Slap
The cold water in the bowl hit her face gently, waking her up. She grabbed a towel and wiped it off.
She took off the white nightgown she was wearing and changed into the familiar green clothes of her tribe. She left her long orange hair down, tying only half of it back.
When she was ready, she went down to the lower part of the cabin.
The house wasn't big. It was a small wooden hut, with the bedrooms upstairs and the kitchen along with a small living area downstairs. It was simple and poor, but it was the home Natalia had grown up in. All her memories were inside it. She was born there, learned how to speak and walk there. Her father had taught her the history of the Mirians there—how they were once slaves who escaped to find their freedom.
"Good morning."
Her mother had already prepared breakfast, which consisted of bread and soup.
"Good morning,"
Natalia replied with a smile as she sat at the table and began eating with her family.
"So… what do you think about Ilias?"
Natalia almost spat out her soup when she heard her mother's words.
"My dear, isn't it a bit early for that?"
her father said in a calm and gentle tone.
"What do you mean? It's been three years since she turned fifteen. She should have at least been engaged by now."
"Still…"
"Natalia, you and Ilias have been friends since you were little, and you get along well. I'm sure he could give you a good home."
the Mirians, could marry at the age of thirteen.
But Natalia didn't want that. She just wanted her freedom, no matter how much her mother pushed her into marriage.
"Mom… I'm not ready for something like that yet."
Her mother sighed.
"Again the same thing. At this rate, you'll end up alone."
Natalia looked down at her bowl of soup, which she had almost finished. She wanted to say something… but didn't know what.
"I'm done. I'm leaving. Eleonora will be waiting for me."
"Be careful,"
Her father said with a smile.
"You're late."
Eleonora had been waiting outside her house for a while, which made her feel a bit annoyed—not because she was angry at Natalia, but because she was impatient, and waiting even five minutes felt like a challenge for her.
"Oh, you're already here. Sorry for making you wait."
"It's fine. Let's go, we're already late."
Natalia and Eleonora began walking toward the cave.
The cave was the place where the crystal had been found—the one that gave the Mirians their powers.
These powers allowed them to control light and transform it into a specific element, giving it different properties.
Some controlled water, others channeled their energy into weapons, making them stronger and more deadly, while others used light for healing.
Natalia was an archer, so she belonged to the hunter group.
Hunters were the ones who went outside the village to hunt wild animals and bring back food. Sometimes, they also protected the village from dangerous creatures.
Eleonora was a water user. Her ability helped provide water to the village when the small lake or the wells dried up during the summer.
The Mirians never used their abilities violently. After all, in a peaceful place like this, there was no need for violence.
When they finally arrived, they entered the cave.
The walls of the cave were carved with figures that told the history of the Mirians and their powers. The space had been shaped to allow plenty of room so they could use their powers freely without destroying anything. It was simple and poor, but for over 800 years, the Mirians had learned to control their powers there.
A middle-aged man entered and looked at his students. They all had the characteristic orange hair and green eyes, and they all wore green clothes.
"Yesterday, you learned how to release your power outside your body. Today, you will fight each other using what you learned."