Bound by fate

The Lost Heir

The storm outside pounded against the small house, rattling the windows as if it wanted to break through. Inside, Elara Ward sat at the old wooden desk in her room, the single candle flickering on the surface casting long, flickering shadows on the wall. She stared down at the letter in her hands, the parchment rough between her fingers. It had arrived that afternoon, dropped off by a mysterious courier who had vanished before she could ask any questions. The wax seal—a strange crest with symbols she didn't recognize—had been unbroken.

Elara hadn't opened it at first. Something about the letter felt wrong. Dangerous, even. But after hours of pacing around her room, she had finally given in.

Now, as her eyes scanned the words scrawled in elegant, unfamiliar handwriting, her heart pounded in her chest.

"Miss Ward, it is time you learned the truth about your origins. You are not who you think you are. The magic inside you has been hidden for far too long, but you cannot escape your destiny. You are the heir to the Ward bloodline, the last of your kind. Arclight Academy awaits you."

Magic.

The word echoed in her mind, both absurd and enticing. Elara scoffed, tossing the letter onto her desk and leaning back in her chair. Magic wasn't real. It was the stuff of children's stories, of fantasy novels she'd devoured growing up. But the rational part of her couldn't shake the nagging feeling that this letter—this strange, cryptic message—was somehow true.

For as long as she could remember, something had felt off about her life. Sure, she was just an ordinary girl. She lived in a sleepy little town with her aunt, who had raised her ever since her parents disappeared when she was barely five. The few memories she had of them were hazy, like dreams that slipped away the moment she tried to hold onto them. Her mother's laugh, her father's warm eyes—it was all a blur now.

Her aunt never talked about her parents, brushing off Elara's questions with vague answers and a distracted wave. She'd always told her to focus on her studies, that the past didn't matter. And for the most part, Elara had done just that. She'd gone through life trying to blend in, keeping her head down, always feeling like something was missing but never knowing what.

Until now.

She glanced at the letter again, her curiosity gnawing at her. The storm outside raged on, the wind howling through the trees, but inside her room, the world seemed to narrow down to the strange message in front of her.

Arclight Academy. The name rang a faint bell in her mind. She'd heard whispers about it before, in stories passed around by kids at school, but nothing concrete. Just rumors. A secret school, some said. A place for special people. But no one ever knew what made those people special.

Her aunt had always scoffed at the mention of it, dismissing it as a myth. "Nonsense," she'd said once, when Elara had asked about the school. "Don't let your imagination run wild. There's no such thing as magic."

But now, staring at the letter, Elara wasn't so sure.

A low rumble of thunder rolled through the night, and Elara felt a strange chill run down her spine. Could it be true? Could there really be something more to her than she'd ever known?

She grabbed the letter again, reading it over and over, her mind racing. The idea of magic—of her being part of something greater—seemed ridiculous. And yet...

There had always been moments. Little things she'd brushed off as her imagination. The way lights flickered when she was upset. The strange way she could sometimes sense things before they happened. She had always convinced herself it was just a coincidence. After all, no one else ever seemed to notice.

But if magic was real, if she was truly the heir to some long-lost magical bloodline... then what did that mean?

Her breath caught in her throat as another thought struck her. If this letter was real, then why now? Why had no one told her about this before? Why had her parents disappeared? Why had her aunt never mentioned it?

Questions swirled in her mind, but there were no answers here. Only more uncertainty.

Elara stood abruptly, the chair scraping against the floor. She couldn't stay here. Not now. Not with all of this hanging over her head. She had to know the truth. She had to go to Arclight Academy.

She grabbed her jacket from the back of her chair, slipping it on as she stuffed the letter into her bag. The wind howled louder as she opened her bedroom door and crept down the hallway. Her aunt's room was dark, the door closed. Elara hesitated for a moment, her hand hovering over the doorknob, but she couldn't bring herself to wake her.

What would she say, anyway? That she was leaving? That she was going to a magical academy based on a letter from a stranger? Her aunt would never believe her. And even if she did, she would probably forbid her from going.

No. It was better to leave quietly. She could explain later—once she knew more.

Elara tiptoed through the house, the familiar creaks in the floorboards almost comforting. She'd lived here her whole life, and though the house was small and worn, it was the only home she'd ever known. As she reached the front door, she paused, glancing back one last time. A strange feeling washed over her—a sense that she was leaving something behind. Not just the house, but her old life. The life where she was just Elara Ward, ordinary girl.

She took a deep breath and opened the door, stepping out into the storm.

The rain came down in sheets, soaking her within moments, but Elara didn't care. She pulled her hood over her head and hurried down the street, her heart pounding in her chest. She had no idea where she was going—only that she had to get to the academy. The letter had mentioned a location outside the town, a place where she would be met by someone who would take her to Arclight.

Her footsteps splashed through puddles as she made her way through the dark streets. She knew these roads like the back of her hand, but tonight, everything felt different. The storm seemed to twist the world around her, turning the familiar into the unknown.

After what felt like hours, she reached the edge of town, where the houses thinned out and the trees began. The rain was relentless, and Elara could barely see a few feet in front of her, but she pressed on. According to the letter, there was a clearing just beyond the forest where the transport to Arclight would be waiting.

As she entered the woods, the sounds of the storm grew muffled by the trees, the wind weaving through the branches like a whisper. Elara's skin prickled as she moved deeper into the forest, her senses on high alert. She could feel something—something she couldn't explain. It was as if the air itself was charged, humming with energy.

And then she saw it—a faint glow in the distance, through the trees.

Her heart leapt into her throat. The glow grew brighter as she approached, and when she stepped into the clearing, she saw it: a sleek, black carriage, hovering a few inches off the ground, its windows dark. The horses that would have pulled it were nowhere to be seen. Instead, the carriage seemed to hum with magic, shimmering faintly in the rain.

A figure stood beside it, tall and cloaked, their face hidden in the shadows.

"Elara Ward," the figure said, their voice low and commanding. "You're late."

Elara swallowed, her nerves tingling. "I—I'm here now."

The figure nodded. "Then let us waste no more time."

They opened the door to the carriage and gestured for her to step inside. Elara hesitated for only a moment before climbing in. The door closed behind her with a soft click, and the carriage lurched forward, lifting higher into the air.

As the world outside blurred into darkness, Elara leaned back in her seat, her mind spinning. She was really doing this. She was really going to Arclight Academy.

But what awaited her there? And what did it mean to be the last of her kind?

The carriage glided smoothly through the storm, and as Elara stared out into the swirling rain, one thought echoed in her mind.

There was no turning back now.