> Por Verzculpa
>
> Phrase
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> Translation: Please, I earnestly seek forgiveness / Please, accept my sincere apology
>
> Definition: A respectful and heartfelt request for forgiveness. This expression is used in situations where one seeks to convey not just remorse, but also a strong desire for reconciliation and understanding. It reflects a profound acknowledgment of one's mistakes and a sincere plea for pardon.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are!"
The hum of the ley lines resonated around the lake until the tranquillity was shattered by a violent splash that erupted from the water's surface. Yeso's eyes widened as he recognized the creatures from his vision – the Koi Carps, the Spirit of the Two-headed Fish.
As the water cascaded, a Spirit emerged. Its form was fluid and ever-changing. Covered in white, pearl-like scales, the Spirit bore a resemblance to an elf yet lacked the characteristic pointed ears, which instead took on a shape more akin to sea shells.
Their features were in a constant state of metamorphosis, never settling long enough to give a clear indication of their exact appearance. Its form shifted subtly, altering simple shapes and even gender, presenting an ethereal, almost otherworldly presence that defied any concrete definition, just like water.
The Spirit fixed its narrow eyes on Yeso with evident indignation. "How dare you summon me, dragging me out from my garden… you filthy…thing?" the Spirit asked, echoing over the water.
"I need your help. The Howling Night needs your help!" Yeso urged, turning his full attention towards the wolf, still convulsing.
"Howling Night, what a ridiculous name he chose for himself," the mermaid-like figure scoffed with disdain. They moved gracefully across the surface of the lake, each step seeming to lightly touch the shimmering golden ley lines that glowed beneath them. Their movements were fluid like water as if they were tiptoeing on the very essence of magic itself.
"Koimar!" the woman with vivid red eyes called out, "We need you!"
"The little pup, you mean?" Koimar responded, and their bile with sarcasm was drenched in every word.
The woman, still cradling an eye between her hands, said, "Echternach is trying to vanquish the End of Times."
Upon hearing this, Koimar's form shifted into that of a male, their expression one of scepticism.
"The End of Times? Do you take me for a fool? It's already unfolding! Everything is coming to an end, Marie-Hex. There's nothing left to save!"
Caught in the midst of the escalating confrontation between the two Spirits, Yeso finally intervened, "That's not true!"
Koimar, moving fluidly across the water's surface, approached Yeso. He crouched down, eyeing Yeso intently, and asked, "Are you accusing me of lying?"
“It’s not the end. I saw it.” Yeso, despite the tremor of uncertainty that threatened his composure, stood resolute in his words. "I have seen it... you have my word; whatever is about to happen, it won’t be today," he declared, but his voice revealed a subtle shake.
"How can you be certain of such a thing?" the mermaid-like Spirit questioned, returning to its female form.
Yeso simply responded, "I've had a vision, a small but very clear glimpse of the future." He spoke unwavering despite the doubt in his eyes. "To validate my words, I am prepared to offer you one hundred and two of whatever it is that you most desire."
His statement was more than a mere assertion; it was a daring proposition, hinging entirely on the last vision he had with Eura. He knew one hundred and two biscuits would not be the answer, but one hundred and two of something else would be.
"One hundred and two... but how can you possibly know what I truly desire?" the Spirit queried, rising slowly to its full height. "Who are you to presume my wants and needs? Do you see yourself as my master?"
The scorn in Koimar’s voice continued, "Of us three, I am the only one who has maintained its dignity. Its freedom! To think of serving a mortal... such a disgusting farce." The Spirit shifted form once again and changed back to its previous.
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Koimar pondered the number, "One hundred and two," they echoed thoughtfully.
"Yes, one hundred and two," Yeso affirmed.
"And all that's required of me is to heal the little mutt?" they clarified, their tone shifting as they contemplated the proposition.
Yeso gave a simple, affirmative nod in response. His offer hung in the balance, a daring gamble on his part but one he was willing to take in order to save Noctavia.
"Very well," they agreed, their form shifting back into the male version as they dove into the water. In a swift, fluid motion, the Dual-Headed Fish re-emerged, grasping Howl's head and forcefully submerging the wolf as if to drown him.
Yeso and Marie-Hex tensed, ready to intervene, but before they could act, instead of a wolf, a new figure emerged from the water. It was a Noitelven, a young elf with dark blue hair and grey skin that seemed to be imbued with tiny stars.
