Chapter 9

18 years ago...

A woman cried out in pain as she was carried into a room, heavily pregnant and in labour.

Her face was sweaty, her hair damp, and she drew in harsh breaths as the contractions reduced enough for her to breathe. The man who carried her laid her gently on the bed and wiped her sweaty brows with a cool cloth.

He turned to the maids standing behind him. "Hurry up and get the Sisters Of The Night. It's almost time." He urged them, and they hurried out. He looked back at the woman as she shut her eyes and bit her lips as another contraction seized her.

"Just a little longer, Isabel. The Sisters Of The Night are on their way. Soon we will have our baby." He assured her.

Isabel looked up at him and reached out to touch his face. "Logan." She whispered.

Logan took her hand in his and held it to his lips.

"In case I don't make it..."

"No!" Logan refused. "Don't say such things. You're going to be fine. You and our baby will be perfectly fine. I will not lose you."

Tears brimmed in his eyes and he felt his heart constrict as another contraction seized his wife and she cried out.

Where were the Sisters?

Suddenly the door flew open and six figures walked in. They all had red hooded cloaks on and they stood around the bed. The leader of the Sisters took off her cloak and drew closer to the bed. Her appearance was strange. Long elven ears, bright blue eyes and hair as bright as the sun.

She touched Isabel's bulging tummy and her hands vibrated as if pulsing with energy.

Her eyes turned to Logan and she said in a very soft voice. "She carries twins."

Logan was in shock. Slowly, happiness surged through him as he realized they were not having one but two babies. His eyes met his wife and they exchanged a smile. Isabel's breath caught as another spasm rocked her whole body.

"It is time." The Sister murmured. She beckoned to her other Sisters and they held hands in a circle around the bed. Logan took a step back and prayed to the moon goddess fervently.

The Sisters began to chant in a strange language. Isabel felt her body straining to push. She locked eyes with the Sister helping her with the delivery.

The Sister gave a nod and Isabel pushed like her life depended on it. Soon, they heard the loud piercing cry of a baby.

"You have a boy." The Sister announced and beckoned on Logan to hold the child without breaking the circle.

Logan took his son in his arms and stared lovingly at him. He couldn't believe he had a son. He was so lost in admiration for his child that he didn't notice Isabel having difficulties in pushing out their second child. Her screams caught his attention and his head jerked up.

"What's happening?" He asked worriedly.

The Sister ignored him and continually rubbed the palm of her hands on Isabel's tummy. The second delivery wasn't supposed to be this difficult. It was as if the baby was reluctant to emerge.

For more than an hour, Isabel battled with life and death as she struggled to push out her second child. The Sisters never relented in their chanting. Logan was filled with fear and worry as he held his crying son. He couldn't lose his wife and child. He just couldn't.

After what seemed like hours, Isabel let out a piercing scream as she pushed out her second child. The child emerged feet first, tearing her badly and almost taking her life.

As the child emerged slowly, there was a collective gasp from the Sisters.

The child's hair glowed bright purple. It was a girl. While they healed up Isabel, the Sister turned with the child and locked eyes with Logan.

"You have a girl." She said. There were tears in his eyes as he moved closer to see his daughter. But something was strange. The baby didn't cry. She just lay solemnly, her eyes closed; peaceful and serene. It was like she was in a deep slumber.

Logan looked at the Sister, questions in his eyes.

"The prophecy has begun." She said. "This child is The Chosen One."

...

Logan sat beside his wife holding his babies in each arm. He watched her as she slept peacefully after her ordeal of bringing their children into the world. His eyes moved to his babies.

The boy was calmer now. They both had the purple hair of the royal white witches, but only his daughter's hair had the purple glow. The Sisters Of The Night sat in a circle close to him. They listened as their leader spoke in hushes tones with Logan.

"The prophecy has been written before the beginning of time." She said. "A child born of a royal white witch and a human. Every supernatural creature had given up on it, because they all knew that there would never be a union between the witches and the humans.

"This is why your parents were against your marriage to Isabel. They were trying to protect you and her from harm. This is why Isabel was almost killed when she got pregnant. This is why she almost died bringing your daughter into the world.

"Every supernatural creature thought the prophecy would never come to pass. So they gave up trying to harm you and your family. Now that the prophecy has begun and The Chosen One has arrived, they would stop at nothing to kill her and end The Prophecy."

"But what is this prophecy? How is it connected to my daughter? And why not my son?" Logan asked.

"The Prophecy states that, a royal witch will be chosen, born of the blood of a royal witch and a human. The child will be chosen to rule over the realm, restore order to the creatures, wipe out the black witches and dominate over every creature of this realm. She will be immortal, and will have the power to immortalize whosoever she chooses.

"We do not decide what fate chooses. I do not have the answers to why your daughter was chosen. But she needs to be protected."

"How can I protect her?" Logan asked. He would do anything to make sure his children were safe.

"Your children have been gifted with great and immense power, hidden within them. When they come of age, these powers will be unleashed. They will need to be together in order to have full control over it."

"At what age will their powers be unleashed?"

"On the night of their eighteenth birthday, the astral realm will be opened and there will be a catastrophe. The news of this catastrophe will trigger their minds, thereby unleashing the powers. But beware... your son's powers can be unleashed without the occurrence of the catastrophe. But your daughter being the chosen one will be different. She will be the cause of this catastrophe and she will be triggered. She will need to be with you once her powers have been unleashed."

It was all so much for Logan to take in, but he understood everything. He would do whatever it took to protect his children.

"How do I protect my daughter from the dark witches?" He asked.

"She will be taken away this night. To the land of the humans. There she will grow up in the midst of humans and will never know who she really is until she comes of age. This is the only way."

Logan was heartbroken but he couldn't do anything about it. The dark witches could be on their way already.

He looked down at his sleeping wife. It broke his heart to do this without her awareness. But he had to.

He looked back at the Sisters and nodded. "Where will you take her to?"

"Do not worry about that. It is already under control. You will be notified of her new home and you can watch over her in secret. But do not approach her untilt she turns eighteen." The Sister cautioned him.

That night, he parted with his new born daughter. He held her close and kissed her on the forehead. "Serena." He murmured. "Your name is Serena."

He looked at his son in his other arm. "And your name is Xavier."