Porcelain doll

Fifteen-year-old Silvi, a petite girl with brown hair and blue eyes, sat near the edge of the lake with a fishing rod resting between her hands. A faint blue glow travelled along the enchanted line whenever something moved beneath the water, making the task considerably easier than ordinary fishing.

Not far from her, three-year-old Sybill ran happily along the lakeshore with her favourite porcelain doll tucked beneath one arm. Every few moments, she stopped to inspect something that caught her attention before racing off again, the doll accompanying her on every tiny adventure.

The lake lay on the far eastern side of the city, well beyond the busiest streets. Clear water stretched beneath the afternoon sky, bordered by tall grasses, flowering shrubs, and trees whose branches leaned towards the surface. A cool breeze rippled across the water while birds called from somewhere among the leaves.

Silvi glanced towards her little sister every so often before returning her attention to the glowing fishing line.

Then came the unmistakable sound of porcelain striking stone.

Silvi turned.

Sybill stood completely still, staring down at the shattered remains of her doll. Her face crumpled.

She began to cry.

And the wind began to rise.

Within moments, a violent tornado tore across the lakeshore. Water surged from the lake as earth, branches, stones, and debris were dragged into the spiralling winds, uprooting trees and devastating everything in its path.

"Sibi!"

Silvi rushed towards her little sister, lifted her onto her hip, and ran all the way back to the cottage before anyone could intercept them or make sense of what had happened.

Unfortunately, the destruction had left behind a powerful magical imprint, one strong enough to be detected by Lord Frederick's mages. Word reached him almost immediately. It was far too large an incident to simply cover up.

For generations, their family had served the Dukes of Lancashire. Their mother and father continued that tradition, working as a lady's maid and butler on the estate.

The previous duke had granted their family a small cottage on the grounds. But since his recent death and the succession of his son, Lord Frederick, life had become increasingly difficult for everyone who served the household.

Neither of their parents possessed magic. By then, the number of mages across the realm had already begun to decline. Families that had once produced several magically gifted children might now go an entire generation without one.

Silvi had been born with a small amount of magical ability. As a courtesy to her parents, one of the estate's mage masters had taught her a few basic spells.

Sybill was different.

From the moment her power began to show itself, their parents refused to let anyone train her. Whatever power Silvi possessed could be overlooked. Hers could not.

They understood exactly what would happen if the elite or the royal family discovered what she could do. They would not see a little girl.

They would see a weapon.

And weapons were used until they broke, discarded when something stronger came along, and never permitted feelings of their own.

Lord Frederick's obsession with power and control was already spreading across the realm. Those who served him directly knew the monster hidden beneath the human flesh.

Since inheriting his father's position, he had already doubled the taxes and recruited even children into his army, leaving mothers in tears and families broken.

In the days following the disaster at the lake, mages began patrolling the surrounding area, searching for traces of the magical signature left behind. Their parents allowed the girls to remain in the garden and the small stretch of land around their cottage, but strictly forbade them from venturing beyond it.

---

A few days later, the garden behind the cottage was once again filled with the quiet hum of insects and the scent of flowers.

An astonishing variety of blooms filled the beds and spilled into the grass, differing in colour, shape, and size. Many were still wrapped in dew that gleamed like tiny diamonds across their petals.

A slightly chilled breeze moved through the garden, carrying their mingled fragrance as butterflies drifted lazily from one patch to another.

Silvi moved carefully among the flowers with a small basket in hand. She gathered several as she went, paying particular attention to the Blue Lulu blossoms her little sister seemed especially fond of.

Nearby, Sybill wandered through the grass, occasionally stopping to watch the butterflies. Her attention never remained on them for very long, and every so often she muttered, "Boo Boo," the name she had given her doll.

Silvi understood. She wanted her doll.

"Oh, my poor Sibi. I'll buy you another doll. I promise."

Even as a child, Sybill had been far more attached to her sister than to their parents. Their mother and father were frequently absent because of their respective duties, leaving Silvi to spend most of her time caring for her.

As Sybill's unusual power became harder to hide, the family increasingly withdrew from everyone around them. Protecting her had become their only goal.

The restrictions soon began to frustrate the little girl. Even the garden she loved could no longer distract her from the doll she had been promised.

Eventually, Silvi gave in.

She wrapped Sybill in a cloak, grabbed a few coins, and took her to the market to buy the new doll she had promised.

They passed several stalls before Sybill finally made her choice. It was a porcelain doll wearing a blue dress.

Sybill hugged it close and kissed its porcelain cheek with immediate affection. Her sister laughed, relieved to see her so completely satisfied with the purchase.

Determined not to let the new doll break so easily, Silvi cast one of the strengthening spells she had been taught over the porcelain. Sybill watched closely, then copied her sister.

Exactly as silvi has done.

The doll glowed brightly for a brief moment before returning to its original appearance. Silvi froze.

The spell had released the same magical signature the mages had been searching for. Somewhere beyond the market, those patrolling the surrounding area felt it immediately.

She understood what had happened almost at once.

They had found Sybill.

Silvi gathered her little sister into her arms and ran, holding her securely while the child clung to her neck and kept the porcelain doll pressed tightly against her chest. Merchants shouted in surprise as she pushed through the crowd.

Instead of taking the main road, she ducked into a narrow alley between two rows of shops. She knew the area well, cutting behind buildings, slipping through service lanes, and taking every shortcut she could remember.

Behind them came the unmistakable crackle of magic. A spell struck the cobblestones only a short distance away, scattering chips of stone across the street.

She did not look back. She ran harder, turning down another narrow passage as the pursuing voices gradually began to fade.

The familiar Blue Lulu garden behind their cottage finally appeared ahead. Silvi hurried into it and lowered the little girl among a thick patch of flowers.

"Hide here. Do not come out until I find you."

Sybill pressed herself against her sister's side and refused to move, grabbing at her with tiny fists.

"No."

"Sibi, please."

Tears continued flowing down her cheeks as the wind stirred around them, making the flowers tremble and loose petals lift from the ground.

Silvi's heart sank. Hiding was impossible now.

The approaching voices grew louder, and moments later the mages emerged into the garden. She threw up a shield around them, but a skilled mage struck it with enough force to shatter the barrier almost instantly.

"Run, Sibi! Run and hide. I will find you. Run!"

Sybill stubbornly clung to her dress, sobbing hysterically now as tiny hiccups broke through her cries. The wind grew stronger around them.

Silvi cast another barrier, weaker than the first, but it was the only defensive spell she knew and her magic was rapidly draining.

The second barrier shattered.

An ice spike tore through her left lung, and she stumbled backwards, struggling to breathe. Still, she placed herself between her little sister and the advancing mages.

Then a sword pierced her abdomen.

Her legs gave way beneath her. Small arms caught desperately at her as the little girl continued to sob.

Something cracked.

The air around them twisted violently, and their bodies warped, faded—and disappeared.

The mages searched for hours, but they found nothing. No footprints, no bodies, no magical trail.

Both sisters had vanished from existence.