Chapter 3 A destiny of her own

------------Years Later-----------

It was a cold winter morning. Sabrina woke up shivering, her breath visible in the frigid air. She pulled her large, worn coat tightly around her shoulders and stepped outside. In the distance, thick columns of black smoke rose into the grey sky. A heavy sense of dread settled over her like a blanket of ice.

A flock of birds suddenly flew overhead in panic.

“What is going on?” Sabrina asked, her voice tense.

“The village is under attack!” one bird cried. “A war is about to start!”

At the village square, Sabrina’s mother heard the terrifying murmurs of the coming war. The approaching Zorora clan was said to be extremely powerful and ruthless. Fear gripped her heart as she quickly gathered their belongings and rushed home.

She strictly warned Sabrina not to go outside.

But Sabrina sneaked out anyway.

She soon came across several villagers being ambushed. Her blood ran cold.

“Don’t hurt her! She is just a child!” Sabrina screamed, desperation cracking her voice.

The man laughed cruelly. “And who is going to stop me?”

"I will." She answered boldly.

As they dragged the little girl away, Sabrina warned coldly, “Keep your hands off her. This is your last chance.”

The men laughed.

"let's see if you can stop this " One of them fired an arrow straight at her. Time seemed to slow as the arrow stopped inches from her face and dropped harmlessly to the ground.

Sabrina pointed at the attackers, fury and power surging through her veins. In an instant, they all turned to stone.

The villagers who witnessed it stared in awe and shock. Sabrina turned and ran away, her heart pounding wildly with adrenaline and fear.

Soon, rumors of what she had done spread like wildfire.

Back home, her mother was furious.

“Sabrina, how could you?!” she growled, anger and terror mixing in her voice. “I warned you to stay inside! I hate it when you disobey me. I want you to be safe. Now you are a target they will come for you!”

Sabrina held her mother’s arm tightly, tears burning in her eyes. “I couldn’t just watch them hurt a child.” She paused, wiping her tears with a trembling hand. “It’s not my fault that I was born different… and I can’t help it. I want to use my powers to help my people.”

She was deeply hurt by her mother’s harsh words, the rejection cutting deeper than any blade.

Just then, heavy footsteps approached. Several royal guards appeared at their door.

“Sabrina!” one of them called out. “The king has summoned you.”

Sabrina stood frozen in disbelief, a cold wave of fear washing over her body.

“Oh no…”

-------------------------

Sabrina stood before the mighty King Rahul. He was a giant of a man with a deep, commanding voice that echoed through the grand throne room like rolling thunder.

“Greetings, mighty King,” she said with a respectful bow, unable to lift her gaze from the stone floor.

“Sabrina,” he rumbled. “You are the one they speak of.”

She bowed lower. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

He signaled for her to rise. “We have heard of your mighty powers including how you turned men into stone. Is this true?” he settled on the edge of his sit, desperate for her response.

Sabrina hesitated, her throat dry. “Yes… Your Majesty.”

The King leaned backward. “The council has called upon you. Will you help us defeat the Zorora clan?”

Sabrina knelt immediately, a surge of pride and purpose swelling in her chest. “It will be an honor to fight for my people.”

She returned home bursting with excitement, the words tumbling out as she told her mother everything.

“You will do what?!” her mother screamed, her face filled with horror. “Never! I forbid you from going. Not after everything we have been through. Now they want to use you? My baby! You cannot go to war. It is no place for a child!”

"Mother I am eighteen."

Her mother burst into tears, shoulders shaking violently. "No!"

“Mother, I have to,” Sabrina said firmly, though her voice cracked.

“No, you will not!” her mother shouted, slamming her hands on the table. She paused, folding her arms tightly over her chest as if trying to hold herself together. Turning away, she stared out the window, her voice trembling with old pain. “When I had you, Sabrina, I was despised. No one cared. I was chased away with hatred to this lonely place. I carried you and raised you alone. I was spat on and humiliated… and now this!”

“But Mother, they are begging for my help,” Sabrina pleaded, reaching out. “I believe they finally know how important we are. The King promised to change everything.” She assured.

Her mother cut her off with a sharp, intense look, fire burning in her eyes. “They are not sorry!” Her head shook in fury. “They only need your powers. They do not need us! They don’t care about you, Sabrina. Listen to me.”

“No!” Sabrina pulled away, tears stinging her eyes. “That’s not true. The King promised—”

Her mother shook her head.

Years of pain finally poured out of Sabrina. “Mother, you have no idea how it has been,” she said, her voice breaking. “I have no friends. People run away when they see me. No one wants to even look at me. We live alone on this hill… and now they finally need me. Now I can show them I am not the evil curse they think I am. You want to take this chance away from me? I won’t let you!”

“Sabrina, you are wrong. You can’t—”

“No, Mother. You are wrong,” Sabrina interrupted, her voice rising. “That is your story, and I will not allow it to become mine. I am the savior of my people. It is my destiny.”

Her mother’s breath hitched. She clutched her chest, looking suddenly frail.

Heartbroken and overwhelmed, Sabrina turned and ran out of the house, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her mother leaned heavily on the table, breathing hard. She turned to Kiki with exhausted, worried eyes. “Make sure she is safe, Kiki,” she whispered, even though she wasn’t sure the squirrel understood.

Sabrina stormed through the bushes, bright golden light flaring angrily from her palms as she violently waved away branches in her path.

“You should go back,” Kiki advised gently.

She ignored him.

“Sabrina, go back to your mother. She is heartbroken.”

“So am I!” Sabrina yelled, her eyes red with fury. “Kiki, I am tired of running around these hills and bushes. I have everything it takes to get what I want, but… my mother wants me to be her tool of revenge.”

“No, no… Sabrina, you can’t talk about your mother like that,” Kiki said, clinging tightly to her hair. “She is only trying to protect you. Remember the last time you helped someone? You collapsed, and they all left you behind.”

She scoffed. “What else do you expect them to do, Kiki?”

“Stay. To make sure you were safe.”

Sabrina stopped abruptly. She yanked Kiki off her head and set him down. “Maybe you should go home now.”