Together, the two of them had changed a lot in the last two years of our running circumstances. Mother explained that it was like we were prisoners in our own lands.
The soil we walked upon and skies we flew through were bestowed upon our dark fae blood, but it was now the number one spot for hunters to come harvest traps to capture us.
The huge lands that we thought would be where I'd rise to the throne in my father’s stead were what we now fought to escape from. Even with the elemental fae and dragon shifters as neighbors of our lands, we were left to face our problems on our own.
Or maybe Father didn't want to ask for help.
He hated relying on anyone. He even struggled to lean on Mother when he needed it. I felt as though his stubborn nature was what left us in this predicament, and that very outlook was maybe the reason why there were so few of us left.
Our kind is dying. We were becoming a supernatural species on the verge of brutal extinction.
As a child, I shouldn't have had to worry about these things. Apparently, our wings were useless to hunters until we reached a stage of awakening.
When we accept the darkness and allow it to consume our body, mind, and soul.
Mother referred to it as the Celestial Awakening. It was when a Nephilim's innocence was stripped by the darkness and they blossomed into a being that was empowered by the dark roots of their nature.
There were two phases. Past the Celestial Awakening was another, one that even Father was desperate to achieve.
Faeiry Absolute.
That was a status of pure, godly destruction. A rank few supernaturals could ever achieve in their lifetime. When Mother merely explained it she'd shivered at the very mention of the rank, and many people quivered and bowed down to those very beings.
They were of royal blood and were ranked as highly as those who were called Monarchs.
I could see Father rising to such a level of superiority, but would we be given the chance for him to rise?
Stopping at a big tree, I outstretched my wings and jumped and soared upward until I was at the highest branch. Lowering myself onto the rough bark, I let my bare feet test the sturdiness of the wood before I sat down and looked around the vast views.
Down below was dark within the thick trees, and above held a world of moonlit life. The full moon shone upon me, giving me some sort of light to rely on as I leaned against the trunk of the tree.
Was it sad that I relied on nature to give me the comfort I craved? That my parents who brought me into this world now thought of me as nothing but an added burden?
I wished to be stronger, wiser, powerful enough to make them both proud and to ensure we never fell captive to those who hunted us during the day and at the peak of the night.
Why can't I reach their expectations? Will I ever be able to prove my worth to them?
Shaking my head and fighting the sobs that threatened to escape, I cried silently while my heavy eyes stared at the moon for as long as they could.
The moon listened to my whimpers and wails, just like the sun watched over us during the day. I shared a connection with them, though that surely would sound crazy to other fae like myself.
My eyes came to a close as I pondered on our future. What would happen to us? Why were there so few dark fae in these parts? Aside from Nephilim, who were hunted day and night, were there no other species of the darkness?
Are we truly alone in this world?
"You are never alone, faeiry child. All you must do is submit to the darkness."
That voice from my nightmares was here to comfort me, her words just as tempting as it was to give up fighting a losing battle.
My mind began to drift away, my fear of returning to my nightmares growing by the second, but my exhaustion was far too strong to ignore – and my body floated downward.
Heat wrapped around me once more, flames of raging beauty, but I didn't fear their warmth as before. The shackles that wrapped around my ankles had returned as well, but they were lighter and somehow kept me safe.
None of it made sense to me, and yet, everything was falling into place.
My mind finally succumbed to unconsciousness; my body, mind, and soul shackled to the darkness.
Destined To Run
A scream of something unimaginable pierced through the air, my entire body flinching at the sound - seconds before it plunges downward.
My wings rushed out of my back, desperate to save me from what would be a harsh fall, and with a quick flap of their magnificent strength, I was up and avoiding the ground at the last second. Blinking out my sleepy haze, I tried to figure out my way back to my parents.
Left and right, I tried to figure out the way back, but I'm left clueless as the dark forest that hadn't changed adds to my bewilderment.
Which way do I go?
Another mangled cry sent me flying to my left, but as I began to spin down that very direction, I caught onto the shadowy figures heading my way. My wings opened wide, halting my rushing movement and stirring me right around to the other direction.
I was racing for my life as my heartbeat pounded against my chest and my eyes stung with tears. Desperate to remain alive and return to my family, I rushed forward and prayed for refuge.
"Celeste!"
My name that shoots into the air is from my mother, and my body soared to the right to try and follow the echo of her shrieking voice.
"Mom!" I screamed, in hopes she'd find me. That she'd forgive my silly decision to leave where we were to seek comfort from nature. It's not long before I caught onto her wings, and relief hits me as I see her figure with Father's.
Their wide eyes only confirmed that something had to be trailing after me, but what's uncalled for is their sudden departure upward - their massive black wings extending to their full capacity and lifting them upward.
Leaving me behind.
"Mom?! Dad?! Help!" I pleaded with them, my voice at least two octaves higher, as I reached out with my little hand to make the distance between us shorter.
That space between us only grew, my fear of being left behind spiking to unimaginable heights, and the sudden slice of pain that tugged at my wings brought me downward in a spiraling crash.
When I hit the ground, I fought to get back up, but pain lashed at me left and right. Slices to my arms, then my legs, as my body became a chopping board and ignited in burning agony.
My screams were ones I'd never before heard leave my lips, but it's nothing compared to the unmeasurable pain that sought nothing but to plague me into unconsciousness.
I fought long and hard, desperate to push off the ground once more and reach my parents, but there they are - high above and watching my struggle with whatever is trying to kill me.
It's not until something rips that I was left screaming with such force that it triggers a rush of power out of me, but it doesn't stop the pulling.
The sharp tugging sensation fights hard to finish the deed it started.
That final sound of something ripping with a cracking sound is what finished me, my shrilled scream going silent while my body froze in sheer pain.
The creatures that were chasing me finally revealed their masked figures and my large eyes took in what they're holding like a prized trophy while black feathers rain down on us.
My...wings?
As if the sight wasn’t justifiable enough, I slowly look behind for the very wings that had aided me from the scariest falls. Glancing back only confirmed what I was seeing, and the shock was something I wasn't ready to handle.