A/N: Inspiration of King Spero's Library
***
Zoe's hope began to fade faster than a shadow chased by light. Just when she thought that something special was about to happen in her life, the bitter truth decided to slap her on the face. Was it over for her? The memory of her first encounter with Darcy played in her mind and an idea hit her out of nowhere.
"Then what about the trackers?" she said, restraining herself from doing the happy dance. "How come they went all the way from this realm just to find me?"
Darcy's grip tightened as he shifted, calling her attention. She looked up at him and met his eyes that shone with approval. Somehow, the smile on his face wasn't as smug and boastful as before. It was a smile that showed his pride, not for himself but for her. She tugged her lips into a smile and averted her attention back to the King, who was busy twirling a new pen while gazing on them as though assessing his every word.
"I believe that's a different matter." He grinned and set down the pen. "Someone must be after you, but I don't think it has anything to do with you being the Heroine."
"What made you so sure?" Darcy asked. "You just mentioned the possibility that someone must be killing the reincarnation of the Heroine. There's no better indication than the trackers."
He chuckled and walked beside Arlette. "It was simple, my little brother. Show them, Arlette."
The wind suddenly changed and small girl's once timid demeanor became that of a confident warrior. With a steady gaze, she got on her feet with a straight posture, finally showing herself in full glory.
Zoe thought she was actually beautiful even with a few freckles across her face. She looked like a country girl that always wore a smile, yet for some reasons, she could only see sadness and fear beneath her weak facade.
The other girl may seem frail and weak, but something about her play of confidence stirred uneasiness in Zoe.
Arlette stretched out her hand and opened her palm. For a moment, nothing happened until a soft gust of wind surrounded them, throwing a few papers in the air. White light sparked on her hand as a summoning circle appeared, revealing a long sword wrapped in white flames. The two teenagers stepped back, raising their hand to their face.
Zoe glared and watched the amused smile of the King continuously spread. The dancing shadows on his face were enough for anyone to mistaken him for the villain and even though his eyes were the color of the sun, it showed nothing but a man who was hiding and planning a lot of things.
"You gave her The Sword of Yraj?!" Darcy shouted in rage after Arlette lowered the sword.
"No wonder we're brothers. The first time I saw her wielding the sword, I thought she stole it. Silly, right?" He raised his chin with an aura of triumph and gazed down at the two.
"However, the sword was safe and sound in the Academy," he continued. "Which only means that she had the other sword. And this brings us to the history of Mamoria when it was mentioned that the Guardian of Light--Yraj--was the master of twin swords."
Before Darcy could respond, the long sword hit the ground with a deep clang as Arlette collapsed on the floor, gripping her chest while chasing her breath. Somehow, the sight of pure pain plastered on her face brought joy to Zoe. She knew it wasn't nice feeling delighted at the sight of other people's suffering, yet she couldn't control it.
Serves you right, she thought.
"Even though she could wield the sword, it was clearly too much for her," Darcy said.
YOU ARE READING
Presage
Fantasy|Book#1|Chronicles of Mamoria| A story that was forgotten by history. A secret kept for hundreds of millennia. A dark heart sheltered by the light. A young prince who gave up his pride to protect his people. And a teenage girl who was destined to lo...
