"Hmgh..." I groaned, stretching my sore limbs.

As I slowly opened my eyes, I found myself surrounded by swirling colours and bright lights with the young man carrying me in his arms. When they fade away, I realize that I'm actually standing in a familiar place: the place where we first met.

"This place again...?" I uttered without even realizing.

"Mhm," he answered, putting me down gently "It seems so."

I looked around, marveling at the beauty of this strange and ethereal place. The air is thick with magic, and the colours are brighter and more vibrant than I last remembered. I feel a sense of peace wash over me, even as my heart races with anticipation.

"This way..." the young man ushered forward, "Don't get too excited."

"I won't...I'm not!" feeling embarrassed thinking if I showed such an expression.

We walked for a minute or two before stumbling upon a gigantic cave made of pure crystals. I could feel my eyes sparkle by just how the cave shimmered alone. Indeed, he told me not to get excited, but who wouldn't?

I tried glancing at him slyly, wondering if he saw the expression of amazement I just made only to find him with his heart in his mouth. It took me by surprise, perhaps because I was expecting him to tease me about feeling excited. Sadly, that feeling of excitement went away in an instant.

"What is that place?" I asked cautiously.

Without missing a beat he answered, "My home."

"Ahhh..." I nodded with nothing else to say.

Once we were inside, I was surprised to learn that it was quite empty. The walls of the cave are made of smooth, glittering stone, and they seem to be embedded with thousands of tiny crystals that reflect the light in dazzling patterns. The floor is covered in a thick layer of sparkling gems, each one reflecting the light in its own unique way.

As my eyes adjust to the brightness, I notice that there are strange symbols etched into the walls and floor of the cave. They seem to be written in a language that I can't understand, but they are imbued with a powerful magic that seems to pulse through the very air.

Despite the brightness and heat, there's a sense of calm and serenity in the cave. It's as if the dragon has spent thousands of years meditating and contemplating the mysteries of the universe, and that this peaceful energy has infused the very space where it lives.

As I stand there, taking in the wonder of the dragon's cave, I can't help but feel a sense of reverence and awe.

"Calm down," he spoke suddenly, "it's just a cave, psh."

I highly doubt that it's 'just a cave' as he just said.

"This way," he pointed at the small opening at the back, "We're almost there."

The young man led me to a large mirror, which seems to be made of some kind of shimmering, otherworldly material. The mirror was a thing of wonder, with a frame made of intricately carved silver and shimmering blue gemstones that seemed to glow with a mystical light. As I looked into it, I couldn't help but gasped in amazement.

"You said you wanted to know right?" he asked, keeping an odd distance from me.

"The mirror will show you everything."

I looked at him nervously, "What do I do?" I asked.

"Just..." he avoided my gaze, "If it calls to you, you'd know what to do."

I was annoyed, he was clearly making it more difficult for me, but I shrugged it off and focused my attention on the object right in front of me. As I breathed in and out, trying to calm myself, I felt a tingled in my hands.

Ah, I get it now.

It seems it's telling me to touch it, so I did. But as I reached out to touch the mirror, it suddenly shattered into a thousand pieces. I gasped in shock as each shard fell to the ground, and then something strange began to happen. I heard a faint whispering in my ear, and it seemed to be calling out to me.

"Huh?" I looked around frantically,

At first, I thought it was my imagination playing tricks on me. But then, the voice grew stronger, and I could feel a pull in my heart. The mirror was calling out to me, and I knew that I had to listen. I turned back and saw that the shattered pieces were now glowing with a mystical light.

"Woahh!" I roared in amazement.

As I reached out to touch them, the voice grew even louder, and I felt a surge of energy flow through me. Suddenly, I was transported to another world, a world of beauty and wonder that I had never seen before.

I saw mountains that reached up to the sky and oceans that glimmered with the light of a thousand stars. I saw creatures that were beyond imagination and felt the wind in my hair as I soared through the clouds.

And then, as quickly as it had begun, it was over.

I was back,

But the shattered pieces remained scattered around me. As I slowly tried picking up the shattered pieces, I realized something; In each of the shattered pieces, I saw pieces of my own memories. As I picked up each piece of the mirror, I realized that it had the power to reveal the hidden truths that I had kept locked away.

"So this is what he was talking about..." I looked back, hoping to see the young man but he was nowhere to be found.

"...Memories." I uttered in a soft low whisper.

Indeed, at that moment, it was just me and my memories.

I wandered around the room, holding the shattered pieces of the magical mirror in my hands. As I searched through them, I felt a growing sense of frustration. Each piece showed me something different, but none of them revealed what I truly wanted to see.

But then, after a lot of searching, as I turned over one particular shard, I gasped in shock. It showed me the events of that fateful day, when the Viscount had been beating me up so bad that I was bruised all over and just waiting for death. Indeed, Addie had tried defending me. The Viscount had been furious, and in his rage, he had turned on Addie. He had grabbed her by the throat and squeezed so hard that I thought she would die.

