Aella stood between the spider-infested bookshelves of an old building, broken-down and barren like the war-torn landscape around it. Aella's long white hair was pulled back and twisted into a braid that brushed the small of her back as she walked. She paused briefly to look around, setting her torch gently to the ground so she could tip her flask to her lips, taking small sips of herb brewed water. After hastily stuffing the flask into her satchel she wiped her brow, picked up her torch and took in a deep breath. Her body was shaking, fearful of what she would encounter and unsure if she could finish the task at hand. She walked towards the center of the building which was bare of any furniture, showcasing ornate tiles in brilliant shades of red and blue depicting a blood-red moon. She held her torch low and examined the floor beneath her feet before turning her attention to the ceiling which showcased a painting in light, airy colors. The picture before her was of a woman with flowing ivory hair perched upon a throne holding a book in one hand and a glimmering gem in the other. The gem was not a painting, but an actual stone set into the ceiling. She thought it may fetch a price at the market, so she decided to retrieve it.

    The ceiling was twenty feet high, making it impossible to reach. She let out a puff of air in frustration and began looking for something to climb upon. The shelves around her didn't look sturdy; most had toppled or broken and would not support Aella's weight. She was small for her age, at 23 years others often thought she was only 16, but she didn't want to take any chances. She had come to this place alone, if she were to get trapped under a toppled bookshelf or become injured no one would be coming to find her. She only knew one person, Elaysia, who wouldn't think to look for her in the old ruins.

    As she walked away from the center of the room towards some shelves, a low, soft growl echoed through the room breaking the silence and sending chills down her spine. She froze, listening intently for the direction of the eerie sound.

    "What are you doing here" a voice seeped through the cracks of the walls around her.  Aella held her breath, every angle of attack and escape plotted in her mind. Should she run? Her legs trembled as she let her breath out shakily.  No. She had come so far and she wasn't going to turn around now, even if it meant death, she wasn't leaving without the book she came for.

    She planted one foot firmly behind her and bellowed "I'm here for a book, I didn't come here for trouble. Please, let me search in peace."

    The shadowy voice let out a sinister chuckle. "Let you defile my home? You don't belong here...child."

    Aella's eyes burned with rage. Child? She was no child, she was the daughter of Elise, one of the greatest mages of her time. A woman capable of great power and destruction, or so she had been told by Elaysia. "I am no child and I am NOT leaving. Let me pass or come out and face me." Aella spread her palms wide and light surged up from within her arms, glowing from under her skin. It snaked through her veins before reaching her hands where it burst forth in a blinding explosion. Aella squinted at the light she had created, two orbs of pure light floating above each hand, burning with intense heat.

    "Oh," the voice said matter of factly, "you are one of them. Why do your kind always jump to violence and bloodshed, it's no wonder the world outside is burning." The disembodied voice chuckled once more but this time the dusty furniture around Aella trembled slightly as it did. The shadows around the room began to quiver and meld into one another. They oozed across the floor and down the walls like black water, all pooling in one spot in front of Aella. The shadows slowly formed into the figure of a human significantly taller than Aella.

    Before the form could complete Aella let out a scream and hurled one of her orbs at the form with all the power she could muster. The ball flew through the air at an amazing speed, crackling and arcing lightning to objects near it as it advanced on the dark figure. The ball hit the figure and exploded, temporarily blinding Aella and leaving the wall scorched and smoldering. Aella let out a laugh and slumped her back, overexerted from the power she had summoned.

    "Really?" the voice broke the silence once again. Aella jumped in fright. How could it survive that? Nothing could have survived that much, it should have been completely incinerated. She stood up straight again and held up her other light orb still within her left hand. The shadowy form was already reforming in front of her as she lobbed her second orb towards it. The form raised its arm and snapped its fingers, opening a black hole that sucked the orb into it before closing completely. "Pathetic," was its only response.

    Aella stood stunned and confused at what she was seeing. What was this thing? Whatever it was, it was way more powerful than anything she had encountered. The rational emotion would be fear, but Aella only felt rage. It was in her way, it was keeping her from her treasure, and she was going to die trying to get what she came for. "Damnit! You won't stop me…" she shouted as she rushed towards the figure, blinded by anger.

