Prologue/Mantra
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"You will conquer. You will kill."
No matter how hard she tried, the voice would not leave her mind. It repeated itself over and over again until her body relented and allowed her mind the glorious escape of sleep. It was not rest, but there were no dreams. There was no Mantra.
"You have power. You have strength."
In her waking moments, it drowned out everything that was not her training. Her body took over on autopilot; it became a robot - precise and methodical. Her routine changed only on command.
"I will conquer. I will kill."
There were days she struggled to remember even her name. It was not a part of the Mantra, but she had quickly learned that tactical information was all she needed. Her mind didn't worry with the typical stress of being a teenage girl, it was more concerned with becoming a more efficient machine.
"I have power. I have strength."
She was an Elite, hand picked and specially trained. The public at large regarded her as some sort of marvel. Her status is what little boys dreamed of achieving and what most mothers feared. It warranted her respect that was not tinged by suspicion and was not questioned. She took that respect, all the while silently repeating the Mantra.
This was Adalae's life.
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Author's note: I've decided to return to the fandom that started it all for me. This is far different than the drabbles I've been producing lately. I actually expect this to be epic. I hope you enjoy it!