Mia stirred in bed, the light coming in from the window causing her to wake up. She sat up and rubbed her eyes before it dawned on her, sunlight? She glanced outside to see that the sun had risen past the horizon, later then she had ever woken up. This confused the young girl, ever since she could remember she would wake up early to a loud dinging coming from that strange panel. Did she sleep through it? It would be the first time she had managed that.

Deciding not to waste anymore time on it she got out of bed, finding that one perk to sleeping in was that it wasn’t as cold. Another perk was that she had more energy, she even found herself smiling as she went through her morning routine. Once finished she peeked out into the hallway with a new thought, did she manage to sleep longer than her mother? Why didn’t she wake her? These questions flooded her mind and she found herself filled with worry.

She slowly stepped out into the hall, making her way to her parent’s bedroom door and slowly creaked it open. Panic set it once she saw that the room was empty, the unfamiliar scenario she found herself in weighed on her head as more thoughts flooded into her mind.

Where is mom? Is she ok? Did something happen while I overslept?

Her breathing sped up and she clutched her chest with one arm while the other gripped the door as her knees buckled, causing her to fall to the floor. “W-what is… hap-happening…” She choked out, unable to comprehend the new situation she found herself in, all she could do was panic. She sat there, clutching her chest, feeling a dull pain every time her heart thumped “Mom…” she let out a low whimper.

“Mia?! What is wrong?!”

Hearing the familiar voice Mia looked up to see her mother running down the hallway “M-mom?” She then felt herself being held in the tight embrace of her mother. The feelings she had a moment prior seemingly melted away as she was held, the pain in her chest, the thoughts, and the accelerated breathing all calmed.

Lisa held her daughter close “Oh sweety, I thought I heard something…” She moved her daughter away from her, getting a better look at her. “I thought it was a good idea to let you sleep in but… well you did have that nasty bump yesterday. Are you feeling alright?” She then placed her palm on Mia’s forehead “You are a bit warm…”

Mia shook her head then hugged her mother “Fine, didn’t find you… missed you…”

Lisa chuckled and hugged her daughter “Happy to see you are OK.” She then picked her daughter up and carried her to the kitchen, setting her down on one of the empty seats “Now, I was just about done making breakfast, “ she paused for a moment to stop her daughter from getting up “ now I want you to sit there so mommy can keep an eye on you, ok?”

Mia shook her head again “Want to help.”

“I know, but I am worried about you. “She gave a warm, gentle smile “can you be a good girl and take it easy today? Just to make sure you are not getting sick?” Lisa asked and smiled once Mia reluctantly nodded “Good girl.”

Mia then watched as her mother went back to cooking breakfast, bored and regretful that she couldn’t help, but it gave her time to think. What was that in the hallway earlier? She never felt anything like it before and that line of thinking scared her. Why did she think her mother was gone? While there had been times when her mother had woken up before her, especially when she was younger, just the sight of her missing sent her into a panic. She glanced up from her thinking to look at her mother, what would she have done if she was missing anyways? Just stayed on the floor and cried? Wallowing on the floor till what ever that feeling was stopped?

She shook her head, what ever it was it was gone now, and she could get back to her regular routine.

*Ding*

Tilting her head to the side Mia was greeted with the panel that failed to wake her up that morning, only, it was obviously different. Not like how yesterdays was different… no… where yesterdays just had different scribbles on it, this one was an entirely different color with different scribbles. This one was a blazing red. Weird, was the only thing Mia thought about it before she willed it away like she did yesterday, something she was happy she learned. Maybe that was why it didn’t show up this morning? When it went off, she just willed it to go away and went back to sleep?

She chuckled to herself, looking forward to sleeping in a bit later from now on.

“Oh? And what is so funny missy?” Lisa turned around “Maybe I should let you sleep in more often if you are in such a good mood?” She smiled, happy to see her daughter was now in better shape compared to before. Thinking that perhaps she just had a nightmare and got spooked but was still worried about that potential fever.

