My hands trembled. Beads of sweat running down my eyebrows as I focused on my opponent's next move.

I must predict, I must anticipate.

I reaffirmed my grip on the Shinai, tucking my elbows in and taking a deep breath.

I must not fail.

“Here I come!” the voice yelled.

She’s swinging right? No, left?!

I blocked the first swing, but staggered backwards upon getting hit by the second swing.

“Enough!” yelled a voice from the second floor.

I brought my feet and arms together, turning promptly towards the old man watching us from above.

“Why can’t you get it right! How many times must we go over the same lessons over and over?”

I brought my hands to my helmet and pulled it off, my pony-tail falling out.

“Just one more time, father. I promise, I’ll be ready for the tournament.” I pleaded, getting down on both knees placing the wooden sword underneath my hands.

““I will not be embarrassed by you again. You will forfeit your place in the competition.” He said, sighing. He turned around where I could not see his face.

“But father!”

“Silence! Your younger sister will be taking your place.” He yelled, turning his head slightly, “why are you such a disappointment to our family? ”

I watched my father walk out of sight. I stayed there kneeling, putting my head down as I clutched on the Shinai on my lap. A tear dropped down onto my hand. Shameful.

“Do not take it so hard.” A close voice said.

Tilting my head up, a gloved hand was in front of me. I looked up to see my young sister reaching down to me with a smile accompanied by a gentle gaze.

“I am sorry.” I muttered, grabbing ahold of her hand.

“Please, you have nothing to apologize for, sister. Now come on, let us practice some more. You want to, right?”

I nodded my head, pulling myself up and looking at the light-blue eyes in front of me. My little sister… my twin.

My ears perked to the sound of something whistling through the air. The round blue eyes in front of me widened. Staring at her, my hands refusing to move for I recognized that sound anywhere. I can’t think. It can’t be.

No…

The whistling sounded again twice more .

No…

I hesitantly glanced down, seeing three feathered arrows sticking out the torso of my little sister.

“No!” I screamed, catching her back as she started to fall.

I turned my attention to the sliding doorway. A masked archer standing in the courtyard, notching another arrow.

“Help! Someone help!” I yelled as hard as I could, but no one appeared at the top.

At least, not my father.

Another masked archer came into view where father stood earlier, aiming the bow directly down at us.

“Alice…”

I looked back at my sister, hearing her weak voice poured the rest of my tears out of me.

“Please, don’t go!”

“You must avenge our family.” Her voice soft, clutching something into my hand.

I looked down at the small golden medallion with our family’s crest, a thin blade thrusted into the ground with the sun behind it. I have always seen the crest in paintings and banners, but this medallion was alien to me.

“W-what is this?”

My sister’s eyes darkened, a half smile as she closed her eyes.

“Noooo…” I sobbed.

I brought her body closer, embracing the fleeting life of my twin. I heard the clicking of wood. Glaring upwards, the archer had pulled the drawstring back. He let the arrow loose. I watched as an arrow flew towards me. It was as if time slowed down. I could make out the bent feathers, the body slightly curving against the wind.

I closed my eyes, ready to accept the fate handed to me by the damn gods.

I’ll get stronger in my next life, I promise you, Elise.

A loud humming noise rang in my ears. I opened my eyes, the arrow an inch away from me, frozen in mid-air.

An aura of blue light tinted everything around me. I looked around, time in a stand-still. The humming grew louder and bang!

My eyes blinded by a flash of blue light.

***

I dropped to the ground. My vision hazed as my eyes fluttered open. My shoulder slamming against the floor as I fell to my back. The cold marble floor seeping into my spread out bare arms..

“The summons have worked!”

“Quickly now, help her up!”

“Yes, your Highness! Zachary, get her conscious.”

my body moves on its own. The cold left me as I floated off the ground. My body turned to its standing position without my consent. Through blurred vision, I could see someone drawing closer to me.

“Visio clara.” a rough voice uttered in strange tongue

Suddenly a soothing feeling washed over my face, feeling my head lighten.

“Do not be afraid, child. Let your eyes see.” the gentle voice said.

