This Time

chapter 1

Raveena Glacier Lancaster, The only daughter of Duke Nelson David Lancaster and Duchess Alecia Ren Lancaster.

I was the youngest child my parents had. I had always remembered how much my mother loved me, more than my two older brother. Perhaps I realized it too late, I should've known that nobody else liked me.

My mother, my dear mother was someone everyone hated. They called her a "Villainess" when it's not true, she had always been kind. But just like the best flower that will be plucked away first, my mother also died too early.

I never understood how can everybody be so cruel? The moment she died i was seven years old. Her illness was incurable, leaving her withering away on her own bed. Nobody seem to visit her much, only me.

When she died my family was overjoyed. I can see it in their face, that was the moment that opened my eyes. I start to realized how mean everyone was.

My brothers, Keiron and Kyran was visibly more happy as i weep for my mother in my own room. And the worst was my father, only a week after my mother's death he brought home some woman, a strange woman with shaby clothes and soft look on her face.

He introduced her as our new Duchess. Just as I thought things couldn't get worse, a little girl showed up behind her, she looks shy, and she looked just as shaby as that woman.

One thing that everyone focused on was her hair, her red hair. Only Lancasters who supposedly have red hair, it's some sort of trademark of the Lancasters. My father came clean, the child is his, and her name is Rose. All of the sudden I'm no longer the youngest daughter of Lancaster, Rose now held that title.

Slowly, i tried to get closer to others. But they never seem to like me. They do however, love Rose. I was confused and hurt, until I remembered my mother's words— "Remember Raveena my dear, the commoners are dirty, lowly people who will take everything you loved and care about. They are very similar to a leech, so never forget to be careful around them, unless you wanted to be sucked dry with nothing left." And it all started to make sense.

Rose took everything, she and her mother, Fiona, took away everybody's love. The love that was for me was taken by them. That was my reason to hate them. That was my reason to hurt them.

Back then, i used to do everything in my power to hurt them. It was very easy, afterall, just take a bit of magic to mess with them is all it took. But i wasn't satisfied, so I tried to frame Rose, I tried to drown her, I tried to choke her and ruin everything she had.

Everyone started to hate me more and more, i knew that, so i also put them in their place, the maids, the servants, everyone no longer dare to look my way or talk to me.

My family was enraged, but what can they do? I'm still the legimate child of Lancaster and if they were to kick me out or do anything it'll only cause them trouble. "What kind of noble kick their beautiful and talented child just for their mistress and the bastard child?" Was what people would say.

My existence worth more than both Fiona's and Rose's life. But that changed when Rose finally revealed she also has power. Powers are something hard to come by even in the high society. The commoners are commoners because they're powerless, unable to do any magic or miracles. Sure, some do but it's very rare.

From then on, I never acted rashly again. I use my connection with other ladies to bully Rose in the academy. Nobody dared to report it or to stop us. Rose herself was too soft to do anything other than forgave me again and again, I didn't even need her forgiveness.

Just two years after i graduated from the academy, a war broke out. And every noble who was capable of using their power was dispatched. Everybody fight desperately.

Things happened and now I'm here, lying on the ground barely conscious.

I probably will never understand why my life was replying back in my mind at such time like this.

"Brother... Kyran..." my hoarse voice called out to him, my hand tried to reach out to the man in front of me. But he just stand there, glaring at me.

"I'm not going to help you. Just go ahead die here, Raveena. I'm sure everyone will be overjoyed when they hear the news." Kyran huffed, looking away. I swear I see him smile a little.

"You were never my sister, you were never really our family either." His words hurts more than the sword that pierces my stomach, I wanted to swear at him, but I no longer had the energy to.

"This is the end you deserve Raveena." Kyran then walked away, leaving me behind. My eyes started to fail me, and I finally lose my consciousness.

I don't know how long it has been, but, I strangely feels warm. Is this what the afterlife feels like? Does the afterlife supposed to feel like my bed?

Opening my eyes, i'm not greeted with a pure white or any other creature. I'm greeted with the familiar sight of my bedroom. Weirdly enough the room feels so... big. I got up from my bed and jumped down, then my head hit the ground.

Something is not right, I got up, ignoring my pain, everything felt a little too big, this is not right. So I got up and walk to the mirror, only to see a child in front of me.

A very familiar child, light blue hair, blue eyes, pale skin, familiar night gown and blood dripping down from her head. Isn't this... me? This is me when I was probably around seven years old?

What is going on????