Chapter 58 : Happiness

"Are we going to see your mom? For what?" I ask, a little perplexed. Honestly, I didn’t expect to see “normal” people in a village with such a grim name.

"Pion’s mommy is the village chief!" exclaims the little boy, visibly very proud.

Valentin observes the child with a thoughtful look, as if something seems off about him, but he keeps his doubts to himself, staying back, lost in thought.

Suddenly, Elvie steps forward and leans down to speak to him, a gentle smile on her lips.

"Tell me, do you know who might have invited us?" she asks in her kindest voice.

"It was probably mommy," he replies, his eyes shining with admiration for our weapons, as if he’s seeing hidden treasures.

I finally understand. The person who called herself the "advisor of shadows" would be his mother? But why would she have lured us here…

Valentin then leans discreetly towards me, placing a hand on my shoulder to catch my attention, murmuring seriously in my ear:

"There’s something strange about this place…"

"What are you two talking about?" asks Alfira suddenly, never missing a beat.

"Nothing, forget it," I say at once, feigning indifference.

"Follow me, please!" Pion exclaims confidently. He starts walking with a steady step, and without thinking, our little group follows him, as if this eight-year-old has suddenly become our leader.

Apparently, the idea fills him with joy, because a wide smile of satisfaction stretches across his face. He guides us proudly to the foot of the hill, then to the entrance of the village, before slipping inside. The place is very rural: most of the inhabitants seem to live off agriculture, wearing worn-out farmer’s clothing.

The villagers stare at us, some looking worried, others curious. Unlike those in the city, they don’t know us. To them, we’re strangers, intruders in their little corner of paradise.

Suddenly, an old woman working in a field by the roadside notices us following Pion.

"Pion, is it them?" she asks, her voice raspy.

Without answering, the boy nods enthusiastically, his smile revealing a few missing baby teeth. The gesture is clumsy, but so cute it’s almost funny.

We continue to follow him, all displaying slightly confused expressions.

"This whole thing is strange," Elvaria murmurs, glancing around.

"Not as strange as your behavior towards me," I retort with a hint of mischief in my voice.

"I have the right, I’m your fiancée!" she replies with a cheeky smile.

"Yeah, but in moderation…"

"Hahaha… you’ll never be able to control me, Aley," she declares triumphantly.

We eventually arrive in front of a small, humble building with a thatched roof. Pion stops in front, and the whole group halts with him.

"Ah… Thank you for following me this far. My soul can now rest. I leave you with the mistress of this place," says Pion suddenly, his voice grave and much more mature. His tone changes entirely, as if he becomes an adult in an instant, each word delivered with an unexpected eloquence. We all stand frozen, stunned by his sudden transformation.

"P-Pion, you could talk like that?" murmurs Alfira, slack-jawed.

The boy simply gives her an innocent smile, a child’s smile this time, before turning on his heels to head back to the fields without another word.

"I guess we have no choice but to go inside…" Valentin murmurs, casting one last glance around.

"Certainly," I respond at once, inspecting the village with a careful eye. The place has a subtle beauty, ideal for countryside lovers. The wooden building, though modest, radiates a strange energy, a kind of mysterious charm.

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Elvaria steps forward, the first to close the distance to the door. She places her hand on it and pushes it slowly to avoid putting too much force and accidentally ripping it off.

A light creak echoes as the door opens slowly. Suddenly, a deep sound comes from inside.

"Koff—koff koff!" A cough, rough, deep, like that of a sick person. A few seconds later, a voice, weak and broken, finally reaches us.

"Yes… who—koff koff… is there?" A woman’s voice, soft but tired, clearly trying not to be heard.

I swallow, stepping in front of Elvie, who hesitates, a timid fear in her gaze, her hand trembling.

I push the door to open it fully, and that’s when I see her. Lying on an uncomfortable straw bed, a young woman stares at us. She is beautiful in a way that is both gentle and terrifying, her green eyes strangely reminding me of Elvie’s. Her green hair falls in a long ponytail over her right side, a striking contrast. Her black dress, adorned with white ribbons, looks uncannily like my own Victorian attire. No… it’s almost identical.

"O-Oh… d-damn…" words slip from my mouth, as if I no longer have control over them.

"Aley, are you alright?" Elvie asks, concern evident in her voice.

"You’re pale, are you okay?!" exclaims Valentin, followed by Alfira, who throws me a worried look. But in the face of our scene, the sick woman sketches a smile, filled with mischief and nostalgia.

More words escape my lips: "Aliosi…"

"Aliosi!"

