“I’m just an ordinary girl, ordinary girl in a world full of super powers. Nahhhhh, this isn’t that kind of story, I’m the chosen one! Nothing ordinary about me, I’m punctual, smart, pretty and powerful! Ain’t nothing’s gonna stop me from fulfilling my destiny! My family has been protecting roseshot valley since before time, which means it’s not stopping at me. Got it! I’ve been practicing my skills, doing my part, staying at the top of my game! The whole town loves me!”

“Good morning Mia”

“see! I’m gonna be the best chosen one The Valley has ever seen! I’ve been working my butt off to make sure I’m the best! And I am!” Mia opens the door and jumps giddily into school. “I’ll talk to y’all later, the chosen one still has to go to school,” she winks “byeeeee!”

After school she trots home happy as ever, when she gets home she’s greeted with a solemn look from her parents, she continues on completely oblivious to their melancholy faces, “Heyyyy! School was great no need to ask, all A’s, the chosen one is on fire!!” She eventually comes to, and sees the sad looks in their faces. “Hey, what is it, did Charles get out again, don’t worry I can go get him back!”

“No, em, Mia, we know you are, well excited, to be the chosen one…” her dad began but was cut off.

“Sure am!! I’m going to be the best one in The Valley!”

“Mia, sweetheart,” her mum cut in, “you aren’t the chosen one.”

“Not the chosen one! Ha! That’s a good one, almost had me there.” She shakes her head and starts walking upstairs, not hearing either of them laughing, she realised. “Wait! You’re being serious!” She jumps down the stairs.

“Sorry sweetheart, but your cousin is the chosen one.” Her dad looks down at his feet as her cousin bursts through the door.

“Hey little cousin! I am, so, so, so, so, sorry that you aren’t the chosen one. Maybe… you could be a sidekick?” She chuckles, “just came to drop in to give my, condolences, hopefully you aren’t too sad, you know it’s probably not even that fun being the chosen one.” She smirks and leaves, you can hear cheers as she leaves the house.

Mia starts muttering to her self then bursts “SHE GETS TO BE THE CHOSEN ONE!” Then breaks down, “I work my butt off doing everything!! And she gets it! She always gets everything! No matter how hard I work she always wins!” She steams.

“Well maybe it’s for the best, you know being the chosen one is a lot of work.” Her dad sighed. “Sorry Mia, its just how it is. You’re just ordinary, like your mum, but that’s okay, he pats her on the shoulder.

“No.”

“No?” Her mum is confused.

“Nope. Nuh uh! Not taking it. I’ve worked too hard to get a “good job but you didn’t quite make the cut.” No, I’m going to the elders, to figure out WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!” She storms out. “I’m not ordinary.”

Was it ever supposed to be me? Was I even supposed to be here? Was I just a placeholder? What am I supposed to do now? Where do I go? But more importantly, if not me then who?

All these and a thousand more questions flood my head as I let the words of my mentor and adoptive father, Zerran, sink in to my thoughts.

“I’m sorry, Lykran, but your not the Chosen One. It was all a mistake. I am so sorry.”

How could they? How could they just lie to me my whole life? From when I was seven years old, I had heard that I was the Chosen One. They practically told me that I wasThat because of the mark on my skin, I had a grand destiny to save the world. To be the hero of legend that vanquished evil from our world. And now — now I was nothing.

Just an ordinary nineteen year old, with an odd mark on their arm in the shape of an eagle. With skills and magic that should have never been mine. That everything I was, could be, and was going to be is actually all for someone else. I punched the wall, the impact cracking the stone.

I roared into the air, let my frustration and anger be heard by all who lived at the Sky Keep, the ancient fortress of the Sky Folk. I sat upon the steps of the grand hall and looked at Zerran, his face a mixture of sorrow and dissatisfaction, as if he had just wasted the better part of his life training the wrong person.

“What now?” I seethed. “Am I just supposed to leave and never come back? Am I even welcome her any more?”

Zerran bolted forward, coming out of his own disillusionment. “Of course you are welcome here! This is your home, and we are your family! That will never change. Whether you are the Chosen One or not.”

