My name is Sylvia Birch, and until a couple months ago, I had never seen the outside world. You see, I used to make my home in a "Castle" where I was born and raised. There, everyone-called Ideenists- had devoted their lives to a dark lord, Ideen- letting her live on Earth by abducting the body of a child, but this couldn't be any ordinary child, it had to be a, misunderstood child, one who hated the world and everything in it. Then it would suffice and be easy enough for Ideen to take control of the body. So the Ideenists recruit -or steal- children away from their homes, wipe their memory, and makes them work on a device, that will help Ideen, once she's alive, stronger. All the children who try to escape, or refuse to work, are thrown into the volcano, where Ideen now makes her home, to either be "chosen" or perish.
The day Sorauren came, shaped my life forever. I was only six at the time, but remember it perfectly. Sorauren is a boy with blond hair and blue eyes, he is one of the rare recrutements (people who were recruited, not born in the castle, like me) allowed to keep their memories. Maybe because he was only six or maybe just because the Ideenists couldn't resist that cute face of his. Whatever the reason, he was the one with the most knowledge about the outside world. So, everyone always asked him questions. Because, like most kids, I was born here, I didn't have any memories to have taken away. The others, called recruits, were always either, immediately thrown into the volcano, or had their memories wiped clean.
When Sorauren first came into what I used to think of as my room, but now know is nothing more than a prison cell, I hated him, he was joyful, smiling, and had had experiences I couldn't even begin to imagine. |I hated how stupid he was. But he soon won me-and the rest of the children-over and I started to open up to him. "Hi! What's your name?" he had asked as he first walked in, held at the shoulder by Ideenists, "I'm Sorauren Samuelson, and I'm happy to make your acquaintance" he tilted his head and smiled, but I just stared, dazed, didn't this boy know what would happen now? Why was he not crying, like the other kids always did when they first came? just then the guards released him "Fifteen minutes until your first work session!" He growled, then left him alone. "I'm Sylvia," I mumbled as I sat down on the hardwood chair-the only furniture in the room other than a straw bunk bed-not looking him in the eye. "Sylvia what?" He must have caught my confused glance as he asked this question, and followed up with, "Oh, come on, you've got to have a last name! You don't?" "No", I replied quietly, "The Ideenists just call me Sylvia," "I have a good idea!" he then sat up excitedly, " I'll name you! those weird guys got to give your first name, so I'll give your last! Hmm…." he thought for a minute, I was shocked, no one had ever spoken to me like that before! " How about…. Birch?" he asked, he didn't wait for my reply before explaining his choice, " You see, there was this song I was taught by my parents, Land of the Silver Birch, do you get it? Sylvia sort of sounds like silver!"
After that we became fast friends, closer than anyone else of the whole Ideenists. I -the quiet, awkward girl- started to open up, I wanted to be free, and started planning an escape with a couple other kids. It would take a while, and we would need a lot more kids, but we were sure we could do it.
Over the next year, Sorauren and my group grew, but then, when they stopped recruiting new kids, it stopped. Lydia, the dark-haired girl, with brown eyes so dark they were
almost black; Richard, a cute boy with auburn hair and hazel eyes; Parker-Mae, a quiet girl, black hair and almond-shaped green eyes; and Charlie, an orange haired girl, with a short temper. Anyway, we were as close as we could get, spending every second we weren't forced to work, together.
It was when I was seven that we finally put our escape in action, but while we were running down the hall we realized how many guards were actually placed outside the door of our unit. It was impossible to make it, after a year of planning we still couldn't escape, be free. There was no point in ever trying again why did we even st-, my though stopped abruptly when, of course, Sorauren could tell what I was thinking, "That's what they want, you can't think like that!" He yelled, the whole group gasped and the guard quieted us with a loud shhh, we stayed quiet then, until we got to the "Waiting room" where we would meet our fate. We were taken to the prison room, tied to poles when Lydia suddenly let out a big "Shhh listen to them!" So the rest of us did, and we heard the guards fighting outside the door, "We have to throw them into the volcano, to be tested!" one exclaimed loudly, "No, we have lost too many recruits already! I saw we just find out who came up with the plan and, just sacrifice them' The two guards squabbled for a little bit, then finally came to decide on the second ones opinion. When they came back in, we tried our best to look bored, "Look, he's here!" Sorauren exclaimed triumphantly, "I told you'd they come!" he finished. I looked at him, horrified, "That is not a good thing, Sorar-!" The guard waved his hand and we stopped talking immediately. Then said, "Today, and today only, we have decided to be kind, we will spare everyone except the creator of this plans life, and let the rest of you out with just double work periods."
