Shadows Unveiled

THIRD

After 6 Years

OCTAVIA SABLE WAINWRIGHT's Point of View

Dear Princess,

Octavia

"Anak, Via. This is the day. I need to leave you. I don't want to go far away, but it's for your own good. Especially since your mother is no longer with us. I need to go away to sort out the mess I left behind. I've taught you everything you need to know. It's time for you to learn about the reality of life, the one we've been running away from for so long. Forgive me, my child. Don't forget that I love you very much. We will see each other again, but for now, I must bid farewell.

With love, your Father."

---

I'm utterly exhausted. I've never been one to tire easily, but it's been a week since I started this journey. I'm headed to a place my father directed me to, following the map he left behind, along with this letter.

It hasn't been an easy journey. I've encountered various fierce creatures along the way. They're not to be underestimated. I've lost track of how many I've defeated. If it weren't for the combat skills my father taught me, I'd have perished a long time ago.

My body aches. Perhaps from the encounters with the creatures or from the continuous journey. I can barely tell anymore. I'm growing weaker, but I must reach my destination.

If only I could teleport, I'd have used that ability. But my father strictly forbids me from using any kind of power. I must keep my true abilities hidden, including who I am.

I glance at the map in my hand and notice several more twists and turns before I reach my destination. My head starts spinning. My body is nearing its limit.

My legs wobble as I walk. I can see the houses in the distance from where I stand, but I need to descend.

If only I could teleport...

---

The pain intensifies. I can't move any longer. I feel as though I'm being consumed by darkness. I close my eyes, unable to keep them open. My body feels heavy, and I can barely breathe. The ground beneath me starts to give way.

"Ah, argh!" I cry out, startled by the sudden jolt. I reached out to grab onto a nearby tree branch, my only lifeline.

"Ah... that hurts!" I groan, trying to adjust my body. It's as if I've been tortured. I can't hold on to the tree any longer. I can't control my own body. I let go of the branch, and my body falls.

"Ah... it's over," I mumble to myself, too weak to open my eyes. My body rolls on the ground. I force my eyes open but can't manage to do so. My vision becomes blurry.

The last thing I see is the blue sky before I'm swallowed by darkness.

---

"What are you doing, Makoy? We're struggling enough as it is, and you bring another mouth to feed into this house! What are we going to do with that girl? You know very well that Itag officials won't allow us to have jobs!" I hear an argument in the distance, voices raised.

I try to move, but my body is too weak. My head throbs, probably from hitting a large rock earlier. I hear someone picking me up.

"Ma! Ma! She's awake!!" A child's voice pierces through the argument. I recognize it as Makoy, the one who found me earlier.

"Who are you? And where am I?" I ask, confused and disoriented. I don't know if I can trust these people.

"We're in Hakium," the woman says. "This is where the weak beings like us live. They consider us trash in this world because of our abilities."

I nod, trying to make sense of it. Hakium? It's not a place my father mentioned. It's like a different world.

"Kingdom Gukyon used to be the most powerful nation in the world, eighteen years ago. But they're gone now. Since then, greed and evil have spread among those in power. There's a new ruler now, and it's their fault that segregation has become so widespread. Your lineage will determine where you belong."

I still don't fully understand, but I'm starting to grasp the situation. This is the place my father wanted me to find, a place where people with extraordinary abilities gather. But the situation seems dire.

"Greetings. I'm Makoy," the boy says with a smile as he hands me a piece of bread on a piece of paper.

"Thank you," I reply, taking it from him. I can see kindness in his eyes, despite his young age.

"By the way, what's your name?"

I hadn't prepared myself for this question. My name, my true identity... How can I trust them with it?

"Savia," I answer cautiously, unsure if I can trust them with the truth.

---

As the days turned into weeks, I found myself slowly adapting to life in Hakium. Makoy's family had taken me in as one of their own, and I soon discovered that they were not the only ones with unique abilities in this hidden community.

The community was a mosaic of talents and powers, each person possessing their own extraordinary skill. Some could manipulate fire, while others had the gift of healing. It was a stark contrast to the life I had known before, where I had to conceal my abilities at all costs.

My bond with Makoy and his family deepened with time. They shared stories of the Kingdom of Gukyon's fall and the rise of the oppressive regime that now controlled the land. It was a regime that hunted individuals with abilities, branding them as dangerous threats to society.

One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, Makoy's mother, Maia, took me aside. Her eyes held a mixture of sadness and determination.

"Savia," she said softly, "you have a rare and powerful gift, one that could be of great use to our people. But it also makes you a target. We must help you harness your abilities and learn to defend yourself."

I nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. I had been sheltered for far too long, and it was time for me to embrace my true self. Maia began teaching me the art of control and precision in using my powers, skills that would prove invaluable in a world where every move could mean the difference between life and death.

Days turned into months, and my abilities grew stronger under Maia's guidance. But there was a nagging question that had remained unanswered: Why had my father sent me to Hakium? What was the purpose of my journey, and where was he now?

One evening, as I practiced my abilities in the quiet of the forest, I felt a strange surge of energy coursing through me. It was a familiar sensation, one I had only experienced in the presence of my father. Could it be that he was nearby?

With renewed determination, I set out to uncover the truth about my father's whereabouts and the purpose of my journey to Hakium. Little did I know that my quest would lead me down a path filled with secrets, danger, and a destiny I had never imagined.