“Don’t kid yourself, Zerran. Now that I am not the Chosen One, they’ll just toss me aside like every other washout and wannabe that has come through here. I am nothing…”

“Enough!” Zerran shouted, making me jump. He stormed towards me and grabbed me by the collar, hauling me up to my feet. “Listen and listen well, Lykran because I will not repeat myself. You are not nothing. You have value to me and the others of the Order. And you will always have a place here. Do I make myself clear?”

I stared into his ghost blue eyes and nodded. “Crystal, sir.”

He put me down and brushed me off. “You may not be the Chosen One, Lykran but you will have a part to play in their destiny.”

“Oh really,” I scoffed. “And what part is that?”

He smiled as he spoke. “I’m getting older and I can’t do some of the things I used to. By Ulla, I can barely keep up with you. So the Elders have decided that you will become the mentor to the real Chosen One and I will step down as primary trainer, with you taking my place.”

I smiled back and replied,”I am honoured but no. I don’t think so.” And with that I left the room, leaving my mentor in a state of shock. I didn’t care. I would never accept that position, never.

Because if I get anywhere near the real Chosen One, even just a foot away, I’d kill them and there wouldn’t be anyone under Ulla’s gaze that could stop me from doing it. And who could blame me? After all… who wouldn’t kill the person who had just taken everything from them?

Everyone has something they live for. Love. Power. Honor. And what I live for-I have sacrificed more than any person can imagine. I’ve killed for it. Granted, they were all guilty, but the blood on my hands cares not for who it is I kill. So why would I believe him when he tells me it was all a lie?

“The gods chose me” I say. My hand rest on the hilt of my dagger, and the other grips the mans bloodied face.

Greysons smug look makes this easy. No guilt or pity lingers for someone who can’t give me simple answers to my questions. “No. That is a lie. I told you-“ I tighten my grip clamping his mouth shut.

“I told you to tell me where the king of night is hiding!”

“That will do you no good.”

“It would very much do me good, so if you could just tell me, I might let you walk out alive.”

His tense chuckle grants no amusement from me, but that was never his intention.

“No, it wouldn’t. Because unlike your precious kingdom has told you, you are not the chosen one. And killing the king of night will not bring the sun back.”

“Liar.”

His eyes narrow, rage barley visible. “I am many things” he pauses, considering his next words carefully. “But I am certainly not a liar.”

As much as part of me acknowledges his words, I push it deep deep down in a hole where the thoughts will never resurface. Because if I accept his truth, that means I’m not the chosen one. Killing the king of night won’t bring back the light to my kingdom. And the royals lied to me. So he must be lying.

I don’t know for how long I’ve gone quiet, because the smug look is back on his face.

“Aria” Greyson says, tone remote and unreadable. “Have you ever stopped to think why they chose you to kill the king of night. Have you ever stopped to wonder why the king of light can’t just bring the day back.”

Greysons earlier words play back in my mind. ‘You are not the chosen one. They are using you to kill the king of night, because your the only alive descendent who is capable of doing so. You are his daughter, Aria.’

“The king of night didn’t curse your kingdom with darkness. The king of sun did. He used you-“

“Stop it.”

“He cursed his own kingdom just so he can get back at the king of night-

“Shut up!”

“Your own father! They made you believe you were the chosen one-

“I said shut up!”

“And trained you and tortured you until you became broken enough to follow his orders-“

I don’t realize when my hands dart to his throat and begin squeezing. A low strangling noise escapes his lips, but there’s no protest. He’s testing me. This bastard will fight me to his death.

And normally I would kill him. He’s just the night kings soldier who’s trying to get in my head. But my gut is telling me he’s not wrong. The curse only came once the king of night stole the king of days lover. The tales of the stolen daughter of night begun twenty years ago. What better punishment than having his own daughter be the cause of his death. And my eyes. They glow purple, just like his.

My hand drop, and I instantly regret it once I look up at his face.

“I’m not the chosen one.”

“No” he breaths out, face still purple. “Your much more than that.”

The world came crashing down around me. Everything I knew was a lie. I was supposed to be the greatest, but I’m actually just average. It should have been me, I was always told it was me. In actuality my worst enemy was the chosen one. They get to live the life I’ve dreamed of since I was four. I don’t understand how she is the one who gets this power, she doe’s deserve it. I should have it, it’s not fair. If I can’t be the chosen one, I’ll just have to be the one who destroys them.

