The Shadow Princess

Time to Go

Once I finished the remaining chores, I heard the children in the dining room sitting around the table, enjoying the breakfast I had prepared earlier. I went inside and noticed some of the older teenagers looking at me, smirking and whispering among themselves. As soon as the younger children saw me, they began to thank me for the breakfast. Mrs. Ophelia walked downstairs, dressed in her usual attire: a pair of blue jeans and an old orange shirt that had faded from years of use. I smiled at her, but she looked at me sadly and said, "Go ahead and get packed. Let me know before you leave, please." I nodded and headed upstairs.

When I was halfway up the stairs, I heard chairs scraping at the dining table as someone got up. I kept my head down and continued to walk up. By the time I reached the top of the stairs, the teenagers from earlier were behind me. The ringleader, Carrie, smirked and said, "We wanted to make sure you don't take anything of ours while you pack. Once you're done, I'm taking to your bed." I bit my cheek and said nothing, but I felt my familiar stirring and growling in my mind, ready to pounce at any moment. I clenched my fist and entered my room with them following me.

I went over to my drawer and started packing my belongings into a duffel bag Mrs. Ophelia had given me a couple of months ago. By the time I finished packing, the bag wasn't even half full. I slung it over my shoulder and walked right past Carrie, slightly bumping her with my shoulder to signal her to move out of my way. I took two more steps before I sensed she was about to punch me from behind. I quickly dodged her fist and smirked. "Damn, Carrie, I can't believe you're so weak as to try to hit me with my back turned. PATHETIC!" I punched her in the gut, smiling as she vomited up her breakfast while her friends surrounded her. She pushed them off and ran past them. I knew she would go to tell Mrs. Ophelia because that was her routine; she loved to play the victim.

My familiar laughed heartily in my mind, and I struggled to keep from laughing myself as I reached Mrs. Ophelia's office. I could hear her talking to Carrie. "Carrie, I have said I will handle it, but for now, you need to go and do your chores." I heard Carrie stomp her feet and growl in frustration, yelling, "Whatever!" She burst out of the office, and I leaned against the door frame, whistling softly, refusing to give her the attention she craved. I felt the intensity of her stare and smiled as I matched her energy with my own gaze.

Mrs. Ophelia sighed from her office and said, "Come in, Lorelai." I waited for Carrie to walk down the stairs before entering Mrs. Ophelia's office and closing the door behind me. Mrs. Ophelia sighed and gestured to the chair across from me. "I don't understand why you pick fights with her, Lorelai, but I'm glad you chose not to do it in front of the children. In the future, while you're out there on your own, please be mindful of your anger. Here, it's petty childish fights, but out there, it's dangerous, and I would hate to see you wind up in jail over something so minor."

I started to speak, but she raised her hand to indicate she wasn't finished. "However, I understand the circumstances, so I won't hold it against you." She sighed and pulled out some forms. "I need you to sign these stating that you are no longer a minor of the state, my dear, and then you need to leave. I don't want the children to see you and get upset. I will explain everything to them later, but this is to make it easier for both you and them. I'm sorry, but it has to be done."

I nodded, signed the papers, and slid them back to Mrs. Ophelia. She took the forms, added them to my file, and locked the cabinet. Clearing her throat, she turned to me. "Lorelai, I love you like my own daughter, but sadly, I can't keep you here forever." I shrugged while looking at Mrs. Ophelia and said, "It's alright, Mrs. Ophelia, I understand. Thank you for always being there. Maybe someday I'll come back for a visit." She smiled and replied, "I would love that, my dear."

She came around the desk and hugged me, tears in her eyes. I embraced her back and gently patted her on the back, saying, "Come on, Mrs. O, you aren't getting soft on me now after all these years." Her laughter lightened the moment, and I turned to leave. I walked out of her office and began heading down the stairs.

Once at the bottom, I looked around and noticed that the building was empty. I made my way to the kitchen, pulled open the silverware drawer, reached underneath it, and took out a taped package, slipping it into my pocket. After making it outside, I walked down the road toward the town and finally had a chance to ask my familiar a few questions.

I said, "What is your name?" I felt him bristle in my mind as he responded, "Jakobi." I continued, "Well, Jakobi, how do I get to my father's lands, and how quickly can we get there?"

"We can arrive within an hour if you're comfortable riding in the shadows," he said.

"Hmm. Before I decide, Jakobi, how far is it if we don’t use the shadows?"

"It’s two weeks by car," he replied.

I hissed in response and bit my lower lip, debating my options. With only $500 saved up, I definitely couldn’t afford a car right now, and I knew that amount wouldn’t last me two weeks when considering bus fares, hotels, and food.

Sighing, I said, "Alright, how do we use the shadows?"

Jakobi instructed, "Go into the woods over there and walk until you’re out of sight. If someone spots you while you’re using this magic, they could kidnap you again and turn you into their own personal test subject."

My eyes widened in shock, but I followed his advice. Once I was in the woods, I made sure to look around and listen carefully, ensuring there was no one around who could spot us.I sighed and waited for Jakobi to tell me what to do. Once he scanned the area to make sure no one was around, he said, "Put your palms toward the ground and imagine that the mana in the earth is being pulled toward you." I responded, "Mana? What is that?" He replied, "It's nature's magical source. Think of it like a little black ball that you can pull from, like a ball of yarn. But be careful—if you pull too much, you could sap your own energy."

I closed my eyes and placed my hands flat against the earth, imagining that I was pulling yarn from it. It felt cool in my hands, and I could sense it wrapping around me. When I opened my eyes, I found myself in an entirely different realm. Darkness surrounded me, and shadows flickered all around.

"Jakobi? Where are you?"

The shadows in the air formed the silhouette I recognized, and he said, "I'm right here. It's okay; I will guide you. There’s nothing to be afraid of here. This is your realm, after all."

I looked at him, bewildered, and asked, "What do you mean, my realm?"

He smiled and explained, "It was made for you. Granted, it's never really been used except by me and the other shadows, but it belongs to you, and no one else can access this realm but you. Your physical body is kind of in limbo right now. You're here, but you're also in the real world out there, unless you choose not to be. Everything is your choice here."