    As Aella reached the shadow it dissipated, reforming behind her as she smashed full force into the smoldering wall behind it and promptly fell to the floor, knocking the air from her lungs. The room grew quiet save for the sounds of Aella moaning in pain. The figure loomed over her slightly bent forward. She looked up and saw a mouth slowly open on its face, bearing a large grin. It was laughing at her.

    "As amusing as this is, stop," it dryly stated.

    Aella pushed herself to her knees and looked up at the dark swirling mass that sat perched upon the shadowy shoulders. "Go on then, finish this." She was met with yet another laugh.

    "Hm. You are a ball of sunshine, aren't you? I didn't come to your home picking a fight, it is you that intruded upon my home."

    Aella, for once, had nothing to say. She bowed her head after a moment's thought. "I apologize."

    "You may hide your face but I know your eyes are still ablaze, child. Nonetheless, I forgive you, if only to hear why you've come and who you are."

    She clenched her jaw and looked back into the monster's face, or where it should be. She felt unnerved as she gazed upon it; it was void of eyes. The wispy head housed only an overly large mouth that seemed to enjoy mocking her. "I'm looking for a book," she hissed through her teeth.

    "A book. Yes. There are hundreds here, you'll have to be more specific." The figure extended a shadowy arm to her, gesturing her to stand. Aella pushed up from her knees and reached for the outstretched arm only to phase through it and once again she landed on the ground with a hard thud shortly followed by more laughter.

    "Enough!" she shouted. Her eyes blazed like starlight as she rose to her feet, the power once again surging through her ready to fight once again.

    "Tsk, can't take a joke I see. Noted. If you hadn't learned from last time, your parlor tricks won't work on me. Just calm down and I promise no more fun, I will be just as boring as you." The figure took a step back and began to sit down. As it did a chair shot from across the room stopping just under it as it took a seat. "So, what book...of mine...are you looking for?"

    Aella let out a puff of air in frustration, still unsure what it was she was dealing with. She knew it was more powerful than her, only toying with her like a cat playing with its supper before it gulped it down. She took a deep breath and tried to quell the rage growing within her. She knew she was quick to anger and that she would only make matters worse if she continued to fight. She needed to calm down. Another deep breath.

    "Well?" the shadowy form questioned. It crossed its legs, sat its elbow upon its knee, and perched its head into its hand, foot silently tapping on the floor. With every tap, little puffs of shadowy smoke dissipated into the air around its foot.

    "I have reason to believe my mother's book is here. A book she wrote."

    "Yes, go on…"

    "Her name was Elise, she was a mage just like me. I was told by a friend she wrote down our family history and her spells and kept it in a private chamber within this library."

    The shadow froze upon hearing her mother's name. The smoke began to swirl about the figure's feet, slowly revealing flesh and fabric up the legs, across the torso, and finally the face. It was a young man, fair-skinned and dressed in drab clothing. His eyes were the palest grey and his hair as black as the shadows themselves. "My name is Yriel. I believe we have a few things to discuss."

    She followed him down a long winding staircase that smelled of mold and wet earth. They descended in silence for several minutes before reaching a landing holding only a single double wooden door. He stopped and swiveled on his feet until he faced Aella. His face looked somber and he seemed to have difficulty looking her in the eye.

    "Open them." He raised an arm and pointed a finger at the double doors.

    Aella swallowed hard. Was this a trap? She had followed a stranger into a dark, damp room, she would not be able to escape him now. She stared at him, trying to read his expression. He looked...remorseful.

    "What's behind the doors?" she questioned.

    "What you came for."

    She felt a rush of adrenaline. Could it be, he knew where the book was? She grabbed the iron ring on the doors and pulled it as hard as she could. They didn't budge. She pushed, still nothing. She took her shoulder and rammed as hard as she could into them. Nothing. Excitement turned to anger. What sort of joke was this now. Why was he toying with her?

    She turned to him, eyes blazing once again. "What is the meaning of this? I don't care who you are or what you are, but this is ENOUGH." The man was unphased. He stared at her with the same sad expression he had worn since she had mentioned her mother's name.

    "No jokes, child. Only you can open that door I'm afraid." He reached up and touched the wooden frame and ran his fingers down the rough wood. He spoke no longer and had become lost in some memory he cared not to share. "It saddens me to see you this way, you know. She would have been heartbroken to see you filled with so much hatred."

