The King's Obsession ✔️

TWENTY

Word Count: 2317

~Akara

I stumble from the shop, not bothering to hold back and explain to the woman that I'm not a threat to her.

I'm a Summoner.

Wasting no time wondering how this is possible, I sprint from the village and into the forest. Looking down, I could scream at the sight of hands that don't belong to me, and yet won't go away.

"No...No," I panic, rubbing them over my clothes, shaking me, doing anything to try get rid of them. I just took her appearance as my own, without thinking twice about it, and now, it seems I'm stuck with it.

I don't stop running, even as my lungs burn and my eyes start streaming with tears. By the time Clea's mother's cabin comes into view, I could collapse into the grass with how exhausted I am. I can't possibly be relieved that I'm not turning into a Snow Demon because this fate may not be that much better.

I've killed a Summoner.

Marek comes into view, stalking back and forth across the front lawn. He's wondering where I am, where I've gone that has taken me so long. I can't imagine what his reaction is going to be like when he finds out I'm a Summoner. Just like him.

Rushing out of the forest, I head toward him, anxious for him to explain this to me, to help me understand what's going to happen next.

I expect Marek to be confused at the sight of me, but nothing changes in his expression, other than growing concern for the state of my emotions.

"Woah, Akara, what's going on?" he asks, meeting me half way across the lawn.

Frowning, I look down at my hands, and sure enough, I'm back as myself, the appearance of that woman having vanished from my skin. I could cry out in relief, grateful that I've returned to my true self. I hope that never happens again, especially without me willing it to.

"I'm a Summoner," I tell him through gasping breaths, grabbing onto his shoulders to steady myself. My head feels fuzzy, close to what I've been feeling with my nightmares. That exact feeling has been haunting me, and now I know why.

He shakes his head, closing his eyes for a moment in confusion. "Sorry, what?"

"I just ran into someone in a nearby village, and I was able to take over their appearance," I explain frantically, touching my face, making sure it's still mine.

"Are you certain?" he questions, looking over me. "Because if so, that means..."

He breaks off. He doesn't need to say it, we both know what it means. I didn't just become a Summoner by luck of the draw. It's the best possible fate for me, yes, but it's still a curse. And it's a curse I've put on myself, by my own actions. I just wish I could battle through the cloud over my memory to determine why I did it.

"I've killed a Summoner," I murmur, looking down at my hands as if I can see their blood staining my skin. The urge to throw up is overwhelming. I've taken someone's life, whether I can remember it or not.

"When?" Marek asks.

"I have no idea. I've lost at least two weeks of memory after drinking from the river," I tell him. No matter how hard I dig into my mind, those memories are a mystery. I had assumed I was unconscious for most of it, and wandered across the Jade Province at only one point. I didn't think I would have murdered someone during the course of it.

Marek taps his lower lip with his index finger, trying to make sense of what is confusing me. "You must have been unconscious for that time."

"I can't have been. I clearly walked from the Jade Province right to the border." That kind couple took me in, looked after me when I was on the verge of dying. They found me close to the Azure Province, which was a large trek for me to make on foot, if I did.