Departure

"Humans are foul greedy creatures. Miri do not forget to always be on guard for everything my little girl. You will never know when something completely out of your expectations turns the world upside down for you. You have to be decisive and ruthless!"

His warm gentle voice filled with a doting tone echoed within the annals inside her head. Back then she could merely nod and happily smile despite not understanding at the one who had given her everything she wished for.

A whole family that stuck together like sticky tree sap. Despite being of royalty, the king of brightfield never forgot his duties as a father to a daughter and as a husband to his dear queen.

At times there were misunderstandings and conflicts within the small family of three. Nothing too serious and was always resolved within a day. Or whenever she threw a tantrum, demanding mother and father to make up and take her out to play.

Mirielis Von Astramille was content with the love and attention her parents showered her in. Excelling at mage craft and all sorts of studies, she made them proud. Just for that warm stuffy feeling every time she hears their laughter or sees a big cheery smile flashed at her.

And it only took one night to change such a peaceful life. His father and mother were beheaded right before her very own bright young eyes by her lovely uncle.

She couldn't understand why and how things turned out to end that way. She tried her best to understand why his uncle had done such a thing. But she couldn't understand no matter how she tried. Her world for the past seven years after the day of her 12th birthday was a dull shade of black and grey.

Nothing mattered anymore.

The cheerful and always happy girl became silent.

She was robbed of sleep by the nightmare of her past.

Everyone she was familiar with inside the castle was replaced, placing her into an isolated state.

Eating at the dining table with the new king proved to be difficult.

Magic was the only thing that kept her going.

It gave her strength and a faint feeling of that happy past. Memories of flaunting her magic to them always came back upon touching magic.

At least, every time she practiced, her world brightens up just a little bit.

"Miri it's time you get married! Fortunately, Sir Cristofre is a very suitable match for you." Mirielis was stunned one day at the dinner table.

She gained a fiance from out of nowhere. A person whom she didn't even know or met previously. Not even once.

She was displeased yet outside she showed a blank face. Nodding like a puppet before continuing to eat her fill.

Her uncle then proceeded to introduce Sir Cristofre upon dinner was concluded. A lanky brown-haired man with occasional tufts of grey hairs greeted her with an earsplitting grin.

Extending his hand she shook it, only to shiver upon witnessing the man lick his lips while gawking at her body. Despite the man being of average looks, his actions were ugly, to say the least.

She felt horrible.

She was disgusted.

She had enough.

Smiling before letting go of Cristofre's hand, she bade the two goodbyes and headed to her bedroom. But the moment she was about to leave the dining hall, she couldn't help but overhear something that made her lose it.

"You've raised a great toy Yvon. Your lord is pleased~" Cristofre's voice ended in a loud horrible cackle that made Miri's ears twitch.

Upon entering her room, she locked the door and sealed the windows shut in fear of anyone visiting her uninvited.

Tiredly sitting on her soft, comfy bed, she took out a small heart-shaped bronze locket. To anyone else's eyes, the locket might've been just a meaningless and worthless locket. But to her, it was one of the most important things in her life.

The locket was opened and inside laid a picture of four people. It was her small family of three with the addition of his uncle Yvon.

Streams of tears fell down her cheeks and drenched her palms that were gently supporting the bronze locket. Miri gritted her teeth as a dam of emotions broke inside her.

For the past few years, she kept all emotions inside her in check, not letting any hinder her interaction with anyone. She was taught to never show weakness or others will use that as leverage against her.

The photo was taken out and she tore apart the side that contained her uncle Yvon. She wanted to throw away or even burn the torn pieces as a magic circle manifested atop her overcast hand. But she stopped.

The light of the fiery colored magic circle faded and it disappeared into motes of light, dispersing once more into the atmosphere as mana.

She put the torn pieces inside the locket and covered them with the piece of photo that had her and her parents inside before closing the locket once more.

Heaving out a pained sigh, her eyes were blank and dull. Her palms soon found themselves covering her face and she sobbed.

Frustration, hatred, displeasure and unwillingness, all these emotions threatened to tear her mind apart. This time the mana in the air surged around her and a magic circle flickered into existence again.

She extended her arms forward and a swirling mass of flames floated above those dainty little palms.

It was a simple basic tier flame attribute spell. Fireball.

Miri didn't stop shaping and converting mana into flames and the ball like swirling mass condensed and formed the shape of a strange rune. The rune was glowing red and the temperature inside the room flared past the hundreds.

She started sweating from the heat and the mental strain. The most she could manage right now was an advanced tier flame magic.

The runes split into multiple smaller fragments yet they still held great power despite being reduced in size and density.

It was time for her to make her exit out of this damned place that was once her home.

The magic circle faded but the runes stayed, entering a dormant like state. Along with their slumber came the halt of the rising room temperature.

She waited until a few hours had passed and she left her room. She traced the walls while touring the castle which she knew like the back of her head. Every now and then, a rune would embed themselves unto whatever she touched.

She went around the castle interiors before looping back towards her room. By the time she arrived she noticed that she only had two more hours left before the sun rises.

Miri kneeled and tapped the bed's lower left leg three times and infused it with mana. A golden ring with mystical runes popped up with a puff of smoke atop the bed. Miri picked it up and took out a plain brown cloak from within the ring.

She donned it and a secret passage opened up from under the bed. It was something her father had installed the very day she was born. Only she and her parents ever knew of such a thing.

The passage was a failsafe to protect the king and anyone who was important enough to them. Without a word, she entered the passage but not before snapping her fingers.

And as the entrance closed, multiple scattered explosions wreaked havoc inside the palace. The flames were like wild horses, galloping to and fro within the palace. Catching anything they touch alit.

Miri had made up her mind. She would leave the kingdom of Brightfield, only to return once she was strong enough to raze it down to the ground.

She wanted nothing more than revenge against those two.

With her departure, Brightfield was stricken with panic. The palace was attacked at night by a powerful flame magus and the princess was taken away, causing the ire of Cristofre who issued out orders to find the perpetrator.

Missing posters started being put up, offering rewards that invoked greed and convinced many to join the search. Most were inspired by the thought of saving a damsel in distress and some had the fantasy of wooing the missing treasure of the Astramille family.