Chapter 1
CHAPTER 1.
CELINE’S POV
“Hey, look what we have got here,”
“Isn’t that the birthday girl? What are you doing in the woods all alone sweetheart?!
“Come on now, don’t be shy, you should be out there celebrating, not running around in the dark. We can keep you company!”
I never asked for any of this, never wanted to be different, but fate does not care about what we want. I thought I was normal only to find out I’m not, my name is Celine, and for 20 years I thought I was just an ordinary young lady. An orphan, yes, and nothing more than that. Grown up in Ravenwood, raised by a kind hearted woman name Agatha , who took me in when my parents died. I have always felt a little out of place, but I chalked it up to being different, being alone. Little did I know how different I really was.
It all started a few days before my 21st birthday. I remember it vividly just like it was yesterday.
I wake up to the sounds of chirping birds and the soft light flittering down the small window of my cottage. Slowly I rise, savoring the quite solitude of the early morning. The day begins with a ritual; a cup of herbal tea brewed from the plants I tend in my garden, followed by a meditation to center myself. I really enjoy this time of peace and quite before the village stirs to life.
My cottage nestled on the outskirt of Ravenwood, its modest but cozy. The walls are lined with bookshelves filled with ancient text on herbs, healing, folklore, and the remnants of my mother. After breakfast I head to the market, carrying a basket filled with freshly picked herbs to trade for some nice fruits. On my way I see Lilly and a bright smile is on her face, as she approaches.
“Good morning Celine.”
“Morning , you look so excited this morning,” I replied, with a wide smile on my face.
“ yes, I am. I will tell you everything later at the library, you will come?”
“Of course, I will,” I responded, my eyes sparkling with joy.
“See you then.” She said jogging away in slow motion.
I could feel the warmth of the early sun on my skin. The village was already beginning to stir, smoke curled lazily from the chimneys, and I could hear the distant clucking of hens and the lowing of cattle as the farmers bean their daily routines. The cobblestone path beneath my feet was still damp from the morning mist, and each step echoed softly in the quite dawn.
As I made my way towards the market, the familiar sounds and sights of the village started coming alive around me. Mrs. Elara was sweeping her porch, her broom making rhythmic swishes as it brushed the dust away. She looked up as I approached a warm smile on her wrinkled face.
“Good morning, dear!” she called out, her voce cheerful despite the early hour.
Everyone looks so happy this morning, looks like its going to be I good day I said to myself
“Good morning, Mrs. Elara,” I replied returning her smile. “ The flowers in your garden are looking very beautiful today.”
“Thank you dear, its all in the early watering,” she said with a wink turning back to her work.
Further down the road, I passed old Mr. Henry, who was busy tending to is vegetable patch. He paused, wiping his brow with a weathered hand, and nodded in my directions.
“Morning Celine, off to the market?” he asked his voice gruff but friendly.
“Yes, Mr. Henry. I’m hoping to find some fresh fruits today.” I answered, adjusting the basket on my arm.
“Best hurry then,” he said with a knowing smile. “Mrs. Thompson’s pie have been drawing quite the crowd lately.”
I laughed at that , nodding my head in agreement before continuing on my way. The soft murmur of conversations floated through the air as more villagers emerged from their homes, ready to welcome the day. But not everyone in the village was kind and caring to me, as I turned the corner near the market square, I caught sight of Mrs. Beatrice and her daughter Harriet. They were known for their sharp tongues and even sharper glares, sure enough, as I approached, Mrs. Beatrice eyes narrowed, and she whispered something to her daughter Harriet, who snickered behind her hand.
“Well, if it isn’t the outsider,” Mrs. Beatrice said, loud enough for me to hear. “ What are you doing up so early Celine? Trying to fit in, I suppose.”
I felt a familiar pang in my chest but I forced out a polite smile. “Good morning Mrs. Beatrice,” I said keeping my voice steady. “I’m just heading to the market.”
“Of course, you are ,” she replied her tone dripping with sarcasm. “Just remember no matter how hard you try, you will never truly belong here.”
Harriet giggled again, a high, mocking sound that grated on my nerves. I nodded, not trusting myself to say anything else, and walked past them with my heart heavy. It was times like this that reminded me that despite the kind smiles from Mrs. Elara and Mr. Henry, there were still those who saw me as different, as someone who didn’t have a place in Ravenwood and will never have a place. The murmurs the sideways glances, the way some villagers seemed to go out of their way to keep away from me, it was a constant reminder that I am an outsider, an outcast.
When I finally reached the market, the energetic chatter and colorful presentations did little to lift my spirits. The aroma of freshly baked bread blended with the scent of ripe fruit and herbs, but even the comforting smells of the market could not shake the unease that settled in my chest. I made my way to the fruit stall, attempting to push Mrs. Beatrice words from my mind, but she does it every time I don’t know I’m not used to her.
The vendor, a kind elderly man named Mr. Granger greeted me with a smile. “ Morning Celine,” he said his voice warm with welcoming. “ Looking for something sweet today?”
“Yes, please,” I replied, forcing a smile. “The berries look wonderful; I will have them.” As I selected a handful of the ripest berries, I couldn’t help but glance around the market. Most people were busy with their own errands, but I could still feel the occasional wary glance, the subtle tension that never quite left the air when I was around.
