Author's note: ok first of all, thank you to Iccorp2 also Archdemon Lord Duffidus for his lovely review pointing out the things i should write about what to do and what not to do. And then there's also Brynn Parker, thank you for writing that encouraging review. I haven't gotten around to reading your story yet but i will. And to Taurus261990, thank you too. I'm not sure if the ending will be sad or not since this is only the starting, but this chapter is definately sad. Hehe. And here's your next chapter, enjoy!

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Twin Swords

Chapter one : Why.

Darkness settles over her like a blanket. Her entire body felt numb. She looked down at herself. Her eyes widen. Her body was totally engulfed in flames. They were a startling icy blue, not the usual orangey red colour. They were licking at her body, but her skin and clothes didn’t burn. It felt strangely familiar, but she just couldn’t put her finger on what it was.

Cold fingers of ice trilled up her arm. She watched a little tendril of flame curl around her arm, instantly turning into ice when it touched her skin. When she looked closely, she saw that there was actually a border of air surrounding her body, protecting her from the fire. The little tendril started to form a pattern.

It split into three separate parts and each was curling to form a circle, an interlocking circle. She stared at it and she remembered.

“It’s the same exact replica of the one on the Gate of Everlasting!”

A split second after the answer came to her, she felt a numbing coldness. The air surrounding her body had disappeared. The flames begin to freeze on her. It was like the feeling of being burnt alive. The three circles began to glow a white hot colour. She could feel the heat seeping into her skin, burning her to her very bone. The ice was up to her mouth now and was quickly covering her nose. She took her last breath. She was now completely covered in ice. It was like looking into a prism except that this time you were in it and was looking out.

Aria could feel her heart pumping in her chest; it was getting slower and slower. Her lungs screamed for air as the last of her oxygen was used up. Black dots obstructed her sight. She felt light headed and fuzzy. Her heart was pumping about one pump for every three seconds. Her eyes slid shut as her heart pumped its last pump and sputtered to a stop. And then she surrendered herself to the darkness.

The lush greenery of the forest could be seen from miles away, so big was the expense of it that one could not see where it started and where it ended.

It had rained in the early hours of the morning and the earthy smell of the rain still hung in the air mixed with the lingering woody scent of trees. A light breeze flutter through the air, lightly scattering the dead leaves on the ground.

The occasional chirp or two sounded through the forest, greeting those who had already woken up.

A girl around the age of sixteen padded through the thinner part of the forest, searching for the beautiful wild flowers growing in the area. They were for her mother’s birthday present. She was making a wreath made of flowers for her, as this was the only thing she could think of to give her for her other six brothers had given her something she had wanted to give.

She spotted a bunch of them growing below an old oak tree. She carefully pulled most of them out but also consciously leaving a few behind, for her mother once told her that if she wanted the flowers to still grow in that place she should leave a few for them to spread their seeds. Not wanting to destroy the beautiful place by taking away the beautiful flower, she now leaves some behind.

Skipping over to another bunch, she collected all she needed and then sat down under the oak tree. It was her favourite place to sit.

Humming a tune she had learnt from her mother, she started to weave the flowers into her half completed wreath, completing it in a few minutes. She stood up, brushed herself off and walked out of the forest, making her way back to her home, the Castle of Belleon.

Walking to the side door, she took out a heavy brass key. She inserted the key into the metal grill protecting the door and turned. The lock clicked and she pushed open the small but heavy oak door. She walked inside. It was strangely quiet. Something was wrong.

Trusting her instincts, she closed her eyes. She could feel the energy deep inside her. She called to it. She could feel the numbing cold in her veins as the energy flowed to her hands. Blue fire pooled in them slowly shaping itself into two lither katanas with tiny little blue fireballs licking the blade. Set on the hilt was the head of the serpent, opening its mouth in a hiss, displaying its poisonous fangs. Twisting half way around the blade was the body. She softly made her way to the hallway.

A shrill cry greeted her lips as she walked into the hallway. The bodies of around thirty maids and servants littered the floor, completely staining the whole place with their blood, from the ceilings, the crystal chandeliers, the pictures on the wall and the stairs to the carpet on the floor.

