It was a silent night, a lined sickle moon, and many bright stars glistered in the navy blue dark indigo sky, with the air being much warmer than usual. Long lush green strands of grass brushed against her ankles and lower legs, causing a slight itch. Even though everything was supposed to be covered in snow, there was not a single flake. She looked ahead and found the answer. She faced an enormous forest. Although this forest is a distance from where she lived, it legend stays.

  No-one ever enters it or even dares to come near it. It is haunted, feared, cursed and taboo. This is the knowledge she grew up with, what everyone told her. The Authorities intents to make it forbidden, but they still haven’t done so yet. That they stand a great distance away when guarding it says a lot. However, for some strange reason she didn’t feel frightened anyhow. People will probably deem her a fool, stupid and warranted her to be locked up. So she began to wonder what’s wrong with her. Why is she not afraid? Suddenly a lady took form in front of her. She wore a crown and appeared to be some sort of royal figure. She had a pale skin, thin lips with bright red lipstick, honey blond hair hanging below her jaw, and looked rather old, “Gabrielle Florence, I am Queen Helena, and am very well aware of this forest’s reputation, however it’s not nearly as frightening as everyone here makes it out to be. Beyond lies many other land unlike Crystasia,” She spoke in authoritative and dominating tone as someone that want to be crossed, “And this is the main reason why they deem this forest as haunted, they want you to believe that Crystasia is the only country, which is untrue. Here as well in the other realms Sorcerers live amongst us. I am there Queen. Their true and rightful ruler. Not the same one that currently reigns in Crystasia,”

  Crystasia are controlled by people called the Authorities. They report to the Superiors, which consist of a council of five people, and above them are the one main ruler, known as ‘the queen’ and that is in charge of everything. Gabrielle don’t know who she is, never met her before, and have absolutely no desire of doing so. If anyone needs to address us or make an appearance, it’s always one of the Superiors. Never the queen.

  “Tonight, I granted you with some of my magical powers. This action damaged my powers, and it will take a few months for it to fully recover again. During that time, I will be considerably weaker. As for you, on times you won’t be able to control it, where the result might be destructive, especially when experiencing high emotions or stress. On other times, you won’t be able to do magic anyhow. Overall it will be very unreliable. Therefore, it will be recommended not to use your powers too much.

  “Currently, it is too dangerous to disclose any information about the reason why. I will enlighten you when the time is right. Since then, I strongly advise you to keep yourself safe and stay out of harm’s way until we see each other again,”

  Everything slowly began to fade away as she woke up. Upon opening her eyes, she heard a loud beeping noise and her face, hair and pillows were wet too. She found her stepmother Ruby standing above her with an empty bucket of water. She forcefully sat up.

  “Gabrielle Florence, finally you’re awake! Turn that thing off it’s driving the entire household inside!”

  She stretched her arm over and tapped the top face of her functional information device twice, to turn it off so it will not go over to snooze. The FID are a device every citizen in Crystasia are required to have. It has a strap that goes around their wrist and in the middle it is a rotatable multi faced 3D shape where every side has a different function. The function at the top are always the one in use as it works with facial and finger print recognition.

  “What’s the matter with you? I already had to use two buckets of water! Your beauty sleep is over!” Aunty Ruby further scolded after only a few seconds of peaceful silence.

  Her attention was still on the strange dream she had. It felt much realer than any other. What did Queen Helena mean that she’s a a Sorcerer? Had actual magical powers. And the Forest, is it truly not as everyone believes it to be, “What do you want?” She responded absentmindedly.

  “What do I want? Did you forget that today is the day of our last summer party? What were you thinking to sleep so late?” Aunty Ruby was about to leave, but she turned back again, “Oh, and your father is back from his expedition,”

  Upon hearing this her excitement grew. It has been such a long time ago since she last seen him, “When did he return?” Her father rarely talks about his line of work. He regularly goes on these mysterious lengthy expeditions. They are always very uncertain when he will return or leave again.