He staggered to the edge of the lake, coughing violently. Cough after cough, until a final forceful one, he purged hundreds of tiny black spiders that crawled from his mouth and ran away into the grass.
Marie-Hex rushed to his side, "Howl, are you alright?"
"Yeah... I'm fine... But I need to leave," he managed to say, turning to Yeso with haste in his eyes. "We have to go now!"
The Two-Headed Fish Spirit looked on, its smirk fading as it fixed Yeso with a piercing gaze. "Well, it appears my assistance is no longer required," it remarked. "One hundred and two, then. I shall await your fulfilment of the promise, Sun who burns land, sea, and sky."
With those final words, the Spirit plunged back into the depths of the lake, leaving Yeso to ponder the gravity of the vow he had just made. But that promise wouldn't be part of his story. Forgive me, Eura.
Echternach, known to all as the Howling Night, struggled out of the water. His body felt heavy. He collapsed onto his back on the lakeshore, gasping for air in desperate gulps. Yeso moved closer to him, concerned, while Marie-Hex tended to her friend, offering reassuring words, "You'll be okay. You’ll be okay."
Howl turned his gaze towards Yeso, yet all he could muster was a confession laced with resignation. "I tried. I tried so many times. But the Dreamer... He made his choice."
Yeso's voice faltered with the sudden realisation and grieved almost in despair. "She's..." he began, his words trailing off, cracking with tears that could no longer be contained. "No... not Zonnestra... I didn't hex her for this..." Yeso could barely grapple with the reality of the situation.
The Howling Night, struggling to compose himself, grasped Yeso firmly in his arms and, in a subdued whisper, said, "There was no other way. It was a choice between you and her, and he chose his daughter. I can't prevent the End of Times alongside you and my Master. It's beyond us. I need to start anew; it's the only way to save everyone else, even if it's just temporary."
Yeso, overwhelmed by the Howling Night's cryptic revelation, reacted with violent frustration. He pushed the Spirit away, his voice rising in disbelief and anger. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Marie-Hex quickly stepped between the two, attempting to mediate the escalating tension. "Yeso, regardless of what we do, the End of Times is inevitable. The Howling Night has been showing me what's happened. All of this," she gestured broadly to their surroundings, "has already unfolded. You've already played your part, as have your Hexe. I'm in the process of learning every piece of information or event I’m studying! I am trying to understand where, in the weave of reality, we might find a remedy. Where my Master can step in and make a difference. Reshape the very fabric of Time and Space to a version we don't end it all."
"Your Master?" Yeso's voice didn't quite translate his emotions, manifesting through the crackling of golden veins that appeared across his skin. As he was about to burst, he suddenly witnessed a startling transformation – Marie-Hex morphed into a small white mouse before his eyes.
"Your master is..." Yeso trailed off. His sentence was left hanging as he processed the sight.
"He is the Dreamer," the Howling Night explained, "That's why your son always sleeps so much. After all, how else could he dream? He dreams of the realities, the paths not taken, and the possible futures. He's essential in our quest against the inevitable End of Times."
"Orlo chose..." Yeso's voice faltered, barely able to articulate the words, the realization dawning upon him with a heavy weight. “Eura...”
"Your granddaughter, and your…" the Howling Night responded but didn’t dare to reveal it all, reassuming his form of a majestic black wolf, his fur interwoven with patterns reminiscent of the night sky. "I cannot save you and my Master from what's to come, but I can ensure that you are together until the very end." His words, though sombre, carried a promise of unity obscured by the now and what was to come.
As Noctavia said since the beginning, "Mir fado."
> I recount those thoughtful moments spent alone in my office, gazing out at the traffic and reevaluating the decisions of my life with too many whiskeys in my gut. I've often found myself in such ruminations, questioning whether the choices I made were the right ones. Did my actions, which may have adversely affected many, truly justify the happiness of a few? To those who criticized my doings, I often ask them: How many children do you have? Are you a part of their lives? Do they reach out to you? Call, text, or something? Were you there to protect them when they needed you most? I am certain that if faced with similar circumstances, my father would have chosen me above all else. In the same vein, I have chosen my child above everything. Unlike many fathers, I have never experienced the joy of holding my child in my arms. This longing made me go on; I cannot bear the thought of leaving this world without knowing what that feels like. How does she smell? ——The Hexe - Book One by Professor Edgar O. Duvencrune, First Edition, 555th Summer