy for him to sense the heightened energy surrounding them.

She tried to push aside her inner turmoil, but as soon as she had sat at the table that night, a subtle vibration coursed through her body. The tingling sensation started in her ears, sending shivers down her spine and reaching all the way down to her legs. It was as if the very essence of the world around her was pulsating with a newfound intensity.

But what was causing it?

As the evening wore on and most of her relatives became intoxicated, their voices grew louder, their words blending into incoherency. Navalia's head throbbed in pain.

Colours appeared more vibrant and spread out, blending and melting in each other. Sounds resonated more deeply, each word and note echoing through her mind. Even the air felt charged, as if it crackled with unseen energy.

The moment arrived when everyone stood up to sing the traditional "Happy Birthday" song. Navalia's mother, catching sight of her daughter's pale face, paused in the midst of the clapping. Concern etched across her features, she took Navalia's face gently between her hands, examining her closely.

"Navalia, my dear, are you feeling unwell?" her mother asked, her voice filled with worry.

Navalia's unease transformed into a full-blown sensory overload. The tingling sensation that had initially gripped her now surged through her entire body, causing her to grip the edge of the table tightly. The throbbing pain in her head intensified, each sound and color bombarding her senses with overwhelming force. She felt as if the world around her was spinning out of control, threatening to consume her.

"I... I don't know, Mother," Navalia managed to whisper, her voice trembling. "Something doesn't feel right. My arum... it's awoken."

Her mother's eyes filled with a mix of concern and confusion. She glanced around, trying to understand what Navalia was experiencing, but the celebration continued with oblivious joy.
Navalia's panic rose. The weight of the sensory overload became unbearable. She needed to leave.

With shaky steps, she excused herself, stumbling away from the table, desperate to escape the overwhelming sensations that threatened to engulf her.

The corridor seemed elongated, stretching out before her like an endless tunnel. Each footfall echoed loudly in her ears, reverberating through her already overloaded senses. As she finally reached the door to her room, she fumbled with the handle with trembling hands struggling to find the metal.

When she entered her room, the onslaught of sensations intensified. The walls seemed to pulsate, the patterns on the carpet shifting and writhing as if alive. The once familiar furniture appeared distorted, their shapes and colors warping in her vision.

Collapsing onto her bed, she gripped the edges tightly, seeking stability in the midst of the chaos. Her heart raced in her chest, its frantic beats adding to the cacophony within her. She pressed her hands against her temples, as if trying to contain the surging energy that threatened to overwhelm her.

At some point she began crying.

The room continued to spin, the colors blending into a swirling vortex of darkness. Tears streaming down, fear flooding her. She felt like she was losing herself in this storm, as if her very identity was being consumed by the turbulent waves of her arum.

It was growing stronger by the day.

Unable to bear the torment any longer, a primal scream tore itself from Navalia's throat. The sound reverberated through the room, a desperate cry for help and release. But as the echoes faded, Navalia muffled her cries against her pillow, muffling the noise as she clung to it for comfort.

In the midst of her anguish, Navalia's vision turned pitch black, so much she succumbed, and her body gave way to unconsciousness.