  “He returned late yesterday night sleep deprived while you had your luxurious royal beauty sleep, so he’ll be very tired today. Oh and Robert is going to be there too,”

  “I know, he already told me so,” She and Robert are next door neighbours. They knew each other since little. They are so close almost like brother and sister, like twins.

  Once Ruby left, she felt her pillows, and it was drenched. She slept so deep that two buckets of water and her FID didn’t wake her.

  She stepped into the shower, set the water to the correct temperature on the control pad against the wall. Afterwards she changed into a smooth slightly tight dark red dress and gazed into the mirror. The dark red seemed go well with her complexion. Since she had long heavy sleek brunette hair, dark brown eyes, a light skin, along with tiny freckles on and around her nose, and delicate lips with a natural tint of redness. She then braided her hair, and added some make-up.

  As she left her room, Aunty Ruby hurried past. Upon seeing her she stopped dead in her tracks. She scanned her from bottom to top and then down again with a frown of disapproval on her face, “You decided to wear that for today,”

  “Yes, I did, I like it,” She casually stated.

  “This dress is dark red. Such a vivid, intense colour and angry colour I feel it’s not fit for today’s garden party. It’s one of the last warm sunny days, so everything must be perfect,”

  The entire Crystasia will begin to undergo a climate catastrophe of a ice spell that might last much longer than an usual winter, with the likelihood that it could be never-ending. The past few years were a built up to this. The winters got colder, lasted longer, the snowfall became heavier and night-time hours increased.

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  “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the colour,” She casually stated.

  “In the end it’s up to you,” Ruby strode hurriedly away leaving a strong perfumed scent in her wake.

  “Gabrielle Florence,” Her father said from behind. She turned around with a smile spreading on her lips, and they tightly hugged each other. It’s been so long since she last saw him. She missed hearing his kind gentle voice, “How’s it going with my favourite daughter?” He asked once they separated.

  “Everything is going well I suppose,” She happily answered, “How was your expedition?”

  “It was all right,”

  “What did you do?”

  “Nothing of interest,”

  “There must be something you can tell me,”

  “Gabrielle, I can assure you there really isn’t,” His tone hardened upon saying that.

  “Why not? I’m not anymore a child,”

  “It doesn’t change anything, and that’s simply the way it is!”

  Ruby rushed down the corridor again, and stopped as she picked-up on the discussion, “Gabrielle, I told you not to give your father a hard time. He’s very tired!”

  “I’m not. I only wanted to know what he did when he was away,”

  “You very well know there’s nothing he can tell! How many times do we have to explain it?”

  “I’m only so very curious,” She retorted.

  “Well then you need to learn to curb that curiosity!”

  The dream still heavily clung to her mind. The harder she tried to ignore it, the more nagging it became. She urgently needed sometime to think about it. She headed downstairs to their flower garden. This is where she usually go if she need some peaceful time to clear her head. Once there, she sat down on one of the benches underneath a tree, and gazed out at all the flowers before her. Most of them were roses. Now she allowed her mind to freely drift of to the dream. Tried to process it, as well as to accept the burden that she’s truly a Sorcerer.

  “Hello Gabs,” Robert caustically greeted as he bought her back to the present, “This dress suits you,” Then he took a seat next to her.

  “Ruby disagrees. She believes the red is too intense and vivid, and an angry colour for this freaking last summer party. She’s so stressed about it. Wants everything to be perfect. I’m not looking forward to it,” She let out.

  “That’s probably her way of dealing with everything. Your father’s expeditions, the indefinite winter, and not to mention the Authorities and Spies that has eyes everywhere,”

  She sighed deeply, “I know,”

  “I can sense something else is troubling you,” He said with concern.

  “I had the weirdest most unbelievable dream..,” So she told him about it. How vivid and real it felt, “...It’s all just so very strange,”

  “I won’t be surprised if no snow were to fall by the Forest,”

  “But in the dream Queen Helena said the Forest is not as frightening as everyone makes it out to be,”

  “Don’t honestly tell me you’re so na?ve to believe her or this dream?” He sounded sceptical.