"So who is this creator of the plan?" The first guard asked, "Me-" I started quietly, for that was the truth, but Sorauren interrupted, quickly "It was me, I created the plan" I looked at him horrified, just as the guard said, "It's not you, you're not smart enough" he laughed, "So who is it, is it you?" he said pointing right at Charlie, just as Charlie started yelling (as I said, she gets angry really easily) I came in, "No!" I yelled, "It was me!" Just then, I saw the guard smile, I knew it wouldn't be that loudmouth! Why'd we even take him?" He laughed as he asked the second guard, "I don't know, sir, maybe we should take him instead, for lying!" "Sure thing, Matt! The girl's a good worker anyway!" They were both laughing hysterically now. "Come, Sorauren!" The first guard abruptly stopped, "Matt, you go see the others to their session, I'll take care of the boy myself" Sorauren was then taken away, leaving the rest of us trying to hold back our tears.
"I have to go after him!" I yelled after our session when we were back inside the room, "Ok then, We are all coming with you." Charlie said, "No," I sighed, "This is something I have to do alone" I knew I would regret my decision, but I couldn't risk my friends lives in danger. But if it makes you feel better, I'll wait until nightfall to go. A couple hours later, I picked the lock of my door-a skill I had learned to cherish over the years- and locked it behind me, and fled down the hallway sneaking around the guards.
"Sorauren!" I yelled, but quietly, I didn't want to disturb the guards from their midnight slumber. I thought I heard his voice, coming from a locked room, screaming, I told myself it wasn't him, for he had never screamed in his life. I looked at one of the many locked rooms, the guards usually left the child alone for 24 hours, making it easier for Ideen to choose them. I opened the door, then not seeing anyone in it, almost closed it, right in his face. "I'm over here" he whispered, I turned, he was tied up to another pole. "Ok, I'm going to let you out of there, Sorauren" I quietly said back. I undid the ropes and we were about to escape when, a guard came in on his hourly check-up. He looked tired, but wasn't stupid. Just as he pulled out his walkie-talkie, we made a run for it, this would be our great escape, our freedom. "I'll get the kids, you hold them off" he quietly whispered, panting. I just nodded, not wanting to waste more energy than I had to. Then he turned to me, a serious expression on his face, and whispered one word, "Justice" I turned, I wanted justice it was what I had always dreamed about, but then, as soon as I realized this, I felt something open inside me, I had finally discovered my magic.
You see, in my world, Leno, everyone has the potential for magic. But few unlock it in their lifetime. The way you discover it seems simple, but in truth, is very challenging. Once you figure out your set goal in life, your reason for living, you can have your magic. Only 12 percent of people have theirs, so you could call me lucky. The younger you are when you unlock your power, the more powerful it will be. As you might have figured out, my reason is justice; I had mind magic, which basically means, I can control any human mind, read their thoughts, think for them. Making it easy to win any fight I enter. It is one of the most powerful magics, but also the hardest to control. Sorauren must have known that was the word that unlocked my magic, he must have figured it out even before I did, he knew so much more than me back then.
"Justice" I said it quietly to myself, my word, I smiled, knowing I could now win a fight with them any day, I was only seven, but now, because of one word, I was one of the most powerful people in the world. I sat down, and tried to figure this new part of me out, "Ahhh" I screamed as I accidentally made one guy come toward me. Ok, I hadn't figured much out yet.
A couple minutes later, and all of them were down, I decided not to make them fight for me, it was too risky, I wasn't controlled enough yet. I ran, not realizing more were behind me. One grabbed me, I kicked him, but he had already placed the cloth with sleeping powder on it over my face. "I'm sorry!" was the last thing I yelled before everything went black.
