The Crimson Legacy (In Progress)

Chapter 16: The State of Zenith

—

As Clara rested in the dim alcove, she felt a presence approaching. She turned and saw Lucius, his robes sweeping softly against the ancient stone floor. 

His face was stern, but there was a warmth behind his eyes—a softness that she had rarely seen in her brief and tumultuous life.

Lucius settled beside Clara, observing her with an expression of contemplation. "You spoke with Zoe," he began, his voice a low murmur, almost as if he was speaking to himself.

Clara nodded, her gaze still lingering on the path where Zoe had disappeared moments earlier. "She's... different," Clara said, not knowing how else to describe the young girl's strange mixture of innocence and power.

Lucius smiled faintly. "Zoe is a prodigy," he replied. "Her talents extend far beyond what you may have witnessed. Her knowledge could surpass even my own, given time." He paused, and his tone grew more thoughtful. 

"She possesses a photographic memory. She can memorize entire tomes with a single reading. And though she struggles to master it, her empathic powers are profound. Zoe is capable not only of feeling the emotions of others but, when fully honed, she could influence minds and control emotions."

Clara's brow furrowed. "Where did she come from?" she asked, her voice carrying an edge of curiosity she couldn't quite suppress.

Lucius let out a long sigh, his gaze turning distant as if recalling something from another lifetime. 

"I found her in the woods, far to the north," he said. "She had been lost for days—starving, exhausted, frightened beyond words. Zoe was barely five years old. When I approached her, she told me a story I will never forget."

Lucius looked at Clara, his eyes reflecting the pain of a memory that had long haunted him. 

"Zoe's mother... banished her. She was a powerful woman, but twisted by her own dark ambitions. She abused Zoe, forcing her to use her powers to harm others. When Zoe could no longer bear the cruelty, she defied her family—Zoe's power surged beyond her control. Her mother, furious and fearing what she couldn't understand, used an ancient spell to banish Zoe—to send her away, teleporting her to nowhere, hoping she would disappear forever."

Lucius's eyes met Clara's, the pain in them unmistakable. 

"But Zoe survived," he said softly. 

"She was left alone in the wilderness, disoriented and scared, with no way of understanding what had happened. When I found her, she was on the verge of death. I brought her here, to the Tree of Magus, and the Guardians raised her as one of our own."

Clara processed Lucius's words in silence, feeling a tightness in her chest. Zoe's story struck a chord within her—an echo of her own experiences, of being hunted and discarded by those who should have protected her.

"She doesn't want to hurt anyone," Lucius continued, his voice growing firm. "And I've made it my mission to ensure she never has to use her powers against her will."

The weight of Zoe's past lingered between them, heavy and unspoken. Clara glanced away, unsure of how to respond. She felt a strange kinship with the girl—a connection forged not by blood, but by pain and resilience.