Cassandra Rook was the only daughter of the Rook Knight family. She had five older brothers, and as the only daughter, she was the most precious treasure of the family.
The Rook family was a knight family located in a small town within the territory owned by Marquis Valeire.
They, as prideful, honorable knights of Norvaegard, had protected the town they lived in from bandits, monsters, or whatever may co.
The townspeople respected the Rook family; in fact, the entire town were like a large family, and the Rooks were the head of that family.
So the Townspeople doted on the little princess Cassandra like she was their niece or granddaughter.
The Rook family, despite being a knight family, did not act like they were above others and treated the townspeople with care and kindness.
Cassandra would usually go out to play in town with the other children. The townspeople would greet her, give her stuff, she would smile at them, and everyone would respond with bright smiles on their faces.
Cassandra grew up surrounded by love. Her eldest brother, Roland, always carried her on his shoulders so she could see like a real knight.
Her second brother taught her how to braid her hair. The twins snuck her pastries after training. And the youngest of the five, barely older than her, followed her around like a loyal puppy.
Her mother used to joke that Cassandra had six shadows everywhere she went.
Her father, Sir Alder Rook, was a large, warm man with a booming laugh that echoed across the training yard. He would lift her with one arm and set her on his knee as he polished his sword.
"Cassandra," he’d say gently, tapping her nose, "You must always rember a knight protects those in need. We uphold Justice and Honor. That’s what we Rooks do best. We might not be as good as the Thorneharts or the Judicars in so regards, but I’m sure we have protected the smiles of those around us."
She dread of protecting people, their smiles, and their happiness. She dread of becoming a knight, a true knight, just like her father and brothers.
At night, her mother would sing a soft lullaby as Cassandra clutched her stuffed wolf toy and drifted to sleep.
Her world was simple, warm, and safe. It was a beautiful world filled with smiles, love, and happiness. Life in that small world was like a beautiful dream.
She truly believed that dream would always continue and never end, but like most dreams, the drear would eventually wake. Still, unlike the other drears, Cassandra woke up not just to reality but to a nightmare.
***
It happened the day she was going to be tested to see if she could awaken her aura. The problem was during the ceremony when her father was guiding her path to see if she could awaken her arua. She did so, and not only that, but she also gained a mana core during this awakening.
She beca soone capable of being a magic knight. This was a rarity among rares; only a few chosen ones could gain both aura and mana from the beginning.
Still, being a magic knight was difficult since you needed to learn both swordsmanship and magic, but of course, there were many who only focused on one of the two.
Seeing as those who tried to increase their proficiency in both had a difficult ti, and only a few truly special ones beca truly strong and were among the best of the best.
Knowing that his daughter was soone special, Alder Rook felt both proud and anxious. He truly wanted the best for his daughter, but as a knight, he could only teach her swordsmanship; as for magic, that was completely beyond him.
Even though they were a knight family, they weren’t that rich, and hiring a mage, especially a proper one to tutor Cassandra, would cost a lot of money.
In the doorway, little Cassandra peeked in, hugging her stuffed wolf. She saw her father worrying, saw her mother comforting him, and though she didn’t understand the problem, she understood the emotion.
Thus, she marched in on stubby legs, raised the toy wolf above her head, and declared with utmost confidence.
"Dad! I’ll be a very strong knight! I don’t need fancy magic! I just need to learn from you how to use the sword! I just want to be a knight who protects the people!" The seven-year-old declared her newly awakened aura flaring.
For a heartbeat, the room was silent. Then Alder’s eyes softened, a quiet tremble forming at the corner of his lips. He reached out and tapped her head gently, smoothing down her hair.
"... My brave little Cassandra," he whispered.
Her aura flickered like a tiny fla, wobbly, unrefined, but bright. Brighter than any of her brothers had been at her age, brighter than his ever was.
"A knight needs no magic, not even aura, to be a knight. The only thing a knight needs is the courage to step forward, to protect those in need. Isn’t that what you always say, Dad? I’ll beco the greatest of knights who will uphold honor and justice!"
Cassandra swung her little hands and accidentally slipped. She stumbled and fell, but she quickly got up again and puffed out her chest.
Seeing her act like this made her Father and Mother start laughing. Her brothers, who had been eavesdropping outside, fell through the door in a noisy pile and laughed so hard they cried.
It was a warm, perfect mont. Alder crouched and held Cassandra’s small hands in his large, calloused ones.
"Yes, even without magic, you will beco a wonderful knight," he told her softly. "Better than . Better than all of us."
From that day onward, they stopped talking about learning magic and continued focusing on learning the sword.
***
Of course, even if she did not learn how to use spells, those with mana cores can use minor spells without chanting or understanding, like telekinesis.
Cassandra, who was training with the sword, was also able to train her telekinesis from ti to ti; it was a rather convenient magic.
One day, Marquis Valeire visited the house. He looked like a kind, upright noble. He offered to sponsor Cassandra so that she could use her talents to the fullest.
It was a rather generous offer, and if the Marquis had asked a few months back, Alder would have agreed, but now it was different.
Alder kept his head down. "My lord, it is precisely because it defines her future that I must refuse. Cassandra is our only daughter. Our treasure. We wish to raise her here, among family."
Those words that were spoken were words that beca the greatest source of regret. The Marquis still showed a benevolent smile and responded.