And then, that was it.

That's how far my memory went.

That's how far I remembered it,

But not the shard.

"ADDIE NOOOOO!!!"

And that's when I saw...myself.

But it was not me, it was nowhere being me, the me that I know of. In that small pointy piece of shattered glass, I saw a very livid little girl let out a burst of dark magic, revealing a powerful dark mage hidden beneath those brown hair and eyes of hers.

Not only that, she...changed.

Her eyes glowing a dark shade of Amethyst,

Her hair the same colour as the moon,

How is that me?

The magic had engulfed the room, and for a moment, it seemed the world was ending for everyone in it.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

"What in the world is this?!" the Viscount's eyes widened in fear.

"Fa-thrk!!" the young lord Calder seemed to be suffocating.

In fact, everyone seemed to be suffocating except for the little girl, Addie, and the Viscount.

"Stop that this-- HRKK!!" the Viscount flew across the room and pinned on the wall, a dark shadowy mist seemed to be strangling him like he did Addie.

"Honey, no!" the Viscountess shrieked, reaching her hand out as she tried to use her own magic to stop the dark mist,

But it was no use.

Just then, to my surprise, as I gazed into the shard of the magical mirror, my heart skipped a beat. It showed me Addie, the maid, casting a powerful bright light with nothing but her bare hands. Indeed, it was a powerful spell of light magic.

"A-Addie?!" my eyes fixated on such strong light magic that was coming from a mere maid.

The light illuminated from Addie to the Viscount, surrounding him the last second before the dark mist was able to completely suffocate him.

Thug Boom!

The Viscount dropped to the ground and immediately gasped for air.

"Huff...Huff...Huff...." was all you could hear from him.

In an instant, the atmosphere became lighter, but it was nowhere near over. The dark misty clouds still surrounded room, mostly where the light couldn't reach; the darkness followed. With protection from Addie's light, the two sons and their mother went over to the Viscount's side.

"F-Father!" the two sons harmonized, worried for their dad.

The Viscountess on the other hand, could so nothing but sob as she held her husband's hand trying to comfort him.

"Oh no...honey...." she whimpered.

I was stunned. I had never seen anyone, let alone a mere maid, control magic of such strength and beauty. But as I continued to watch, the scene before me shifted. I saw Addie casting another spell, a different one this time.

And then I saw myself, collapsing onto the ground as the magic,

Her magic,

Took a hold of me.

I watched in horror as the true events of that day flashed before my eyes.

As I stood there, holding the shattered pieces of the magical mirror, I felt a cold sense of dread wash over me. I saw how I had collapsed after that burst of dark magic, and how the Viscount family had agreed not to tell anyone what had happened.

"Is she..." the second son Corry looked at my unconscious body as pale as a ghost.

"Please tell me she's dead."

To which she earned a smack from her father on the head,

"Don't speak of such thing," he scolded.

"Can'y you see? She's a powerful dark mage...HAHAHAHA!"

While the Viscount rejoiced, everyone around him looked at each other, clearly traumatized from the magic that erupted so suddenly in the room.

"Ho-honey...?" the Viscountess put a weary hand on her husband's shoulder.

"What exactly do we do with her? If she's a dark mage then...."

Her expression hardened, trembling in fear at her sudden realization.

"Then..." she continued, struggling with the words.

"Is she....? could she be....? perhaps she's....?"

In the end, it was their first son and heir to the Viscounty, Calder, who finished his mother's sentence for her.

"Could she possibly be a daughter of a powerful noble family?" he asked.

"But..." Corry protested, "Her features....are of a Malem? How is that even possible?"

"That's the thing," Calder replied, deep in thought. "It's not."

Silence fell upon them for a few minutes before something in the Viscount clicked. He noticed the head maid of the Brotillon mansion who crying over the weak body of the little girl and immediately called for her.

Of course, without a second thought, Addie obeyed and stood in front of the whole family.

"You." the Viscount glared at her. "How were you able to do that?"

Everyone's eyes were painstakingly on her, yet she answered unbothered by their looks.

"I...was born in a family of Nomads so I was able to learn different defensive techniques throughout the empire of Vassiliy." is what she said.

"Hmm...." the Viscount nodded in satisfaction.

"Why did you decide to work here then?" Calder suddenly asked, his eyes viciously glaring at her. "Why not work for the people in Atheogro or the temple?"

Still as calm as a dove, she answered gracefully.

"My background is not fit for such jobs, my young lord. The upper class can be very stubborn when it comes to backgrounds, and even the temple is very strict as well." she said.

With her eyes no longer on the ground, Addie stared back at the young Lord.

"You do know how the system works," she continued with an eerie tone, "Right?"

A shiver went down Calder's spine and he back away without even realizing.

"How dare a mere maid—!!" but before the Viscountess could even scold her, her husband interrupted with a smile on his face.

"—Splendid!" he clapped his hands together happily. "To think that we have such a talent under our roof!"

Addie smiled graciously, bowing down to the man before her. "I'm honoured, my lord."

