The Kingsman family offspring have always been blessed with powers. Some of them are blessings, used to help and heal others. However, if something is given, something must be taken in return. In my brother's case, it was his sanity. Once my father died on the battlefield, he slowly began spiralling. Without his suppressive power, he plunged into madness and eventually locked me up in the dungeons simply because of his paranoid nature. He always believed that I, the only powerless member in our family, wanted to take what was rightfully his; father's title. 

No matter what I promised or what I promised to do, I knew that this would eventually be my end. Upon seeing me sitting on the floor, looking up at him with fear in my eyes, he grinned.

"Did you miss me, Eliana?" he declared, a huge bright smile on his face. I said nothing and kept my head lowered. In an attempt to pacify him, I ended up only angering him further. 

Grabbing the collar of my dress, pushing me down against the cold floor, the vibration of his sword deafening my right ear as I felt the blade slide through my hair. The blade had been edged between two stones that made up my floor, and I finally looked up at his red eyes filled with evil. Father's pocket watch dangled from his hip, my eyes drifting towards the beautifully crafted item. 

I had always adored that pocket watch. Secretly, I always hoped that one day, he'd give it to me but it was a family heirloom meant to be passed onto the next Duke of Kingsman. As a woman, I was not eligible for that title and the ownership of that pocket watch could only remain a dream.

My brother's eyes shifted towards the hair that he had cut off with his blade and lifted them up. Each strand fell through his fingertips like golden thread, slowly colouring in the dark and monotone floor.

"Do you know how much I love you, Ellie?" he muttered, running his gloved finger down the side of his blade. "You're my darling little sister, my only living relative. You're special to me, and that's why I'll give you a memorable death."

A memorable death...

I'm trying to remember the Lachlan who would give me piggy back rides and coddle me when I was young. The Lachlan in front of me is the result of a curse, a curse placed upon our family for generations. It took my mother, it took my father, and now it's taking my older brother. His love slowly twisted into obsession, and in the end, it turned into paranoia and a sweet desire to kill me.

Lachlan was the boy who would smuggle cookies in my bedroom when I had my head stuck in a book. He was the boy who always dropped everything to play with me. 

That's what I'll remember him by.

I lifted my hand up and touched his cheek, accepting my end. I smiled.

"My only regret is that I'll leave you alone in this world, Lachlan." Upon hearing that, he snarled and yanked his sword out of the floor.

"It's Duke Kingsman to you!" he yelled, pulling his sword back to strike. Closing my eyes, I felt completely at peace. I took a moment to stop and pray for his salvation, and then, there was nothing. The sounds of birds chirping filled my ears for the first time in two years. I no longer felt cold and when I opened my eyes, I was in a new world.

Thank you for reading! Please take a moment to like this chapter and subscribe to the book if you've found it to be intriguing or interesting. I'd appriciate any support that I can get and it's free! -Raine Dyfrost