We stood in front of Ellie’s door, knocking a few times. Penelope made sure to tell Rose to get the twins ready, while Eliot– He was just being Eliot, standing next to me with that stern look on his face.

“Coming!” yelled Ellie in her small voice. She opened the door, greeting us with her winsome smile and gleaming eyes that knew we were there to pick her up first thing in the morning. “Yes?” she asked, wiggling left and right while shyly grinning.

The siblings expected me to be the first to say something, but I nudged Eliot for fun, catching him off guard.

“Oh– Aah. . . We were wondering– You know. . . if you’d like to go to the city with us?” It has been a while since I last heard him stumble over words like that.

“Maybe. . .” Ellie played coy.

“Well, we tried.” I shrugged, but before I could get a chance to turn around, Ellie ran out the door.

“Wait!” She yelled, slamming into me and grabbing hold of my shirt. “I’ll go. . .”

I couldn’t help but grin while looking at her, smugly saying, “Thought as much.”

“Meanie. . .” Ellie pouted, making us all laugh.

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

“–And then they let us on an airship! It was so big. Much bigger than a boat,” Ellie explained, swinging her arms around while holding her spoon. “And then–”

“Sweetie, I know you had a great day, but don’t play around with cutlery.” Mother sighed, though had a smile the entire time at dinner as Ellie wouldn’t stop talking about our exciting day in the city.

“Like mother, like daughter,” Grandfather said, with whom I avoided eye contact.

Ellie paused for a second before turning red, lowering her hands on the table, and dropping her gaze shyly. “Sorry.”

“It’s alright. Just make sure to stay ladylike even when excited, okay?” Mother asked, to which Ellie nodded.

“And then?” Father wanted her to continue, at which uncle rolled his eyes, assuming no one was looking.

“And then! We–” Ellie paused, furrowing her brows while poking away at her chin with her finger.

Clearing my throat, I uttered, “Bakery.”

“Right! We went to a bakery.” She smiled at me. “They had delicious treats, and Rose couldn’t stop eating tarts with strawberries. Like she ate a lot.”

We could all tell Rose was dying inside, turning red for the first time since we met. Her gaze dropped to her plate, pushing back her hair behind the ear. Moments later, her embarrassed smile turned grim, and she slowly looked away in shame, making me wonder if she was getting flustered over the amount of food she plated. And the worst part, Ellie didn’t point it out maliciously and instead sounded genuinely impressed with how much Rose could eat.

Rose likely made a mistake comparing herself to Penelope, who was known for losing her appetite whenever she was stressed. Considering we were leaving for the Academy first thing in the morning, we were lucky she wasn’t starving herself.

“I must say, I was a bit surprised when I heard you rescued them, Victor,” Uncle said, looking at Rose and the twins. “And it seems you treat them well– sitting at the table with us and all. Am I to assume you plan to adopt again?”

Rose’s identity was a well-kept secret, so my parents came up with a cover story.

Ellie found the twins starved and sickly and naturally felt sympathetic as they were around her age, but when our parents tried to help, they begged them to save their older sister, who had taken care of them up until then. We said we took them in, and with Rose’s ability to shapechange, selling the story was easy enough as she altered her ruby-red eyes to match their emerald-green.

Thanks to that, we were able to hang out without raising suspicion while we were there, although it wasn’t as if we spent much time around the estate, which was especially true for me.

“We treat them as our own,” Father said, taking a sip of wine. “Though, if they wish, I wouldn’t be opposed.”

He scoffed, “If you were to ask me, training them to be house servants would be more appropriate, wouldn’t you agree?”

Contrary to how she acted earlier, Rose wasn’t the type to let others get to her, but the twins were different. Their heads quickly slouched, making me want to punch my uncle again.

“You’re wrong!” Ellie angrily raised her voice just as I was about to speak up, grabbing everyone’s attention. “They’re our family, so don’t say that.”

“Ellie, sweetie. . .” Mother said, but I could tell she was struggling not to grin. “You shouldn’t raise your voice at Uncle.”

We all knew she wasn’t mad. Had she been, she would have called her by name.

“He said something mean,” Ellie argued, and I couldn’t help but agree. “He should apologise.”

“I’m sure your uncle didn’t mean anything bad.”

“Perhaps you are too young to understand,” Uncle added.

“Humph!” Ellie crossed her arms, averting her gaze.

“Now, Ellie– Don’t be rude,” Mother warned.

“I finished eating,” Ellie scoffed, standing up. “May I be excused?”

Uncle was quick to preach, “You should sit until everyone–”

“You may do as you wish,” Grandfather interrupted, cutting into the meat.

Ellie was such a sweetheart that she still looked at Mother for approval, and the moment she got a nod, she got up and walked over to the twins.

“Let’s go to my room,” she said, offering them a hand.

Naturally, they looked concerned.

“It’s alright,” Mother said, giving them the confidence to take her up on the offer.

“You too, Rose,” Ellie said, scoffing at uncle the moment their eyes met.

“Okay. . .” Rose mumbled, trying to hide her timid smile.

And just like that, they left the dining room.

“Penelope. Would you mind having a talk with your sister?” Mother requested.

