Who Am I? (Book 1)

Chapter 26

Julian, still smiling, got up and gave me a high five. "You must be hungry, I'll get some plates for you". We decided to wait for Julia to come back from work, instead, we enjoyed dinner and talked about the community. "So you start working early?" I was curious because it seemed like children, or at least young teens performed dangerous tasks. "When you reach 10 years you get information about the different jobs. And from 11 to 13 you'll follow an older sibling or parent to observe and learn their work. But of course, you don't have to follow the same path. Most begin their formal training around 14 or 15 and after 9 months they're considered as workers". 

We continued to chat until I heard the door open. "Have you already eaten?" Her voice was firm but tinged with some sort of ... tiredness. "Yeah, sorry for not waiting! Julie and Natasha came home while you were working". There was no noise from the entrance for a few seconds, then she came towards us, a tiny smile on her lips. "It's good to see you again". Tash gave her a gentle smile and hugged her. "It's good to be back". Her smile was a bit more strained now, Tash didn't enjoy lying and still ... "There is no need to cloud over your honest feelings, your secret is safe with us". Tash looked a little ... ashamed? Uneasy? I wasn't sure, but I knew this was a sore topic for her. "With us? So they know?" She whispered it as if no one would hear. "Yes, Julian confronted me with the question a month ago". Tash seemed relieved and smiled at me, I smiled back and gave her a thumbs up. "Now, I would love to let you relax and spend time together but I need to hear what you discovered on your journey". I told her everything, even the smallest details, and to my surprise, none of them seemed surprised or terrified. When I was done Julia looked thoughtful as if she was processing what I just told them. "Give messages to our medics about the lake's effect on marks". Julian nodded, all mischief gone from his face, as he and Julius quickly walked out. "Now then, we have a lot to talk about ... including the rest of your family. 

"Rest of my ...?" I was confused and curious and ... worried. What would Julia say? Was my family good people or bad people? "In truth, your identity is Julie Nightshade". She looked at me without saying anything more, letting it sink in. "H-hang on! Are you ... my sister?" I guess I shouldn't be surprised, the signs were there after all. She was always so friendly, acting as if she knew me, but at the same time so secretive. Not to mention our physical appearances, we shared a lot of similar attributes. "Yes, I am your sister. Although we only share blood through Death himself". I was a bit confused, after all, she told me her parents were possessed. Julia gave me a tiny smile but I caught a glimpse of sadness in her eyes. "I ... changed some details in my explanation. I had to wait until you returned from your journey to tell you the entire truth". She stared at me, waiting for a reaction. "Is my mother alive?" It just fell out of my mouth and I kinda regretted asking. "No ... she isn't alive. Some of the villages called her The Witch of Nightlock. She refused to tell her first name and she controlled a tremendous amount of magical gifts. That's how she earned her name". Witch ... that wasn't a very flattering name in my opinion but it didn't seem to faze Julia or Tash so I decided to ignore it. I couldn't feel true grief over her passing, however. Maybe it would have been different if I knew her, if I grew up in this community. "What kind of power was she gifted with?" I didn't know if the gifts were passed from generation to generation but it couldn't hurt to know. "She could shapeshift into objects or persons she came across, as well as having all other basic abilities. Only a handful of our species have been gifted with shapeshifting. Your mother was kind and compassionate. She came from the north, that is where the Nightlock clan lives. You see, there's a lot of villages like ours, and humanity cannot see our homes either". 

We continued to chat, but it was getting pretty late. "We can continue this talk tomorrow if you want to, but tomorrow we'll prepare for war. Rest up and stay inside your room". I nodded and laughed nervously. No way was I leaving the damn room again before 05.00! As I walked upstairs I pondered on what I was supposed to do. It wouldn't be possible to sleep after everything that had happened, right? Well, not possible for me I guess. Tash had gone to bed right after the most important part of our talk was over, she had been exhausted. 

I laid down in bed, my head spinning with thoughts, but after plugging in my earbuds I felt this calmness inside. And before I knew it I fell asleep.

So, I realized that my English version is gonna be longer than the original story. My reasoning is simply that this ended up as a reworked and slightly improved version. I have fixed some inconsistencies and changed some dialogue as well as dividing my chapters differently. But it is still the same story, and those who have read my first version should still recognize the plot and characters. I hope you enjoy the story so far ^^