“I flew too close to the sun and burned for it,” he pointed at me. “Trying to destroy you, the abomination,” he raised his arms, “They seal your fate, young goddess, and it will come sooner than you think. Beware the...,” he stopped.

Rather, the man froze mid-speech and vanished as medics came rolling in with a gurney. They strapped me in, moving me away to Elder Selviam’s location. Whom sat on a stone fence, staring at several bodies covered by white sheets. Death... caused by me.... why? My power that potent that they died for this? Spots filled my view, this physical pressure on my body pushing me to the ground.

“Tell me why,” I sobbed, “They had to die for me sake,”

“Because” he glanced at me, “The danger you posed would have been massive compared to a few deaths here,”

I shrieked, with no repercussions from this emotional state the beast laid dormant. Elder Selviam loosened my straps, crawling off to stare at the mess of the medics, transporting critical patients. They took a path near us between several arches that contained a whirlpool of water. Elder Selviam tapped my shoulder, leading us to a portal. Where his name, engraved on the front, included an elaborate design of snakes slithering down on the gray stone. He placed his hand on the stone, activating this icy blue pond.

We arrived in a rear entrance of his grand Victorian estate; my feet squished the newly wet sod. Unknown machines laid in this extensive grassy area, near a dirt path leading to the back doors. While an adolescent boy sauntered over carrying a metal box. He ran his hand through his blonde hair; gawking at me. Carefully handing the box to Elder Selviam, who popped open the package. The boy invaded my personal space, ogling every inch of this body.

“I am Augustine, a ward of this estate, as you will be.” he smirked, “Lord Selviam didn’t tell me your beauty was so mesmerizing.” he grabbed my hand and kissed it.

“What an introduction.” I pulled my hand away, wiping it off. “Do you always speak your mind that way?” sneering at his actions.

“Yes, I do. Are you always this feisty?”

“Watch who you are calling feisty.”

“Or what?”

Effortlessly Elder Selviam slapped two bracelets around my wrists. A jolt to my nervous system disrupted control, falling onto these knees. I admired the reflective gold bracelet’s simplistic design of vines and leaves. Whereas the beast’s red eyes glared with a hard expression that faded; sweat pouring down my face. I‌ stood gazing into Augustine’s cold emerald eyes as he laughed.

“What are these?” I fidgeted with them, “Elder Selviam... can you make him shut up...”

“Well, let’s go elsewhere,” his eyes narrowed at Augustine. “Just for antagonizing her you will pull double duty on your training,”

“Yes, sir,” he squinted.

I‌ glanced back at Augustine, who stuck his tongue out at me. So childish... he behaved like a ten-year-old. I fidgeted with these bracelets, walking into the estate behind Elder Selviam. This long wooden hallway squeaked as we headed to a room near the end. When Elder Selviam pointed with his index finger, unlocking the door that we then entered.

Elder Selviam rummaged through his wooden desk cabinet, removing several documents. Slapping them on the desk, he slid them in front of me. By the time he sat in a leather desk chair; I‌ plopped into the lone wooden one at the edge of his workspace. My right hand glided across these papers, an odd texture of embossed ones. Many questions raced in my mind regarding these articles.

“Adoption papers?” My eyebrows scrunched, “I don’t understand why this is necessary,” clutching the paper.

“You need structure,” he rubbed his neck, “You are an orphaned child, this isn’t an option for you to refuse,”

I skimmed each page while Elder Selviam tapped his foot. The articles long and drawn out with unknown jargon. I scratched this head, tearing the documents apart that reassembled after. Arachne? Are you there? Silence again, useless when I needed her of all times. Alone… alone again. All these decisions made on my own. A wave of cold filled this body, light-headedness then weakness in these legs.

“I can’t sign this,” My hand shook, “I don’t even understand half of these words,”

“Many know of your existence,” he slammed his fist, “You need protection,”

“From whom? You? and those damned people who experimented on me. You treat a child like me as an animal.”

"I will not give in to your absurdity. Sign them and be done with it.”

“If I don’t what will happen?”

“I’ll show you a sneak peek if you choose this path. This best be worth the substantial mana cost.”

The room enveloped in a darkness that seeped into this very being. Around these wrists chains that tightened with every move. I unable to perceive light or sound; a gut-wrenching smell invaded these nostrils. In a pit surrounded by this filth of mine, the true animal. Unable to control every action of this body that swung in the chains.

“You can’t keep me here forever, “I roared, “I will kill you all,"

A luminous light from the front opened a rather large glassed window. These several unknown entities wore lab coats, the faces blurred for all intends and purposes. Garbled up speech as they summoned a rune circle in this cage. A liquid dripped, burning this skin a clear substance with no taste. As much as their chanting intensified, these chains liquified onto the ground.

