Prologue

"There is a fire in the manor! Sir, it is growing! We cannot put it out!" A servant ran out of a burning room and closed the doors tightly.

Father rushed into the hallway and opened a slit. "This—the sorceress has come!"

I watched through a crack in the walls on the opposite of the hall.

Father slid open the door furiously. "Lykeida, Elieraen! There is a fire, and you cannot be here!"

Father lifted my right sleeve and Elieraen's left sleeve. He placed his two hands on our arms. Two symbols appeared on either one, on the other arm as well. "Elieraen," he whispered solemnly. "From now on, it is your duty to find your sister, as long as it takes." He sighed. "I am truly sorry."

The ground trembled. Armored soldiers' shields pressed against an invisible barrier.

"The time is coming." Master said solemnly.

Sister Iraliyn asked, "Master, what do you mean?"

"Master," I peeped in a small voice. "What will happen to us?"

Master answered, "The armies of the northern border have reached the weakness of the barrier. We will be discovered soon.

Glowing cracks formed on the barrier. The northern soldiers cheered.

Master pressed her palms to the ground. A blinding white light surrounded us five disciples. "Remember, children, you are the apprentices of Alrind."

I was thrown away from the group, away from my closest ones, into the future of the world.

The light became brighter and brighter, soon covering the whole army. But this hidden power made no exceptions. Not even to the caster.

I watched as my sisters and brothers flew across the land. I couldn't bear to part with them. They were the ones I grew up with.

Lila jumped up from her nightmare. Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead. Her straw bed seemed scratchier than usual.

Not that dream again. As far as she could remember, that was when she was almost five. It was 8 years ago...

No, that wasn't right... That happened centuries ago! But how? She was only 13 that year.

She lifted the hay at the foot of the bed. There it was. Her silver hairpin. That design of the hairpin... It resembled... Alrind.

Now, what was that? A small sect that was annihilated centuries ago with no remaining disciples. That was what the history books stated.

But she was a disciple of Alrind. That was what her master said. A thousand or 8 years before.

She looked back at the hairpin. It was glowing.