  “I don’t know,” She’s really not sure what to think or believe anymore. Now that it is out in the open it does sound strange, “I grew-up all these years with the Forest being so terribly haunted. If you don’t believe in it you’ll get locked-up as the Authority will deem you as mad, irresponsible,” She picked-up a fallen flower from the bench, and fidgeted with it, “Sometimes in the back of my mind I can’t help but wonder if everything is connected in a way. I wish I could find more, but it will be incredibly perilous,”

  “Suppose we should start making our way back. I think the guests will be arriving soon. Bet you Ruby is looking frantically for us,” She dropped the flower, straightened her dress and they got up.

  On her way back her brother approached, “Hello Gabby, Aunty Ruby is looking for you everywhere. She’s frantic,”

  She rained in her anger, “Do not call me Gabby. I have a name and it’s Gabrielle to you. You lost your brotherly lazy tongue privilege when you abandoned me,” She spoke slowly and clearly to ensure the message is well understood. The memory of it replayed in her mind. In her perception, the person before her is not her brother.

  Her mother died seven years ago when she was eleven and he twelve. Her bother never seemed to get over it, especially a year later when father bought in Ruby. He rebelled against almost everything she said. They constantly argued, bickered and shouted at each other. He was sometimes unnecessarily rude to her. And it only escalated the older he got. During this time he also became was very distance to father as well.

  Last year when her brother finished school, he took a gap year before starting university. He claimed that he went on a year long journalism apprenticeship program done by a news agency company called ‘The Visionary Times’. When he returned about a month from now his behaviour took a complete turn. He became so accepting, calm, mature, understanding and open minded.

  She didn’t buy this journalism rubbish for one second. Whenever she asked him about it he always seemed very vague. She can remember how many times she messaged or tried to phone him on her device. She even went so far as to write a letter to him. She did all this to no avail. He never responded to anything or answered the calls. The entire time he was away, he only sent one general message to all their FID’s where he explained to them that it is going well with him and that he’ll be out of reach for most of the time. She missed him very much and was incredibly worried that something could’ve happened to him. Then these feelings slowly but surely turned to anger.

  “I need to be off again to see how I can help Aunty Ruby,” Corban left again.

  “When are you going to start taking his word about the journalism program,” Robert stated fed-up as they also slowly made their way back.

  “When he stops being so vague about it,” Does he honestly expect her to accept everything Corban did. He doesn’t know how much she longed for her bother. The emotions she went through.

  “Maybe ‘The Visionary Times’ goes against the system so he can’t talk about it. You know that the Authorities and Spies keep tabs on all devices and letters. We’ve already been through it a hundred times. Sometimes it’s a wonder that you’re not yet locked up,”

  “But I’m his sister! He could’ve at least told me after he came back!” She was upset that everyone kept her in the dark. Although she’s the youngest she’s no longer a little girl.

  “Maybe his been sworn to secrecy, and for some or other reason he just feels he can’t tell you as yet,”

  “I don’t get it! Why? Why does everyone think they can’t trust me. It is exactly the same with father! He also never speaks about the expeditions!”

  “Gabrielle, you’re not the only one who’s kept in the dark. Aunty Ruby is too and so is Maxwell,”

  She snorted at the mention of her, “Ruby, I don’t blame people for keeping her in the dark,” As for Maxwell. It seems if he had a very hard past so it’s obvious they don’t want to load him with too much.

  Maxwell is a young man, four years older than her. On one cold and rainy evening he turned-up injured, dehydrated and famished on their doorstep. It happened when she was thirteen, and after father remarried Ruby. Aunty Ruby nursed him back to life, and she spent a lot of time with him too. She really appreciated, admired and looked up to him. He helped her a lot. This also included with her homework and to revise for test and exams. He was such a great addition to the household that father and Aunty Ruby decided to make him some sort of servant so he could get an income of his own. They paid him more, treated him much better than other people treated their servants, and even included him as part of the household. He was always very grateful for it. On some nights when she was younger during the winter with the snow outside or if it rained heavily. She and Maxwell used to sit by the blazing fire place in his room where he would tell me made-up fantasy stories.