The Word of Kings: Siana's Power Awakens

The air tasted like winter.

Gray clouds hung low over the town, pregnant with snow and rain. The trails of ancient rains scarred the cobbled streets, carving out potholes where water pooled. Even the trees seemed to be hunkered down for a long winter's sleep, not a leaf stirring in the stiff wind.

Siana stood at the end of a narrow street, her hands clasped behind her back. The breeze made her breath hang like smoke before her face. She was a tall girl, taller than most women around here, with long black hair that fell in waves to her waist when she didn't pin it up. Her skin was pale white, like milk, and her eyes were an unusual green-blue color that drew more attention than she would have liked in their village. She wore thick woolen leggings and a simple poncho under a thick brown cloak. She had never been one for dresses or skirts.

"How does this place even exist?" she asked herself aloud as she looked around again, taking in the run-down houses and shops packed closely together around her. She hated this place but she knew little else in the world besides this village, so it was home. After all, home is where your heart is.

"This place should be gone by now," Siana continued to grumble to herself as she started down the street toward the edge of town where the old house stood empty and forgotten since before she was born. "Who is stupid enough to live here? There's nothing here!"

She came to a stop at the corner closest to the house and glanced down each of the three streets branching off from here: one leading away from town, another farther into town and then one that led directly toward her family's old house on its outskirts. She paused thoughtfully for a moment before shaking herself out of it and setting off down the last road that brought her closer to her destination; away from this boring little town and towards something exciting!

The old house sat directly at the edge of town on a hill overlooking everything below it except for where Siana stood now at its far end. It was huge with large windows that looked out over everything, but most were cracked or broken now so they were covered with wooden planks nailed across them in various patterns that betrayed some kind of strange logic only known to whoever did it. Supposedly those who lived there once upon a time were witches who could summon demons who would do their bidding because they had some sort of magic book hidden away somewhere inside which held all kinds of spells that could change reality or make things happen or whatever else you wanted if you said it right when reading it during some kind of ritual thingy... but no one believed any of that anymore since they were gone--dead--for longer than anyone could remember now probably--and besides, people don't live forever anyway so whatever! The house had been empty for ages ever since then and no one wanted anything to do with it or its occupants because... well... everyone knows about witches and their evil ways!

Siana sighed deeply as she reached the bottom of the hill where an old stone fence marked its boundary line. This peculiar border separated their small village from what had once been private property belonging to these supposed witches; however, with their absence, the interest in the property dwindled significantly. Unintimidated by the grim stories surrounding the house, Siana navigated her way past the idle guards by the gate. She marveled at how easy it was to slip past them undetected, attributing it to the complacency of those adults who attempted to bury their playful inner child's spirit.

Shaking off the dizzying thoughts about the complexity of adulthood and pretending, she continued on her path, eager to escape the ordinary world and uncover the secrets of the mysterious house on the hill. Having reached her destination at last, she was determined to explore it and perhaps unravel its hidden truths, whether real or fabricated.