A Message Beyond
”It didn’t matter whether she knew or not. She just wanted to be prepared.” ~The Second Liona
The evening was somber, as one would expect. Despite Frill’s determination to keep a light mood, the closer they were to the Ritual of Peace, the more she couldn’t stop herself from facing the truth.
It was time to let go.
She spent the last few moments alone in her room, playing Frein’s playlist through her M.O.B.I.L.E. It had been Liona’s room as well, but Celosia had taken the liberty to clean out her sister’s belongings long before Frill had even arrived. Well… not everything.
Their mother didn’t know about their secret stash behind the closet. It was a meiyal-crafted closet, keeping all of Frill’s clothes clean and rid of wrinkles. Liona’s clothes weren’t there anymore, but the compartment at the back was still intact.
Frill reached out, running a small portion of her own meiyal carrying her Signature through the camouflaged seal. The lock recognized it and popped the secluded section open. Inside was a small, metal box. With a heavy heart, she took the moment to gather her courage before retrieving the container.
The box contained letters from their past. Something they did as kids. Whenever they felt strongly about a certain thing but couldn’t find the courage to say it to someone, they wrote it and sealed it in this box. Those messages were mostly directed to their mother, to Kristel, or to Katherine. For some reason, Lor never really got to their nerves. Despite his innately brutish, yet handsome form, he was a scion of peace through and through
Still, every so often, one of the sisters would leave a letter for the other.
Frill opened the box, not exactly expecting a letter from Liona. She only wanted to see her sister’s handwriting again, read about the things she strongly felt about when she was young. So when the Aria found a new piece of paper, unblemished by the test of time, she couldn’t help but blink twice. Retrieving it actually revealed two letters.
She opened both papers and almost dropped both of them at the same time. They were from different people, but she recognized the handwriting all the same. One was from Liona.
The other was from the Letterman.
Frill contemplated which one to read first. She didn’t expect the Letterman to send a letter, more so in a secret place that only Liona and herself knew about. Somehow she didn’t find this part as surprising as receiving a letter in the first place, given that the letter had managed to appear in Katherine’s treasure room despite all its sophisticated security measures.
Liona’s was just as surprising. It was recent. Frill quickly ran through her memories, trying to recall the last time Liona was here. She had come and gone for vacation a few times during their stay in Minaveil Province. It could have been in any of those occasions.
Frill decided to read Liona’s first. Not that she didn’t care about the Letterman, but her sister had always been the priority since the beginning.
> Sis,
>
> If you’re reading this now, I’m pretty sure I’m dead. It also means you didn’t take my meiyal core. If that’s the case, it’s fine, you don’t need to worry about it.
>
> It’s a little silly, writing this without any actual reason for me to do so. I just had a hunch, really.
>
> I’ve been practicing a way to unify my meiyal system easier. Let’s me help with the fuse. I realized I had a talent for it. No, not really. It’s the only thing I knew how to catch up to you.
>
> I’ve always been jealous. Always. Jealous of you, of Kristel, and of Lady Katherine. Not a day goes by where I wish I was as good as any of you with Meiyal Arts. When I learned how to fly, I thought I was a step closer. Turns out, it’s something many people can do. I don’t have anything unique to me like you and your singing.
>
> I’m jealous, but I’m also proud. I’m proud of you, most of all, Sis. Between us two, you are the better one, and I think I’ve learned how to embrace and accept that. That’s why I dedicated myself to making my meiyal system adaptable. So that when I, weak as I am, eventually perish, I can at least support you in my death.
>
> Well… if you’re reading this, I probably failed in that, too.
>
> When Lady Katherine left, I wondered how long it would take for her to return. She told me that if within five years, she’s not back yet, she probably lost the means to go back here. She told me that I have to take her place at that point.
>
> How am I supposed to do that? Crazy, right?
>
> Anyway, I think I’m just rambling now. If, for some weird reason, you’re reading this while I’m still alive, can you just forget about it? It’s really embarrassing now that I think about it.
>
> And if I’m actually really dead. Well… I guess you can cry. I’d appreciate that. But, make sure you move on right away, okay? I know how much you tend to blame yourself whenever something bad happens to others.
>
> Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
>
> Whatever the case, I know it’s not your fault, alright, Sis?
>
> Just do it the same way we do with the other hate letters we write. Burn it. Burn your sadness away, Sis.
>
> I’m proud of you. I’ll always love you. Please say the same to Mom. I’ll do the same to Dad.
>
> Liona Veli
>
> PS: Mom… if for some reason you found this. I love you. Always take care of yourself. Show this to Sis when the time is right.
“Liona…” Frill was at a loss. Her sister had prepared for her death. Katherine had told her about this before, how a meiyal system had to be trained meticulously and purposefully for a fuse. That her sister had deliberately chosen to perfect it, not just to help with their goal, but to prepare just in case…
The sigh that followed after her realization was heavily accentuated by the silence coming from her M.O.B.I.L.E.
We’ve been through fire
We’ve been through rain, but we won’t give up
Just then, the next song playing on Frill’s M.O.B.I.L.E. caught her attention. It felt weird. At first, the language felt foreign, alien, even. Even the previous songs before this one were just garbled up mouth sounds that matched rhythmically with the music.
