Flashback~

Four years ago...

-

The clock showed that there were still nearly twenty minutes left before midnight.

A sigh escaped her lips as Emily emptied the glass of cold water that was sitting on her bedside table.

It had been almost over three weeks since she left City A and came to study at the Nightfall Academy with Shane, Rylan, and Shadow.

Her current dorm was a four-room apartment with two bathrooms, a living room, and a kitchen. While she and Shadow were living in the two rooms on the East side, Olivia and her familiar were staying in the rooms opposite to theirs.

Her university life had just started a few days ago and she was grateful about that because now she finally had other things to focus on rather than dwelling on her sad life.

Even though it was barely the beginning of the term, she could already tell that nothing was normal about Nightfall Academy. Nearly sixty-five percent of the people in the Academy were supernatural while the rest were humans.

The timetable was packed from dawn to dusk and only weekends were left for the students to rest.

"Why are you still awake?"

Her train of thoughts was stirred when Shadow appeared in her room with a small gift box in his hands.

A small smile appeared on Emily's lips as she watched him coming closer before he settled down beside her on the bed.

"Were you going to leave it here while I would be sleeping?" She asked as she signaled towards the gift box that he was holding.

Shadow brought the box in front of her before his eyes landed on the clock that showed that there were still fifteen minutes left before her eighteenth birthday.

"Well, my initial plan was to do exactly that. But since you are still awake, it's no longer sounds like a good plan to me. By the way, why are you not sleeping yet? You have classes tomorrow." He asked while reminding her that her schedule was packed for her birthday.

"I couldn't sleep no matter how hard I tried. So I just gave up and decided to wait for midnight," she replied as she lightly rubbed her right shoulder unconsciously.

Shadow immediately noticed her movement and the next thing she knew, he was holding both of her hands while keenly observing something that she failed to see.

"What's wrong?" She asked as she too looked at her hands but the sight that greeted her eyes made her breathing stop for the next few seconds as she was shocked to her core.

"W-what's..... happening?"

Her voice was filled with confusion, uncertainty, and a little bit of fear as she tried to pull her hands away from his hold. However, Shadow refused to let go of her and tightened his hold on her hands.

He moved his eyes up to look at her face and found her staring back at him with fear in her emerald eyes.

"What's happening to me, Shadow?" She asked him as she once again looked at her hands which were covered in sparkly blue-colored veins like things.

"Princess, it's alright. I'm here with you. Just try to relax and let me help you. Okay?" He asked as he looked at her, waiting for her reply and he felt himself relax a little bit when she eventually nodded her head, accepting his comfort and help.

"You are not in pain, right?" He asked as he settled on her bed with crossed legs and signaled her to follow him.

Emily immediately shook her head in denial as she could not feel any kind of pain. Actually, except for those weird blue veins that were covering her hands, there was nothing abnormal about her body. Or maybe there was but she had not noticed it yet.

"Good. Your powers were supposed to break through on your twenty-first birthday. I don't know what exactly triggered it to appear early than it was supposed to," said Shadow as he moved his palms above her hands and channeled his inner energy into her body, trying to find out exactly what's happening with her.

"P-power?"

Emily could hardly believe what she was hearing. What kind of power he was talking about? She was a normal human, wasn't she? Both her parents were mortals, her brothers were also humans then how could she have any kind of power?

Her head was filling up dozens of questions but there were no answers. She could feel herself panicking even though she wanted to stay calm and give Shadow a chance to tell her about whatever was happening with her because it seemed like he knew something about her that she did not know.

"Princess, I know that you are confused and even afraid right now. But listen to me, everything is going to be fine. We did not tell you anything before because none of us wanted to increase your problems when you have your struggles and a dark past to sort out. We all thought that we still have time. But it seems like the recent incidents have triggered your sleeping powers to break through the seal that's binding them. I'm sorry. I failed you....but I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."

Shadow's words only made Emily's confusion deepen. She could hardly wrap her mind around whatever he was speaking.

"Shadow.....w-what are you talking about? What powers? I'm just a mere human? How can I have any sort of power? You are not making any sense."

The worry, confusion, tension, and unspoken questions were filling her eyes as she looked at the man whom she trusted the most at the moment.

Shadow let one of his hands move to cup her face as he showed her the blue veins that had started to move like waves all over her hands.

"You are wrong, Princess. Indeed, you are the only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Alessandro. Your entire family is mortal, including your parents and brothers...but you...........you were never a mortal. You are not a mere human, Princess..."

***

[A/N: What do you guys think? What is Emily? Is she also a supernatural? And if yes, then what kind of supernatural do you all want her to be?]