Startled Nezani searched her surroundings to find out where the voice was coming from. When her search yielded no results, she turned back to spirit for explanation.
“The door” spirit said “Trees don’t die, they continue to live. It speaks to you” they said motioning toward the door.
Again, in a thousand whispers the door spoke
“State your name and your business here?!”
Still trying to process what’s happening Nezani stepped close to the door and began to speak “Uh, um, my name is Nezani Rose Meti"
“Meti” the voices repeated. “Prove it!”
And a lone gold thorn appeared to stick out from the etching on the door. Impulsively Nezani hovered her finger over the thorn before gently tapping her finger on top of the thorn. She winced shutting her eyes, anticipating the pain. When none came, she stared perplexedly at her finger.
“Kin” the voices whispered as the thorns disappeared from the door.
“Why have you come? After leaving us for so long?” They asked, angrily.
“To learn more about my ancestors, my family, my powers and train” she answered.
“Many tests lay ahead of you child, but first you must answer a question. Who are you?”
Confused by the question, she began to answer “I told you my name is --”
“Yes” the door replied “That is your name, but who are you? You may enter through these doors when you can answer the question.”
And with that the loudest silence surrounded Nezani and Spirit.
Plopping onto the ground in front of the doors in defeat, tears started to form at the corners of her eyes. All at once a multitude of emotions began to hit Nezani in waves.
“I am tired! Since my family passed away, I have been bounced around, from place to place, fighting to figure out where I belong outside of my family home.”
“I also don’t know how to tell you who I am, I don’t know anymore. So many things have happened, I don’t know who I am at all. My parents lied to me.”
The realization that she was mad at her parents for not telling her who she really was pained her chest, and the tears began to stream down her cheeks rapidly.
“I don’t know anything”
Overwhelmed by her emotions Nezani began to clutch her chest as a wave of nausea washed over her body. No sooner the nausea subsided her heart began to beat at a rapid pace, her breathing began to shorten.
What is happening to me
Swiftly Spirit kneeled next to Nezani and placed their hands over her heart.
“Be Still” Spirit whispered.
And with that Nezani blacked out.
----------------------------------------
“Anne! Come here babe!”
Her eyes shot open at the familiar voice. It was her dad calling out to her mom.
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Fully opening her eyes Nezani looked around and realized she was back in her room, in her family home.
Had she dreamed the death of her parents? Meeting Madame? Ending up in Katria?
She decided she didn’t care, she wanted to see her parents.
Jumping up and walking briskly toward the door, Nezani was paralyzed by the sound of Spirits voice echoing through her skull.
“Your time here is limited, time travel only lasts as long as my mana and that is unknown currently. Find out who you are, find your mom”
And with that Nezani snapped back to reality. She swung the door open and ran down the stairs and into her office where she knew she would find her mom sitting in her favorite chair.
“Mom!” she screamed laying eyes on her mom sitting in the corner of her office.
“Mom!” She screamed again rushing to hug her mom.
“Woah there, missy!” Her mom said as she let out a giggle.
“First of all, what are you doing here? You’re supposed to be at your graduation rehearsal -”
Gently pushing herself back to look at her mom. “Mom, I missed you I—I—”
“Not another word” her mom said sternly, eyes narrowing in the way they did when she had figured Nezani out.
“Babygirl? You are my babygirl, aren’t you?” Her mom said, still looking Nezani directly in the eyes.
Nezani nodded slowly, tears rolling down her face.
“I don’t have a lot of time” Nezani said weeping.
Her mom’s eyes moved around her skull, trying to process what was happening and who she was looking at in front of her.
“You’re awakened, I can tell” Her mom said.
“Darrel!!!!” She yelled, grabbing Nezani by the shoulders and switching positions with her, so that her daughter could sit comfortably in the reading chair.
Nezani let out another stream of tears as her dad rushed through the door of her mom’s office.
“What’s she doing here? Playing hooky eh?” Her dad said playfully.
“I always wondered when you would start loosening –“
“DARREL” Her mom yelled snapping her dad back into the moment.
