‘Calli (“Cuh-Lie”)’ ''Faolan ("Fay-Lon")''


    Calliope Anastasia Campbell-Athanasiou, already regarded as a prodigy throughout the empire, woke one night with her heart racing, her throat burning, and tears threatening to spill from the corners of her eyes. Her lungs struggled to draw in air, and all she could feel were surges of pure power pushing and pulling through every inch of her body. It was as if her consciousness had lived and died across thousands of lifetimes—or perhaps more.


    She knew she was Chosen by the Stars.


    Her body, once obedient to her every command, now refused to respond. The more she tried to understand how this was happening, the more everything around her felt foreign, as if she hadn’t been there for ages—or maybe never at all.


    The girl she had once known herself to be was gone, replaced by someone—something—beyond the comprehension of any Anaran.


    That night, the stars shone brighter over the Archam empire, their glow seeming to bestow a blessing–one that, in time, only the Chosen One would come to loathe.


    –Six Years Later–


    It was near dawn. Cassius and I were running, laughing, and playing throughout the vast garden of the isolated castle that was our home.


    “Come on, Calli, catch me!” Cassius called over his shoulder, his dark hair flying behind him as he sprinted ahead.


    A smirk tugged at my lips as I felt the familiar pulse of power flood through me. A rush surged to the tips of my fingers as the space between us seemed to stretch on for miles. Yet, as swiftly as the sensation came, it was gone, leaving only the ghost of its presence.


    “Gotcha,” I said as I ran alongside him, showing up quicker than he could register.


    He rolled his eyes. ‘Not fair!’ But we both knew he never truly minded—not with me. We both began to slow our speed and finally stopped at the fountain in the middle of the garden, lying down on its edge and looking up at the sky, shielding our eyes from the morning sun with our arms. It was peaceful. He wasn’t afraid of me, of what I could become—what I could do. My family never was. Never would be. And I’d make sure of that.


    “Princess, His Grace would like to see you.” A small messenger golem said as it popped out from behind a rose bush, its voice rough-sounding but polite. They might seem odd to outsiders—golems were rarely seen, let alone an entire estate filled with them in plain sight. Mother had made them help around the estate instead of hiring servants who would either not show or eventually leave.


    I nodded my head in understanding and sat up as I looked over to Cassius, who had fallen asleep. With a flick of my wrist, I sent him far from the garden, safely tucked away in his room. A small groan of thanks escaped him as he landed.


    Then, in an instant, I was in my father’s office. Adonis Eros Athanasiou, one of the two dukes in the empire. He had long black hair falling past his shoulders, and down his back only stopping once it reached his tailbone. His black eyes matched his hair, and he wore glasses sometimes—mostly while working. He stood nearly two meters tall, just a couple of inches shorter than my mother.


    To most, he had an intimidating presence, the kind that could stop someone in their tracks, making them bow and beg forgiveness for crimes they hadn’t even thought about committing yet. But inside this castle, he wasn’t nearly as mean as he looked.


    After nearly two whole minutes of waiting, he finally popped out from behind a bookshelf.


    "Ah, Calliope, dear!" my father said, rather rushed, as his head emerged from behind a bookshelf. His clothes were a little disheveled, his hair messy, his glasses sitting a bit too far down on his nose, and soot marked his face and gloved hands.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    He walked over to me, taking off his gloves and pushing his hair back.


    "Your mother will be on her way soon! She called around an hour ago, though, so she might—!"


    He stopped and looked as if he had just remembered something. Then, quickly turning, he ran back behind the bookshelf, muttering to himself.


    "No, no, no… this won’t do…!"


    I followed behind the bookshelf, which led to his lab. It was significantly larger than one would expect for a door hidden behind a bookshelf. The lab had ample lighting and three worktables, each covered in unfinished projects. Random machine parts and measuring glasses were scattered around, with some books stacked in a corner while others were open on the floor or the tables. Blueprints and papers, covered in an astonishing amount of numbers, letters, and symbols, were hung all over the walls.


    And, last but not least, there was my father, running around in the midst of it all while muttering to himself and scribbling in his handheld notebook.


    Sighing to myself, I coughed to get his attention.


    "Ah, right! She might be here soon!" he said, finishing the previous sentence he had left on a cliffhanger.


    I just nodded and waved him goodbye.


    "Bye, sweetie, love you!" he yelled after me before I slid the bookshelf shut.


    In an instant, I was in Cassius''s room, shaking him awake.


    "Cassius, mother will be home soon," I said, as slight excitement could be heard in my voice.


    Then I went on my way to tell my other brother, Faolan Ambrose Athanasiou. His dark red hair matched mine in color but not in length. His eyes were gold, and small freckles dotted his face and the rest of his body, just like mother.


    He was in the training area, sparring against one of our combat golems. With a familiar tingle at the tips of my fingers, I had Faolan’s sword in my hand. And with a wave of my other hand what seemed like a blast of air had hit the golem, which resulted in a baffled brother and a golem smashed into the walls of the arena.


    It was quiet for a moment, only the low gusts of wind could be heard before. "Come on, Calli, seriously!" Faolan yelled, exasperated, as he rolled his eyes with a huff.


    "Mother will be back soon," I said, ignoring his previous comment. But that seemed to get him to perk up.


    "Really?" he asked, looking almost like a puppy who had been told he was a ‘good boy.’


    "Yes, father told me earlier," I said as I handed his sword back to him.


    "I’m sure that means Niall and Sloane will come back with her," I added while walking away as he put his sword on one of the many racks and followed me.


    Niall Atlas Campbell-Athanasiou is the firstborn of the family. He has long black hair and gold eyes, freckles all over his face and body too. Sloane Althea Athanasiou is the second child and has short black hair and black eyes. She looks the most like our father, Cassius as well. While Niall, Faolan, and I mostly look like our mother.


    My father, Adonis, my brothers, Cassius and Faolan, and I were standing outside, waiting for Mom and the others to arrive. Worker golems moved about in the background, tending to their tasks.


    As we waited, Cassius and Faolan were attempting to flick, tap, poke, or hit each other discreetly behind Father and me. However, they stopped quite suddenly as a small circle with ancient engravings began to expand on the concrete in front of us. The markings glowed faintly as the circle grew larger, and in a flash of light, a tall woman appeared, two others standing behind her.


    Her back was turned as she seemed to be scolding the two accompanying her. Then, she stopped abruptly, turned around, and broke into a wide smile, revealing sharp canines. Her bright golden eyes shimmered, and the sunlight illuminated her freckled face, making it seem as if she was glowing.


    "Ah, Cassius, my baby! Calliope, Faolan, sweeties, come here!" she called, spreading her arms wide as she quickly strode toward us and knelt.


    "Oh, how I’ve missed the three of you!" my mom said as she squeezed all of us into one big hug.


    "Missed–you–too, Ma–mma!" Cassius gasped, struggling to push away from her crushing embrace.


    "Ahem." My father coughed, glancing at my mother.


    "Yes, yes, you as well, honey," my mother said with a playful roll of her eyes before finally letting us go.


    Faolan and I exchanged a look of relief.


    "What about us?" The two who had accompanied my mother—Niall and Sloane—finally spoke up.


    "Have you forgotten about us, Father?" Sloane asked, raising a brow.


    "Of course not!" my dad said, turning to both of them with his arms open. "I’m glad the two of you have come back safely."


    Though I was glad they had returned, my gaze lingered on my mother. It had been nearly two years since I had seen her in person, yet somehow, it felt even longer.