Stepping inside the room felt like stepping inside a graveyard. With the murky scent of death, the unwelcoming sensations crawling up her spine, Anya clenched her fists as she felt the cold prickle her skin like thorns. But there was nothing wrong with the room. It was more grandeur inside the room than outside the Zenlyn Palace. The brilliance that the room emitted, blinded her, but she still couldn't shake off the weird feeling encompassing her.
It should be the work of someone in this room.
Anya paused in her tracks, petrified at the intensifying glares of the people sitting across the huge dining table. She hadn't noticed anyones' presence a moment ago, but, how come she did now? It was a terrifying feeling and it overwhelmed her. She could sense something swirling around her; a black, shadow-like mass. It seemed to make her dizzy and spurge her underneath. Anya felt like digging a hole in the ground and burying herself there.
But she held on.
Not now, Anya forced herself to stop shivering. I am not going to back down now.
This was a test, she knew it herself. Though she couldn't come face to face with anybody in the room, she had enough sense to realize how powerful each and every one of her siblings was. One wrong move could end her life before it even started.
I have to get through this, Anya scolded herself, grimacing. I am not losing this time.
But, she couldn't understand why she was afraid either. A minute ago, she could have sworn she wasn't afraid. But why? Why is she afraid--no, who is she afraid of? She hadn't met anyone in this room before. She only knows them as monsters, tyrannical people acting on impulse, to whatever they deemed was the right thing. She knows them as characters of a novel, who are bound to disappear someday. They are fictional, fake and not part of her memory. Then, why...
Right, this was not her. This fear belonged to the original Anya, who had been oppressed by this family. All the pent up emotions seemed to swell in her, as another memory came rushing inside her head.
....
"This thing is our new sister? Don't make me laugh."
"She is too weak and fragile to be part of us."
"Has dad gone crazy? I mean, bringing in a substitute that belonged to the streets."
"And who knows who her parents are? I bet it's some nefarious woman who laid around with men all the time."
"I think the same. We don't know her origins, and I don't think she has a dad. Pitiful."
"I never knew Tymera housed such useless bitches. How come she doesn't have any mana?"
"She is so filthy. Look at her clothes, all torn and worn out. Dad wants her to be part of our family? Seriously, I would rather die."
"Stupid witch."
"Look at her shivering. Such a pushover."
"Damn, should I just kill her now? This sucks."
"You," A boy grabbed her shoulders, making her face down. "You will never be Seraphina."
"You will never be family either," they snickered, closing in on her like fences that would prevent her escape. "So, never raise your eyes and act like the little weakling you are."
Anya nodded, tear welling inside her eyes.
"Good, because you will never be family, bitch."
.....
Anya was forced back to the present, with tears threatening to spill out any moment.
'I am sorry,' she told her old self, she told the real Anya who doesn't exist anymore. 'I am sorry you had to go through that.'
Anya knew it was futile, trying to get rid of the past memories that engulfed her. She knew that the real Anya feared these people who are waiting to pound on her like a predator. But this wasn't her anymore. She wasn't here to be treated as a nuisance. She was here to prove herself and get rid of these emotions.
Sighing, Anya concentrated on her surroundings. Though the entire room was scented like death, the ambience was still blinding with gold and diamond everywhere. Though slowly, she could feel the weight burdening her going away. The shadow that swirled around her seemed to vanish, almost destroyed.
Is the test over? It doesn't seem like it. Then why did the ominous feeling go away?
There was a similar scene in the novel when the original Anya first went to dinner. And if she was right, the black mass that surrounded her would be Ness's shadow. Ness was the third oldest son of the Zenlyn House, who reigned the shadows. It was dark magic of the dead, and to get rid of it, you needed pure dark magic of the spirits, that would cancel it out.
Dark magic of the spirits, huh...
Anya turned to her side, where Coni stood unfazed by everything. Weird, he wasn't like that in the original plot. He had almost reverted back to his real form in the novel in defence of the dark magic. But seeing as how he is doing perfectly fine, he must have used the spirit magic. Though it has its own consequences, given that he must have simply borrowed it from the spirits.
"Miss," Coni smiled at her. "Hold my hand."
Anya realized that she had left his hand when the memory played out in her head.
"Sure," she gleamed, holding his hands again.
"Miss, are you alright?" he asked, concerned. "You look pale."
"I am good," Anya patted his head. "Thank you for asking."
Coni's eyes glinted with pure innocence. "Anything for the miss. I am right here, so don't worry about anything."
Oh? He was offering her help. Though Anya was grateful that he got rid of the shadows, she didn't think he would actually help her, when he is still this weak.
"Coni, please stand here," she said. "I'll go attend them. Any more than this would endanger you."
Though Coni was hesitant at first, he slowly gave in. "A-Alright, Miss. Please be careful. Those people..."
He didn't have to complete his sentence, Anya knew it herself.
Those people were dangerous. But she if was going to limit herself because of that fact, she wouldn't get past them.
"Sure," Anya smiled again. "I'll keep that in mind."
Anya raised her eyes up, viewing the spectacle of glares that resembled daggers, shooting at her. They wouldn't have thought she would have gotten through this petty test.
Everybody sat around the dining table like kings on the throne.
Breathing in and out, Anya confidently walked to her seat, with each step more careful than the other, and sat down ignoring the eyes of her tyrant siblings.
She wouldn't cower in fear anymore.
The Anya they knew is gone, anyway.