Magic Runs In My Blood

It had been a few hours since Alishia and Kain had started walking.

The lake was long gone, and so was the golden field with its colorful butterflies. Still, Alishia couldn’t forget them. The memory stayed vivid in her mind, as if the place had never truly disappeared.

It had felt like stepping into a painting she once saw in a museum—a field filled with thousands of flowers, a warm golden sun, and a few birds drifting through the sky. It was something far beyond anything beautiful she had ever seen. She remembered how she had wished she could walk into that painting and never come out again.

Back then, the sun had been calm and gentle. The air was light and slightly damp, and the field had felt soft beneath her skin.

Now, things were different.

She and the boy she had met only hours ago stood in front of a huge, deep-green forest. The trees were tall and dense, stretching far into the distance. It almost looked as if the forest itself were alive.

Alishia snapped out of her dreamy thoughts. Curiosity stirred within her—but beneath it, a quiet sense of unease crept over her skin.

She wasn’t even inside the forest yet, but the air near the trees was already growing cooler and heavier, carrying the scent of damp earth and leaves.

It was silent—too silent.

As if someone… or something… was listening.

A cold wind brushed against her face, making her shiver. The trees began to move, producing hollow yet deep sounds as they swayed. She could hear the rustling of the leaves, and although she couldn’t explain it, the feeling it gave her was overwhelming.

It felt… mighty.

As if an ancient power was here—resting, watching.

But could that really be true?

She had never believed in things like magic or fantasy. Sometimes she dreamed about them, indulging in naive wishes, but those were only dreams.

She wasn’t so sure anymore what she should believe.

Alishia didn’t notice that Kain was already heading toward the forest. When he looked back, he saw her staring at the trees, confusion and unease etched across her face—still overwhelmed by all the sudden, unexpected changes. Kain always noticed when something was wrong. Without a word, he turned and walked toward her.

Alishia suddenly noticed Kain standing in front of her.
“You’re bleeding,” he said.

She looked down and realized he was right. A cut on her hand had opened, and red blood was dripping onto her clothes. She didn’t even remember when she had hurt herself.

Before they had started walking, Kain had handed her new clothes. They felt strange and unfamiliar, faintly smelling of leather and cotton. Just a simple shirt and pants, yet they felt… wrong. Soft and comfortable, but not familiar, as if the material didn’t even exist.

“Let me bandage you,” Kain said with a gentle smile. He knelt down and pulled a bandage from his pocket.
“I can’t imagine how hard this must be for you,” he added his voice full of understanding.
“In one moment, you’re in the human world… and now you’re here.”

He carefully wrapped the bandage around Alishia’s hand, pausing to meet her gaze.

“This place, Alishia… your mother…”
Alishia’s breath caught.

“She was born here. At least, that’s what the old legends say,” he continued, his hands steady as he worked. The bandage felt softer and stretchier than normal, comforting against her skin.
“This forest was shaped by her. It’s the most sacred place in the entire realm… beyond shadows and light.”

He pressed the bandage into place, then looked up. His eyes—orange and grey—glimmered in the dim light.
“You don’t need to be afraid to walk into that forest. It’s meant to protect us.”

“Protect us… from who?” Alishia demanded, her voice rising.

She pulled away from Kain, stepping back.
“I don’t understand a word you’re saying! You talk about a fantasy land, and suddenly there’s darkness here. You tell me legends and bring me to a lake—a lake that’s supposedly a portal to another world. You speak of my mother and how she made this place, but I don’t even know what you mean!”

“You came out of nowhere, dragged me here, and suddenly I’m in… this! Who are you? What do you mean by darkness? And how do you even know my mother?”

Her voice trembled, and she swallowed hard, her chest rising and falling quickly.

Alishia felt Kain’s warm hands on her shoulders. His gaze held hers, calm and steady, grounding her even as her thoughts raced. For a moment, the chaos faded, leaving only the weight of his presence—and the fragile trust it demanded.

His hand reached toward her face. Alishia leaned back, confused and somewhat afraid of what might happen.

“Let me show you,” Kain said, his voice serious, carrying a quiet finality.
“Let me show you why you are here.”

Alishia froze, still leaning back. Slowly, Kain’s hand moved closer, until his fingertips just brushed her cheek.

“These are just memories,” he said , “They can’t do anything to you.”

Suddenly, her mind exploded with images. Memories flooded her senses all at once—a field of gold bathed in sunlight, a calm lake, laughter… and then fire, screams, shadows moving through the trees. Battles raging, blood spilling, cries echoing in every direction. She tried to look away, tried to shut it out, but it came faster and louder, each vision bleeding into the next.

Alishia screamed, clutching her head, the visions overwhelming her completely—colors, sounds, and emotions colliding. Then… it stopped.

Her hands trembled as she held her knees, sweat soaking her clothes. Slowly, she lifted her head. The golden fields, the lake, the sunlight… they were gone.

In their place lay darkness. The land she had once thought beautiful was scarred and broken. Bodies, lifeless and drenched in blood, stretched across the field as far as she could see. The air was heavy with smoke, the silence punctuated only by the faint echo of screams that had long ended.

