Chapter 164: Master your abilities!
Chapter 163
"It’s time for you to learn our family secrets, I guess," Camila sighed heavily, her voice low and tired.
"Meaning?" Lizzy asked with a raised brow as she stared at her mum both cautiously and wearily, her heart pounding a little faster.
"Daughter, I have hidden something from you for years now, and it has been weighing on my mind a lot." Camila sighed again, her eyes looking weary and distant, almost as if she was reliving something painful.
"Ca...Camila, what is going on?" Mia asked, her tone filled with unease as her gaze flicked around the basement. Her eyes lingered on the olden weapons that could hardly be found in today’s time, their presence alone making her uneasy.
"You see, Lizzy, our family comes from a clan of nobles," Camila began, pausing for a second to study her daughter’s reaction.
"Meaning?" Lizzy asked again, her brow furrowed. "What is a clan? And nobles?"
"You see, two hundred years ago, a set of families were blessed with abilities. Abilities that felt too good to be real. Powers that were thought to only belong to gods.
These same divine abilities were bestowed upon mere mortals. And those families divided themselves, forming clans that could only learn the specific abilities they were granted." Camila’s tone carried both reverence and sorrow.
’Huh? What’s all this clan talk about?’ Mia thought as she watched her friend with furrowed brows, still trying to process what she was hearing.
"There were three clans formed based on the abilities bestowed upon them," Camila continued. "Each clan had a specific elemental affinity they wielded—fire, wind, and lightning. Those were the three elements passed down to us." She paused again, staring at her daughter who sat quietly, eyes fixed on her mother.
"I don’t understand. Are you saying we come from one of these clans that wield elemental abilities? That’s... that’s absurd," Lizzy voiced out, unable to hold back her thoughts any longer.
"I know it sounds absurd, but trust me, I speak nothing but the truth," Camila said, her tone soft and calm but firm enough to show she wasn’t joking.
"Okay? So how does this tie into my recurring dream?" Lizzy asked, still clearly confused.
"I was getting there," Camila replied, taking a slow breath. Her gaze wandered around the room before she continued. "Even though the clans were bestowed with those abilities, not every member received one.
It was as if the power itself chose who it wanted to inhabit. Those who weren’t chosen had no other option but to train in weapon mastery. That’s why no one was ever expelled from the clan—they still served a purpose."
’Is that why there are several weapons here?’ Mia thought as she eyed the gleaming wall of weapons to the side. ’Okay, this just got interesting.’
"Now, what did our ancestors do with these abilities?" Camila asked rhetorically as she turned toward the bookshelf. She plucked an old, dust-covered book from one of the shelves and tossed it to Lizzy, who caught it quickly.
"Page eight," her mum said firmly, and Lizzy began flipping through the aged pages.
Curious, Mia stepped closer to peer over Lizzy’s shoulder when the girl stopped on the page. Her eyes widened instantly.
A grotesque-looking being was drawn there—twisted horns, elongated claws, and hollow eyes that seemed to stare back from the page. Beneath it was a name scrawled in bold ink.
"Yes, those are demons," Camila said grimly. "Beings from the underworld that crept into this world for one reason or another."
Lizzy swallowed hard, her hand trembling slightly as she turned to the next page at her mother’s instruction.
"The next page," Camila urged, and Lizzy obeyed. This time, what she saw made her gasp—a majestic, radiant creature with immense wings and a body wrapped in pure energy.
Her voice dropped to a whisper. "What... what is that?"
Camila’s expression darkened. "That," she said slowly, "is what our clan once stood to protect against the demons themselves."
"The dragons helped us fight against them back then. According to one of our ancestors, after the dragons’ deaths in the war, their powers scattered across the world, seeking those worthy enough to wield them.
Some say the world itself absorbed their essence and passed it down through generations. That could be how we got our abilities. The families who received them formed clans, using their powers to fight the remaining demons that roamed our world."
’This is flipping crazy! Demons, dragons—what on earth is Camila saying?!’ Mia thought, pressing a hand to her head as it throbbed from the overload of information.
"Now, back to how this ties to you." Camila continued, making Lizzy close the book in her hands.
"Like I said, we come from one of these clans. And as I mentioned earlier, the abilities choose those they wish to bless. It’s not something you learn or train for—it’s something that awakens when the time is right."
"So what does that mean for me?" Lizzy asked, her tone quiet but edged with curiosity.
Camila sighed, her gaze softening. "Unfortunately, I didn’t get mine. I was born without it. But I still tried to uphold the clan’s name, so I trained in weapon mastery. I’m not that good, though," she added with a nervous chuckle, scratching her hair as her lips curved into a weak smile.
"But you, on the other hand, Lizzy—you showed signs of your ability at the age of five. I was terrified then and I couldn’t let your powers run wild, so I had no choice but to use an ancient seal to suppress your ability until you reached a certain level of maturity."
"Which I’m guessing is the age of twenty?" Lizzy asked.
Camila nodded. "Exactly."
"Wow... this is a lot to take in." Lizzy muttered, her voice shaky as she dropped the book to the floor and held her head. Every word her mum had spoken felt like an avalanche of impossible truth crashing down on her.
"And you’re sure you didn’t hit your head somewhere?" Mia cut in, rubbing her temples in disbelief. "Because this—demons, dragons, clans, abilities, it all sounds like a fantasy movie, not real life."
Camila gave a weary sigh. "Even with all these powers, it still wasn’t enough to wipe them out. That shows how powerful the demons truly are."
"Da... Damian, does he know?" Lizzy asked suddenly, her tone filled with worry.
"No," Camila said, shaking her head firmly. "I fear the demons might rise again, and I don’t want him getting involved or targeted. The less he knows, the safer he’ll be. You both need to stay safe at all times."
Lizzy’s eyes softened as she nodded slightly. "So... our clan, how many of us are left now?"
"Just two—me and you," Camila replied in a grave tone that hung heavy in the air. Lizzy’s mouth fell open, the reality of their near-extinction sinking deep into her chest.
"The clans faded as people turned away from the old ways," Camila continued. "They got consumed by technology and modern life. They stopped believing in our history, in our powers... until it was all forgotten."
"This is insane," Lizzy whispered as she dropped to her knees, her head pounding as if trying to reject everything she had just heard.
"I know it’s overwhelming," Camila said gently, kneeling beside her. "I’m truly sorry you have to be dragged into all of this. But I swear on our family name, I’ll protect you no matter what. And that’s why we need to take the next step."
Lizzy looked up, her brows furrowing. "Next step? What next step?"
Camila placed her hands on her daughter’s shoulders, her eyes firm and full of resolve. "You need to master your ability as soon as possible. That’s the only way to stay alive. The only way to fight back when the time comes."
Lizzy froze, her heart racing as the weight of her mother’s words sank deep into her bones.