[center][color=lightgray][h1][center][color=gold]Flashback, Sola 27th[/color]
[color=slateblue]Ari[/color] & Drake [/center][/h1]

[h3][color=red]FLASHBACK![/color][/h3]

Slap slap slap....

The sound of feet squelching through the freshly mopped foyer reverberated through the house, accompanied by the hurried shuffle of maids darting to and fro. Their faces were pinched with a mix of dread and exasperation. It was unmistakable—the wild, red-haired menace was home, and judging by the trail she was leaving, she’d brought half the outdoors with her.

A grimy trail of muddied footprints stretched across the gleaming floors, smeared further by water pooling in uneven streaks. The damp chaos climbed the grand staircase, where it morphed into soggy, muddy blotches, leaving behind a mess that only Ariella Edwards could create. Soft groans and sharp sighs of frustration rippled through the staff, the muttered laments about the freshly cleaned floors weaving into a quiet chorus.
Completely unfazed by the commotion in her wake, Ariella made her way directly to her brother’s office, her steps quick and purposeful. She knew Drake would be there - he always was when she needed him. As she reached the heavy oak door, her feet squelched once more, a fresh puddle forming beneath her.
Without hesitation, she raised her fist and knocked, the sound loud and firm, reverberating through the hall. Water, dirt, and a murky mix of unknown origins began to seep under the door, creeping into the room beyond like an uninvited guest.

[color=slateblue]“Drake!”[/color] she called, her voice carrying the same urgency as her footsteps. Whatever had brought her rushing home, it was sure to upend his day as thoroughly as she had the house.
There was a moment of silence as the delicate pen strokes of her brother’s pen danced across the parchment. He was in the process of writing letters of thanks to those that attended, among other smaller apologies for the rowdiness and other events that transpired. Drake rested the quill into its ink chamber and rose from the chair to greet the oddly wet-sounding knock that was confirmed to be his sister as soon as he heard the woman call his name.

Measured steps went up to the door, and that all-too-familiar pace of the door opening were the answer to Ariella’s shouts. [color=greenyellow]”And a good evening to you as well, sister. You are looking particularly…damp….this evening?”[/color] But there was something different in her stance. The way she stood staring at him intently that tipped the young lord off to this being far more than just a “big brother complaining session”.

He straightened his posture, stepped aside, and motioned towards his study. [color=greenyellow]”Come in. I’ll get you some towels.”[/color] He opened up a nearby cabinet that seemed to contain a myriad of assorted supplies - all from previous visits that he had eventually learned to keep stored just for her. He found a pair of thicker towels made from linen and cotton, and walked over to wherever she would sit. [color=greenyellow]”One to sit on, one to dry yourself with. What exactly happened that made you come rushing here dripping and muddy?”[/color] He asked patiently.

Her bewildered expression was clear as she stepped past him into his office. Her fingers hovered near her mouth, nails chewed nervously, while her distant eyes betrayed the turmoil in her thoughts.

[i]“Ariellaaa…”[/i]

Her brother’s voice broke the silence, drawing her gaze sharply to him. He held out a towel, his expression a blend of concern and patience.

She took the towel without a word, using it first to dry her damp hair, then draping it around her shoulders for warmth. Another towel was placed on the chair across from his, where she moved to sit down. She pulled the fabric tighter around herself, the plush barrier doing little to chase away the chill she felt.
Lifting her gaze to meet his, her large green eyes seemed to plead for understanding, though she said nothing.
[color=slateblue]“I was in the woods…”[/color] She leaned back in the chair.[color=slateblue]“I went for a s-”[/color] she was about to lie. She caught herself. If she was going to find answers she needed to ask real questions. [color=slateblue]“I was practicing magic.”[/color] she admitted outright, her eyes unable to meet her brothers in fear of his reaction. 

There was a sudden stop as Drake went from walking back to his desk. He took the time to pivot on his foot and slowly turn towards his sister. The look on his face expressed many levels of shock - how had she known? What made her do this? Is she reverting back to…? No she couldn’t be…Drake’s mind flurried with quick questions before he cleared his throat and focused his attention on Ariella. [color=greenyellow]“Did anyone see you? Were you followed?”[/color] His tone dropped to a serious and borderline frantic state.

Slowly, she shook her head as she watched his expression. “No.” she said firmly “I didn’t do anything crazy I was just…” she paused for a moment “I was just testing out my aura, more of a curiosity then anything. And well…things were going normal for a moment then suddenly this darkness appeared but the only way that could happen is if I had preformed dark magic.” her looked up at her brother with concern “But i’ve never done that i’ve only ever once done a protection spell and that was it.” 

