Madam Valliere narrowed her eyes and said,
"Lita is my daughter, no matter what, she is no one's pawn. She will stay with me forever."
The smile that Sylana had upon her face vanished, and in its place was an even greater darkness.
"You still are so mistaken! I'm not seeking permission. I'm taking her, and there is nothing you can do about it."
In a moment, the darkness around Sylana was charged with vile power.
The air cooled, and icy fingers began to invade the hall. The fingers of the sorceress glimmered with blue fire that was cold. At the same time, she was calling forth the storm of snow and shadow with her hand raised. The darkness that had been hiding her aura now was shining with the power of destruction.
Sylana declared,
"I will not wait anymore. I have been your mother, the protector of our legacy, but no longer will it be so. Lita will be mine— and through her, I will make powers reveal that are beyond your understanding."
Madam Valliere was firm in her position and a force of crackling energy which was her power started to surround her. She had always been aware that this moment would come; the ambitions of her sister would one day lead to a clash between them.
However, she had not thought of Sylana making a move so quickly or being so daringly powerful.
"Before that happens, you'll have to get rid of me,"
Madam Valliere replied while drawing her dagger that was inscribed with ancient runes and thus gleamed.
Sylana grinned, and her mouth was not the only thing to look cruel; her eyes also looked that way.
"I can make that happen."
Without a single word uttered, Sylana directed a fast, terrible, and mixed attack of ice and shadow at Madam Valliere. The witch's magic spiraled toward her with deadly purpose. Valliere, at the same time, lifted her knife and called into being a shield that would protect her just enough to ward off the heavy blow of the other.
The floor shook under their confrontation, and the explosion of ice against magic barrier created and released numerous pieces that splashed and spread all over the marble surface.
The battle had begun.
Madam Valliere put up a fight responding with an outstretched palm and a volley of dark energy that sliced the cold fog enveloping Sylana. It was like the two sisters had no other choice than to display their strength to the fullest a hurricane of magic and force was forming due to their powers colliding violently.
The calculation of each spell and the deadliness of each blow were unmissable.
Conversely, Sylana's true objective became apparent as she tried to keep her sister busy.
At the same time, her sorcery was applied secretly and was going on in the mansion in a manner similar to the spreading of a frost. To Madam Valliere's surprise, Sylana had laid wards and spells all over the property, designed to interfere with the security spells that had been maintaining Lita's hiding and safeguarding.
Sylana's intent wasn't solely to engage her sibling in a duel—she was determined to release the seals that had been imprisoning Lita's true potential.
On the other hand, Lita was in bed outdoors, tossing and turning, her dreams haunted by odd and discomforting visions.
The sequence of events included the ice's flashes, the shadows' circling around her, and the voice that was calling her—a familiar one, her aunt Sylana's whispering along with the promises of power and liberation.
"Lita…"
was the call she heard in her head, and it was steadily gaining volume.
"Come to me. You are not just what they say. Your power is waiting."
All of a sudden, Lita sprang up from her sleep, panting. It was as if the whole room turned cold, and a dim blue light was glowing in the air.
There was something not right. Deep down she felt it as a thrust, which was leading her to the place where the trouble was coming from.
Lita got off her bed and stood up after swinging her legs over the bed's edge; her body was quivering with an odd energy that she was unable to grasp fully. Magic was in the air; powerful and perilous; she felt it coming from the corridor where her mother and Sylana were dueling.
Lita hadn't even begun to understand what was going on when Flare stormed in the room looking tensed.
"Lita, you have to remain here."
Fear mixed into Flare's voice when she ordered,
"Your mother has to deal with Sylana; it is too dangerous for you."
On the other hand, Lita stated her opinion by shaking her head.
"There is something I can feel... It is a must for me to go."
Flare's hand went to Lita's arm, the grip being strong yet hesitant.
"Your mother ordered me to keep you safe—"
Lita, however, interjected, confirming her position,
"She needs me." Her voice was soft yet strong.
"I can assist."
Flare was in a dilemma, caught between the loyalty to Madam Valliere's strict command and the undeniable truth that Lita was something beyond an ordinary child. The power surrounding her was already very much alive, and it was impossible to ignore.
It dawned on Flare that if Lita were indeed the one to fulfill Sylana's prophecy, then hiding her wouldn't work anymore. The moment had arrived for Lita to step up to her fate.