The Stolen Element

Stolen from the Elements

(Age 4)

The palace was alive with energy that night, its golden halls illuminated by thousands of shimmering orbs that floated in midair. The Supreme Queen of the Fairy World held her daughter in her arms, her expression soft with maternal love as she rocked the child gently. Vanessa, barely four years old, giggled as sparks of electricity danced across her fingertips. The Queen smiled, her golden eyes glowing faintly as she whispered, "You're going to do great things, my little star."

The prophecy was spoken at Vanessa's birth, etched in the stars and woven into the fabric of the Fairy World: The child of the elements will unite or destroy, guided by the light or shadow within her heart.

The Supreme King and Queen took solace in the first part of the prophecy. Vanessa's unique connection to all five elements—air, water, fire, earth, and electricity—was unprecedented. She had already shown signs of her gifts, summoning gentle breezes to play with her hair and causing flowers to bloom in the dead of winter. But it was her ability to glimpse the future, even as an infant, that marked her as extraordinary. Her parents knew she was destined to shape the world in ways they could not yet imagine.

But not everyone saw Vanessa as a beacon of hope.

The palace guards fell one by one that night, their cries muffled by dark, twisting shadows that seemed to move of their own accord. A group of anti-royalist extremists, cloaked in black and armed with forbidden magic, slipped through the defenses like ghosts. Their mission was clear: take the child, the prophecy's key. Without her, the Supreme King and Queen would be weakened, their reign teetering on collapse.

Vanessa had been asleep in her nursery when they came. She stirred only briefly when a masked figure lifted her from her bed, her small fingers clutching instinctively at her blanket. The figure hesitated, their grip tightening as if second-guessing their actions. "She's just a child," they murmured, their voice trembling with uncertainty.

A second figure appeared, their tone sharp and commanding. "She's the child of the prophecy. If we don't act now, we'll lose our chance."

The first figure nodded reluctantly, their resolve hardening. They disappeared into the night with Vanessa, the palace alarms blaring too late to stop them.

Vanessa awoke in a strange, cold room, her blanket replaced by a rough woolen cloth. The glow of the palace was gone, replaced by dim candlelight and the murmur of unfamiliar voices. She whimpered, calling for her mother, but no one came.

"She doesn't even know who she is," one of the kidnappers said, their tone almost pitying.

"That's the point," another replied. "By the time she remembers anything, it'll be too late. Without the Fairy World's energy, her powers will wither. She'll grow up human, powerless."

Vanessa didn't understand their words, but their coldness made her cry harder. A wave of sparks erupted from her tiny hands, startling the kidnappers. The leader cursed, snapping, "We need to suppress her magic before she gets stronger."

Forbidden runes were carved into the floor, binding her elemental energy and severing her connection to the Fairy World. Vanessa screamed as her magic was sealed, the pain searing and unforgettable. But her cries faded into silence as the spell took hold, her young mind unable to comprehend what was happening.

When the ritual was over, the kidnappers carried her to a new world, one devoid of the magic that had always surrounded her. They left her on the doorstep of a small, unremarkable house with only a hastily written note explaining she was an orphan. Then they vanished, their task complete.

The woman who opened the door was startled to find a child sitting on her porch. She looked at the note, then at Vanessa, her face a mix of confusion and pity. "Well," she muttered, "I guess we'll take her in for now."

Vanessa clutched her blanket tightly, her tears drying on her cheeks as she was pulled into a new, unfamiliar life. She didn't know where she was or why she had been taken, but one thing was certain.

The warmth and safety of her parents' arms were gone, replaced by a cold emptiness that would follow her for years to come