“Of course,” Penelope agreed, following them out the door.

Honestly, I was jealous but worried at the same time. I had never seen Ellie angry like that. Sadly, our aunt and her fiancé, Teddy, weren’t present, or it would have been an even bigger mess.

“Children, am I right?” Uncle chuckled after ruining our last night together.

“Talking about yourself?” Mother asked sternly.

“Don’t start with me, Sister.” Something told me Uncle hadn’t taken a liking to her tone.

“Eugine.” Hearing my mother call Uncle’s name sent a chill down my spine as I turned to see her staring coldly at her brother. It was a side to her I had never seen before, a Mother’s instinct to protect her own. “If you dare talk to my children like that again, I swear you will come to regret it.”

“Are you seriously threatening me?” he asked, baffled by her bravery.

“Enough,” Father calmly commanded, creating eerie silence with a single word.

Despite that, Mother’s cold stare refused to budge, as she undoubtedly had more to say.

“Thank you, Victor,” Grandfather said.

“With all due respect, Victor. This is between me and my sister, so–”

“Silence!” Grandfather raised his husky voice. “Haven’t you embarrassed me enough already?”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“But Father–”

“You imbecile. Can’t you tell when enough is enough? You should be bringing me grandchildren, not picking a fight with our youngest. Who are you to lecture when you’re incapable of taking care of yourself? Honestly–” Grandfather sighed. “Was I hoping for too much when I had family dinner in mind?”

Uncle was speechless as everyone witnessed him getting scolded by his father at such an old age.

“The children shouldn’t have to listen to this,” Mother pointed out, looking at Eliot and me.

We were both silent, listening intently.

“You two should go to your rooms and pack up everything you need for tomorrow,” Father said.

“Yes, Father.” Eliot was quick to get up, giving me a nod.

Nobody said a word until we left, but as soon as the door closed, Mother raised her voice again.

“Quite the dinner, huh?” Eliot asked.

“Yeah. . .” I muttered, walking shoulder to shoulder down the hall.

“Well. . . I’ll be in my room if you need me.”

“Likewise. . .”

Secretly I wished to listen to what they had to say, but I was glad I made it out before things turned ugly. One wrong word coming from the Weltons, and I would have gotten myself in a lot of trouble. It was hard enough biting my tongue when Ellie left.

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

Every night I’d spend at least a few hours strengthening my core, and although I was leaving for the Academy the next day, I refused to skip out on training even after such a tense dinner. Taking a bath right after was just about the best thing, as mana coursing through the body made its muscles sore. It was almost as if I had worked out without moving whatsoever. Sadly, it didn’t replace the need for training strength and endurance, which was much harder afterward, hence the late-night strengthening.

It was almost midnight, but I had a few things I needed to do before we left in the morning, so I had to leave my room.

The first person I wanted to talk to was my mother, but while walking down the hallway, I caught Penelope sneaking out of Ellie’s room.

“Hey,” I said quietly, trying not to wake anyone up.

“Alex,” she said my name, walking up to me and embracing me in a hug.

“Oh? Okay.” I chuckled, a bit surprised by the sudden showing of affection. Her small hands wrapped around my waist, and the right side of her face pressed against my chest. “Everything alright?”

“Just making sure you don’t disappear tomorrow.”

She kept her promise, so now I had to do the same.

“I’ll try,” I teased, to which she responded by tightening her hold before breaking away.

“You better,” she said, gazing into my eyes. “Anyway. . . You ready for tomorrow?”

“Yeah, you?”

“Yeah. I was just saying goodnight to Elena. Wanted to make sure she’s alright.”

“Speaking of which, is she still awake?”

“Yes, but don’t keep her waiting.”

“I won’t. But first, I have to see Mom.” I looked past Penelope, staring down the hallway.

“Good night, Alex.” She hugged me again.

“Sweet dreams,” I whispered before we went our separate way.

Knocking on my parents’ door, I took a deep breath, preparing for a potentially tearful goodbye. But when it opened, I was surprised to see my mother all on her own.

“Alex.” She smiled, stepping to the side while holding the door for me. “Come in.”

“Thanks,” I said, looking around as I entered their bedroom. “Is Father not back yet?”

“Not yet, but he should be back soon.” Father went to ensure nothing went wrong tomorrow. “Did you need him for something?”

“No, actually. I came to see you.”

We sat on the edge of the bed.

“Did you come to say goodbye?” Mother asked, cupping my cheek with her head slightly tilting to the side, showing me a warm motherly smile. “Still can’t believe you’re leaving again tomorrow.”

“I’ll admit, it’s a bit–” I paused, wanting to say scary, but that wasn’t the right word.

“Son,” Mother whispered upon seeing my gaze drop to the floor. “It’s okay to be nervous if you are.”

“I can’t even tell,” I admitted, looking back at her. “Maybe. . . Maybe, I’m just hesitant to leave. Again.”

“I understand.” She exhaled. “Staying home– It’s familiar. And more importantly, safe. But that isn’t what you truly want, is it?” Her smile was tight, and I knew she fought herself every step of the way not to beg me to stay. Just looking into her gleaming eyes told me more than words ever could. “Just a moment ago, you were but a little boy who wouldn’t stop dreaming of making a name for himself. But now you are all grown up. Big. Strong.”