Henry stared at the blade poking his throat, eyes blown wide in confusion. The tip danced over his Adam's Apple as he swallowed. "I don't...I don't understand," he murmured. His gaze drifted up to the man standing before him. "How did you beat me?"

His opponent's lips curled up into a sneer. "Kid, you weren't anywhere near my level."

Henry licked his lips, the taste of iron coating his tongue. "But it was foretold in the scrolls. There was a prophecy-"

"Which was not about you," the older man interrupted. "Your so-called friends fed you a pack of lies."

"But..." Henry's bottom lip trembled, fear taking hold as he began to realize the truth. "But I was the Chosen One." It came out as no more than a breathy whisper.

The sword slid up his throat until it rested under his chin, the cold metal forcing his face up. "You were used, boy."

He was right. Henry knew it, too. Everything he had ever worked for...it was all a lie. He was not destined to save the world. He was not destined to defeat the bad guy.

And he certainly was not destined to be a hero.

His lips pressed into a grim line, as the reality of his fate became clear. His eyes began to burn as they filled with tears. "Please," he begged. "You don't have to do this."

For the first time, the villain's face softened, until it portrayed something akin to sympathy. "I'm sorry," was all he said.

Henry nodded, bowing his head in acceptance.

If he was meant to die, then at least he wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing him cry.

At least mercy was shown; a quick slice along the throat and it was all over.

Enfys woke up and everything was wrong.

They felt for the stream in which they had been riding and found it gone. Not just gone, but evaporated. For the first time since they were eighteen, Enfys was free falling through time.

Their first instinct was to freeze.

It had been years since Enfys had so much as eaten a piece of bread without feeling the stream’s guidance. It was second nature. It was part of them.

How could they make a decision without it?

Then, their second instinct kicked in, thank the Fool.

When their communication with the stream was compromised, the best thing to do was act.

First, they packed a bag. They took the basics, but included their performance jewellery (the thing that would get the most money at the market) and a simple wooden flute (the thing that could make them more money when the jewellery was gone).

Enfys swung the bag on their back, and grabbed three books. They stepped into the hall.

Nothing looked different. Nothing indicates the seismic shift that Enfys had just experienced.

Everyone in the temple should be riding the same stream, or a stream that was running nearly parallel to the rest of them. If Enfys’s was gone, the rest of the temple should feel it too. Enfys didn’t want to be arrogant, but their connection was stronger than anyone else’s. Enfys lived within the interconnected streams, where everyone else merely glanced it from a distance.

The temple wasn’t supposed to have hierarchy— nothing is more offensive to the Minstrel than a king. The leader of the temple would inadvertently crown themselves Emperor of Idiots.

Enfys, the Princess of Idiots, could hardly sneak past their fellow devotees. Eyes were on them, always. They were the prodigy of the Hillfars. They were the gods’ second closest confidant on earth. They were the priest who knew the future almost as well as the present.

Enfys tried to make for a side gate, weaving through the buildings, but they were stopped.

“Enfys.” Aled said, stepping in front of them.

“I’m late for worship,” Enfys said, as if they were ever late for anything.

“Gareth needs to speak to you.”

—-

Enfys tried to clear their mind. If you do not plan, your actions cannot be anticipated. The stream will have nothing to report to any of the others, as long as you accept the direction in which it sends you.

“The Minstrel has chosen to reveal their will.”

Gareth sat at the head of the table in ornate, embroidered robes. They stared Enfys down.

“And what is their will?” Enfys asked.

“To reconsider our succession plan,” Gareth said, and Enfys heard the slightest shift that indicates that the protectors next to him were preparing for a reaction.

Gareth was not strong enough to interpret the will so specifically. Gareth, Enfys suspected, could barely sense the stream at all. If Enfys hadn’t been dropped from the stream so recently, they would have known that Gareth’s declaration was a total lie.

Enfys felt like there was a void between them and everyone else. They couldn’t feel the threads of potential that grew out of every person’s mind.

Enfys had lost their trust in Gareth nearly two years ago, but they had nobody else who might have answers.