Tears burned her eyes as she saw her maid, Irene lying dead on the stairs, a heap of her unwashed clothes lying beside her.

Each and every one of them she had known lay on the bloody carpet dead. She had failed to save all of them. It was her fault. But the ones she needed to find were not here. Her mother and her six brothers. She did not worry about her father as her had gone to Flaris to train the royal army. She had another chance to help the people she loved. She had to find them, and quickly.

“No, no please no! Don’t kill my baby, take me instead! NO!”

Aria instantly recognized her mother’s voice. It sounded very close. She knew immediately where her mother and her brother were. She broke into a run, jumping over bodies. She had no time to moan over them. Clutching her serpentine katanas tightly in her hands, she skidded to a stop in front of the family room. What she saw there shocked her even more. A hooded figure stood at the end of the room. Her mother was kneeling down clutching her youngest brother to her, and the rest of her brothers were lying behind her. They were seriously injured. Aria guessed that they had tried to defeat and protect her mother but they had failed.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Aria. Did you come to save your weakling brothers and your useless mother?”

The hooded figure looked up and her. He was wearing a mask that covered half of his face. He pushed back his hood of his long blood red cloak. His long silver hair escaped and framed his face.

“Who are you? And why are you here? Why did u kill my friends and hurt my family?” Aria questioned.

“Why? It’s because one day, you will be a threat to me.” He said coldly.

“And today, you will die.” He added.

He closed his eyes. Wind whipped around him, tossing his waist length hair around. Stormy grey eyes snapped open as he fired the strands of wind at Aria. Wind sliced past her and tiny paper like cuts begin to appear on her. Blood dripped from the cuts on her face, blurring her eyes with a blood red tinge. The cuts hurt but she did not dare let that show on her face.

Summoning her power, she lunged at the man, throwing her weight forward, bringing her two katanas together in front of her, she stabbed at him. But he dodged at the last minute, moving behind her with surprising speed.

“Come little kitten, try your best.” He mocked, whispering in her ear.

She smirked. Turning her katanas so that they were facing backwards, she rammed them backwards into his stomach. He gasped in pain. But instead of moving backwards, he moved forward. He reached out and grabbed Aria’s hands in a vice like hold. Tightening his grip until she could not feel her hands, forcing her katanas to clatter to the floor.

He yanked her hard against him, hissing fiercely,

“Don’t ever do that again.”

He turned her around to face him, her hands still gripped in his.

“Do you want to see who I am?” he asked.

Silence.

“I shall show you anyway.” He grinned “since you will die today, I must as well show you my handsome face.”

“Stupid idiot…who does he think he is… calling himself handsome.” Aria glared at him.

Holding both her wrist in one of his hands, he removed his mask with his free one.

Aria’s eyes widen. He wasn’t joking when he said he was handsome. His eyes looked more beautiful up close. There were specs of blue and green mixed with the smoky grey. His face was as if a sculptor had sculpted him, his face was flawless. Every curve, every arch seemed to suit him perfectly.

He grinned. He always had this effect around girls, including this one. A slight tugging at the corner of his eye distracted him. He turned his head slightly. Noticing that the mother and her six sons were still alive, he decided to kill them now while the girl was distracted. Raising his hand slightly he curled it into a fist and flicked it out. Silently sending a gust of razor sharp wind towards them, slicing the jugular vein of all the nine of them.

They flopped on the carpet so softly that not a sound was heard. Then another tugging at the back of his mind caught his attention. It was his master.

“Come back here now.” He commanded, speaking to him mentally.

“But the girl..?” he replied back silently.

“Never mind her; u can kill her another time. Just come back now.”

“Alright.”

Turning back to Aria, he said,

“I’ll be back for you next time.”

Letting go of her wrists, he leant in and brushed a soft kiss on her lips. A promise. A promise that he will come back to kill her. In that split second he was gone, leaving only a gust of wind behind him.

Aria touched her finger to her lips,

“He kissed me...”

Turning around, she was about to ask her mother if they were okay when she saw the slits on their throats. Blood had collected in pool around them. It filled the air with its sickeningly sweet, metallic scent. A choked cry escaped her lips.

“NOO!”

She had failed yet again.