“I have a long way to go before I can say something like that.” My vision blurred.

“No, Alex. You are strong. You were always strong.” Her tearful gaze never left me as we stared into each other’s eyes. “No matter what life threw at you, you’ve never let it get to you. You always kept moving, trying your best. Now life has given you a chance at something you always dreamed of doing.”

“So you’re not against me going?” I asked, inching closer to outright crying.

“Alexander, my son. I’d never stand in your way. And although it’s hard to see you go after just getting you back from what was the worst nightmare I could ever imagine, I’ll always support whatever choices you make, even if we have to stand against the world.” She blinked, causing tears to flow down her cheeks, brushing mine away gently with her thumb. “Go be who you were destined to be. Be who you always wished to be. And just know I’ll always be proud.”

Overwhelmed with emotions, as I listened to her words carefully, I began choking on my tears in silence. Without a second thought, she pulled me in for a hug, pressing my head closer to her chest. It made me feel small– Vulnerable. But there was just something so comforting about her warm embrace.

“Alex,” she whispered my name, holding the back of my head. “I think it’s time.”

“Don’t–” I struggled to speak as I desperately gasped for air that left me as soon as it entered my lungs.

“Alex. . .” Mother tearfully called my name, holding onto my trembling body while my clenched fist pulled on the back of her shirt. “Let me do this.”

“I–” I was speechless, knowing what she was asking of me. “I. . . can’t.”

“I need to know.” Her voice sounded desperate.

“But then you–” I swallowed, gasping again.

“Please. . .” she begged.

She held me, listening to me sob as my heart tore. I knew this day would come, but false hope made me think otherwise, as she hadn’t asked on the day I returned. It was painful, and I needed a bit of convincing, but my giving into her request was inevitable.

Taking a deep breath, I nodded.

There was a secret only I knew. A secret my mother shared when I was still a child. She made me swear not to tell a soul, as it would be too dangerous for anyone to know, even her husband.

My mother was born without a talent for magic, but despite that, when she was twelve, she awakened a gift that allowed her to peer into someone’s memories far beyond what they could remember, and all it took was a prolonged physical touch. If she wished, none could hide their secrets from her as she would learn everything, including how they felt during those moments.

Realizing the danger of anyone learning the truth kept her from telling, and although she wished for her husband to know, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Maybe it was fear or simply caution, but I was the only one she told and also the only one who could resist her gift.

We never knew why, but when I was a kid, she tried using her gift on me when I cried, but it didn’t work. Later when she told me about it, we learned that she needed my permission before entering my mind. We thought it was because I was her child, but her gift worked flawlessly when she tried it on Elena, leaving us without a clue other than that it could have had something to do with my father, the man she met all those years ago.

My mother’s hug tightened. And just like that, she knew everything.

“Thank you,” there was hardly any strength left in my mother’s voice as she kissed me again and again. “Thank you. . .”

Relief swept through my body as a huge weight fell off my shoulders. It wasn’t everything, but it was a start. I was afraid of how my mother would handle it now that she knew how I felt: the fear, the sorrow, the pain– She knew everything.

“Could you please tell me?” I asked, wishing to know the truth about my father.

She stayed strong but couldn’t break away from the hug; however, that was about the last thing I wanted from her.

“I don’t know who he was nor about the seal,” it was the first time she opened up about him, “but when I met him, he promised me freedom. Freedom from the future my family chose for me. When I used my gift, it didn’t work like it normally should. Instead, I could feel what he felt at that moment. It was love no different than the one I have for Victor, and although we had just met, I felt as if I could trust him to take me. It was a rash decision. One that left me bearing a child. But I haven’t regretted it even once.”

“And did he deliver?” I asked quietly. “Did you get the freedom you hoped for?”

“Yes, and so much more.” She kissed my head again before breaking away from the hug and wiping away the tears. “I got to find my true love while having you and three more beautiful children. It was more than I could have ever asked for in life.”

Hugging her again, I closed my eyes.

“I love you, Mom,” I said, finally smiling.

“I love you too, Son.”

We held each other for a bit longer before I left. Now that she knew everything, I entrusted her to tell Father where Tartarus was, as even I couldn’t perfectly recall the path once within the mountains.

Emotionally I was spent, but I had one last visit to make before morning came. Soon I was knocking on Ellie’s door, peeking inside.

She was sitting in bed, tearfully waiting for me with open arms, preparing herself to say goodbye.

I rushed to her, embracing her in a hug before laying down next to her, promising to spend the night in her room.

“You won’t forget about me once you’re gone, will you?”

“Never.”

My arm gently wrapped around her as she snuggled closer–

“You’ll come to visit me, won’t you?”

“The first chance I get.”

She was so small–

“Will you miss me?”

“Every day.”

And her nose was stuffy–

“I love you.”

“I love you too, kiddo.”

I kissed her head–

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, my sweet little sister.”

And then we fell asleep.

Chapter End.

Thank you for reading.