“What’s happening to me?” Enfys asked.

“The Minstrel is withdrawing their support,” Gareth said.

“That doesn’t make sense,” Enfys said. “They’ve been planning me for generations.”

“They had backups,” Gareth said. “You’re no longer needed.”

Enfys wanted to say something back, but they saw the look on Gareth’s face.

They knew it was time to go.

Jonas there is something you must know now before we move on any further. Speak up and tell me what you got to say Balik. The prophecy is wrong Jonas, you were never meant to be the chosen one Jonas it was always meant for Yabira to lead us. Yabira and her parents were kept from the truth to throw off the Aklans and to keep her safe.

“Jonas couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Before he knew it, the room began to spin. The air thickened, making it harder to breath, which made him want to run away. Run away from this lie. It had to be a lie! As he drew in one long deep breath, through gritted teeth and shaky hands, he managed to say, “Not only have I put my blood, but my brothers blood, my cousins blood, all my friends died in vain for this belief that I was the chosen one. That I was meant to break the curse and bring this planet back it its glory. I don’t believe what I’m hearing!

Jonas gets quiet as tears start to stream down the corner of his sky blue eyes. Jonas begins to sob as he tries to speak “ I never had the normal child experience that you all had, no no Jonas had to train everyday, Jonas had to be strong and show no emotion, well damnit Jonas is tired and weak now! (Jonas continues to sob) I have nothing left to give this planet and yet I’m told it was all for nothing now that Yabira is the chosen one. Yabira doesn’t want this or has had to sacrifice everything for it like me.

Let me ask you something Yabira, what are you going to do when the aklans come looking for you and all of the people who follow your commands, our new and powerful leader? Huh can you tell me? “No you can’t cause you don’t know anything about being the chosen one or a leader but some stupid ancient prophecy that the same ancestors who lost this planet made up, gives you all the power to lead us into battle.

Yabira sees the distraught in Jonas and feels the agony and hurt that is radiating through each and every bone of his body while his stomach forms unbreakable knots of shame that cause him to start dry heaving and his knees to begin to buckle. Yabira looks Jonas in his cold blue eyes with the wind blowing her long green hair while sand sprouts are forming all around and says to Jonas “do not blame me for both of us being lied to Jonas, you don’t think the same way this is all you’ve ever known is the same as me living a normal life that was just taken away now.

Jonas I am not your enemy, the Aklans are and if we don’t come together right now we will never win our home back. We need you Jonas to help lead us to glory and victory like you’ve always have, who cares who the chosen one is as long as we have our home again that’s what truly matters. The Aklans want us divided and fighting amongst each other like the animals the make us out to be. I’m telling you now we united as one Jonas can destroy the Aklans for good and rid this 100 years of pure hades that was laid upon us and shine brighter than the stars of Orion!”

Jonas stand still and hears nothing but the sand whipping past his ears, he starts to get his strength back in his legs and feels a small amount of pride to be a astron as he kneels on the hard ground his ancestors died to protect to outwardly proclaim Yabira as the chosen one and his queen. “Please forgive me Yabira I was foolish and hurt by years of lies and regimes, please allow me to give you my sword and protection as we take our planet back.”