The village was my home, and yet it always felt like it was not. But I refuse to let the likes of Mrs. Beatrice and her daughter ruin the morning for me. I have as much right to be here as anyone else, and I would not let their whispers drive me away or drive me insane. With my basket full and resolve steeled, I paid Mr. Granger with the herbs and made my way back home, determined to face whatever the day might bring.
I dashed to the apothecary, where I work and help Madame Agatha, the only woman and person that loves and cares for me genuinely.
“You are growing up so fast my dear.” She says to me, with a smile on her wrinkled face. “It feels like yesterday, the day I took you in, and everything changed, my life felt complete.”
“But people have not grown fond of me, not all of them.” I add,
“You don’t need everybody to like you, the few true ones are enough dear. Plus, you are so beautiful my dearest, you silver hair your blue eyes most of them here just envy you.”
“ I’m just so happy to have you, I don’t know who I would be or what I could do if I didn’t have you Ma Agatha.” I respond with tears on my eyes as I hugged her.
“I’m also happy the gods gave me you.” She express, as the corners of her mouth turns up. “ I have your birthday gift; I know it is tomorrow but I will give it to you today in the evening.”
I could not shake of the feeling of being an outsider, and even though we shared a deep bond with Madame Agatha, I have always felt like she has always been secretive about certain aspects of my past. In the afternoon I went to visit the forest that borders the village. Here I feel most at home, weird isn’t it, surrounded by the ancient trees and the scent of pine and earth, as I gather herbs and roots.
The sensation is natural, a subtle shivering at the rare of my neck, something that I have felt before, but I dismiss it as just my imagination. But it gets seriously unusual, the world around me seems to move in ways I can barely scarcely grasp. A glimmer towards the side of my eye, a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. “What is wrong with me!’ I ask myself as tension rise up in me .
On my way back to my cottage, the animals are the first to show signs of unease. The village dogs, usually friendly with me eager for a pat on the head, now growl low in their throats when I pass by. The cats arch their back and hiss, their eyes narrowing as if they see something in me that I can’t. I’m nervous than ever I don’t understand why I’m feeling like this!
Even the birds that sing cheerfully outside my window, have fallen silent when I step in the cottage, their absence heavy with an inexplicable tension. I lay on the bed trying to relax and I fall asleep, then there are the dreams. They start out vague and disjointed; flashes of forests under the moonlight, the sound of howling in the distance. And a feeling of something powerful watching me from the shadows.
The dreams become more vivid, and more genuine, I can feel the cool earth underneath my naked feet as I run through the woods, the breeze whipping through my hair. I hear a voice, low and repeating, shouting to me, however, I can’t make out the words. I wake up my heart pounding and a cold sweat clinging to my skin. “I have to go and see Lilly; she is hanging tight for me.” I share with myself.
I take in a deep breath and jump out of the bed; I step outside wash my face and head to the library to meet Lilly.
“There you are, I have been waiting for quite some time now,’’ Lilly says with her mouth curved into a smile.
“ Sorry I’m late,” I reply forcing a smile.
“Are you sure you are okay, you don’t look fine friend,” she express, with her eyes well up
“Yes, I’m okay. Just nervous about my birthday tomorrow.”
“ Now I see, its okay to be nervous in fact we don’t get any younger, we get older.” She says with her mouth twitching. “ I’m preparing your gift as we speak.”
“What are you reading today?” I ask trying switch the topic from my birthday.
“The same novel I was last week, I’m becoming slow at reading plus been busy the past weeks. What about you Celine?”
“I don’t know yet, I need a good book to help me relax.” I reply my voice above a whisper.
“I have one that I think you might like. Take a look at this one.” She says handing the book to me.
After reading a few chapters a strange feeling starts to creep inside me, I put the book down.
“Celine are you okay?” she asks me. I can tell she’s trying to sound casual but there’s an edge to her voice. I force a smile, though I can feel it waver. “ I’m fine, Lilly. Just tired, I guess its probably nothing.” I reply as I left the library and head back to my cottage.
But I know it’s not nothing, I have been withdrawing more and more unable to shake the feeling that something is coming, something that will change everything. I catch myself staring at my reflection in the mirror searching for signs of whatever is happening to me. My skin seems paler, my eyes more intense, almost glowing dim in the light, and it giving me chills.
And then there is the voice in my dreams, it getting clearer now, the words “You are the last of the bloodline.” The words repeating in my mind, leaving me with the sense of foreboding that I cannot escape. I don’t understand what it means, but the weight of it is undeniable and unbearable. It feels like a warning, and a reminder that my time is running out. Something inside me is changing I can feel it in the way my senses are sharpening, the way I can hear the smallest rustle of leaves and the footsteps, the scent of the rain before the first drop falls, and I can see the glint of moonlight through the thickest branches when I stand on my small window.
I can smell my Ma Agatha, coming this way the smell gets stronger when she opens the door.
“I brought you something to eat, didn’t see you at the dinning.”
“I’m not feeling that well, nor hungry either.”
“Oh, my sweet girl. I brought your present.” She says handing me a book. “This is an ancient lore book, it has every answer to any question you might have about the past present and the future, keep it safe and read it.” Her face suddenly change, her eyes drop and she continues
“You are not a child anymore, and I wish I told you earlier. I have to warn you of the dark fate tied to your bloodline.”
