Emily stood at the water's edge, her eyes vacant and unseeing, lost in the turbulent storm of emotions that swirled within her. The massacre of her village, the death of her parents, and the brutal end of Jack, the boy she loved—all of it echoed in the recesses of her mind, shrouding her in a haze of grief and rage. It was all too much. She couldn't comprehend what was happening nor did she want too.

The five men, oblivious to the tempest brewing within the seemingly fragile girl, approached cautiously. Their earlier mockery had transformed into anticipation as they closed in on their defenseless prey. They were unnerved by Emily's earlier scream, but now that she stopped, they let their guard down. Little did they know that the very element surrounding them would soon turn against them.

With a subtle, almost involuntary gesture of her hand, Emily stirred the water of the lake. It rippled and churned under her command, responding to the unspoken turmoil in her heart. The men exchanged glances, sensing something amiss but dismissing it as a trick of their imagination.

As the first assailant stepped within Emily's range, some of the water from the lake near him surged towards him with unnatural force, wrapping around his limbs like serpentine tendrils. He gasped, his eyes widening in terror, as he was lifted off the ground, suspended in mid-air. The others looked on in disbelief, their faces mirroring a mix of horror and confusion.

"What in the hell?!" One man's terrified scream pierced the air as he witnessed the unfathomable.

"What kind of sorcery is this?!" Another man stammered, his voice trembling with a mixture of dread and disbelief.

Emily's gaze remained distant, her connection with the water unbroken. The liquid restraints tightened, crushing the life out of the first man who dared to threaten her. His futile struggles ceased as the water enveloped him, leaving only the echo of his desperate cries.

"H-He's dead!" The man who killed Jack shouted.

The remaining attackers, realizing the imminent danger, drew their weapons and lunged at Emily. However, the water seemed to dance in response to her will, becoming an impenetrable barrier that shielded her from their malicious intent. They swung their swords and thrust their spears, but the liquid shield repelled their every advance.

"WHAT IS SHE?!"

"A WITCH! SHE'S A WITCH! KILL HER!"

In her daze, Emily's expression shifted from vacant to vengeful. A silent scream echoed through her mind as the water, now imbued with an otherworldly force, began its retaliation. The second attacker was ensnared by tendrils that coiled around him like vengeful spirits, dragging him beneath the surface.

In her daze, Emily's expression stayed vacant, but on the inside a silent scream echoed through her mind as the water, now imbued with an otherworldly force, began its retaliation. The second attacker was ensnared by tendrils that coiled around him like vengeful spirits, dragging him beneath the surface.

Another, the one who killed Jack, had no time to react when in a swift and fluid motion, water from the lake coalesced into a crystalline lance, gleaming with an otherworldly glow. The watery lance surged forward with preternatural speed, piercing through the air with an ethereal grace. The lance found its mark unerringly, striking the assailant through the heart. His eyes widened as he fell, fear painted on his face.

The two remaining men tried to escape in fear, but Emily didn't let them go, she

The two remaining men tried to escape in fear, but Emily didn't let them go. With an almost casual wave of her hand, the water responded, rising in towering walls that blocked the assailants' escape routes. The liquid barricade, infused with the same arcane energy, seemed to pulsate with an unspoken wrath.

"Ahhhhhh!!" One of the men screamed, seeing escape won't be an easy thing.

As the men stumbled back, panic etched across their faces, the tendrils of water lashed out again. Like sentient serpents, they snaked around the assailants, tightening their grip with an otherworldly strength. The tendrils dragged the men closer, ensnaring them in aquatic restraints that allowed no room for resistance. The next thing the two men know, they were dragged into the lake, where they breathed their last.

And it was just like that how one by one, the assailants fell victim to the aquatic power Emily wielded, until none of the five men was still alive no more.

The lake, once a source of tranquility for Saalnia, became both a witness and a weapon to a battleground. Emily, throughout all of this, still was feeling hazy. She was aware that she was doing something she shouldn't be able to do, and yet at the same time she felt as if she didn't really have full control of her body. It was as if her body is moving on its own, while her mind is somewhere else, paying very little attention or thought to what acts her body is doing

Jack.....Jack....Jack

She couldn't stop thinking about the boy who lay dead close to where she stood.

Just this morning, I dragged him up this hill with me. I wanted to make him a flower crown.

Emily started walking towards Jack's body.

Jack, if I stayed behind when you told me too, this wouldn't have happened to you, right? Right, Jack?

Guilt was starting to eat at Emily's heart. She was now standing right next to Jack's body.

His form lay sprawled on the ground, eyes wide open, a silent witness to the brutality he endured. Emily wondered if he felt any pain and hoped he didn't.

She knelt beside Jack, her fingers trembling as they reached to gently close his unyielding eyes. His once lively gaze was now frozen, devoid of the spark that had animated it. The weight of loss settled heavily on Emily's shoulders as tears started tracing down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Jack...I'm so sorry!" She sobbed as she talked to a boy who could no longer hear or response to her.

Emily felt as if she was about to pass out, her body was tired. All she wanted to do was lay next to Jack, but then the screams coming from Saalnia lit whatever had posseted her a minute earlier yet again. It made her remember that her village was still under attack.