But Frill could feel the meiyal move for this song. She could not believe it, but Destiny deemed it worthy to translate for her. Why? How?
Does it even matter?
“We’re leaving it all… Leaving it all behind,” Frill said, following along the lyrics and absorbing it all. Her heart raced with the swelling of the inevitable chorus.
As always, Frein was right. This was an appropriate song. Frill wanted to learn it.
The next hour passed quickly as Frill spent the time memorizing the lyrics and practicing the song with her specialized Meiyal Art, Beautiful Notes. Just like her Quiet Loom, both Arts didn’t require her to have a meiyal-charged material, unlike other specialized Arts.
It hit her just now how Liona had felt, realizing her sister’s jealousy. But Liona had said she was proud of her for it as well. So, instead of nurturing the ugly feeling inside her chest, she snuffed it out with her sister’s encouragement. And the events that had happened recently did clarify for her how special she was.
She read her sister’s letter once more, putting to heart her words and holding them like an immense treasure. Liona was right. Frill should burn the past. But just like with Diferenfra, she would keep her sister’s treasured memories. The joy she exuded, her uplifting nature, her desire to be better, her mischievous escapades with the Princess, and her adorable ways of apologizing.
Frill almost forgot the Letterman’s letter. She picked it up from the metal box, replacing it with Liona’s letter before sealing the box properly.
> Frill,
>
> By now, I’m sure you’ve received Brymeia’s offer. I did tell you before that the world has chosen you, remember? But I know that accepting this burden or not should be left completely up to you. Therefore, in order to avoid any influences from my end, I will only tell you, that whatever it is you choose, I am here to support you always.
>
> I know you’ll do the right thing, Frill.
>
> I’m also sure that you’re reading this after you’ve read Liona’s message. I’m really sorry, and I would like to apologize again. Someday, I will formally ask for your forgiveness. Personally; without hiding myself. But until the proper moment, I ask that you hold your judgement of me, and heed my words instead.
>
> Elizzel should’ve passed my warnings to you and the Princess by now. Whatever preparations your group has decided on, I need you to be ready. Saying whether the choices you’ve made are correct or not will make detrimental ripples within Destiny, and I dare not challenge it on my own. In this, I’ve always failed. I’m no god after all.
>
> Just be ready. Always stay by the Princess’s side until after you survive the Nightmare Incursions. Yes. I’m sure Elizzel might’ve told you of one, but I’m also sure the Princess is too hotheaded to listen. The faunel probably missed the chance to tell you there are three. The places always change, and only one remains constant. There will always be one Incursion targeting Frein.
>
> If Kristel dies, the anchor that protects this world from getting completely consumed by the Nightmare will be lost.
>
> Yes. The key is Princess Kristel. Monarch Kristel. Do not let the other guy take the Crown. You have to make sure of this. Ask Frein for help if you need to. He’ll know what to do.
>
> Kristel’s Destiny, tied as it is with Evanclad, serves as the leverage Brymeia uses to maintain this world within reality. This is why all the other countries were destroyed, except for Irista Nation. Vyndival was a happy coincidence, but if you’ve listened to Xiv, I’m sure you know how close the entire Kingdom is from succumbing to the Nightmare.
>
> As long as Kristel survives, Brymeia can concentrate all her power on protecting Irista Nation.
>
> Remember. It doesn’t matter who else dies in this Incursion.
>
> I’m sorry if these are all jumbled up. I didn’t have much time to prepare this one. Best of luck, Frill.
>
> Letterman
Frill’s mind was still struggling to comprehend how the Letterman had managed to slip this paper in their secret stash. The contents of the letter just made it worse. Despite all the confusing things it had, however, one thing was adamantly clear.
Kristel’s safety. No, not exactly. The way the Letterman wrote it, he knew the Princess would be at the forefront of this Incursion.
Would it still be the case had they agreed for Frein and the others to wait out the Incursion in the Nightmare Lands? Or did the Letterman knew from the get-go that Kristel would be against the idea?
It hardly mattered now. Frill had to make sure Kristel survived the Incursion. No matter what or who had to be sacrificed.
No. No one needs to be sacrificed. We’ll all survive this, Frill promised to herself. I won’t let Liona’s death be in vain. I won’t disappoint her.
“Frill,” Celosia’s voice came from outside her door. “It’s time, sweetie.”
“Yes, Mom.” With a flick of her meiyal control, Frill returned the box inside the hidden compartment while keeping the Letterman’s letter inside her Spatiera. “I’ll be right there.”
“Don’t take too long.”
Frill wore the formal uniform of the servants of the High Palace. Not that she needed to wear such a thing anymore, but it was the last thing she and her sister had spent the most time doing before her death. She took all the appropriate layers to mix with the white and gold, making sure all the frills of her dress were measured appropriately.
Then, with a deep breath, she opened the door to find Xiv waiting patiently for her.
He looked handsome with the new haircut, thin on the side and brushed up on top. She realized they both had red hair. Hers was brighter, while his was darker. But he was the light right now. Her light, at least.
With a nod, Xiv led Frill outside to meet her sister for the final farewell.