Hopeless

Prologue

"Everyone and their mother knew about the castle on the hill. It was impossible to not. Stories spread like wildfire by middle schoolers, kids making up answers they couldn't find in a storybook, deceiving fact. The reality about it was scarcely known, so much so that rumours started to be taken in by the public eye, told as truth. Those who knew were merely students and teachers, sworn to secre-"

"Come on! Your stories are getting repetitive again," a small noble whines, her arms and legs both crossed. "And they're always about this damn castle! At least tell me one of those stories!"

"I was getting there, miss. A short temper gets you nowhere, remember? Patience, child," the older of the two girls says, smoothing down the princesses frocks. The younger lets out a grunt of defeat, falling back into the soft mattress behind her. Her gold hair spreads around her face, causing contagious giggles to echo around the small palace bedroom. "Anyway-"

"Legends passed through generations, changing and changing as they do, but the most widely known is the one about the student with six souls."

"Six souls? How is that even possible?" The child asks, genuine confusion behind her eyes.

"In theory, it's not," the elder explains. "But the castle was thought to be an all-girls boarding school. The students who attended this school were all born with magic, one of the six different sets. It was believed that the set you were born with was connected to the student's soul. Everyone was born with one set of magic. Except for this one special girl."

"A small, white, flame would flicker in the girl's palm. An eye-widening sight, really. To an outsider, it would seem slightly abnormal. To those who knew of her kind, it was a- a mind blowing sight. Her kind refused to understand how she existed. Throughout history, there was not one trace of someone like her. As soon after, in the passing days, she would go on to break a brick with her bare hand, cause fictional chaos, take power over the wind and sky, and even more."

"So everyone believed she had six souls?" The girl leans forward, now sitting up with her elbows on her knees, now eager to hear more. Her legs cross like a small primary student, with wide, begging eyes.

"Exactly. But people didn't like this. In fact, they were scared of her. Honestly, most people wanted to kill her."

"Because she was different?"

"In short, yeah. It's unfair, but people are scared of things they don't understand. Us as humans have an instinct to kill anything different," she explained, voice mature and composed. "It's human nature."

"So what do people think happened to her?"

"I'm not sure, miss, I've never heard the full thing. I've heard so many stories. Some people think the souls reformed as their own beings when she died, or that her magic passed on to six girls. It created this legend where they're meant to go on and defeat some kind of greater evil. There're many sceptics, however"

"What do you think?"

"I think it's time for bed, young lady." She pats the space on the bed next to the noble, a small smile crossing over her face. The noble stares searing holes into the older girl's soul. They both give their own sighs.

"But how would magic even move from one person to another! I have so many questions!" Her heart pounds with adrenaline, now more awake than ever. She bounces herself off her knees, her chance to act her age.

"Well, I've heard-" the older girl fiddles with a deep, almost black, purple heart pendant sitting upon her wrist. "-One's magic doesn't exactly die with them. Like matter, it's never created, nor destroyed."

"What if that magic didn't move on? What if-"

"They're probably manifest as the- Madelyn..." She narrows her eyes, knitting her eyebrows together. Her expression, quickly replaced with a smile, falls. "It's time for bed."

"You promise you'll tell me more stories tomorrow?" She asks.

"I promise, Miss." She pauses on her way out of the door, her swaying hair falling to a slow stop.

"Will you promise me something, Maddie?"

The noble's pout twists, confusion seeping into her expression. 'Maddie' was reserved for the dire days. The days she needed comforting, days she's all too familiar with. She's unsure whether to feel the cool touch of worry or allow the warmth of comfort to embrace her.

"Promise me you'll let people in." She hurries to the side of the bed once again, taking both of her superior's hands in her own. "Promise you'll allow those people to get close to you, don't shut them out."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll meet five people in your life. Whether over many years or all at once. They will be some of the most important people in your life." She squeezes the smaller hands captured in hers. The noble feels the warmth she so desperately craved wash over her. "You'll meet your compass. Your pink. Someone to always look out for you, to guide you, but to never show you your path."

"Who else?!" She chuckles, sensing no less than childish excitement.

"You'll meet your flame, your crimson. Someone who will motivate you until there is nothing left to fight for, the fire under your-" She coughs, almost uncomfortable with the words she's about to say.

"-Your arse. You'll meet your blade, your orange. Someone to keep your friends close and your enemies closer. You'll meet your yellow, your scales. Someone to keep the balance, keep you level headed. They point out your assets, your beauties, call you out on your contraindications and misdemeanours. You'll meet your candle, your blue. Someone to light your darkest nights, lit only when you need it the most."

"What about my green? And my purple!" The older of the two lays eyes on her bracelet, before falling upon the frocks of the youngest.

"You have those already, my dear."