It had been a tradition for years. When the oldest member of the Emerald family turns sixteen, they travel to the Sacred Vault, picking up the glistening stone for which our family was named and unleashing its protective powers over our kingdom. And today it's my turn. After a lifetime of waiting for this, I will become the new keeper of the Emerald, taking over from my aunt. I never really liked her that much. And using the powers myself would mean I finally had control, and she'd no longer treat me in the childish way she always used to treat me. I sit here in my room, in the best dress I have. And then I hear my father call me from the hallway. "Hurry up now! The ceremony will start soon!" I nodded and took a deep breath, walking outside into what would have to be the best day in my life. As we begin to drive, my mother tells me something. "Look, I feel really sorry for you. I know what's happened has made you sad. I regret that you won't get to live-" "I know I'm no longer going to live like normal teens do! But I'm ready, I know today is the day." "Sweetheart, that's not what I mean!" Before I can reply, I step out of the car after our short journey. I see the Vault right there in front of us in the building. I walk through the crowd of people who part for me, showering me with words of good luck, and then I'm inside the vault, my aunt is there standing beside the gem. I knew this: the Keeper had to stand on the square of intricate flooring to the left of the day. So I did, while we waited for people to come in. I finally felt ecstatic, more so than I had ever been. But that is when I feel a hand on my back. "You know that only the future Keeper gets to stand here, right?" There was a moment of awkward silence. The person behind me was one I didn't know, but the colour of his bright green eyes marked them as part of my family. A distant cousin, perhaps. "Uhm.. yes, that's me! Daphne Emerald?" "Ah yes, Daphne. Your father' s my second cousin, I think. Are you trying to find your parents? Second row back, you'd better go quickly. We don't want to waste time on Elodie's special day?" "Excuse me? I don't understand you. I'm sixteen today, eldest in the generation! I think you'll find I'm supposed to be here." A girl sprung out from behind a pillar. "Well I think you'll find you don't! Let me stand here for my ceremony", she said, not so discreetly nudging me away. "Aunt Sophie, I think there's been some mistake? Shouldn't I be-" However, she was already speaking to the Elodie girl. "Such a happy day. A day of joy, our family legacy runs on in our sweet Elodie." She then noticed me. "Go on Daphne! Sit down, we're nearly ready for the ceremony!" Reluctantly, I did and as Aunt continued speaking an anger ran through me, and even though I had only just met her I immediately begun to hate Elodie. And there was also hatred for my parents too. How did they blatantly just assume I knew about what was happening, and that Elodie, the cousin I never knew I had, would today ruin my life? As the emerald magic begins to flow through the room, it makes me feel guilty. Elodie must be enjoying this. It is her special day, not mine. So I sit, but suddenly the green light sparks more of my anger.

The chamber spun, smoke billowing out of the barrel as the fifth round pierced the old man’s chest.

“I told… you… The cities will burn, and this will… be their tomb…” The man gasped for breath he could no longer hold, falling to his side with a hand grasping at his chest. His breathing shallowed, nearly inaudible. “Why… had you not… listened…” His hand left his chest and hit the floor. Within seconds, the fire crept up his sleeve and swallowed her father whole. The tower room that once evoked such joy in her had been devastated. Only two walls remained, the other two replaced with inch-high piles of rubble. In the corner of the room opposite the broken walls lay the large boulder used to break the castle's defences. Fire had quickly taken to the rugs and banners, the flames celebrating their newfound freedom. Below, the city burned all the same. Screams rang up from citizens and soldiers alike as steel cut through flesh and armour. And amidst the aftermath stood the victor. The king’s forgone daughter.

She spat on the burning body beneath her, spinning to take her leave. The highborn woman wore a forest green woollen tunic with simple leathers and carried a single six-chambered firearm. Tonight, she was queen in title alone. As she approached the crumbled wall, a knight rose to meet her. Her guard of ten years, she hoped. The knight wore weak chainmail covered by a leather vest. A knight in title alone.

“Mastus?”

“My lady!” He clambered up the broken wall and rose to his feet before sweeping over the room, taking in the scene. “I… I do not mean to question your acuity, but was this truly the only way?” An explosion shook the castle from below. The princess stopped on the edge of the broken wall, staring out at the decimated kingdom she had despised for so long.

“Of course it was. Do you think such devastation was my intent? The scholars foretold this meeting long ago, and my bed-maidens read the tale to me ever since I was a child. After this day, none more shall suffer, not under my rule.” She spoke with her eyes fixed on a horseman as he rode through the streets, swinging a blade at beggars scurrying for safety.

“I know the tale well, but it never spoke of misery like this. It never spoke of regicide, and certainly not patricide…” The knight stepped up beside her and looked to the sky, his eyes wetting. She turned to him and slapped his cheek. It stung for a moment as the warm air seemed to steal his pain away.

“Lie to my face again, and you will swiftly find yourself amongst the beggars below!” Her eyes burned a deep orange, deeper than her auburn hair reflecting the fire behind. The knight was lying, he had to be. He stood still, likely taking careful consideration of his options. He spoke slowly.

