Emerald power

EMERALD NIGHT. "No, stop! Leave her alone! What do you want from my mother?" My voice hung in my throat like a torn scream, but not a single word escaped my lips. Everything around me was in depressive, suffocating tones of pitch black, gray, and navy blue. I was right in the middle of a timeless nightmare, beyond time and space. A pitch-black shadow, emerging from the darkness, stood over my mother, Diana. My mother... the most noble woman in the kingdom, was now tied to an old wooden chair, writhing in pain. Her mouth was brutally covered with a dirty white cloth, and her hands were chained behind her back.I saw that bone-chilling shadow pass right through the middle of my heart. At that exact moment, that very second, it passed through my mother's heart. My mind shrieked as blood spread like a stain across her white dress. As for me, I was rooted to the spot. I could neither move nor scream to make myself heard. Like the most helpless person in the world, I stood frozen, watching what was happening with devastated eyes.At that exact moment, my mother's lifeless finger moved slightly. As the coldness of death spread across her skin, she turned her eyes to me with one last effort. In that moment, I clenched my teeth in pain. The shadow that appeared right beside my mother slowly began to take a step toward me. While my long, brown hair reaching down to my waist scattered around me and covered my face, my mother's whisper echoed against the walls of my mind. Just before she died, that last trembling whisper..."When the darkness hurts you, wrap your cloak tighter around yourself, Valeria. Because your emeralds shine brightest at night. Remember, they hide in your eyes not just fear, but the true power that will one day illuminate this kingdom.""Mother!"I woke up gasping in my bed, startled by the echo of my own scream. My chest was still heaving rapidly, and my emerald green eyes were darting wildly around the dark room. My brown hair, reaching down to my waist, was stuck to my neck and sweaty forehead. The shadows in the corner of the room seemed to be still walking toward me. Either right where I was... or someone wanted me to go mad. Just then, the white oak door in the darkest corner of my room creaked open slightly. In front of the lantern light filtering inside, my maid Elara appeared with a glass full of water in her hand.— Princess, the palace was brought to its feet by your scream—pardon, your screams. So many soldiers gathered in front of the door, they were afraid to come inside. Take this water and drink it to calm down, my dear, she said, holding the glass out to me.When I took the glass, it almost fell and caused a disaster due to my shaking hands, but Elara caught the glass and slowly helped me drink it. At that exact moment, a guard walked inside. In the pitch darkness of the room, I could only see his storm-gray eyes. I couldn't figure out who he was. He was probably one of the soldiers my father assigned to protect and watch over me. Since I had brought the whole palace to its feet, I wished the man I called father would at least come and see how I was doing. I wished he would notice how ruined I was, how I was about to turn into a complete wreck... — Princess Valeria! — Huh, yes?It was Elara's voice that pulled me away from my thoughts. — I've been calling out to you several times, you seemed distracted. Now that you've calmed down, is there any harm in me asking the reason for your screams? — Yes, there is! I shouted.At that moment, I couldn't control my emotions. Noticing this, Elara pretended not to be hurt at all and walked out. Thinking I was left alone in the room, just as I was about to lie back down on my bed to sleep, I saw that the guard was still standing there in the room.You didn't hear me, I suppose. Get out! Just leave me alone. There is no peace for me in this huge palace!" I screamed. To understand what this guard was all about, I lit the candle on my nightstand with a match. Hoping to figure out what kind of an arrogant fool this guard was, I walked toward him with the candle in my hand."Look here, guard. I am not having a good day anyway, so don't make me deal with you too," I said, opening the door and waiting for him to leave. Just as I expected, he walked toward the door, stopped right in front of me, and leaned down to look straight into my eyes."When are you ever having a good day, Princess?" he said, and walked out of the room.Even though I called him disrespectful and insolent behind his back, it was obvious he didn't care at all. 'I will deal with him tomorrow,' I thought to myself as I quietly got into bed. I closed my eyes, wishing not to see the same nightmare again.I bolted out of bed. The helpless fear from last night had evolved into a pure, sharpened rage this morning. I had said, 'I will deal with him tomorrow,' and that tomorrow was today. I walked over to the wardrobe and pulled on my emerald green dress, as if to symbolize the power and anger brewing inside me. I didn't even feel the need to look in the mirror; I quickly flipped my wavy, waist-length brown hair back.The moment I learned from the palace guard roster that his name was Adrian, my steps quickened even more. I rushed straight into the palace's wide training courtyard. While the harsh wind in the courtyard made my hair fly around me like a massive wave, the hem of my emerald dress rustled with every determined step I took. As I pushed through the crowd and stood right in front of him, Adrian was carelessly spinning his sword between his fingers. While the other soldiers were breaking a sweat inside their heavy armor, he stood in the middle of the courtyard wearing nothing but a black leather vest."Adrian!" I called out.