17 years later...

A mistake. That was how I was described, for as long as I could remember.

The inhabitants of my world are given power at birth; a power transmitted by blood or a completely new one, which did not yet exist. This is normal. And then there was me. When I was abandoned at a residential school, I was just a baby. Until then, it was common for magic not to manifest. It wasn't until I was fourteen when all my classmates had received their powers, that I knew I was different. Adults and doctors speculated that I was late; it was very rare, but it could happen. So I armed myself with patience, offering this very good excuse to anyone who asked the question. Hope persisted because I felt something bubbling within me; there was magic coursing through my veins...

Trying to refocus on the exercise given by our Supernatural History teacher, I chased all these dark thoughts from my head. The class was silent, and everyone must have finished soon. I sighed. My sheet was still blank. And as I turned my attention back to my book, pen in hand, the classroom door opened. Our teacher frowned, unhappy that his lesson was being interrupted.

A man, quite young - probably around twenty years old - stood in front of us. He was quite attractive; his build revealed powerful muscles under his outfit and his eyes, a soft and reassuring light brown, contrasted with his hair, an almost white platinum blond. He was dressed in a royal blue suit embroidered with silver, and an imposing cape covered his shoulders. The crest of the State of Tamilaris, a silver griffin, shone on his chest.

- Excuse me for the disruption. I am Ecanus Gamor, Tamilaris State Representative. I'm looking for Seira Claryst.

Immediately, I felt a horde of eyes fall on me, and murmurs rose from the entire class. I blushed, and my limbs seemed to petrify.

“It’s me,” I said, getting up, doing my best not to tremble.

— I ask you to please follow me.

I nodded and followed suit. As I passed, I could hear the whispers and giggles of the other students. I clenched my fists and lowered my head, trying in vain not to pay attention; I should have gotten used to it by now.

He closed the door after me and continued walking, at a brisk pace. His cape flew behind him, and the rays that passed through the stained glass windows made the emblem embroidered on the fabric sparkle.

—What do you want from me? Where are we going? I asked, anxious.

— We can't talk here, I'm taking you to your Dean's office.

His response only alarmed me more; What did he want to tell me that was so important?

We crossed the long-tiled corridor to finally stop in front of a large wooden door. He opened it and pushed himself to let me in. I entered the room and he followed me, turning to lock the door, slipping the key into his pocket. Faced with my suspicious look, he explained:

— What we are going to discuss is confidential. We must not take the risk of being interrupted.

—Where is Lady Frenna? I said, looking for my oldest.

— She is not here; "As I told you, our discussion must remain secret," he stated a little bluntly, sitting down in one of the chairs in the office.

My hands were sweaty, a sign of my anxiety. I nodded and sat down across from him on the couch.

He appraised me for a few moments, examining me from head to toe.

“Good,” he said suddenly, breaking the silence. As you know, I am sent by the State. But if they asked me to come see you, it's because your dean contacted us.

I relaxed somewhat. Lady Frenna, although she was strict and not always very affectionate, never let the Seeking Mages or curious villagers approach me. If she called, then you have no reason to worry, I thought.

—Seira, how old are you, exactly?

“Seventeen years, but eighteen in two weeks,” I replied, more calmly.

He nodded, narrowing his eyes.

— Can you tell me about your parents?

I shook my head and explained:

— No... I have no memory of them apart from a few vague, blurry images that come back to me from time to time.

—And how long have you been here?

— A little under eighteen. When Lady Frenna found me at the gates of the Boarding School, I was only a few weeks old.

He looked at me intently, and I noticed a scar on his neck. It went from his ear to the collar of his tunic, preventing me from seeing the end of it. What had happened to him? 

—Have you done any blood tests? What is your blood magic level? he asked, a glimmer of keen interest in his eyes, but his voice calm and detached.

“No, I never did,” I affirmed. Lady Frenna, for some reason, never allowed it.

He sat back in his seat and continued to watch me. I was overcome by a deep unease. I always tried to blend in; being looked at with such solicitude was not my habit.

