Astraea was to be the next head of the Lifebringers. Being born a quasi-life energetic, her talent was incomparable to anyone around her.

  This meant that her older brother, Dolus Lifebringer, was no longer in that position. According to family custom, the most skilled child of the head would claim the title, and so nobody should have been able to take issue. Particularly because Dolus had a reputation for being mediocre at healing, at least compared to the lofty expectations of the family.

  The time came for the inspection. Dolus asked to follow along with their father, but he was rejected and was Astraea brought instead.

  They travelled to the nearby Thanasia land and entered after receiving permission from the temporary Thanasia head, Azrael Thanasia. The previous one had died a year prior, with no official cause being cited. He had no successors, and so Azrael was to lead until a suitable replacement was found.

  Entering the estate, they found the lack of guards strange but neither she nor her father mentioned it, heading to the usual meeting place. Just as they arrived at the main hall, Astraea's father stopped her and spoke gruffly.

  “Go back outside. Go back to our region.”

  Astraea was taken aback, but heeded his words and left swiftly.

  As Astraea approached the Lifebringer estate, she muttered to herself a few irritated phrases about being sent alone from somewhere she had no interest in going to from the start. However, nearing the large, metal gate, something stopped her dead in her tracks.

  Screaming. Not the kind of children out playing, but the kind of mortal injury.

  She ran into the estate, right to the noise. She was a healer, trained to help the injured and hardened to seeing injury, yet still the sight that awaited her would haunt her for a long time to come.

  Thanasian knights stood wielding bloody weapons over people screaming in pain on the ground, many of whom she knew closely. The girl froze in shock as one of the attackers noticed her and yelled, directing the attention of several others onto her. As they began approaching, and her panic heightened, she heard a familiar voice from a tree near her. She looked up to see Dolus hiding, and he shouted a few words.

  “Run into the bunker!"

  Her hesitation ended as she sprinted past the men, all of whom were looking up with confused expressions at her brother. She entered the main building and located a door, made to look exactly like the wall. Inside, she secured the padlock, crouched in the corner, and waited.

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  Having been cowering in the bunker for so long she lost track of time, all the sounds outside eventually subside. Then, Astraea hears footsteps. She holds her breath, attempting to remain hidden.

  Dread envelops her as there is a loud bang, followed by what she presumes to be the lock clanging against the ground. The door is slammed open and she sees someone familiar.

  “Dolus!” She cries, embracing her brother, overjoyed to see him alive and completely uninjured.

  “Have you seen father?” she whispers, “He was in-”

  “I know,” he interrupts, his voice cold as he grabs her by the neck.

  “What are y-”

  She is unable to finish her question as she is slammed into the wall. Held in place by her own brother's right hand, she feels cold metal pricking at her neck.

  “You really are stupid. You think I handled those knights by myself, with no wounds, even less?”

  She gasps for breath as he monologues.

  “You na?ve fool, to think someone like you was to be the next head. No matter. With Father gone, there will be no one to decide who's next. And if the rightful heir,” he spits out, “Were to tragically pass away in an invasion, that would only leave one. Dolus. Me.”

  Her terror turns to rage. Through laboured breaths, Astraea chokes out, “You… traitor. Will… punished.” Dolus begins to cackle, pushing his blade slightly deeper into her neck. A thin stream of warmth flows from the dagger.

  “Oh, how scary! And, my dearest little sister, who's going to stop me?” He pauses for a second and grins smugly upon receiving no answer. “Just as I thought. Look at you. The one who took everything from me so weak and helpless. Pitiful, really.”

  He leans closer, no longer smiling but staring with unveiled fury. “So now, I'm taking back what's rightfully mine. What they all wouldn't give. What you stole.” He clears his throat and loosens his grip, allowing the asphyxiated girl to gasp for breath for a few seconds. After he seemingly collects his thoughts, he tightens his grip once more.

  “Right. I've had my fun. I suppose you can be happy to reunite with your father in the afterlife.”

  He raises the dagger.

  She feels it plunge into her neck; she feels the blood pour, the pain, the warmth, but she also feels a desire. A desire for revenge.

  Anger builds up inside her as she closes her eyes. Dolus speaks but she does not hear. She no longer feels the pain. All she feels is the life energy inside her body, her mind blocking out everything else as she focuses. Normally, she must restrict the flow of her life energy. It is highly volatile and will easily transfer to someone else. But what if she didn't? What if she instead chose not just to open the floodgates but to push it along?

  Her arm begins to warm as she opens her eyes and weakly grabs Dolus’s own arm holding her against the wall. It is clear from the look on his face that he is taunting her, but she pays it no mind. The warmth keeps building and building. Warm to hot; hot to scalding, to burning. Dolus lurches backward in an attempt to free himself, but he is held in place by a deceptively iron grip.

  As the life energy she mobilises surpasses the tipping point, Dolus watches in horror.

  He watches as Astraea’s arm erupts into a cloud of red.

  He watches as his own hand shares the fate, bursting into gore.

  But first, he feels. He feels an intense heat enter his hand. He feels as it is torn apart from the inside out. He feels himself fall to the ground.

  Dolus watches as a freshly crimson-adorned girl stumbles away.