    Aella paused. How would he know what she would feel? "Wait...did...did you know her?"

    After a moment he spoke, barely a whisper, "Yes. A long time ago. I will tell you everything but first, open the door. I need to know you are who you say you are first."

    Her eyes welled up with tears. He was the first connection she had found to her mother aside from Elaysia. She leaned against the doors and buried her face in her hands trying to hide the tears that began to roll down her cheeks. "How? How do I open the doors?"

    "Use that which you share with her. The gift she seems to have passed to you."

    She wiped the tears from her eyes and pushed herself back to standing. "Gift," she scoffed, "I think you mean curse." She placed her hands on the door and watched as her powers surged through her once again. Her hands were aglow with a bright, warm light that lit the entire room. The door quivered and absorbed the light from her palms. Runes and etchings began to fill in across the wood grain until it was glowing just as bright as Aella. She stepped back and watched as the doors surged with the same power she possessed. It was beautiful. Yriel inhaled deeply and briefly smiled, eyes wide and equally as shocked as Aella.

  "It would appear you are who you say you are after all." He stepped forward and walked directly into the doors, walking through them rather than colliding with them. Aella didn't hesitate and ran straight into the doors, phasing through right behind him. The room before her was not what she expected. It was small and dirty, no bigger than a standard bathroom. A small rickety desk and a dozen books lay covered in dust.

    "What is this?" Aella abruptly asked.

    "Your mother's private room. She sat down here for hours a day doing who knows what. This is the first time I've been back here, I thought it would have been...bigger." The room was illuminated only by the glowing door as there were no windows or candles to be seen. He ran his finger across the dusty table and pulled a small chair under him. He plopped down with a poof of dust. "If your book is anywhere, it would be in here." He gestured at the small stack of books on the desk.

    Aella thumbed quickly through the pages of each book until she came upon a handwritten one. She studied the cover after dusting it off with her shirt. It was embossed with the same symbols that adorned her arms like faint tattoos. This was it. She took in a deep breath and opened the book to the first page.

    In bold, swirling letters was the phrase, "To love is to give yourself over completely, no expectations, with arms open and forgiveness in your heart."

    Yriel was leaning over her shoulder reading the handwritten passage. "That sounds just like her, she was kind to a fault."

    "Nothing like me."

    Yriel sighed and leaned back into his seat. He didn't disagree. Aella was rash and quick to anger, she had attacked him without provocation. Elise would never have raised any of her children this way if she was anything like her own mother, Amaline. She would never allow it. That could only mean what he heard was true. "I'm sorry to ask like this, but, has your mother...passed?"

    Tears rolled down her cheeks as painful memories pushed themselves into her mind. "Yes, I lost her when I was about six or seven, it's hard to remember exactly. Did you know her? I don't remember you though."

    Yriel sighed and slumped in his chair. "Yes I knew her but the last time I saw her she was around your age. I knew your grandmother Amaline very well though and she was a fine woman. I begged her not to leave my side but she was as stubborn as she was powerful. She did everything she could for your mother and your Aunt Janna but..."

    "Aunt Janna?" Aella cut him off mid-sentence. "My mother had a sister?" Aella's heart began racing, thoughts flew through her mind faster than she could process, "Who is she? Where is...do you know where she is, can you take me...is, is she far?"

    Yriel's expression didn't change nor did his somber tone as he flatly stated, "no."

     Aella stared at Yriel, unsure if he was being honest or playing more of his mean tricks on her. “No? No you won’t, or no you can’t?”

     “No, I can’t,” he replied. “When your grandmother left with your aunt and mother, that was the last I saw of any of them. That was a long time ago…” he trailed off, getting lost in some uncomfortable memory, evident by the furrow in his brow. “What about the woman you are living with now, Elaysia was it? I find it hard to believe she doesn’t know your aunt if she knew your mother. Perhaps you should ask her.”

      Aella bit her lip as she thought about Elaysia and her omission of any information about her aunt. Why would she hide that information from her? She wiped the tears from her cheeks with her arm before whispering to herself, “she must not have known her. My mother must have never told her about Aella.” She refused to acknowledge that Elaysia could be untruthful or hiding information from her.

      “Maybe. Maybe not,” Yriel responded to her quiet thoughts.

      “I think it's time to go ask her.”