—First, know that you are no different. And you are far from being the only one; other young people - some older - are in the same situation as you.

I looked up, stunned. I had been told all my life that I was the first to suffer this singularity, and now I was being told that other children had a problem similar to mine.

— They are all in a specialized Institute, which studies their case and helps them discover the reason for this... evil. Recently, a young girl and a little boy regained their powers; they will be sent back to their parents in a few days.

“Wait,” I begged, panting. You... you mean I can heal?

He smiles at me.

— Yes, that's exactly it. Our long research has borne fruit. We figured out how to treat you... And your Dean thought it was important for you to know.

My heart, which was beating wildly, swelled with joy and my eyes, previously dry, suddenly became moist.

— But why did you tell me that there was nothing we could do? I blurted out, in a trembling voice.

“We didn't want to give you false hope,” he told me, his tone sweet.

I put my head in my hands. It was as if suddenly a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I would finally be able to hope for a normal, happy life!

“Will you come with me there?” A room is already waiting for you there.

I accepted with a shake of my head, without even hesitating. I wanted to smile, to shout my joy to the entire Universe.

—In that case, we'll leave immediately. No need to pack your suitcase, the Institute has everything you could need.

I nodded. Either way, there was nothing here that I had become attached to or would want to take away. Unlike some of the orphans here, I don't have anything that belonged to my parents; a letter, a piece of jewelry, a dress...

He got up and walked towards the door. But just as he wanted to take the key out of his pocket to open it, an immense flame of blue tending to purple suddenly lit up in the middle of the room. The fire was too hot to be natural. Through the flames, two silhouettes could be seen; one was smaller than the other. Suddenly, two large wings of light unfolded and the fire went out, revealing a young girl with long blond hair and a woman adorned in a long pearly white dress embroidered with gold thread. The wings belonged to her. A golden tiara adorned her long blonde hair, tied in a complicated intertwining. The woman inspired beauty and grandeur, and, under the glare of the flames, seemed to radiate.

The Tamilaris state representative turned around suddenly, and for a brief moment, a glint of panic and fear crossed his eyes.

“She's not going anywhere, Xaraun,” she said.

Xaraun? 

— Isira Orzirel, Great Messenger of Legends. My master told me about you.

Immediately, her hair turned black and grew into an irregular square framing her face. His skin, previously olive, became white as marble and his tunic shortened, becoming black. The cape disappeared and a belt with a dozen knives appeared at his waist. The ambassador had disappeared. All that remained of him were his eyes and his scar. His gaze was annoyed, but a glimmer of amusement and excitement shone discreetly. A shiver ran through my entire body. What...? 

Without warning, he threw himself at the woman, a dagger in his hand. The young girl next to her intervened and a force field appeared, like a bulging glass wall. The weapon, immediately brought down on the shield, disintegrated. A howl of black anger rose from the throat of the certain Xaraun, who was already preparing to attack again. But the Great Messenger raised her hand in front of her and a sphere filled with energy slammed into the shapeshifter's chest, who collapsed to the ground, momentarily stunned.

I suppressed a cry of fear, putting my hand to my mouth. I trembled all over and what I saw made no sense. The images flashed before my eyes without me being able to grasp their meaning.

The young girl - who must have been my age - approached me, a reassuring smile on her lips.

“Follow us, you are in danger here,” she said, her blue eyes staring at me kindly.

Strangely, I felt like I could trust him completely. That I could follow her without asking myself any questions. But I hesitated for a moment, not knowing what to do. My eyes landed on the body of the man I was willing to unsuspectingly follow just a few minutes ago. Should I make the same mistake again?

- Who are you? I asked, taking a few steps back, preparing to scream if necessary.

The woman, whose luminous wings had folded, approached.

“We mean you no harm, I can promise you that,” she assured me, holding out her hand towards me.

His gaze, although staring at me with intensity, was no less tender and his voice, even if one could detect a certain eagerness, remained soft and respectful. The representative looked at me with lust and arrogance.

I nodded.

- All right.