Hello, I'm Adelaine Neville! Yes, I'm from that Neville clan. You know, the clan that's been battling four other clans for centuries? Honestly, it's tiring. I mean, couldn't we just sign a treaty of peace and just calm down?
Oh well, you'll most likely find me in our massive ancient library—don't mock, it's older than your grandfather's grandfather. Some of the statuettes in there appear to be conspiring against me. But I do enjoy reading. I have already read ten percent of the whole library, and I'm just nine!
It's like, in my family, you have to pass this wacky ten-thousand-question test at age ten. Flunk it? You're OUT. Flunk it? And anyone you ever loved gets penalized. Tough, huh? So I just don't bother to make friends. Too dangerous.
I've got four brothers and sisters, and I assure you, we're just completely different. Nathaniel's the anxious oldest. Daffodil's the perfectionist. Louise's the nice, talented guy who doesn't realize he's a genius. Then there's Lawrence, completely obsessed with, you know, being patriarch. And me? I just. just want to. be normal. Have snacks, see cartoons, maybe play with technology things (but not until I'm twenty—what's that supposed to mean?)
At times, I wonder if having been born a Neville is a blessing… or the ultimate curse.
During a family dinner, I heard something that shook me deeply. Rumors floated around that the Mortimer clan, once the most powerful clan in history, had only one heir left to become the next patriarch. Just one. Can you imagine? A dynasty that ruled with an iron fist for centuries was now on the brink of extinction due to miscarriages and infertility.
But it got worse. The Neville Patriarch, my grandfather, thought the Percy clan was behind it. The Percys excel in medicine and chemistry, so it wouldn't surprise anyone if they poisoned the Mortimers to wipe out their bloodline. Ruthless, right? But then there was a twist. Somehow, against all odds, one heir survived. An heir who could carry the Mortimer legacy into the future. And the other clans? They hated this. They didn't want the Mortimers to rise again. The tension was thick enough to choke me.
You might think I sound boring, but this is how I was raised—always listening, always watching, but never allowed to live. If I ever had a real friend, I would cherish them completely. But in my clan, they'd likely be killed just for standing by me. Outsiders are never allowed in unless it's through marriage. And me? At nine years old? Marriage? No way. I'd rather die.
So I did what I knew how to do. I picked up another book. This one had no author's name, just a title: United Clans. Strange, right? I'd never seen an anonymous book before, and it caught my attention. I sat on the floor, my back against a cold statue, and opened it carefully and peacefully. But the title puzzled me. United Clans? When have these five clans ever been united? It didn't make sense.
The first page read like a diary. The words sent chills down my spine: "From generations after generations, we fought and fought. If only I could stop this war and unite them all." My heart raced. Who wrote this? It looked really old. The next page had different handwriting. "Wouldn't friendship solve this war? Can't we have a peace treaty instead?" I held my breath. Multiple authors? Could this book be a secret record of the old patriarchs?
But then, things got strange. One line made me stop completely. "Did you know #### had a crush on ####? That's probably why he wanted to burn the world for her." I blinked. I reread it. What was this? History? Gossip? A love letter? I thought I'd find wisdom here, but it felt like someone was mocking me through time.
Still, I couldn't stop. Hours went by as I flipped through page after page. And then I reached the last lines. Words that were raw, desperate, and full of pain: "How cruel fate would be to let us fight when we could unite. Blinded by money and power, hunger, greed, selfishness. If only I could be enough for you all, if only I could save you all, if only I could hold you in my arms again, ####. I'd like to enjoy every precious moment with you… so why? Why did you leave me behind first? Why did you make war with me? Why did you want my clan's power?"
My hands shook. I kept reading: "I have so many questions to ask you, dear ####. Why did you kill yourself for me? You could've surrendered, but instead, you let pride consume you. I would never hurt you. I would've burned the world for you. And yet, because of this war, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands are dead. We were once friends, once family, once young and laughing together… and now I'm the only one left behind."
I slammed the book shut, my heart racing. Was this real? A hidden confession? A tragedy lost to history? Was there more, like a Season 2, hidden somewhere in this cursed library? I couldn't wrap my head around it. United Clans, but the ending was nothing but despair. What was the point of this book? Why was it here?
And then… click. The doorknob turned.
My blood ran cold. I turned toward the massive library doors, my eyes wide. Who could it be? Who else comes here besides me?