In that moment of grief and despair, Emily drew upon what remained of her power. With a deep breath, she extended her hands toward the lake. The water responded to her unspoken command, swirling and rising in response to the turmoil within her.

Am I....doing this?

A shimmering bubble, translucent and colossal, formed on top of Saalnia, encapsulating the entire village. It sparkled with an otherworldly radiance. Both the villagers and invaders lookked up at horror, not understanding what's going on.

Emily's dazed eyes, still clouded by grief, focused on the village below. In her anguish, she summoned arrows made of water, each one a manifestation of her sorrow and rage. They hovered within the giant bubble, waiting for her silent command.

I...What am I?

With a flick of her wrist, the water arrows descended from the sky, a torrential rain of liquid retribution seeking out the attackers. Unerring and relentless, they sought out the perpetrators with deadly precision.

Each arrow found its mark, piercing through the assailants with enough force to kill them in one hit. The invaders were caught off guard, and they all fell one by one as the water arrows struck with a lethal grace. Saalnia was now bathed in water, blood, and dead bodies everywhere. The remaining survivors couldn't understand what just happened.

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Emily, feeling exhausted like never before, closed her eyes and fell next to Jack. She wanted to take one more look at this face, but she was so tired, her body didn't allow her. She passed out in what felt like two seconds.

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A soft, warm light began to seep through Emily's closed eyelids, coaxing her back to consciousness against her will. The world around her was initially blurry, indistinct shapes and muted sounds blending into a dreamlike haze. Slowly, the fog lifted, revealing a room bathed in the gentle glow of morning sunlight.

Where...?

As Emily stirred on the bed, the events of the previous day rushed back, like a floodgate of memories opening in her mind. The massacre, the power she had unleashed, and the devastating losses—Jack's lifeless eyes, the village consumed by chaos—all echoed in her mind.

Emily sat up abruptly, her eyes wide as she surveyed her surroundings. She found herself in a small room inside a house in Saalnia.

Confusion and disorientation clouded Emily's thoughts. What happened? Who carried her here? What happened to the villagers and the attackers? And...

And just how did I...do that?

A million question came to Emily's mind all at once, but what followed that confusion was pain.

Mom...Dad.....Jack

Emily felt as if her heart was about to break in two. Part of her wanted to hope all of that was a dream, but she knew better.

Suddenly, the creak of a door drew Emily's attention. A figure clad in chest armor, adorned with the entered the room. He had a sword attached to his hip. Emily didn't recognize this man, which scared her.

"Wh-Who are you?!" She let out, her voice sounding exhausted.

"Oh, you're up! I thought I heard something." The man said in a casual voice.

Who is he? Is he one of the invaders? Did that last attack I somehow did not finish them all off? Oh no...

The man perceived Emily's worry etched on her pallid face.

"Don't be afraid. I'm not one of the men who attacked your village. I'm a knight in service to His Majesty, the king," he assured, attempting to alleviate Emily's apprehension.

"A knight?" Emily uttered. She had never encountered a knight before; they never venture to her village.

"I'm not someone important. Wait here; I'll go summon someone who needs to speak with you, okay?" The man reassured her as he exited the room, closing the door behind him.

"H-Hey! Oh, he's gone..."

Emily wasn't sure what to make of this, but knowing that man isn't out to hurt Saalnia and its people was enough to maker her feel tiny bit revealed, for now anyway.

Moments later, the door opened again, revealing another man who looked to be in his late 30s. This one, dressed in more elaborate attire, carried an air of command and authority. His hair, a deep ebony, falls in disciplined waves just above his shoulders, framing a face marked by the lines of experience and a firm, square jaw. A longsword rests at his side.

He stood tall and imposing, that it made Emily feel scared again.

"So you woke up, little girl." The man said as he walked towards Emily. If she could, Emily felt she would had stood up and ran away from this scary man, but her body was so exhausted, she wasn't sure she can stand, let alone run.

"Your name is Emily, isn't it?" The man asked, though it seemed as if he already knew the answer.

"Y-Yes."

"The villagers told me, in case you were wondering how I knew of your name."

The villagers! I should ask him about them!

"The villagers, are they...okay?" Emily asked, her voice sounding scared to know the answer to her own question.

"I suppose there is a lot we must talk about, and I'll give you the answer to your question, but first let me introduce myself. My name is Durthon, I'm a general in the Kingdom of Arixad's army." Durthon stated.

"A g-general?!" Emily exclaimed, taken aback by the importance of the person addressing her.

"Yes, indeed. Now, regarding your question... it's grim news. Most of the villagers did not make it. My men reported that at least 55 people lost their lives, 15 sustained critical injuries, and only 24 managed to survive, including you." Durthon responded somberly.

"No..." Emily spoke in a very low voice. She truly felt as if her heart was about to snap in two, but she tried to stay strong for a little longer as she had another question to ask.

"A-And did a boy by the name of Emilio show up? He's my older brother, but he was out of the village when the attack started." Emily tried to explain herself.

