Page 16 of The Blackened Blade

The shackles, the thick metal cuff.The Facility.

I shakily take the bracelet up from the floor and inspect it more carefully. There was no doubt.

They may be smaller and designed differently, but there's no way I’d mistake it for something else.

I wouldn’t forget the cold, bone chilling feeling they left me with. The same feeling I have now holding this bracelet. Although slightly smaller in effect.

A shaky breath leaves my lips as I twist around, searching the room as if someone from the Facility would jump out at me any minute.

I shake my head.

No, they weren’t here. It wasn’t possible.

This was Wensridge Academy, one of the oldest and most prestigious institutions in the supernatural world.

But thenhowwas this here?

I grip the metal chain, the ‘M’ letter digging into my skin and reminding me of the small letter charm.

A charm I was given as a gift…by Seria.

But why did she have this? How did she get it? Did she even know what this was? How could she have something like this and why did she give it to me? Or was it all some coincidence–

No…It couldn’t be.

If there's anything I’ve learnt about Seria, it's that you can't trust anything she shows you. There's a vindictive malice behind those eyes.

Forget a wolf, she's a snake in sheep's clothing.

One who would slowly poison you bit by bit so she could watch you writhe and suffer slowly before her, all while smiling and feigning innocence.

Was this the reason why I had become so physically weak?

I never had power or any magical aptitude when I was younger but it was only when I was fourteen or fifteen that my body became so fragile.

It left me unable to even participate in some of the classes due to my weakened state.

I was also sick a fair bit and it made it easy for the assholes in this school to keep coming back, knowing I wouldn’t be able to put up much of a fight.

Had she known? Was she the reason why I didn't have the strength all these years that later grew in the Facility when my shackles were off?

A dark chuckle leaves my lips.

I always thought that it was because of the Facility. That maybe they brought out my abilities. I never even questioned why I didn't have the strength I did there in my academy years.

My grip tightens on the bracelet before I fling it into the drawer. My breath comes out in short spurts, as rage begins to fester and boil inside me.

How? Why? Just why?! Why did she hate me so much? What did I ever do to deserve such manipulation and betrayal?

How could she hate me, when she took everything from me and I still loved her?!

She had everything I ever wanted; our fathers love, our bloodlines, powerful magic abilities, the admiration of everyone who met her, and the love and affection of the four boys who I used to call friends.

I had clinged to her believing in the fake affection she showed me.

I thought she was the only one who truly loved me when everyone else had turned away from me.

She would tell me that even without any magic she loved me, that we would always be sisters and that she would always be on my side.

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