Alishia’s heart pounded, and her breath came in shallow, ragged gasps. She wanted to close her eyes, to run, to forget… but she couldn’t look away.

She heard laughter behind her. When she turned, she froze—the sight was terrifying.

There were humanoid creatures, but darker… far more menacing than anything she had imagined.

One stood out. Abnormally tall, its body streaked with dark markings. Its clothing was strange and shadowy, and its eyes were a deep, burning grey, so intense that they seemed to pierce into Alishia’s mind.

The other creatures were dark and looming, but this one… this was different.

She could feel the raw power radiating from it—cruel, unrelenting, commanding. Its laughter wasn’t just sound; it carried malice and dominance, reaching into her chest and making her tremble under its presence.

“Kill them all!” the woman screamed, her voice tearing through the air like a blade.
“Eat their souls!”

The command echoed unnaturally, as if the land itself were forced to obey.

Alishia’s breath hitched as she turned her head. On the other side of the ruined field, the dark creatures surged forward in a sudden, violent wave. Their movements were fast and unnatural, bodies bending and twisting as they ran, shadows stretching behind them like living extensions of their forms.

Opposite them stood people dressed in war-worn clothing—armor cracked and dulled, cloaks torn by battle and wind. They raised weapons in shaking hands, forming broken lines instead of ranks. Some shouted orders, others cried out names, but their voices were swallowed by the roar of what was coming.

The ground trembled as the creatures closed the distance.

She could feel it—not just hear or see it—but feel the clash before it even happened. Fear rolled through the air, thick and suffocating. The sky seemed darker there, heavy with smoke and dread, as if hope itself had been pushed out of the world.

She wanted to look away.

She couldn’t.

The moment stretched, unbearable, as the two sides rushed toward each other—light and shadow, desperation and cruelty—about to collide in a storm of screams and chaos.

But just as the dark creatures were about to crash into her, Alishia dodged. In the blink of an eye, they vanished—as if they had never been there at all.

Now, she wasn’t in the same place anymore.

A massive gate loomed in front of her, its archway stretching impossibly high. It slowly opened, revealing a huge courtyard inside, bustling with activity. Alishia’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Inside, dozens of people—adults and children alike—were training. But it wasn’t ordinary training. Not only were they mastering weapons, they were wielding powers she had never imagined.

One girl summoned a swirling purple light, cutting down trees effortlessly as sparks danced in the air. A boy slammed chains into the ground, the metal whipping around him with deafening speed, smashing imaginary targets with precision. Archers drew back their bows with uncanny skill, hitting red-marked targets again and again without missing. And one girl held flames in her hands, the fire flickering and dancing like it had a mind of its own.

They all looked different from one another—some tall, some small, some glowing faintly with energy—but the purpose was clear. Every movement, every strike, every flicker of power felt like preparation for war.

Alishia couldn’t look away. She felt her heart pound as awe, fear, and curiosity collided inside her. She had stumbled into something extraordinary. And somehow… she knew that she was part of it now.

It disappeared. The children, the forest, and the beasts—everything—vanished. All that remained was a voice.

“Alishia…” it called.

Alishia froze. She didn’t know why, but somehow she knew. She knew it was her.

“Mom?” she whispered, her voice trembling.

Nothing.

“Mom!” she called louder, desperation creeping in.

“Alishia,” the voice came again. Then a green light shimmered before her. A figure took form—a statue of a woman, radiant but indistinct. Alishia could feel her presence more than see her clearly.

“You need to protect the people, my child,” the voice said, firm yet gentle.

“Mom… I can’t see you… I—I can’t,” Alishia stammered.

“Alishia,” the voice echoed, stronger this time, carrying weight and urgency. “You need to protect them. Or this world will fall… and with it, the entire balance of life.”

Alishia stared into the light, her heart racing, full of questions and disbelief.

“My dear child… forgive me for not being by your side,” the voice continued, softening yet still full of power.

Before it could say more, a high-pitched sound pierced the air, and suddenly… everything went black.

Alishia heard distant voices, muffled and echoing as if far away. Her throat stung, and she realized it was bleeding.

Then—cold.

Cold water splashed across her face, shocking her fully awake. She shot up immediately.

She realized she was in a wagon mad out of dark wood , it was small and smelled fresh, the ground was hard but also smooth

In front of her stood a girl with striking blue eyes and dark paint streaked across her eyelids, almost like war markings.

Her ears were slender and pointed, elven in shape, and her long brown hair framed her face perfectly.

She looked… like a true elf straight out of a forest, alive and untamed, with a presence both fierce and serene.

“Alishia !” the voice called quiet, yet with undeniable strength, ,,Are you okay?''

But she wasn’t okay. 

Not at all.

Because now, finally… she understood.

She understood what this place truly was. She understood why she had been brought here, why all of this had happened.

Her heart pounded as the truth settled in, cold and sharp.

This place… was a war zone.

And she was here… to fight. 

To kill the demons threatening it.