Obsidian Cavalier

Nightmares of the Past

Twins of a girl and a boy stood in the middle of a made up platform, under the bright moonlight. Both are scared of what’s going to happen. Their entire household gathered around them. Their parents stood proudly looking at them.

When the clock chimed at the exact midnight, everyone anticipated what’s going to happen next. But the ten year old twins both looked confused as the people gathered around them began muttering words they cannot understand.

The clock stopped chiming, and yet nothing happened. The twins’ parents furrowed their eyebrows. They are confused as to what happened? They are shifters, and it’s in their blood that they would shift on midnight of their tenth birthday.

“What is happening?”The twins’ mother asked, and then she turned to her husband.

“Why aren’t they shifting?”She asked her husband.

The twins’ father looked at his children with disdain.

“Runts.”The father sneered.

********************

Days after the twin’s birthday, the father forbade his children to go out of their house. Though confused, they did what their father told them to do. They hid the twins to their society.

And then one day, the girl broke her mother’s favourite vase. Their mother was enraged and it was the first time that she laid her hands on her daughter. It was not the last time though, because since then every single thing, every mistake, she would hit her children.

Their parents changed since the night that they didn’t shift. They would beat them in every chance they get. They even result to throwing them towards their house’s tower where it is cold and dirty, and then starve them for days.

The only person that showed compassion towards the twins is their cook. She would hide bread and milk for them to eat. She would even take care of their injuries or when they are sick. Their cook has been their mother for the past years.

When the twins turned twelve, their mother gave birth to their baby sister. Their parents are all caring towards their new sibling, but they grew more cruel towards them. Saying they are a disgrace to their family, that they will bring shame to them if people will find out that their children cannot shift.

And on one night, their father held a gun at them.

“Don’t you worry my dear wife, I have a perfect solution.” The twins’ father paused and pulled out a gun.

They boy’s eyes widened and hugged his sister tightly.

“F-Father...”

“Shut up! Don’t call me father! I did not give life to two useless piece of garbage! Give us a favour and disappear forever!”Their father roared and pointed the gun on his children.

“Father, n-no –“

The boy’s plea was cut off when their father pulled the trigger, shooting him and his sister twice. He felt the bullet hit him in the chest when he fell on the ground.

His sister was unconscious, with blood splattered on her little face. He looked at his mother pleading for mercy, but instead she kicked them several times. Before the darkness overcomes his senses, he saw his father called in his trusted henchmen, and ordered them to throw him and his sister.

***********************

Diana shoots up into a sitting position when she woke up from a terrible nightmare. She was panting hard. That was not just a nightmare, but a memory that always haunt her. The last and most frightening memory of her childhood.

Her hand went to her chest. She can still feel the pain of the bullet piercing her flesh, every kick, every punch, every beating. She can still hear every cruel words being yelled at them.

She took a deep breath and climbed down the bed. She wore her robe before she goes out of her room and went downstairs. She silently walks the dim lit corridor, while hugging herself. Since she moved into the palace, she was used to walking the corridors alone, but tonight she was scared.

She went inside the kitchen; she grabbed a glass, and filled it with water. She brought the glass to her lips, chugging down the contents. And when she put the glass down on the kitchen counter, Diana let out a deep sigh.

“Cannot sleep?”

Diana was startled with the voice. She looked to her left and she saw Jaimee seated on a high chair, eating ice cream.

“You scared me.”Diana mumbled.

“Did I? You seem troubled; you didn’t even notice me when you came in.”Jaimee said, looking at Diana with tilted head.

“I don’t need my husband’s affinity to know that something is bothering you. Is it about your mission?”Jaimee asked, and Diana nodded.

Jaimee waved her hand and a high chair moved towards Diana.

“Sit.”She said, and Diana did.

“So what seems to be the problem?”Jaimee asked.

Diana looked at her hands.

“I had a nightmare, a nightmare that did happen decades ago. But I can still feel every pain, every curse. My brother and I almost died that night, and if it wasn’t for Master Helena we wouldn’t be here.”Diana said.

Jaimee smiled.

“I agree on that one. If my mother didn’t save all of you, you wouldn’t be here; I wouldn’t have my Shadow Knights, my allies, my friends, my family.”Jaimee paused.

“If you cannot go back and face that awful memory, I can give the mission to Adam. Because honestly, my husband can no longer take Adam’s blabbering mess.”Jaimee said, and then Diana shook her head.

“I want to do it. I need to do it.”Diana paused, and then she ran her fingers through her hair.

“But I am not sure if I can do it.”She added.

Jaimee sighed and then she put down the ice cream cup.

“It’s just simple. If you want to do it, you need to toughen up and do it. You are not the old Diana that your abusive parents threw away decades ago. You are a shifter that can shift into anything she likes, whenever she wants to.”Jaimee paused, grabbing Diana’s hand squeezing it.

“My mother brought out the power in you. You and Damon are strong shifters; they don’t stand a chance against you.”Jaimee said, and Diana smiled.

“You think I can do it?”Diana asked.

“I don’t think you can do it. I know you can do it.”Jaimee paused, and smirked.

“If you feel scared again, you can always unleash the monster inside, and cut off their heads.”Jaimee said.

Diana scoffed, and then she chuckled.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”She said, and Jaimee nodded.

“Alright, I’m going to head back to bed. I can hear Lucca’s grumbling in my head and it’s annoying.” Jaimee stood up, and patted Diana’s shoulder.

“If you got yourself a boyfriend, make sure he’s not a telepath.”Jaimee said with a wink, before leaving Diana alone in the kitchen.

Diana sighed and she thought of what Jaimee said. Then she held her hands upwards, and it transformed into a dragon’s claws.

“I can do this. I am not weak. I am strong.”Diana said repeatedly.

Then she stood up and left the kitchen through the back backdoor. She run outside and she shifted into a half human half dragon form. Which she maintained her human torso that had her privates covered with gold dragon scales, her arms and legs are covered with dragon scales, her hands and feet are of dragon claws, her back sported a huge dragon wings, and her eyes were green slits. She flew towards the sky, gliding against clouds, and swooping down the river.

Diana thought that this will be the last time she’ll let a dream get to her. She is no longer a weak child. She was trained and improved by Helena Ashworth. She’s a force to reckon with.

She’s a Shadow Knight.