"Is that so? I see... I understand." No one noticed that the tone of the Marquis had slightly changed into a slightly deeper voice.
"Thank you for your understanding." Alder bowed his head again.
Valeire looked down at Cassandra, who clung to her father’s trousers nervously.
"Little Cassandra," he said softly, "you must cherish a father who values you so dearly."
His voice was warm, but the warmth felt wrong. It was too smooth, too polished. Like silk placed over a blade.
Cassandra blinked innocently. "Um... thank you, Mister Marquis."
That was how the conversation ended, and everyone thought that the issue would end there. No one would have imagined the tragedy that would co next.
***
A few days later, during the night, the sudden sound of people screaming could be heard. Cassandra woke up only to see her mother carrying her in her arms.
Her father and her siblings were wearing their armor and carrying their swords. Out in the window, she saw the town in flas, and that her house was surrounded by people wearing black.
Her father and siblings were attacking a few n wearing the sa black clothing who were blocking their path out.
"Mom, what’s happening?" Cassandra asked. Her mother then looked at her child, who had woken up, and showed a gentle smile.
"Don’t worry, my darling, everything is going to be alright."
It was at that mont that the sound of glass breaking could be heard all over, and flaming arrows ca inside. The house started burning, as smoke filled the room.
Flas licked the curtains. Smoke poured in like a living creature. Cassandra coughed, eyes watering as her mother pulled her close, shielding her with trembling arms.
Her brothers shouted downstairs, steel clashed, boots scraped, soone scread. Her father’s voice roared like thunder.
"Protect Cassandra! Do not let them near her!!"
Her mother’s grip tightened. "Lyria!" Alder shouted from the corridor. "Take her through the back hall! We’ll clear a path!"
Her mother nodded, voice trembling. "Cassandra, sweetheart, listen to Mommy. Don’t be scared, alright? Stay close."
But Cassandra was scared; she was terrified. The world she knew, the warm, gentle world, was burning. She could feel the smoke entering her lungs.
Outside the broken window, shadows moved. Hooded figures in black, with masks, carrying blades. Her mother ran down the hallway, Cassandra clinging to her nightgown.
The house groaned as beams cracked. The once bright ho in the child’s eyes now looked like a monster’s maw.
At the base of the stairs, her brothers fought with desperate ferocity.
Roland swung his sword, cleaving through one masked man. The twins fought back-to-back, covering the smallest brother.
"Mother! Go!" Roland shouted. "We’ll hold them!"
The smallest brother, Leoric, the one who kept clinging to his little sister, looked at Cassandra and tried to smile despite the blood on his cheek.
"Don’t worry, Cass! We’ll catch up! It’s a promise." But he wouldn’t, none of them would. Cassandra felt it even then.
Lyria, who saw her children fighting so desperately in the burning house, gnashed her teeth as tears fell down her face. She held Cassandra tightly and kept on running.
"Cassandra, my love, listen to . It might beco hard, but you must live. Do you hear ? You must live, even if-"
A crash cut her off. Alder was thrown back into the hallway, skidding across the floor. Blood dripped from his forehead. He stood imdiately, sword raised.
More n in black erged behind him like spiders crawling through shadows.
Alder snarled. "Lyria, take her and run, don’t look back!"
Seeing her husband bleeding, Lyria steeled herself and nodded her head as she continued running with Cassandra in tow.
"I love you, my wife! Take care of our treasure!" Alder shouted as he blocked the attackers.
"MOM! DAD was bleeding! We need to go back and save him!" Cassandra shouted, but Lyria did not respond and simply hugged her daughter even tighter.
Cassandra’s eyes stung. Her mother’s breathing was ragged. Behind them, she heard Alder’s final roar.
"IF YOU BLOODY DEMONS WANT MY DAUGHTER, YOU’LL HAVE TO STEP OVER MY CORPSE!!!"
There was more clashing to be heard, but after a while, what ca next was a horrifying, crushing silence.
Cassandra sobbed into her mother’s dress. "Daddy... Daddy..."
"Don’t stop," Lyria whispered through tears. Lyria continued running, but as she was about to exit the house, the roof ca falling down in front of her.
The flas had now fully surrounded her. She hugged her child and used her aura mantle to protect them from the flas.
"Listen to , Cassandra. No matter what happens, you must continue to live and find your happiness again. You might not be able to see Mom with your eyes anymore, but I will always be here to protect you." Lyria placed her hand gently on her daughter’s chest. Her breathing was becoming ragged as she continued to protect her daughter with her aura mantle.
"I don’t understand," Cassandra said, but her mother no longer responded. "Mom?" Cassandra spoke again, but her mother remained still; she was no longer breathing.
"Mom? Mom, wake up. We have to go. Please... please get up..."
Yet no matter how she begged and pleaded, her mother would never again wake up, speak to her, and tell her everything would be alright.
Cassandra wanted to cry, but the tears could no longer flow out as the flas surrounded her. She could no longer breathe as the smoke filled her lungs. She was scared, as she felt the burning sensation all over her body.
Cassandra’s vision blurred. She couldn’t tell where her mother ended, and the flas began. Everything was lting together: heat, smoke, fear.
It was at that mont she saw the n in black surrounding her, and a person ca forward. It was a familiar person she had t a few days ago, Marquis Valeire.
"Child, I have co to save you." Those were the last words she heard before she lost consciousness.
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