Drifting through my unconsciousness, I could feel Mila’s power within me. I knew what was coming next, just wished I had a choice for when I got to see it, but no it had to happen while the fused forms power was still fresh within my body.

Mila’s past played out in front of me, her struggles, not just with those Hunters, but that of her own people, unable to understand the power she had been given.

Mila was the first born of the Empress of Atlantis, born in a time of war against the Hunters and the rule of the eternal dragon.

Atlantis floated atop the water’s surface, the houses shaped like coral and food was bountiful compared to other places within the world, ravished by the darkness. The merfolk were those gifted with the power to heal others and were kind to all, living peacefully with all they shared their city with.

Mila was born with more than just the ability to heal, but the power to control all the waters around her, to manipulate its flow and shape. Her parents told her to hide this power.

“But why mum,” she begged for an answer.

“We are a people that heal, not those who can bring destruction, we are needed to be a sanctuary away from the wars.” Her mother responded.

“They are going to come for us one day, my power might even help,” she pleaded, even though she was still young, she understood everything and saw more than her mother could. “I can see what is happening out there, they are coming.” But her mother would not listen.

Mila could sense through the waters, seeing the darkness approaching closer to what her mother thought was a peaceful sanctuary, unreachable to humankind but she was wrong.

Years passed, Mila warned her mother every day, but she still would not listen, even her younger sister Milliana did not believe her, the city was so peaceful, until the day they first attacked.

The Hunters came in great metal ships, blasting the city with metal balls, and flaming arrows. The city was in a panic, not even the cities warriors knew what to do, for their weapons could not penetrate the ships halls.

“Hide the princesses, they must be kept safe!” shouted the Empress, watching as the city crumbled and lives lost, they could do nothing until they entered the city, but by then most had already been killed or injured.

“No.” Mila and Milliana were dragged away as the throne room doors burst open, hundreds of Hunters, swarmed the room, pinning down the Empress with the power of the talismans. Mila could hear the spirits of the sacred animals sealed within as their power was forced into use.

Everything seemed to slow down as Mila and Milliana were torn apart, crying out for one another, reaching for each other.

“Milliana!” Mila shouted. “Mother! Father!” I could barely watch this; her whole family being torn apart.

Mila’s body began to glow blue, water trickling through the walls, she was using her power. More water came, flooding through the windows, the current too strong for the humans to stand their ground, swept out through the doors, away from her family.

Mila walked upon the water’s surface, leaving the throne room, out into the city, where she used the waters to tear apart the human fleets, ships capsized, flipped over as if they were toys, merfolk simply swam through the waters, as she wished them no harm.

As her power destroyed them, I could see a gleam of adult Mila, was this the beginning of her two split personalities?

In a single moment Mila had completely wiped out the humans, saving what was left of the city. The sight brought on great sadness, I could feel it all through Mila’s emotions and she realised why she had been given this power, a power capable of protecting her home.

The city in ruin, the merfolk cared for the injured and began to rebuild, each one thankful for Mila’s power but that did not last long as the Empress soon installed fear of her power within her people.

The Empress gathered her council, who brought forth a black circular pendent, a special pendent with the ability to seal the power of whom ever it was placed upon.

A frightened Mila was brought before them, confused at why she was being treated like this for something she did, for saving their home.

“Mother, what’s that?” She asked stood in the centre of them all.

“Don’t be afraid this is to protect everyone, including yourself,” she smiled but I saw the fear behind her mother’s eyes.

“This will seal your destructive power,” commented a council member.

“But I saved everyone.” Mila stared at them confused.

“At what cost.” The Empress went to quickly put the pendent on her, but Mila resisted, quickly being pinned by the members of the council.

“Please, the goddess gave me this power so I could protect us!” Mila shouted but no one was listening to her. I spotted hiding in the corner a young Milliana, she seemed just as confused as Mila.

“Oh Mila,” I said sadly as they managed to get the pendent on her. It let off an immense amount of power, causing Mila great pain, she cried out in pain and her mother smiled.

Mila withdrew into a quiet state hardly speaking to anyone. I didn’t blame her as everyone in the city flinched at the sight of her, her once close friends even shunned her. The Empress feared her daughter’s power, but it should have been the humans she feared more as they would definitely return to gain the soul of someone so powerful.

Everyone seemed to think the pendent was keeping her destructive power in check, but I could see it was doing more harm than good to Mila. The pendent wasn’t just sealing her power but trying to split it apart.

Tugging at the two sides of her power, one of healing and the other of destruction, it caused a rift between these two powers, forming a second personality, which showed itself in small outbursts when Mila became angry.

These outbursts only lasted a moment as the pendent would activate, shocking her, each time only enhancing her shattered soul.