"It’s you, Aliosi!" My voice trembles, vibrating with emotion, shaking the fragile walls of the building.

"Stop shouting, Aley… you always were that way," she says in a soft voice, tinged with amusement. Her words seem to meld perfectly with her face, of indescribable beauty.

"Y-You’re alive…" I murmur, stunned. She’s alive. My heart races. This is probably one of the happiest days of my life.

"Do you know her, Aley?" Valentin suddenly asks, as surprised as he is confused.

"Of course I know her…" I respond honestly, unable to tear my gaze away from Aliosi. But another question burns on my lips.

"V-Veron?! He’s alive too?" I ask, my voice trembling with stress, but with a faint glimmer of hope somewhere in my heart.

"Gently, Aley…" she replies, her voice soft and calm, as if to soothe me.

Elvaria then steps forward, a little hesitant, but her curiosity gets the better of her.

"You asked if she knows Veron… that means she’s from the Holy War… w-was she one of your women—" she tries to say, a troubled expression on her face.

Aliosi lets out a light laugh. "Long ago, when I was a child, I insisted he become my husband… he always refused the idea," she says with an amused smile, a glimmer of the past in her eyes.

"Elvie, this is my sister, Aliosi. My real sister, from my first incarnation, as Aleystria," I tell her honestly, a smile forming despite myself. This all feels surreal, but it’s so good to see my sister again…

"Aliosi, why did you invite us here?"

"I’d like to say it was just because I wanted to see my big brother again… but the truth is, the second princess of Voltruite asked me to do it. I didn’t even know you were still alive."

"You’re in contact with the royal family?"

"I helped establish Voltruite, Aley. You should have guessed; that country didn’t exist before."

"I don’t have all my memories…" I reply, a bit embarrassed.

"My perfect big brother, now missing memories… how ironic…" She laughs, but a violent coughing fit takes hold of her, so intense that I tense up instantly.

"Are you going to be okay, Aliosi?!" I ask, alarmed.

"Don’t worry, Aley… I’m fine. It’s nice to see that you’re concerned for your only sister…"

I lower my gaze slightly, a shadow of guilt crossing my face. "You’re not really my only sister anymore… in my second incarnation, as Aley Vrodwil, I had a brother and a sister, Alicia and Lux," I admit.

"Oh…" She smiles a little sadly, then adds with a hint of jealousy in her eyes, "I would have liked to be exclusive…"

"I see Elvi has reincarnated too," she continues, looking at Elvaria knowingly.

"Y-Yes! Indeed, it’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am," replies Elvaria, bowing slightly, nervous.

"Stop with the formalities! Even if you don’t remember, we’ve crossed paths several times before."

"E-Excuse me, ma’am!" she replies nervously, making Aliosi smile softly.

"Still so stubborn…" she murmurs, amused.

Suddenly, I slip into the conversation.

"Tell me, Aliosi, what does the second princess of Voltruite want with us? We have a few matters with them."

She thinks for a moment before responding. "According to her, you’re supposed to go hunt a dragon that lives in a cave nearby… our village is perched on a mountain, and several dragons nest not far from here."

"Alright… but I have another question," I say, my voice a bit colder, anger surfacing slightly. "Pion, is he really your child, and you never told your big brother? If I’d known, I wouldn’t have let it slide—"

She bursts into laughter before I can finish. "And with whom would I have had a child…? All those who live here, old and young, are my children. Adopted; none are mine. I take them in when they’re abandoned, and I raise them here until they’re adults. Some choose to stay and grow old by my side. This village is not a place of joy, Aley…"

"I-I see… you must have been through a lot, little sister…" I say, touched. "But… how is it that you’re still here, alive?"

"The Stria is like a disease for humans; it spreads through the air… I, who was the second closest to you after Elvaristria, ended up absorbing a tiny fraction of your magic. It allowed me to live for a long time."

"T-That’s wonderful!" I exclaim, overflowing with a joy I can barely contain. My heart is so full of warmth it almost hurts.

"But I was alone, Aley… alone for centuries… My only joy was taking in these children and raising them, like a mother."

I lower my eyes, touched by this confession. "I understand… I’m truly happy to finally see you again, Aliosi."

She smiles, tears shimmering in her eyes. "And I… I’m happy to finally see you again, big brother…" she says, opening her arms. Still lying on her bed, she invites me into an embrace. Without hesitation, I step forward and wrap her in a hug, putting all my heart into it.

Silence falls around us, a silence full of tenderness.

Ah.

Valentin was right, something is off about this village, and my "sister".