"Father," the eldest son called out, his eyes fixated on the little girl lying on the corner.

"What's going to happen once that thing wakes up?"

The mother and her three sons looked at each other nervously,

"She's going to remember, isn't she?" the other son asked.

"She won't." the lord answered, his tone ever so stern. "Not if we cloud her memory with magic."

And with a malicious scowl he looked the young head main straight in the eyes.

"Isn't that right, Addie?" the Viscount's eye glowed wickedly.

Seeing it with my own two eyes, I've confirmed, the reasons for keeping it a secret were not noble. They wanted to adopt me, to make me a part of their family, so that they could use my power for their own gain. And Addie, the maid who I had always trusted, was a part of it.

I felt a sense of betrayal that cut deep.

How could she do this to me?

I had always felt like an outsider, never really belonging anywhere because I, someone with no magic, was born in an empire full of powerful elemental wielders. But now I find out that I'm actually a mage, and not just a low level mage, but a powerful dark elemental?

In that moment,

I felt a surge of anger and defiance.

I would not be used like this.

I would not let them control me, or take away my freedom.

And so, I made a decision. I would leave, and I would never look back. I would find a place where I could be myself, and perhaps....

Forget that I ever knew I had powers in the first place and stay a Malem.

Tinkle! Crack!

My heart raced as I heard the sound of shattering glass. I looked down at my hand and gasped saw the shard I had been holding had broken into tiny pieces. It was like a physical manifestation of the shattered pieces of my memory that I had just pieced together. It was then that I realized the truth about what had happened.

Just like that, I felt my head go dizzy and my body weaken.

I woke up to a deafening sound of nothingness. It was as if the world had gone completely silent, leaving only my breathing to fill the void. Confused and disoriented, I sat up and looked around, trying to make sense of my surroundings.

It was the same room I've been sleeping for a couple of days since the Viscount declared me as his adoptive daughter. And then, as if on cue, a young man emerged from the shadows, bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight. His presence was calming and reassuring, and it was obvious that he had been waiting for me to wake up.

As I gazed at him, I noticed the way his hair glinted in the moonlight, the way his eyes sparkled with an otherworldly light. It was as if he was not entirely human, and yet I felt drawn to him, as if we shared some sort of connection. For a moment, we just stood there, staring at each other in silence.

And then, he spoke in a voice that was both soothing and mysterious.

"I still have no idea how, nor why, but I'm certain that something whatever is blocking your power is probably also the reason why your appearance changes."

I looked at the young man in front of me with tired eyes,

"I see." was all I could say.

I watch him in silence as he stands there, bathed in moonlight. There's something ethereal about him, like he doesn't quite belong in this world. And yet, there's a sense of familiarity that I can't quite place. As I look into his eyes, I feel as if I'm seeing into the depths of my own soul.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked.

The question surprised me for a second,

We've been conversing since the beginning of the night and he's only asking me this now?

But then it hit me,

We've have been conversing since the beginning of the night,

Yet not once did I ever felt uncomfortable with him,

It just felt....natural....familiar...

But even as I realized this, I shook my head.

No" I answered.

His brows furrowed in an instant, "What?" he roared, clearly annoyed.

"All this time? You didn't even know who I was?"

I couldn't help but feel small under his intense gaze, and I stuttered out an apology.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

The young man stared at me for what seemed like ages before he let out a deep sigh, I could sense his frustration simmering beneath the surface. But then, stepping a few inches closer to me, his eyes met mine and lowered his gaze in a respectful gesture.

To my shock, he placed a hand on his chest, his movements fluid and graceful as he swept into a deep and elegant bow.

"My apologies," he said, his voice softening.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Erasmus, your elemental protector. I am the black dragon."

My eyes widened in shock, and I couldn't believe what I was hearing. An elemental protector? I had never even imagined such a thing, especially since only those with high enough mana could form a contract with one, yet it's common to own form a contract with one as a mage even if you could only use little magic.

"But..." I protested, "I'm a Malem..."

He didn't bend too far down, but his movements remained graceful and refined, his eyes met mine as he spoke in a gentle tone.

"Are you?" he replied, a smirk curving from the side of his lips.

"How can you say that after what seeing what you just saw?"

But before I could protest, Erasmus spoke again, his tone patient and understanding. "The moment you gave me a name, we were already bonded as master and servant," he explained.

I watched in admiration as he held the pose for several seconds before rising back up to meet her gaze once more.

"Mish Dizas..." (My Lady...) he said with a soft smile, the same smile I saw awhile back.

"It is my duty to protect you, whether you like it or not."

I watched as he gently lifted my hand, pressing it to his lips as he whispered;

"Krinosh, Ekun tū yafiz vai nesh ak'ur..." (I won't let you go this time, Master.)

I sat frozen in shock, eyes wide open and mouth hanging slightly ajar. Fear swelled up from within as I wondered,

How in the world was I able to understand that?

*

*

*

*

*

To Be Continued.