Drake exhaled, casting his gaze downward for a moment. [color=greenyellow]“I think it’s time you heard about something. Something I’ve regrettably held from you all these years. But before I start…Know that this was to keep you out of harm’s way, and to let you live the free life you’ve pined for since your youth.”[/color] He walked over to a small armchair and hoisted it nearby in Ariella’s vicinity. Taking a seat, Drake leaned onto his knees with his elbows and met his sister with a soft yet serious expression. He seemed to pause for quite a while, bordering on an almost eerily silence before he finally broke it with a gentle sound.

[color=greenyellow]“When you were twelve, there was a similar incident to today that occurred. You had wandered into the woods to play, as you would often do, and came back crying to father about a ‘scary voice in the woods’.”[/color] Drake moved his arms down, fingers locking in between each other and his thumbs nervously fidgeting over one another. [color=greenyellow]“Once we all went out to investigate, you began to be frantic. You kept saying how ‘it was right there’ but everytime we turned there would be, nothing…”[/color] Drake’s eyes looked down into his fists. [color=greenyellow]“And then you started behaving strangely. Telling this voice to go away, that you wouldn’t ‘hurt your family’ and that ‘you only wanted to protect them’. Just as mother began to reach for you, as if by instinct, you put your hands out and put a ward between you and her. She nearly got knocked off her feet from the sudden shockwave of energy. But it quickly vanished.”[/color] Drake looked up to her, and blinked a few times before thinking of the right words to say here.

[color=greenyellow]“But there was something sinister about it. Something was awakened that day. After you cast that fleeting spell, everyone present felt chills running down their backs - like the very woods were watching them. Sizing us up like a stalker towards its prey. We all quickly left, but not before….”[/color] Drake stopped himself. This was already so much to drop on her all at once, but it was time she heard about her past - about the secrets they burned that day.

Ari stared blankly at her brother in disbelief. She attempted to read his face but she knew Drake would never lie, not about this. Not to her. [color=slateblue]“Not before what?”[/color] she asked, her voice cracking slightly as she could feel his mood shift. Shifting in her chair she gripped onto the towel that laid along her lap. 

Drake gripped onto his knees, struggling to find the words. The events that transpired that night were something out of a fairy tale. [color=greenyellow]“You began to talk strangely. Telling us that ‘we couldn’t take your gift away’. You started to get really upset. So much so that you threw your arms up and began to say … some questionable things.”[/color] Drake sighed, his head now resting in his hand. [color=greenyellow]“How you would never let it go. That it will always come back. That you would stop at nothing to get what you want.”[/color] Drake looked up at Ariella. [color=greenyellow]“It was like you were possessed or something. Father was frightened. Mother was mortified. So…they did something desperate….”[/color] Drake paused for several moments - unsure of how to approach this delicate situation. He puffed his chest and decided he would be forthcoming about it - she deserved to know after all.

[color=greenyellow]“They wiped your memory.”[/color]
Ariella's grip on the towel tightened, her knuckles turning white as the weight of Drake's words settled over her like a thick, suffocating fog. Her mind raced, grasping for fragments of memory that weren’t there, trying to make sense of something that had been stolen from her.
She wanted to laugh, to call him a liar, to insist that their parents would never do such a thing. But Drake didn’t lie. Not to her.

Her breath hitched. [color=slateblue]“No…”[/color] she whispered, shaking her head as her heartbeat pounded in her ears. [color=slateblue]“That’s not possible.”[/color] But the uncertainty in her own voice betrayed her.
A wave of nausea rolled over her, and she shot up from her chair, the towel falling to the floor. Her legs felt unsteady, like she was standing on shifting sand.

[color=slateblue]“What did they take from me, Drake?”[/color] Her voice was barely above a whisper, but there was an edge to it, sharp and trembling. [color=slateblue]“What was so terrible that they thought they had the right to rip it from my mind?”[/color]

Her fingers curled into fists at her sides as flashes of something—feelings more than memories—buzzed at the edges of her consciousness. Anger. Desperation. A deep, unwavering certainty that something had belonged to her.
Her pulse quickened. [color=slateblue]“They had no right,”[/color] she hissed, her breath uneven.
Her stomach twisted violently. The betrayal burned, clawing at her insides like a caged animal. 

[color=greenyellow]“They had consulted many spirit healers before deciding what to do. You almost harmed one of them. They all came to the same conclusion - one that I find rather preposterous but it fed into Father and Mother’s worries even more.”[/color] Standing up, Drake walked across the room and towards his desk Ari’s wide eyes followed him, watching his each step with shock. From within one of his drawers he pulled out and produced an ornate key. A silvery design that looked like a wand from the right angle, with a tiny black stone embedded in its center. He marched towards a safe that was hidden behind several books on his bookshelf wall. Small enough to hide, yet large enough to contain a few secret items he felt was necessary to bring out given the circumstances.