“You can keep trying,” I smirked, “But you will never control me,”

“The binding is failing, sir,” she shook her head, “She is to powerful,”

An abrupt cutoff of this simulation Elder Selviam strewn on the ground. Blood pouring from his nose with several gashes on his clothing. His legs wobbly as he stood coughing violently, vital fluid spilled out into his handkerchief. Over that short amount of time, the man’s deposition degraded. What magic to see in a potential future, how dangerous but, useful.

“What did I just… see” I hit my head, “who was that talking. I never say things like that,”

“Now you will sign?” he coughed, “Do you understand this as a potential future regarding that decision?”

“Yes, but one thing I want is answers, will you give them to me?”

"I agree to answer what I can, after.”

“You are so adamant.”

I stole a black pen from his initialed metal cup filled with them. My pen floated above an adopted alias that read Aurielle Louise Selviam, then below my old. Whether good riddance or not to this cursed name for my protection; no one needed to know the blood on these hands. I complied, expecting answers from him with no other options. Now signing away my life, only temporarily, right?

“This now addressed,” he grabbed the contract, “You will get your answers,”

“All this time I left in the dark with my torturous experience. What are the bracelets you make me wear?”

“They are a needed extension the binding specifically made for you, in case. Do you know how rare it is to find an unknown being? We took precautions with the history gathered. Your violent tendencies were unpredictable.”

“Was I really that strong for a twelve-year-old?”

“The exponential growth of your power was astronomical if we didn’t control it with the ancient spell who knows what would have happened.”

“Ancient spell? Why are you talking to me this way?”

“Intelligently? we did extensive tests. We know your true intelligence. Why do you hide it?”

I explored the expanses of my mind as he kept speaking. My mentality drastically changed since the murderous incident with my parents. I awoke to my real brilliance, no longer hindered by them, or that beast. As though a river of positivity flowed leading me to Arachne, who emerged from a mist. An exquisite black and white marbled Colosseum came into existence.

“My goddess, you have arrived!” She bowed, “I welcome you to the coliseum,”

“Goddess... that word escapes me. That figure who spoke to me, do you know who that was?”

“Icarus ... he revealed your nature... which the gods took care of him for such actions.”

“How long will she be controlled”

“She is finicky and trying to break through already.”

“Do I still have access to her powers?”

“Yes but use them cautiously.”

“I feel faded...”

“Goddess ... I am sorry, but it has begun. Your purity is tainting.”

My mind slipped back into reality, Elder Selviam leaned in his chair with his feet propped up, an empty bottle lay near him. Until he slammed his leather shoes on the ground; a rune circle manifested beneath. A pit formed I descended into blackness at an escalating speed. Arachne materialized, latching herself to the walls, and we ended up in a wide space.

“Fascinating, I wonder what else that living weapon can do,” he summoned fire, “Let us test your skills, young one,”

Fireballs rained in my direction; Arachne blocked several. One grazed the side of my arm, leaving a first-degree burn. That she extended her chains, encompassing me on the defensive; and attempted to fight. His fire increasing in intensity until the flames turned white. I‌ swallowed as one came whizzing near my head.

Arachne, what do I do?

Leave it to me.

But...

She unraveled into a spider appearance, latching to my back. Elder Selviam smirked as he changed his fighting stance. His hands radiated yellow, hitting me with a right hook. Arachne blocked his agile attacks, while she took damage; I‌ stood like a deer in headlights. Move around. You are making this easy. He tripped me up by distracting me with a random fireball. What a dirty trick! Focus some energy from your core into me. Heat slowly emitted from my center out to my extremities, a flash of cold encased me in crystal.

I trudged through a few inches of snow as a frigid breeze crossed me. I shivered, discerning the landscape of an icy tundra. After gales of wind grew in severity, pushing me back. I forced forward only to find fresh prints in the snow that disappeared from the air current. Heading in a general direction of lost tracks, a flurry of snow fell.

“Arachne,” I wailed, “Where are you?”

In the distance, horrifying screams alerted me to Arachne’s position. Rushing over towards a noise expecting her, only to see more footprints and a dragging pattern. I carried forward, where an empty stone throne rested on top; ladened with scratches. Ascending the snow-covered steps, I relaxed on the seat overlooking this vast area. Nothing but snow filled tundra and sparse half dead oak trees.

Arachne stood at the bottom of the steps lugging a chained monster. Slowly heading down the stairs, she waved her hand to stay back. From a distance I observed her struggle to keep this beast under control, who wailed a high pitch tone. Until Arachne hurled two clawed weapons onto the ground.

“What is going on?” I darted my eyes, “What is that?”

“It’s her,” she pushed her down, “You only have so long, Pick the weapon up and fight,” she demanded.

“But...” I hesitated to pick them up, “These killed...my parents…”

“Go...now before it’s too late.”

“I can’t…” I hesitated, “no…”

“You are weak,” the beast yelled, “Wait till I get my hands on you,”