Shadows Of Rebirth

(Chapter 14: Mira pov) 

 The night felt charged, almost alive. I could feel the energy crackling in the air, tugging at me, urging me forward. Since my conversation with Vicenzo, it was as if something had awakened inside me—some force waiting to be tapped.

 Standing in the center of my room, I closed my eyes and took a steadying breath. I remembered the spell Vicenzo had hinted at, the ancient words that had felt oddly familiar when he'd mentioned them. Now, they echoed in my mind, soft and insistent, like an old melody I couldn't quite recall.

 I whispered the first word, and a tingle of warmth sparked at my fingertips. I continued, my voice growing stronger, and with each syllable, the energy inside me intensified, filling me like a river breaking its banks. A flicker of light appeared before me, twisting and coiling like a ribbon of starlight.

 Then something shifted. The light around me grew brighter, almost blinding, and I felt a sudden surge of power that I couldn't control—a wave of force that was too much, too fast. Panic flared as the light swelled, pressing against me, threatening to consume me.

And then, as if pulled by some unseen tether, he was there.

"Mira!" Lorenzo's voice broke through the haze, grounding me. He strode forward, his hands reaching for mine, his touch cold but steady. "Breathe. Focus on me."

 I tried to focus, but the light seemed to have a will of its own, roaring and crackling around us. Lorenzo's gaze locked with mine, his eyes intense, filled with a depth that made me feel strangely safe. Slowly, the chaos around me began to subside, the energy calming as if soothed by his presence.

 Finally, the light faded, leaving us in silence. I was breathing hard, my heart racing, but Lorenzo didn't move, his hands still holding mine.

"What… what just happened?" I whispered, feeling the weight of his gaze.

"You tapped into something powerful," he said, his voice low. "Something from… before." His thumb brushed over the back of my hand, a gentle, reassuring motion that made my pulse quicken.

"Before?" The word echoed between us, heavy with meaning. "Do you… do you know something about who I was?"

 He hesitated, a shadow passing over his face. For a moment, he looked as if he might tell me, as if he might finally reveal the truth that had lingered between us like an unspoken promise.

 But then he let go of my hand, stepping back, his expression guarded. "There are some things that take time to understand," he murmured. "For now, just… be careful."

 The distance between us felt like a chasm, but something in his gaze told me that this wasn't easy for him either. He was torn, trapped between wanting to protect me and something deeper, something he refused to name.

 As he turned to leave, I caught his arm, desperate for answers. "Lorenzo… was I someone important to you?"

He paused, his back still to me, and I could feel the tension in his body. After a moment, he spoke, his voice barely a whisper. "You were… everything."

And with that, he slipped away into the night, leaving me alone with my thoughts, my magic, and the lingering warmth of his touch.

 I signed to tired to think about anything else but sleep now, I laid on my bed after Freshening up and washing away all my stress through my hot water bath. 

---Sleep claimed me slowly, pulling me down into the depths, where dreams hovered, strange and unformed. But tonight, there was something different—a current that swept me up, carrying me somewhere distant, familiar.

 I stood in a great hall, draped in shadow, the cold air humming with the energy of spellwork. Flames flickered in braziers along the walls, casting long shadows. And there, in the center, surrounded by swirling symbols and shimmering light, was… me. Or a version of me, robed in dark red, a crown of flames above my head.

 I watched as the other me spoke words in a language that felt ancient, the cadence flowing like music. She lifted her hands, and power burst from her fingertips, swirling outward, forming barriers and patterns, a living tapestry of magic. There was a fierce determination in her eyes—a fierceness I didn't recognize

 I woke up to the dull gray light filtering through my window, a hollow ache settling in my chest. The reality I'd been avoiding felt like a weight pressing down on me. Days, maybe even weeks, had slipped by since I'd last set foot in school. I could practically hear the whispers, see the curious stares of my classmates, if I dared to go back.

 Why couldn't I just live a normal life? I tried to shake the thought away, but it lingered like a stubborn shadow.

 My feet hit the floor, and I made my way through my morning routine, forcing myself to ignore the thoughts pressing in. But just as I finished, I noticed something out of place on my vanity. An ivory envelope, neatly pressed, with my name scrawled in elegant, all-too-familiar handwriting. I tore it open, reading the note:

 "Dinner. Seven sharp. Don't be late."

Lillian's words carried an air of expectation and… something else. I should have ignored it. But there was something inside me—perhaps curiosity, perhaps defiance—that made me dress for the occasion and prepare myself for whatever game she wanted to play.

 By the time I arrived, the dining room was dimly lit, candles flickering in their tall holders as if they were trying to escape the darkness. Lillian sat at the head of the table, her lips pulled into a forced smile. Across from her was Bianca, who took one look at me and rolled her eyes.

"Finally decided to show up?" Bianca drawled, twirling a piece of her hair around one finger. "Or were you too busy playing pretend somewhere?"

 I ignored her, but the words stung. Sitting down, I met my stepmother's gaze, a spark of defiance in my own. "You called me here. What do you want?"

 Lillian's smile didn't waver, though I thought I saw something sharper beneath it. "Is it so wrong for a mother to want her daughter to spend time with her family?"

The words rang hollow. She'd never considered me family, and we both knew it.

 Dinner proceeded in tense silence, until Lillian began to pry, each question sharper than the last. "So, Mira," she began, leaning forward, her tone a shade too sweet. "What exactly have you been up to lately? You've been so… absent."

I clenched my jaw. "Just… busy."

"Busy doing what?" Bianca chimed in, her voice laced with scorn. "Last I checked, you didn't have much of a social life."

 Something in me snapped. My hands clenched into fists beneath the table, and I felt a surge of heat bloom from deep within, a response that was more instinct than intent. As my anger grew, I barely noticed the low rumble outside, a whisper of thunder that seemed to echo my mood.

Lillian's gaze sharpened. "Mira, is something wrong?"

 The words dripped with faux concern, but the knowing look in her eyes betrayed her. She knew something. I felt the thunder inside me swell, matching the storm that brewed outside, and with it came the faintest flicker of fear—of what I might be capable of, if I didn't rein it in.

 And then, without warning, lightning cracked across the sky, illuminating the room in a flash. The glass on the table rattled, and Bianca let out a yelp, shrinking back. But Lillian's reaction was different. Her eyes narrowed, and a slow, calculating smile crept across her face.

"Well, well," she murmured, barely audible. "It seems I was right about you."

"What… what do you mean?" My voice was barely a whisper, the storm outside now mirroring the storm within me.

Lillian leaned back in her chair, her gaze gleaming with something dark and triumphant. "Oh, Mira, dear. Don't you see? You're so much more… useful than I ever imagined."

 A chill ran down my spine. She wasn't looking at me as a daughter. She was looking at me like something she could use. A tool. A weapon. And somehow, the realization only made the storm grow fiercer, lightning flashing in time with the pulse of my anger.

"I don't know what you think you know," I said, forcing steel into my voice, "but I won't be a part of whatever you're planning."

Lillian's smile only deepened, her expression almost amused. "Oh, Mira. We'll see about that."

The storm raged on outside, but it felt like the real storm had only just begun.