“This is a future version of our daughter, look at her, she’s awakened. And if she’s been allowed to travel here it’s for a reason. We don’t have a lot of time”
Her dad’s eyes widened looking at his daughter as his eyes begin to glow. She had never seen her dads’ eyes look such a way. The sight would have scared Nezani before she had been to their world, but now, it was to be expected.
“Babygirl? What’s going on” he said.
“I’m there” Nezani said
“I went there after –“
“Not another word Nezani” her mom said. “I don’t know where we are in your future, but it is taboo to tell us such.” She spoke.
“Tell us why you came? And that only”
“I am at the family arboretum. I need to get the protection spell off the door so I can start my training. I was having a panic attack and my familiar sent me here to” She stopped herself trying to keep herself from panicking again.
Noticing her panic both her parents knelt beside her and hugged her.
“It’s okay babygirl” Her dad let out softly. “Its all going to be okay”
Stroking her hair, her mom looked at her with watering eyes “To find out what sweetie?”
“Who I am” Nezani let out between breathes.
“You know who you are darling” her mom said smiling back at Nezani, continuing to stroke her hair.
“Why did you all tell me and DJ about who we are? Why didn’t you all prepare us? Why did you all lie to us?!” Nezani said, trying to keep her composure even though she was filled with anger.
“For your protection” they said in unison their faces growing serious.
“Protection from what?! From who?! Madame said thing! None of this makes sense!”
“Madame? What does Madame look like?” her mom said.
Nezani described Madame in detail while her parents listened closely.
“Ah, Rose” her dad said.
“Well at least she’s safe” her mom said, visually relieved.
“Mom, Dad. What is happening? Who are you? Who am I?”
“Babygirl, you need to know that everything we have done thus far has been for the safety of you and your brother.” Darrel said.
“We came here, to this dimension, to escape a great evil. Rose, Madame can tell you more about that. To answer your question, your father and I are from Katria. I come from a linage of keepers called the Guardians who create, repair and protect the leylines that give the realm and the people in it the ability to tap into the mana that surrounds them. Depending on who you talk to, we are considered, royal, high class. But it never felt that way to me.”
Her dad exchanged a look of sarcasm with her mom, both deciding in the moment that it was not the time to go back and forth.
“I am not high class” Her dad interjected “But the work my family does is important all the same. My family specializes in the vibrations or mana waves that emit from the leylines and all the living things of the world. It’s the reason I can always tell when you and your brother are lying” he said behind a smile.
No fair Nezani thought, remembering being very confused as to why her dad knew she was lying, even when there was no obvious indication.
“20 years ago someone or something decided they wanted total control over the mana, and the realm. In order to achieve that, they attacked my family, and attempted to infiltrate the arboretum.”
“Locked inside to protect our linage, and our work I watched as the rest of my family was slaughtered. Rose and her family were able to force them to retreat. However, to ensure my safety and the safety of the mana and ultimately the realm it was decided that I would be sent here until it was safe to return.
Until then I couldn’t let anyone know who I was, where I came from, not even you and DJ. The evil we were fighting is sneaky and has continued over the years to try to find me. Your dad volunteered to come along with me for protection and well, you see how that played out” they both exchanged a loving look.
“I want to give you something” her mom said.
Walking over to her desk and opening her drawer, she pulled out a leather-bound notebook. She turned around and moved the picture behind her desk to reveal a safe. Entering the code, the safe opened to reveal a matching leather bag.
“I don’t have enough time in the world to fully tell you about our family history, but the place you are now, the arboretum holds everything and everyone you need to figure out where you come from. Based on what I can tell, I’m probably in there as well, find me.”
“Babygirl” her dad starts “I have something to give you as well”
He leaves and comes back with a black leather bag and hands it to Nezani.
“It is time” Nezani heard spirits voice in her head again
“I think it’s time for me to go back” she said, her eyes starting to moisten again.
Both her parents bear hugged her from either side
“We love you so much baby girl, we are so proud of you. Give my bag to DJ her dad says”
Nezani began to cry harder at the thought of her brother.
“Find me sweetie, find me, and remember who you are. You are our daughter, MY DAUGHTER. Whatever it is you must do, I know you can do it, I believe in you, you got this!”
Nezani’s vision began to fade, and she awoke to the sight of Spirit standing over her and her face soaked with the tears from hers and her parents’ eyes.