"Emilio? No, I don't believe so. No one called that was part of the dead or the ones who survived." Durthon answered.

Emily wasn't sure how to feel. On one had she was happy her brother wasn't here to either witness or know what went down, but on the other hand she wanted him by her side more than ever right now.

For a minute there were silence in the room, but Durthon was the one to break it.

"Those men, the ones who attacked your village, they were a bunch of bandits. Your village wasn't the first village they attacked. We got word of them and my men and I were on their tail, but it seems we were a day too late to stop this tragedy. My men and I owe you all an apology."

Emily didn't respond, she really wasn't sure what to say. Her head was a mess. She simply nodded as Durthon spoke.

"Now, Emily, this attack on your home happened yesterday. You've been out of it for an entire day, and not only that, all these bandits were found dead when my men and I got here. Explain yourself." Durthon said, sounding more serious than ever since walked into the room, which sent chills down Emily's neck.

"W-What do you mean?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"Don't play stupid. Some of the surviving villagers saw you. They witnessed what you did. You used magic! You're a witch!" Durthon suddenly shouted, causing Emily to start shaking.

Fear tightened its grip on Emily's heart. She tried to find her voice, to explain, but Durthon's stern demeanor silenced her.

"Since when were you able to wield these powers? Is water the only kind of thing you can control, or is there more? Answer!" Durthon demanded.

"I-I-I didn't know! I didn't know I had these powers until yesterday! I don't even know how to control them!" Emily stammered, fear painted across her face.

"Is that really true? Because for your first time, you managed not only to use it well enough to defend yourself but also to kill all of those bandits." Durthon spoke skeptically, not seeming to trust Emily's words.

"I'm not lying, I promise!"

"Well, regardless of whether you are or not, using magic, being a witch, is a major sin, as I'm sure you know. Not only that, but it's also against the law of our Kingdom. It doesn't matter if you used it to defend this village or not; you are still a witch. We can't simply let someone like you go," Durthon spoke with a cold voice, his gaze fixed on Emily as if she were some sort of monster.

Emily felt as if she were on the verge of tears. The concept that she, herself, was a witch seemed impossible to reconcile. She had always been taught that the use of magic is a grave sin, and the punishment for witches daring to wield such powers is death.

Magic and witches were things she believed belonged to distant realms, far removed from her normal life in Saalnia. Yet, here she was, labeled a witch.

A witch? I'm a witch?

Emily struggled to accept the truth, but deep down, she knew it explained the power she unleashed yesterday.

"You are to go west with my men and I to the capital, Arixalum, where you'll be put to trial. Don't even think of trying to escape, as I'll be allowed to kill you on the spot if you did."

Emily couldn't believe what she was hearing, it was all happening too fast.

"We are going to take off in a couple of hours, try to get some rest. One of my men will bring you food soon." Durthon said as he stood up and walked out of the room, not bothering to take another glance at Emily.

Emily closed her eyes, unable to keep up with what's happening anymore.

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Few hours have passed, and now it was time for Emily, Durthon, and some of him men to start heading west towards the capital, Arixalum. Some of his men are going to stay and help the surviving villagers until a plan on what to do with them is figured out.

Emily took her first steps out of the wooden cottage she was staying in since the attack. It was her first time seeing what became of her village, her home.

The once small, yet vibrant village of Saalnia now lay in ruins. Buildings that once stood proudly were reduced to charred remnants. The air carried the acrid scent of smoke and burned wood, a stark contrast to the once-familiar aroma of the village.

Streets that once bustled with life were now eerily quiet, save for the occasional creaking of damaged structures in the aftermath of the attack, not to mention the blood. Durthon's men might have removed most of the dead bodies, but the blood they left behind was still there, tainting the already broken village.

"Let's go." Durthon said as he started leading Emily out of the village, towards the horses he and men are going to get on.

As Emily was walking next to the scary man, she noticed that to her left were some of the surviving villagers were looking at her, watching her leave. She recognized who they were, but she didn't recognize the way they looked at her. It was a look of disgust, fear, and confusion.

It's because I'm a witch that they look at me with such eyes, isn't it?

If Emily's heart wasn't already broken, it would have broke then. She wondered why had none of the villagers came to check up on her, and now she knows why. She might be their savior, but she's still a witch.

Durthon gently lifted Emily onto the horse's back, ensuring she was settled comfortably. The steed, a majestic creature with a powerful build, stood patiently as if aware of the gravity of the situation. Once Emily was securely in place, Durthon mounted the horse behind her, his movements controlled and measured. The rest of Durthon's men who are coming along also started mounting their horses.

Emily has never been on a horse before. Something like this might have brought her lots of joy at some point, but not now, not after what happened.

The rhythmic clip-clop of the horse's hooves echoed in the solemn air as they began their journey westward. The wind, which once might have carried the thrill of adventure, now whispered the somber tale of Saalnia's tragedy. Emily took one final glance at Saalina, the only home she has ever known.

I wanted to see Jack's face one last time...

Deep down though, there were a small twisted part of her that was glad Jack died after all, as he'll never have to know she's a witch. He'll never hate her.