*Ding*

Another red panel appeared and was willed away “Yes, feel ok.” Mia said “What to eat?”

Lisa chuckled “Good.” Then turned back to her kitchen “Well today we are having some bread…and…what is this?”

“What is what?” Mia asked, leaning on her chair to get a better view but then noticed her own oddity. A glowing mote of light came into her view and she watched as it fell and phase through the floor. She raised her brow in confusion but then quickly noticed that more motes of light were falling from the ceiling to the point Mia and her mother appeared to be in a gentle snowfall of falling light “mom, what going on?”

Lisa stood still in disbelief, before going to the door and opening it, Mia coming up behind her to see the same phenomenon with the added insanity that the sky was dyed a light purple instead of the usual shade of blue “I don’t know sweety… “ she then grabbed her coat “I am going to the chief’s house, stay here.”

Mia felt a dull pain in her chest, unwilling to part with her mother she spoke up and grabbed her mother’s side “Want to go.”

Lisa looked down at her daughter, sighed, and picked her up. Not wanting to waste anytime arguing with her in this odd situation.

Mia found herself held in her mother’s arms making their way down the dirt path they went yesterday. Only this time people were outside, worrying over the bizarre scenery they found themselves in. Some women speaking up towards her mother, asking what was going on, are they safe, are these lights dangerous, and other similar questions. To which her mother replied she did not know and was heading to the chief’s house to find out.

Mia also noticed a few of the older kids outside, some trying to catch or collect the motes inside containers, to which the light just harmlessly passed through.

As they approached the Village chief’s house they saw that he was in a panic outside and Lisa ran up to meet him. “Chief! What is wrong? What is going on with the sky?”

The chief looked at them for a moment, raising one finger to ask for just a moment. He gave a heavy sigh “I do not know.” He said, looking to the mountain path behind his house “I tried asking the shrine maiden but she is panicking worse then I am.”

“The shrine maiden is? What is wrong with her? What did she say?” Lisa asked, following the chief’s gaze.

He shook his head “Can hardly get through to her with telepathy, sounds garbled, worse then when she is drunk.” He crossed his arms “Just a bunch of broken incoherent yelling… wouldn’t be the first time but at a time like this?” He then looked up to the sky “We best get everyone to the underground shelter, just to be safe.”

Lisa perked up “To the shelter? You think it’s that bad?”

He nodded “I’ve never seen anything like this in my entire life Lisa. Best thing I can think of this being is some sort of magic storm.” He then tried to catch one of the falling motes of light in his hand, only for it to pass through “too much light element in the area or something, Worst case… I don’t even know where to start. I don’t know too much about magic. That’s why we have the shrine maiden.” He once again brought his gaze back to the path “Who I can’t reach, which is concerning.” He then shot a sharp glance at Lisa.

Lisa nodded, shifting Mia in her arms “I understand. I’ll tell everyone to get the essentials and head down.”

“Good.” The chief nodded “Tell them every second counts, we don’t want to be too late on this.”

Lisa turned, and hurriedly made her way to inform the villagers, but as she did Mia got a sinking feeling in her gut. She looked over her mom’s shoulder, back at the chief who was pacing back and forth in the falling light, she felt like something was very, VERY, wrong. She couldn’t tell what, besides the obvious weird weather, until her chest tightened. Somehow, she knew…

Behind

Mia focused her eyes behind the chief, noticing behind him one of the motes was not falling and was instead floating behind him, the world seemingly shimmering around it. “Mom! The chief!” Mia yelled, squirming in her mother’s grasp.

Lisa stopped, desperately trying to hold onto her daughter “Wait, calm down Mia what is wrong with the chief?” Lisa said, turning around just in time to see the chief’s head hit the floor, his body following after it with a loud thud. “Father!” Lisa screamed, almost dropping Mia and running over but stopped. There was no one else there she could see. Her eyes narrowed, gripping her daughter in one hand she raised the other, a weak flame appearing in her palm. “Show yourselves you cowards!”

