Chapter 1
The air was thick with tension, the sun casting an eerie glow over the assembled crowd. Liza, an elf born with the highest mana in her tribe, possessed a unique gift: she could see the final moments of the deceased with faint attack magic, but it was considered dark magic. Yet, on this fateful day, her gift seemed more like a curse.
She was dragged to the front of a vast stage, her hands bound tightly behind her back. Surrounding her were elves she had once known, their faces now cold and unrecognizable. Her parents stood among them, their eyes filled with a mix of sorrow and resignation as they watched their daughter, sentenced to death by the high elf. The accusation? Attempting to take the life of the high elf’s daughter—a charge Liza knew was false, yet impossible to disprove.
Liza understood the high elf’s motive all too well. Jealousy fueled the accusation; the high elf feared Liza’s immense mana and saw her as a threat to their bloodline. The high elf sought to eliminate any potential rival, ensuring their own dominance remained unchallenged.
Covered in dirt and bruises, Liza scanned the crowd, her piercing purple eyes meeting the gazes of those who now viewed her as little more than a pest. The high elf stepped forward, their voice booming as they addressed the bound elf.
“Liza, you stand accused of attempting to murder my daughter. Do you have any final words before your sentence is carried out?”
Liza knew her words would change nothing. The fate of the crowd was sealed, and they would continue their lives as if she had never existed. But she had never been one to stay silent. She lifted her chin defiantly, her voice steady and clear.
“One day, darkness will consume you all, and you will come begging for my help.”
The crowd gasped, their eyes wide with a mix of fear and disbelief. The high elf’s expression darkened, but Liza stood her ground, her gaze unwavering. She knew her words held a power that even the high elf could not ignore.
The world seemed to tremble at her words, but the blade descended towards her neck nonetheless. In that fleeting moment, everything around her began to spin. Was it quick? Painless? Easy? No, there was much more to it than that.
Liza, on that fateful day, found herself waking up in her own bed, gasping as she stared at the familiar ceiling of her room. It took her several moments to fully rise and step off the bed, her mind racing to understand what was happening. She made her way to the mirror, her reflection gazing back at her. There was no panic, no scream; instead, she calmly studied her image. She was younger, much younger, as if everything had been reset.
“Am I thirteen?” She whispered to herself, pinching her cheek to confirm the reality of her situation. The pain was real, grounding her in the moment. Her silver hair and purple eyes look more healthy than the time she died, yet she held the memories and wisdom of her older self.
She took a deep breath, her mind slowly piecing together the fragments of her past and present. The room around her was familiar, yet it felt like a distant memory. The sensation of the blade against her neck lingered, but she was here, alive and whole.
As she stood there, the weight of her words echoed in her mind. “One day, you will see darkness and come begging me to help you.” The words that she had repeated to herself, there was no way that she was going to let them accuse and make her into some dead pile of meat again.
“Let’s get on to the next stage. I cannot die at eighteen again. This tribe is all within light magic.” She died at that age, but she was not going to sit around and let five years pass to only then get killed again. She would open one of her palms, staring into it as a small and dark sphere shape of magic appeared. Yes, she was taught how to use such magic.
Liza was the only elf child born with dark magic coursing through her veins. “I am the only one who possesses such dark magic,” she would often whisper to herself. “For whatever reason, nothing can take it away or make me bow my head again.” Whatever had happened to her before her untimely end, she seemed more willing to show them the true power of her dark magic.
“Liza! Liza! Are you awake yet?!” Her mother’s voice echoed through the house, the same woman who had wept on the day of Liza’s death sentence. The sound of her mother’s call dispersed the dark magic that had been gathering in Liza’s hand.
Liza made her way to her mother, an elf with silver hair like her own, but with striking green eyes. “Mother?” Liza asked softly.
Her mother turned to face her, noting the quiet demeanor of her daughter. “Liza, are you done getting dressed? We are going out today to gather some mushrooms and berries. Your father will be home later after he helps with the fishing.”
“Yeah, I am ready.” Liza’s response was calm and collected, far from the typical behavior of a child or teenager her age. Her mother sometimes found it strange, but she accepted it as part of who Liza was. Liza sat down at the table and began to eat her breakfast, her movements deliberate and composed.
Her mother watched her for a moment before asking, “Are you going to be ready for gathering?”
Liza nodded, her purple eyes meeting her mother’s green ones. “Yes, Mother. I am ready.”
As they ventured into the forest, Liza couldn’t help but feel a sense of déjà vu. The trees, the scent of the earth, the rustling of leaves—it all felt familiar, yet distant. She knew that this second chance at life was a gift, and she was determined to make the most of it.
When it came to gathering mushrooms and berries, this particular spot was different. Liza’s mother secured a rope to a nearby tree and tossed the other end down the face of the Cliff.
Her mother turned to her. “I will gather the berries and mushrooms and then bring them back up for you to hold, okay?”
The cliff was steep and treacherous, a daunting task for anyone. Liza had watched her parents perform this ritual many times before, but today, something within her stirred. She wasn’t going to let her mother take the risk this time.
“Mother, I can do it,” Liza said firmly. “You’re getting older, and so am I. It’s time that I take on this responsibility.”
Without waiting for her mother’s response, Liza took the basket and knife, and carefully lowered herself down the cliff. Her woven shoes scraped against the rough soil as she descended.
Her mother gasped, “Liza!” It took a moment for her to process what was happening, but she soon realized that her daughter was safe and capable. It was unusual for Liza to take such a bold initiative, but her mother couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride.
Liza moved swiftly and confidently, knowing exactly where to find the best mushrooms and berries. She had watched her mother perform this task countless times and had learned the safest and most efficient methods. Her mother had fallen once due to a worn-out rope, and Liza was determined not to let that happen again.
It didn’t take long for Liza to fill the first basket. She climbed back up the cliff and handed it to her mother before descending again.
“Liza! You don’t have to do the second round. I can help too,” her mother called out.
Liza shook her head and looked up at her mother. “I can do it. You can take a rest today.”
Her mother watched as Liza continued her work, a mix of pride and nostalgia filling her heart. It was a quiet and somewhat boring day for her, but she couldn’t help but feel grateful to see her daughter taking on more responsibilities.
As Liza climbed back up the cliff for the final time, her basket overflowing with fresh mushrooms and berries, her mother smiled. “You’ve done well, Liza. I’m proud of you.”
Liza smiled back, feeling a sense of accomplishment. She had not only gathered the needed supplies but had also proven to her mother and herself that she was capable of taking on more challenging tasks. “It is just gathering berries and mushroom. You did not really have me do it, but I know well enough how by just watching you. I have to thank you for that, mother.”
Her mother only found it stranger that her daughter was speaking to her this much, there were fainter words, but this was just much more. “Hmm, it is strange. You are talking a lot more. I do not know the reason for it, but you should speak to your father more too. Back then, you both used to talk so much. I wonder where all of that went.” Her mother would say as they made their way back home.
Yet, it seems like her father had a lot to tell them when they had gotten back home. There was quite a lot that her father had to share with them as what they discover was far more heartbreaking for her mother when they got back.