[color=greenyellow]“You were branded a witch. A magic user doomed to bring chaos and havoc upon everyone close to you. No one placed any faith in you - branded you a liability purely because you cast a few spells. What poppycock….”[/color] Ari’s brows furrowed, no one placed faith in her? No…instead they just took from her, attempting to control her even more than they had before. Drake’s last words were muttered in a hushed whisper - Drake was never known to curse, but the nature of the incidents leading to her memory wiping were frustrating and disagreeable on a fundamental level for him. 

Ari could feel tears welling in her eyes as she attempted to gather her thoughts but her mind raced with so many emotions she couldn’t seem to manage them all. 

As he clicked the safe open, he reached in for a number of items. A small notebook Ariella had kept during her time as a child - telling small stories of her different magical experiments. There was a pouch full of withered herbs and roots that had long since passed their expiration date. Drake made a noticeable expression at the pungent odor it emanated. Lastly, a small ornate wooden box with a silver lock on it - something Drake had found in her special place in the woods but could never find the key for. He handed all three of these items to her in a linen tote bag. She reached out, grabbing the bag and holding it tightly to her chest as a breath she hadn’t relized she had been holding let out with a soft sigh. 

[color=greenyellow]“I tried to protest - but I was only 14…they wouldn’t listen to me. But I did take the time to save some items from your little spot before they cleaned it out the first time. Your special place in the woods - it isn’t the first time you’ve been there. I knew it wouldn’t be your last either. So I saved what I could - and they either burned or destroyed the rest…I wish I could have told you sooner but I feared you would not believe me…”[/color] Drake hung his head for a moment. Despite all his prestige and all the skills he’s tried to cultivate over the years - his sister still remained one of the least protected people around him. Magic was a foreign notion to him - something he could scarcely imagine. Yet it was something he would have to struggle through understanding if he were to have any chance with helping his dear sister.

Clutching the bag of mysterious items, Ari felt a surge of magic crackling through her fingertips, tingling beneath her skin like tiny currents of electricity. Her grip tightened instinctively around the worn fabric, as if letting go would sever the fragile thread of understanding that had just begun to unravel before her. She lifted her gaze to her brother, her vision blurred by the tears welling in her eyes, her cheeks flushed a delicate shade of pink.

It all made sense now—why Anna had been so baffled when Ari struggled to recall her favorite place, why she had needed to be shown the way back. Memories that had once been scattered like fallen leaves suddenly seemed to be pulling together, threads that had dangled loose now weaving toward something tangible. Though much was still shrouded in haze, this discovery felt like the first real step forward.

Without a second thought, Ari let the bag slip from her grasp, its contents forgotten as it landed with a soft thud at her feet. In a blur of motion, she bolted from her chair, propelled forward by a force greater than conscious thought. She collided with her brother’s chest, the sheer momentum of her small frame slamming into him like a carriage crashing into a stone wall. He staggered, momentarily off balance, but managed to steady himself just in time.

Ari’s arms wrapped around him with a desperate fervor, her slender fingers digging into the fabric of his shirt as though anchoring herself to reality. She buried her face against him, her breath hitching before breaking into raw, uncontrollable sobs. The weight of all she had lost, of all she was beginning to reclaim, poured out in a flood of tears, muffled against the warmth of her brother’s chest. She rarely showed affection, her mother constantly frowning upon it stating it was a sign of weakness but she didn’t care, especially not now. 
[color=slateblue]“Thank you Drake”[/color] she said between sobs her words muffled slightly by the fabric of his shirt. 

It was an odd sensation welling within him. There was worry. Worry that Drake couldn’t always be there to protect her from the evils of the world. There was sorrow. Sorrow that a woman such as her had to face such injustice and prejudice simply for her gift of magicae. There was anger. Anger that of all the people that she could turn to, right now it seemed he was the only one to give her any form of closure. The welling energy came into him and threatened to cause an eruption of tirades and curses - but her hug sealed it all in.

[color=greenyellow]“There there, Ari.”[/color] He gently patted her back while she sobbed into his chest. This was going to be a process, that was for sure. Magic was outlawed after all, and this was only the start. There were already rumors of people going around killing suspected witches and warlocks - not to mention the public execution just the other week. Fear instilled itself in his mind as the possibilities flowed forth.
He cleared his throat. [color=greenyellow]“This is alot to take in. But you can confide in me in the meantime. Take time, learn about this hidden gift of yours. But don’t let it define you. You are not simply a ‘witch’. You are Ariella Edwards.”[/color]

[b]Pulling back from Drake chest she wiped the tears from her eyes.[/b] 
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