Mia’s chest ached, her breathing picked up “The…lights…” She choked out “Behind you.”

Lisa’s ears stood up, leaping to the side as a blur passed her by with a light mote in the center. Anger flared in her eyes as she launched her weak flame towards it. The flame colliding with ‘something’ and petering out.

“The bitch fucking shot me!” A voice rang out in the vicinity. “I thought no one could use magic in this barrier besides us!”

“Idiot! You are not supposed to talk while shrouded! It doesn’t hide your voice!” another rang out.

“You are not the one that got shot! God this shit burns!”

Lisa’s ear twitched, and she fired another weak fireball in the direction of the voice, this time missing what ever was there. “Come out you cowards!” she screamed.

“Fucking fox! You know what, fuck orders!” Infront of the mother and daughter a white robbed figure appeared, the left leg area of his robe had a recent burn on it. And the man looked pissed “This one is mine, gonna pay her back triple for this.” He then smirked, taking out a thin blade and a rope “Second thought, they ain’t paying enough for our services here… “His smirk grew into a grin, a twisted, ugly grin “Maybe they’ll let us keep a few for ourselves…”

Lisa’s nose furrowed “Bandits!” she screamed, firing another weak flame but the man dodged.

The village, which was already on edge since odd light, heard the scream and went on high alert. Yelling and screaming rung out from the village, many yells of pain, and the cries of combat.

Mia’s chest pain intensified “B…behind…” She choked but was too late, Lisa was tackled to the ground by an invisible foe. She lost her grip on Mia, who flew a bit in the air and landed next to the robed man.

“Hey! That one was mine!” the man yelled as another robed man appeared on top of Lisa, holding her down in the dirt.

This robed man had a much fancier robe on, it shared a similar design but was gold trimmed “You idiot! You blew the mission! Do you have any idea how much harder it is going to be now that they are aware of us!”

Mia whimpered on the ground, looking to her mother she tried to crawl towards her, but felt herself be lifted by the back of her neck.

“Blah blah blah, these beasts can’t be that hard to deal with when they can’t even see us.” He chuckled, his eyes glancing towards the struggling child in his grasp. The grin on his face returning “Hey, glory boy, your boss is gonna make me pay for this robe the bitch burned right?”

“…yes, I’m afraid that will be coming out of your pay.”

The man groaned, looking around at the village turned battle field, houses aflame, bodies of villagers littering the ground, a few kids already tied up with their decent looking mothers on the ground “Maaaaan that sucks.” He walked over to Lisa, who was still being held down “How you gonna make up for that bitch? They gonna use that as an excuse to pay me nothin over a fancy robe that feels like shit to move in.”

Lisa struggled on the ground, her anger flaring again when she say her daughter in the hands of this bandit.

He smirked, enjoying her struggled “Doubt they will let me take you as a prize either. “ he said, shooting a glance towards the other robed man “So that just leaves…”

“Unhand her!” Lisa desperately struggled to free herself, managing to move a few inches before being held down more heavily.

The man grinned “Oh don’t worry, they won’t let me have her either, which means Ill have you pay me back in advance.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself you bastard.” The robed man that was holding down Lisa spoke.

“Oh look at glory boy, shuddup and hold the bitch down. Mind your own business, oh speaking of. You saw her didn’t you? She can obviously use magic, how much is she worth? Expensive right? So I can’t touch her obviously, used to that. Big shots taking the best prizes.” He then held up Mia higher “Which is why ill just settle for this prize.”

A burst of flame exploded from Lisa, freeing herself as the man on her back was blown away, she then charged the man, knocking him to the ground and causing Mia to be thrown, landing a few feet away. “Run Mia!” She yelled, holding the man down, her face pale “Run! Don’t look back! Find your father in the forest!”

Mia sat up, clutching her arm “M-mom I…”

“Run! Please Mia I love you… So run!”