The door creaked open… and it was my sister, Daffodil. Her face was pale and serious, her eyebrows drawn tight. She didn't belong here—she hated the library. The fact that she was here meant only one thing: something was wrong. Very wrong.
I shoved the book behind me as she approached, her heels echoing on the marble floor. My voice cracked as I whispered: "Daf? Is something wrong? You'd never come to the library unless it was… necessary. Or unless you needed me."
She stopped in front of me, her eyes locked onto mine. At that moment, I knew something was about to change. Forever.
So, my sister Daffodil suddenly walked into the library—yeah, the same sister who never, ever comes here—and she looked super serious. She grabbed my wrist and said, "Adele, the Patriarch called the entire clan. It's an emergency meeting. We need you there." And honestly? I was like: huh? Me? Why?
Then she added, "Please… be careful with this new mission. You have to do it whether you like it or not." She even sighed, held my wrist gently, and smiled at me. And guys… Daffodil never smiles at me like that. I was confused, but I smiled back anyway. What else could I do?
So there I was, walking down the huge hallway with her, heading to the courtroom. The moment I stepped inside, the atmosphere was… freezing. Everyone was staring at me. The Patriarch—my grandfather—was sitting on his giant throne at the very top, looking all scary and stoic. I walked down the red carpet, bowed, and tried to keep it together. But when I looked at him, I couldn't help but raise my eyebrows like, 'Grandpa, what is going on?'
He sighed, stood up, and his voice boomed through the room: "Adelaine Neville, as the youngest of this generation, you are given a task on which the entire clan depends. If you fail, another war will break out between the clans." And I just froze. My dad crossed his arms, my mom clung to him nervously, Nathaniel looked worried, and Daffodil kept signaling me like she wanted to jump in and save me. Louis and Lawrence? Just staring. And me? I was sweating bullets. Like, literally. I wanted to pee.
Then the Patriarch dropped the bomb: "Your mission is to befriend the youngest children of each clan. For eight whole months, you must work to gain their trust. If you succeed, you will not have to take the Ten Thousand Generational Test when you turn ten." He even smiled at me. And I thought… wait. WHAT? Befriend my enemies? ME? A girl who spent her entire life locked in the library and doesn't even have one single friend? You've got to be kidding me.
On the outside, I nodded. On the inside, I was screaming. Like—HELLO?! I don't even know how to say hi without sounding awkward. And now you want me to make friends? With our sworn enemies?? For eight months straight?! Grandpa, are you trying to kill me?
Nathaniel patted my shoulder and smiled, saying he envied me because I'd get out of the test. He told me not to push myself too hard. Which was sweet, but honestly, the pressure made me feel like a soda bottle ready to explode. My dad bent down and asked if I could really do it. I forced a smile and nodded, but my mom hugged me so tight I thought I'd suffocate. She warned me about the Mortimer heir, apparently around my age, maybe older, but super tyrannical. Yeah, thanks Mom, no pressure at all!"
I tried to comfort her with a smile, and even smirked a little like, "If this is what Grandpa wants, I'll do it." Lawrence rolled his eyes so hard I thought they'd get stuck. He scoffed about how unfair it was that I wouldn't take the test. Daffodil backed him up, but Louis defended me. Then Nathaniel said I might even be the first Neville to unite the clans. One by one, they all raised their hands to support me, even my parents. Lawrence? He looked like he was forced into it. Typical.
I gulped, feeling the weight of the entire clan on my tiny nine-year-old shoulders. My voice cracked as I panicked, "Hold on, hold on! I don't even have a plan yet! How am I supposed to make friends with people I don't even know?!" Lawrence smirked and walked away like a smug villain in a drama series. Ugh, that bastard. Dad just smiled and said, "Well, you can start by befriending the clans." Seriously? That's all you've got for me, Dad?
He shrugged and left, just like Lawrence. Like father, like son. Mom tried to cheer me up by saying, "Honey, befriending someone is very easy." And I just stood there, pouting like a kid who dropped her ice cream, and muttered, "Yeah… but I don't even know how to make friends."
And that's how my entire clan basically dumped world peace on me—a nine-year-old bookworm with zero social skills. Great. Just great.
TO BE CONTINUED...
"This is just an experiment guys. No need to take this chapter seriously."
—Sincerely yours...ur Author: Delulugirlss