Prologue: Shackled By Darkness
How long until you understand that darkness is all you need to seek?
I ran through the pitch darkness that surrounded me. My inhales were sharp and my exhales quick, my bare feet racing against the rough surface that's hidden from my sight. My body was hot, my head was pounding, and I feared the worst as my chest burned to the point of endless pain.
My orange hair flowed frantically in the passing wind, golden strands emitting a light that seemed to be the only thing attempting to cut through the dark.
My body was bruised, my back was bare, and the undeniable pain was coming from the part of my back that should have been the wings I'd been born with.
Nothing but pain and regret.
Tears left my lavender-purple eyes as my dry lips begged for water, and my flushed cheeks were the canvas to the streams of water and sweat that rolled down the burning surface.
The heat began to make it harder to breathe, but it didn’t slow me down as much as the golden shackles on my ankles that carried the weight of a ton ball.
I fight for freedom.
The agony of my desires brings bits of motivation. Hopes of removing these shackles and to spread my wings that were once perched to my back and fly to the beam of happiness I dream of every day and night.
That's all it ever was.
Wishful thinking and dreams of life not hidden within the pits of the black sheet.
The heat continued its scorching torture, while my labored breathing reached a point of heaviness that left me wheezing. I was drenched in sweat, but the beads were cold and made my feverish skin prickle.
I wish for affection.
To be in the arms of the woman who decided to bring me into this cruel world. To hear the wise words of my father and the guidance he'd imposed to help me be a strong, independent girl.
This world proved that when you need a prince to save you, he'd never come like in the fairy tales. A princess of the darkness remains alone in the world, and no one will be her knight in shining armor.
No one can save her from the destiny she's bound to fulfill.
My body grew weak, each step growing heavier and harder as my sprint faded to a jog and then to a dragging walk. When my knees caved, they crashed against the black floors and my weight shifted forward until I was flat on the ground.
Only my rapid breathing revealed my location. Without that and my racing heart that beat furiously against my chest, no one would be able to find me.
It doesn't matter now...
I'm your only ally, and yet you push me further away. Do you enjoy this type of suffering?
Was what she said true? That I enjoyed the rush of fright that fought hard to bring me down when my body didn't fall into its own demise? Each time these heavy eyelids closed, the essence of evil trickled through me, until here I was, fighting against myself.
A Nephilim without darkness was an outcast full of trouble.
I knew this, but I continued to fight. To try and figure out a way out of this misery of my dreams and return to the world of light that held my family, the ones who would protect me from the scary bits of the night.
My mind began to fade as if I was now being lifted upward towards the true surface of my present reality. No more chases, heat, and fear of defeat.
My new battle would begin when my eyes shot open, and the journey would be a long one as I fought not to fall asleep.
As my mind reached close to the surface, the voice decided to give me words of wisdom to part ways with.
Only a matter of time. The truth will be revealed and those you expect to love you with everlasting care will prove their deceitful beliefs and selfish antics. You'll remember my words and realize: I'm the only one who's never abandoned you.
My consciousness pierced through the surface.
My body jolted forward while my little fingers dug deeper into the soil beneath me. The heavy exhales that left my dry, cold lips were rapid, and my wide eyes darted all around to make sure I was safe from harm's way.
The lavender jewels of my eyes only took seconds to adjust to the darkness that cloaked me, and it became clear that I was simply lost in another scary dream. Looking down at my tiny body, I pulled back the single black sheet of my cape and scrambled to stand up and look around the camp.
With a frown, I immediately sought out Mother- her body beneath a black cape that wasn't too far from the burned-out fire. Reaching her side, I gently poked her arm until she stirred and muttered, "Celeste. Go back to sleep."
"B-But…" My disappointment only escalated the fear thrumming through me, my heart and trembling body seeking some sort of comfort and closure from the woman who birthed me.
"If you're waking me up about a dream, it's exactly that. A dream. Return to sleep. We have a long day in the morning."
She pulled up the cover of her black cape, enough to tell me she wasn't going to be my savior for tonight. Tears brewed in my eyes as I hung my head low and shuffled away from her.
Instead of going back to my spot, I made my way to the edge of the forest. I paused to look over to Father's figure, but I gave up on even trying to wake him. If Mother dismissed my worries, Father would stomp on them like all my dreams of freedom.
Hugging myself, I began to walk into the forest. The darkness I was desperate to run from seemed to be my comforter as I walked further away from the people who were supposedly my family.
Something wrapped around me, tender feathers that protectively shielded me from what I was afraid of. It always made me smile just slightly, my eyes noticing the pitch-black feathers that shackled me from this livelihood of freedom.
We were Nephilim Fae.
Forsaken beings of darkness that were born with black wings, raging strength, and unforeseen powers. We were outcasts in this world or hunted prey to all those who begged to see us shatter and fall.
Our wings were gifted pieces of magic, each feather containing enough magic to ignite an army with enough magical force to win whatever battle they were bestowed upon.
It was exactly why we were the most sought-out supernaturals of this universe.
Blessed wings of darkness were marked highly on the market, and thus, I was born into a life where all we did was run from those who wished for our captivity. Many of the families I remembered from only two years ago when I was eight years old were surely captured, rid of their wings, and left for dead.
If we lost our wings, it was almost impossible to grow them back. You had to be a strong Nephilim or blessed by the Fae Gods of Mercy to be given a second chance at flight. From my parents’ explanations, that was a probability no one wanted to risk.
That's why we'd been running for two years, sleeping in the hidden depths of these thick, scary forests. These hunters weren't the only things to go bump in the dark, but if my parents were afraid of these people, I had no choice but to follow.
Before being on the run, Mom was nicer. She was kind and always smiled so brilliantly. She'd praise me for studying really hard, stressing how it was important to be a very smart woman in this time and age so I could defend myself against those who thought they were better than me.
I learned vocabulary and terms other kids like myself wouldn't, but as long as I got her praise and loving hugs, I'd learn every bit of information I needed.
Father had always been a little harsh, but that was because he was a king. He was the leader of our kind and didn't have time to worry about me, but there were some occasions where he attempted to show some sort of affection towards me.