The man struggled “T-this bitch! Someone get her the fuck off me!”

Mia got up “mom…” She then turned and ran right into an invisible man and fell back on her butt.

The space shimmered, and a man in black robes appeared. “Cute display, but what ever this is… is over.” He then pulled out a black object from his robes and bent down and attached it to Mia’s neck, the collar tightening around her throat “kneel and be silent.” The man spoke.

Mia felt the collar tighten, a force compelling her to do as he said and she did so wordlessly. Once she completed the task her heart sank. Finding it was impossible to speak or move.

Lisa’s eyes went wide “You! What did you do to…my…daughter…” She then fell unconscious ontop of the man, who threw her off him.

“The fuck is up with this bitch?! Didn’t your barrier stop these beasts from using magic?” He asked.

The black robed man ignored him, walking past him and helping up the man who was blown away by Lisa, who despite being so, appeared unharmed.

“She had an exceptionally large amount of magic despite our barrier… she used what she had left in that weakened state to pull that stunt. Nothing but hot air.” He huffed, dusting himself off “I look forward to her price, and that of her daughters. Knight, collar this one as well, followed by this useless bandit.”

The bandits eyes widened “What the hell for?!” He asked, standing up and drawing his blade.

The man smirked “besides making this whole operation much harder than it needed to be? Costing potential profits? Getting your garments ruined? To add onto it pointing a weapon at one such as I? Least we can get some pocket change selling you as a criminal slave to rot in a mine somewhere.”

The man nearly dropped his sword once realizing the man was serious, but regained his stance “You can’t be serious… the other guy’s wont stand for it!”

“You are right, they would not stand for it…if that was an issue.” The man raised his hand and snapped his fingers. Instantly more men in black robes appeared, all holding onto white robed men with a black collar around their throat. “This is the problem with you bandits… too dumb to realize when a deal is too good to be true, thankfully your idiocy and expendability makes up for it.”

The man dropped to his knees when he saw the rest of his fellow men in collars “…you fucking bastards.”

“Well, I think we all had enough fun here, knight do hurry and collar him and the poor beast.” The man clapped his hands and the black robbed knight nodded, taking out a set of collars and started approaching the two.

Mia’s heart sank seeing this unfold. Something told her to move, now, before it was too late. She had to do something, anything, the pain in her chest cried out but with no clear instructions confusion and pain were the only things left.

“You think you guys won?”

Please, no.

“You think I’ll go without a fight?”

I don’t want to see this.

The man stood, weapon in hand.

Stop…

“please, what ever do you think you are doing. You are surrounded.”

The man smirked “Aye, not much, but at least I can hurt your profits.” The man raised his sword

“Someone stop him!” The gold trimmed man yelled out, the other knights rushing in but were too late. The bandit stabbed his sword into Lisa’s chest, piercing her heart. Killing the unconscious women instantly.

“Hahahaha! Take that you bastards! Rot in hell with the beasts you loathe!” the bandit yelled his last words before his head was swiftly removed from his body, the body falling limp.

Mia watched the scene unfold, unable to move or react as the man pierced her mother’s heart. Her eyes welled up, the back of her throat hurt as she desperately tried to call out. The collar on her neck tightened as she couldn’t hold it in “MOOOOOM!!” She yelled, getting up to run towards her but was stopped by the collar as a shock ran through her body, paralyzing her and sending her numb body to the ground. “M-mom” She wept, her body shaking as the collar continued to shock her.

The man brought his palm to his face. “great… one magic user down… At least the daughter looks promising.” He then straightened out his robe “Get everyone round up and appraised, I don’t want anymore surprises.”

Mia, despite the tight collar and shocks, tried to crawl her way to her mother but was picked up by the collar by one of the knights who issued her an order “Stand still and stop crying beast.” Mia, getting new orders stopped struggling, and did her best to stop crying, the tears however, did not stop as she was lead away from her mother’s corpse.