Mila was close with her sister, teaching her how to use her power for more than just healing but for protection, hoping it would help her understand herself.

“Now try and pop it,” instructed Mila creating a dense bubble.

Milliana picked up a needle, attempting to do just that, but it was tough. “I can’t.”

“I can only create a small one with my restricted power, but you could make it bigger and use it to shield our people,” said Mila.

“I’m sorry mother did this to you.” She reached out to touch the pendent, but Mila slapped her hand away.

“Don’t touch it,” she snapped, then gazed at her sister. “I don’t want it to hurt you too.”

“Does it hurt?” asked Milliana.

“Every day,” answered Mila. “It seals my power, but it grows every day and hurts me to restrict it further.”

“Just take it off!” shouted Milliana concerned for her.

“I’ve already tried, so many times,” she sighed. “Only mother can remove it and without my power I cannot stop the coming attack, they come for me and will take you all with them as an extra prize.”

Mila was right, in the next coming days, humans returned to the city with more ships, talismans and even the eternal dragon’s offspring, dark Draco, four of them.

Mila tried to jump to the city’s protection, trying to form waves and tornados as she had done so before, but the pendent let off a shock of electricity and mobilised her.

All she could do was lay there, watching as the city was torn apart, everything rebuilt destroyed, more lives lost than taken away. The humans showed just as much blood lust as the Draco’s.

“Mother please take it off!” cried Mila. “I can save them.”

“No, it’s too dangerous.” Her mother held only fear within her now, defenceless, and blind to the true danger.

“The Empress.” She heard a deep voice. A Draco descended, blasting the Empress from behind. Mila watched as the life left her mother’s eyes, falling limply to the ground. The Draco landed placing his foot upon his prize. “How father will praise me.”

“Mother.” Mila slowly managed to reach her hand out. “Mother!” Mila released a surge of power, shattering the sealing pendent into dust. Her form and shape changed, manifesting her adult form. “You face only death now.” She lifted her arms summoning up the waters all around her, forming all into sharp blades, each aimed, primed; water tornados rising up from the oceans.

A massacre followed, Mila’s power wiped out hundreds of humans in a matter of seconds, none of the talisman they wielded were strong enough to stop her destruction. Ships were capsized and swept away by the powerful waves.

The Draco dived from above, firing dark blasts at her. Mila moved the water to defend against each attack, her movement becoming more violent, but there was also a gentleness, a flow as she flicked her wrist or moved her arm. This form was a Master of Water.

Mila went head on with the Draco, both were evenly matched. The Draco representing the darkness of the eternal dragon and Mila, sharing power of the goddess.

Mila rose the waters higher as the Draco dived to strike, trapping him within a bubble, condensing it tighter until he had nowhere left to fly.

“You will be claimed as a tool for my father!” shouted the Draco. “And that of your people!”

“No, they won’t.” Mila used what energy she had left to summon a bubble around Atlantis.

“Mila!” shouted Milliana for her sister.

“Goodbye Milliana, become an amazing Empress and teach our people more than mother ever did.” Mila smiled as Atlantis began to sink beneath the oceans where not even the eternal dragon could reach.

Her power spent Mila returned to her original form, falling towards the water, but the Draco swept down, grasping her in his talons. “Oh, the tool you will make.”

Not far from the oceans was a factory just like the one Larana was taken too. I didn’t want watch as she was forced through the same process, I watched Larana go through. All her energy and strength stripped until only her spirit remained.

As her spirit was torn from her body, I heard the sound of something crashing against the building, windows smashing as water rushed in, the cause a tsunami, washing away everything, including the choker Mila’s spirit became sealed within.

Mila floated in silence, swept across currents, up rivers, and streams for days, maybe even weeks. I wasn’t sure how long it was before she was caught on a hook, pulled from the waters by a blue winged Avis, the one who had found Larana.

“Who do we have here?” She held the choker with such care. “You poor soul.” She took Mila up to her home, within the clouds, where she one day met with Fang, becoming friends with him and travelling across the land to fight the eternal dragon.

Unfortunately, like before while watching her memories flash through my mind. Fang appeared before me.

“Sorry Alex,” he smiled.

“Not again,” I shook my head, not pleased at all.

“One day you will see it all, perhaps even live some of it,” he said.

“A question.” I quickly spoke.

“Only one,” he nodded.

“Why did Cutter transform from the concentration of a dark crystal?” I asked.

“No Animalia or human can handle the concentrated power of the eternal dragon, it causes mutations within, turning those who come in contact with it into monstrous forms of their previous self,” replied Fang. “I have seen it happen many times, but nothing can survive the process.” He looked around. “I must go, good luck Alex, against your future challenges.”

“Thank you, Fang,” I said as he disappeared, and my mind slipped into darkness.