Chapter 6: A New Power

  (Unknown POV)

“Rafael! What were you talking about?” Kael asked him, and his cheerful smile changed into a sinister one in a single second. 

“Why? Are you getting jealous, Big Brother?” Rafael taunted, and he clenched his fists in anger. 

“Don’t… Don’t mess with her, Rafael. Stay away from her or else… It will not be good for you.” He warned, and Rafael’s dark chuckle echoed in the garden. 

“Soooo… My big brother is getting possessive of someone, right?” Kael didn’t answer his question, but clearly understood the intent behind his words. 

“Don’t let me catch you with her again, or else… You have to bear the consequences of your actions, Rafe,” Kael said and left the garden while Rafael was seething in anger. He decided to help Vera at any cost, and no one could stop him, not even Prince Kael. 

*

*

*

“So, I have to start my practice with Prince Rafael, and he will teach me about all the tactics, but why?” Vera asked her reflection, and my eyes changed color for a second, and then I saw the most astonishing scene of my life. A girl appeared in the mirror with the same face, physique, and expressions as mine, but her eyes shone with heterochromia, and a small silver moon was present in the center of her forehead. She looked ethereal, just like a goddess. 

“Xela! What is this? How is this possible?” I asked in a breathless tone, like I couldn’t believe my own eyes. 

“It is one of your fae powers. You will slowly discover your own powers, but now is not the right time. I will only tell you about them with the passage of time, okay?” She asked, and I nodded my head in yes. 

“Good! For now, just keep in mind that we can split like this in real life too, but it will drain a lot of our energy, so we have to use this power very carefully, also… You are not allowed to tell anyone about your hidden powers, not even a single person. As you know, it is not a beauty pageant. It’s a competition of power-hungry beasts, so we have to be extra careful from now on, because power can blind anyone with its charm. Don’t expect anything from anyone besides betrayal, and if someone tries to give you any unfair advantage or opportunity, you have to accept it without any second thought. Everything is fair in a survival death arena, alright?” She asked, and I nodded my head in yes. A small smile appeared on her lips. 

“You are really incredible, Xela. I didn’t expect you to be this sharp, vigilant, powerful, and intelligent all at once. Vera praised her from the depths of her heart. 

“No need to praise me so much. I am just a reflection of you, a hidden part of you that you have never discovered fully.” Her answer stunned me. 

“Someone is coming,” she said, and in the next second, there was no one in the mirror. I was staring at my own reflection. I sighed and turned towards the door, where she had pointed before vanishing into thin air, but her words really gave me a lot of hope. 

Knock, Knock

I frowned at her hearing skills and slowly opened the door. An old maid was standing in front of me with an elegant smile on her face. She scanned me from head to toe in a second. I also saw the look of displeasure in her eyes, but didn’t say anything to her. 

“You are quite fat, given your size, Missy,” she taunted, handing me a blue envelope. I didn’t answer her. 

“Here are all the rules and information about the next round of competition. Best of Luck!” She said and, without another word, left me there. I quickly closed the door behind her and opened the envelope. 

It took me a few seconds to go through all of them, but I quickly finished it. 

“Well! It is not that difficult… I hope so,” I mumbled under my breath and checked the time. It was about to happen in two days, in the evening, which means I will have more than enough time to prepare for the first round. 

“Honey Relish Ritual,” I read the topic again, and it was quite new for me. In which we have to taste several flower nectars to choose the best for medicinal uses and for other purposes,” I read all the details again, but they weren’t much. 

“Why the f*ck does a Luna need this boring ritual? I mean… the flower nectar has nothing to do with her capabilities, right?” I asked myself before putting the envelope on the nearby small table. I quickly opened the briefcase and gasped in horror when I saw what the hell they packed for me as night suits. They were nothing but l*ngries and worse than a nightmare for me. I gritted my teeth in anger and chose a simple dress as a nightgown instead. 

“I will f*cking kill them if I ever get a chance to go back to that pack,” I mumbled under my breath and closed the briefcase. Whoever packed my things did all this intentionally. It wasn’t the right time to indulge in all the unnecessary details, so I left the mess for some other time and headed towards the bathroom for a quick hot shower. 

Since I decided to take this competition seriously, I will not step back from it now. I will prove myself to everyone once and for all. 

"We have to be cautious around Prince Draven. What if he tried to frame us or humiliate us like before?" Xela's voice echoed in my mind, and I nodded in agreement. A lot of bitter memories surfaced in my mind, but I stopped them; otherwise, it would be hard for me to focus on this competition. 

"I will... Don't worry, we are different now, Xela. We will not let him trick us again," I answered before taking a deep breath to calm myself down. It will be a long night.