“‘The two shall meet on the first of the Heir’s 26th spring, atop the high tower of noble birth… And lo, the King and his kin shall forge a lasting peace the world over.’ This was the prophecy, the gist of it, as I was told. As everyone was told, my lady.” He inhaled a full breath, anticipating the worst.

“What?” Her voice lowered. Another poorly chosen word would be his last, loyalty be damned.

“Your grace, what tale were you told?” A shiver washed over her body, the spring air resembling more closely a frigid night.

“They told me…“ She paused, taking in the chaos. “Mastus, it is not my 26th spring. Not even close. It is my brother’s 26th spring. The magisters... They have lied to me. We must return home.” She holstered the gun and descended the tower. Her knight followed. “Sir Mastus, who do you serve.” She ordered upon reaching the ground below.

“You, my queen, lady Liana Thrielle.”

“Mm. We will be making good use of your sword on our return, it is time we weed out the snakes who dare threaten my people.” She said, marching out of the city to the brook where they hid their horse. She lowered her head as she looked at her hand, clenching it into a fist. “I only pray my brother is not one of them…” She whispered. Her mind remained fixed on the lies and betrayals in a futile attempt to ignore what she had just done.

“Sir Liam would never betray his queen or kingdom!” Mastus yelled in a hushed tone. “I- Sorry, my lady, but I have served house Thrielle long before you were a child, and longer still than your brother. There is no truer of heart.”

“I hope you’re right, but we shall see where his sword lies once steel begins to spark.” She gripped tightly to her revolver, an heirloom passed down from her adopted father and his father before him. The only one of its kind, for the time being.

The two rode for days, passing by many along the road. Had they worn their house symbol, she thought, they would have never made it beyond the kingdom's rule. Finally, they arrived safely to the lands controlled by house Thrielle, the kingdom of Black Powder. They were still a day’s ride from their home, but relief took hold of Liana regardless.

“Who goes there?” A voice shouted from the trees. “Answer now or King Liam will be served your head!” A man stepped out of the brush, a longsword in one hand and a kite shield in the other. Several more followed behind all clad in proper iron mail, the leader in steel. She counted close to two dozen men and women, each bearing the pointed peak and ash cloud of house Thrielle.

“Worry not, knights. It is—“

“‘King Liam’? What heresy do you speak of?” Mastus interjected, straightening his back and gripping his sword.

“Are you part of the green queen’s rogue group of followers? Be warned, we’ll have your heads for that.” The knight in charge said, pointing to them with the sword.

“Just what do you mean by ‘green queen’? Last I heard Queen Liana had gone off to fulfill her family's prophecy, as is her duty to the fates.” Liana said, her impatience growing with every word.

“The queen of poison, an outsider brought in to taint the blood of the royal family and betray the prophecy foretold throughout generations. We hoped she had perished on the journey to Clearwater Castle, but none such news has reached us.”

“I… I am afraid we have been out of the kingdom for far too long. Please, give us leave so we may return to our home—“

A gunshot spoke over her voice, devastating her ears. She was both deafened and blinded to the world. Her head swam, but she she could just barely make out the shouting of Mastus and the battle cries of many knights. Suddenly she was moving forward, her horse galloping down the road beyond the soldiers shouting at her as she passed. As the world came back into focus, she realized. Her gun had been re-holstered, and she was alone.

“Mastus?” She whispered to herself, the horse riding onward without him. Shock took her, followed by sleep. On her wake would be her kingdom, waiting for the queen’s head.

She was the most popular girl To many boys, she was the world With her lush chocolate hair And the sparkling blue stare

But she was not very happy Still others were being treated unfairly A struggling girl with big brown eyes Neglected and sadly despised

A dark-haired, lonely boy Seemingly drained of all joy Was always picked on And he felt like no one

And then some girls were circling A smaller girl, who was trembling Laughing and staring Not even caring

But the popular girl had had enough What these kids were going through was tough So one day she came to school The exact opposite of cool

She didn’t brush her hair For the first time, she didn’t care Wearing ratty, smelly clothes And beige sandals showing her toes

Everyone was so surprised That she helped the others rise The brown eyed girl, the lonely boy And the small girl, all restored of joy

And all because one girl noticed it And did something about it Instead of just standing to the side And being nothing more than an alibi