Bound by Darkness: Shadowborn

Darkness. Pitch black. A space void of light. That's all I see when I open my eyes. To be blind is a dangerous thing. People always say that when you lose one sense, the others sharpen to compensate. But for me? That's an understatement. You see, I wasn't born blind. I was a normal, healthy child. Well… mostly. I was color blind—only able to see in grayscale. Not that it mattered much. Nobody knows exactly what caused it. My mother, Thetis, doesn't carry the gene, and my father is completely normal. That's how genetics work, right? That's how a girl ends up color blind. But I guess I'm the exception. I didn't lose my sight at birth. I became blind after something happened when I was six years old. I don't remember much. Just fragments. Flashes. The way the world changed afterward is what stayed with me the most… Now, I can feel the blades of grass before my feet touch the ground. I can hear the beat of a dragonfly's wings from miles away, fluttering by the river. My hearing is sharp enough to count the milliseconds between each rhythmic thrum. It's beautiful—and unbearable. My other senses are just as intense. So you can probably imagine how overwhelming things get when I come across something unpleasant. But I don't react. I don't show emotion. It's easier that way. I should've introduced myself sooner. My name is Therrin. My friends call me Thera. And I'm a shifter. Being a shifter isn't like it is in the books or movies. There are no werewolves under a full moon, no sudden transformations under rage. In truth, we're a coven of witches—rare ones—gifted with the ability to shift into the creature of our choosing. Ironic, isn't it? The one thing I was born to do… I'm told I can't. Because I'm blind. How can a girl shift into a wolf or a panther if she's never seen what they look like? That's what my coven believes. They think I'm useless. Powerless. A burden. But here's the thing: I can shift. Better than any of them. I never meant to learn. I never even tried. Not after they told me I couldn't. But then it happened— By accident.