I slowly peeked through my eyelids. A row of three steps leading up to two chairs. Two thrones. A man dressed in a thick green mantle that dragged on the ground. A jagged crown sitting on top of his well-touched gray hair.

He raised his hand and I dropped to my feet. Where am I?

I spun around to scan the room. Four others hidden behind green cloaks circled me. I could hear their labored breaths underneath their hoods as well as their chests rising and lowering as if they just ran across the city.

The room I was in was even stranger. A large hall with a vaulted ceiling. White marbled pillars that stretch along the sides through the long building. I looked down to my feet. A circle with symbols I have never seen, drawn into it. My wooden sword laid beside my feet.

“Hello, hero, we have been awaiting your arrival.” the king said.

I turned back to face him, his arms held out like he wanted a hug.

“Who are you all?” I said, if these are my kidnappers then I need to find some way to escape.

I need to survive and get stronger. For Elise.

“You stand inside the Royal Hall of the Emerald Kingdom in the presence of the greatest mages the country has known, as well as the king, me.”

I took a step back. Are they serious? Looking at their faces, they seem serious. Have they gone mad? Did I get kidnapped by people playing a part in this act?

“Mages? King? The fuc- Emerald Kingdom? You are not making the slightest bit of sense. And I for one, would like to be returned to my home.” I said frantically, taking another step back.

What is this nonsense of magic and a king I have never heard of. Did the archers succeed in kidnapping me?

“You watch your tongue!” yelled the same rough voice from before. “Speaking to the king so ill mannered will have you—”

“It’s fine, Henry. The girl is merely confused.” said a low female voice

“You allow her to speak freely while the highness is in attendance and next thing you know, she is plotting to usurp the throne.” he said, raising his arms, “I’ll teach her some manners in the only way people know how.”

His hands started to glow. I reached down to pick up my sword and hold it towards him. A mage or whatever he is, I won’t go down so willingly.

I gripped the sword with two hands. I felt something course through me, something inexplicable. I felt pressure beneath my feet and wind started to exert out from under me. My bangs blowing upwards with intensity.

The sword started to glow, the hilt growing hot but still bearable to hold.

“Seize your hand!” he yelled, shooting out some sort of crystalized ball.

I held my sword in front of my face. I slashed forward, hoping to get the right timing. The ball sliced in half.

“What? Well, how about thi—”

“That’s enough, General.” the King bellowed, shooting a beam of light at the robed figure and bound him in some bright rope.

“But—”

“But nothing. How dare you treat a guest of the palace with such ill will. What were you planning to do? Crystalize her then shatter her to pieces? Throwing months of our work down a vortex? Do you really find that course of action wise, General Henry?”

After no response, the binds faded away and Henry tilted his head lower, pulling back his hood. A scarred rough-faced man with balding crimson hair became visible. He nodded his head towards the king. Glanced back at me to click his tongue before walking away down the hall and out of the courtroom.

“Apologies for such a hostile welcome, Hero. We mean no harm to your person. We merely wish to converse about our future.” the King said, walking down the steps towards me.

I could see the other robed figures feel uneasy as they started to walk to him but he gestured for them to stay. The heat in the hilt grew hotter to the point of it feeling like boiled water. I dropped the sword immediately and shook my hands in the air. The sword on the ground lost its glow, the air that was exerting from my feet no longer doing so.

:”What did you do to my sword?” I asked, rubbing my right hand.

“We did nothing, Hero. That was your own magic doing that.” the king responded emphasizing that it was me who did that.

“Magic? How could I know magic? Also, why do you keep calling me Hero? It’s starting to get on my nerves.” I scowled at the king. I won’t accept such foolish claims. Do they think of me as some half-wit?

“Magic may not be widely present in your world, but here in this kingdom and the next, is the foundation for our way of life. From daily tasks to fighting in wars, magic is used for nearly everything.”

“My world? What do you mean by that?”

“It means that the mages and I summoned you here for a simple mission.” he said, smirking under his crown.

“And what’s that?” I asked with urgency.

“To be our weapon.”