"Again with the pole?" I asked myself as I woke up and realized where I was. I couldn't really tell, I had a blindfold over my eyes, but I assumed so, my hands were tied around something. I tried to use my magic to sense if anyone was in the room, but couldn't, why? I asked myself over and over again, until I realized. Oh, the type of magic I use is completely controlled by my eyes, take away my sight, and I have nothing. Not nothing, I reminded myself, I had survived seven years without it hadn't I? Then I realized something, Sorauren wasn't here! He must have escaped, hopefully he got everyone to go with him too! I was happy then, for the first time in a long, long, time.
Suddenly, I sensed a very powerful presence in the room, and immediately knew who it was "It's you!" I said angrily, I desperately tried to use my magic against her, even though I knew…. dark lords are immune to magic, I knew what she was going to say, but still let a tear fall when, "You are the chosen one" I heard Ideen call to me. "NO!" I yelled as loudly as I could as I felt her merging with my soul, "You can't do thi-" my thoughts were interrupted by a warm sensation sweeping over my body, my suddenly, the ropes fell to the ground, I was free! But when I pulled the blindfold off my face, it felt as if, my eyes were burning into my skull, I screamed, and quickly closed them, even though I knew that's what she wanted. I heard a voice in my head, "I can give you anything you want, just let me stay a little. Please?" I felt strange, I should, "Imagine being trapped in a volcano for 10 thousand years" she said quietly, I did, even though it was probably her, forming the image in my mind. I tried to ignore the next few sentences, but then one caught my attention, I will help you bring justice to the world. I tried to resist, but I trusted her, or more, she was making me trust her, I didn't want to do this but she was too strong, and as one solitary tear fell down from my eye, burning my cheek on the way to my chin, I let go.
She told me what to do, what to say, what to listen to, who to fight; from then on, I was her servant. "You have to make all the evil-doers pay," was the first thing she said to me, but then as she said this, was interrupted as I heard footsteps, a scream, more footsteps. Sorauren, I thought, come to save me, have you? Well you know what, someone saved me first! As he opened the door, I opened my eyes, they still stung, but less. "Oh my gosh!" I heard the boy yell, "What happened to your eyes? They're red!" He looked so scared I almost felt bad for him…...almost. "He is one of them!" the voice hastened to explain, "Make him pay!" my head hurt, I wanted to scream, but couldn't, I had to make Sorauren pay for what he had done.
"Sylvia! What are you doing?" Sorauren screamed after I had him on the ground. But then I realized he, surprisingly, was still able to stand. "What happened to you, Sylvia?" he said, wincing "I was chosen," I breathlessly replied. I got him on the ground again, and sullenly said, " I was going to kill you, but you did come to rescue me, and for that I am grateful." he took no time before answering, "This is what we wanted! are sure you just want to throw it away now? Ok," he sighed, as I looked at him like he was crazy, "But even if your not going, I will!" he looked so unhappy, so I decided to let him go, "Ok, I'll let you go, but everyone stays here with me," I knew they would, with the power of my magic. "What?" Sorauren looked stunned, "You can't expect them to go along with that!" "Oh, really?" I smiled, and with that, I knocked him out, pushed him on a boat, and sent him on his way to the outside world. Right after that I was really sleepy for some reason, I sat down, next to the pole where Sorauren had been tied up just a moment earlier. I barely had time to think before everything around me went dark.
I woke up, not knowing where I was, there was a boy in front of me, he looked like an older version of Sorauren, I was tired, "Sorauren?" I said to the man sleepily, then I remembered everything, Ideen, where I grew up, everything. I also realized something else, I was surrounded by lava. What? "Oh my gosh!" I said as I stood up, "Thank you for releasing me!" I said to the man in front of me. "How did you do it? And why do you look so old?" The man winced as I said this but didn't answer any of my questions, instead he asked one of his own, "Sylvia, how old are you?" I answered truthfully, "Seven" My voice sounded different, weird, I thought uncomfortably. Just then my thought were cut off when a girl, about the "New" Sorauren's age. She looked happy, at least until she saw me, "I beat Charlie! she's down!" She said, now I was more confused than ever, why were Sorauren's friend and Charlie fighting? Or was it even the Charlie I know, and why did Sorauren look so old? "Awesome" Sorauren replied to the girl without emotion, he turned toward her to speak, and that's when she got her first glance at me, she pulled a knife from a sheath fastened to her belt, "Isn't this the girl we're trying to fight, Ren?" she said, looking terrified. "Sorauren, what's going on" I asked, who was Ren, is the man in front of me someone else?
