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loosesodamarble · 1 month

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The Beasts in the Shadows Chapter 1: Those Forsaken by the Land

Summary: We get a glimpse of a peasant family in the Forsaken Realm. Meanwhile, Josele looks back on a part of her life and begins having questions. Genre: general Word count: ~3000

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Horto. A village located near the furthest edge of the Forsaken Realm. The nearest neighboring settlement was Hage.

Where Hage was a farming town, Horto specialized in the production of lumber. The village was built on the outskirts of a forest, dense in its foliage thanks to the nutrient rich soil and various streams which ran through the area. It was natural for the people of Horto to make their living off lumber with so many trees around.

Another business was also present in Horto, that of hunting wild beasts for meat. And the ones who hunted were the Yverns. Their home was a cabin built between the town’s edge and the beginning of the woodlands. It was where they lived, stored their equipment, and even butchered the animals they hunted.

A middle-aged woman—Dehlila Yvern—with a muscular build and unruly, red hair returned home late in the night. She stepped inside and was greeted by the sight of her husband, Braun, tending to a dying fireplace. He turned his head to the door and smiled at Dehlila.

“Welcome home, Dehl,” he said with a soft voice.

“Yup, I’m back,” Dehlila answered. She placed her set of weapons by the threshold of the cabin and slid off her boots. As she made her way over to the fireplace, she whispered, “The wilderness is growing more aggressive by the day.”

“Dangerous hunt?” Braun asked, to which Dehlila nodded. He then coaxed her into sitting at the hearth. “Everyone is at least safe, yeah?”

“Mhm. No severe injuries,” Dehlila replied plainly. “But I can’t help but feel unsettled.” Her attention turned to a window and she gazed at the night sky, obscured by clouds. “I wonder if the Qliphoth ritual unleashed negative mana that’s become a part of the land and… tainted it, I guess?”

“You think it’s connected?” Braun crossed his arms and tapped his heel against the floor. “Well I dunno much about devils so it could be.”

“Haah…” Dehlila buried her face in her hands. “Or maybe I’m going crazy.”

Braun reached over and touched Dehlila’s shoulder.

“You’re not, dear. Trust me.”

The couple grinned at each other, feeling more at ease thanks to each other.

“So how were things while I was away?” Dehlila questioned, straight and to the point. “With a whole week, something must’ve happened right?”

“Yeah. Plenty happened,” Braun muttered. “We finally heard back from the Southern Enclave about the albaachs. The herd moved on quietly.” As he explained, Delilah silently listened. “The Eastern Enclave is on high alert for the waters. As for us, Ross and Bianco went scouting with Oliver and found a den just four miles into the woods. They cleared it out already though.”

“Four miles? That’s too close for comfort…”

“Really is. We ought to push back before the beasts’ territory encroaches on the town.” Braun paused to scoop cold ashes over the fire and smother the last of the flames. “And we received the replacements for the damaged equipment from the encounter with that Letum.”

Dehlila let out a relieved exhale. “About time. It’s been nearly two months and only now do we get new tools?” She shook her head and with it, her annoyance dissipated. Then she asked, “And how’s Cassandra’s training?”

“Ah… That.” Braun patted his knees for a moment as he seemed to collect himself. “Sibyl says that the little one’s got a good grasp of her powers already. Cass can use her magic when she wants to, but it still acts up on its own sometimes.”

Dehlila listened, humming and nodding along to Braun’s explanation.

“I suppose I can’t expect more than that. She’s still only four,” Dehlila muttered. “Still, I’ll test her tomorrow to see just how well she’s doing.”

Perhaps it was demanding for the Yverns to have Cassandra training her magic in earnest at such a young age. But as peasants, they had to work hard to simply survive. Dehlila, Braun, and their other kids had gone through similar training from a young age as well. It felt necessary to teach Cassandra how to use magic early in preparation for the future in a world where magic was everything. Especially with the nature of the child’s magic.

After making sure the fire was completely put out, Dehlila and Braun went upstairs, led by candlelight. They passed by the two bedrooms that were split between the sons and daughters of the family. The couple reached their room and when they entered, there was already someone on the bed.

A little girl with messy red hair that was so disheveled that it almost covered her mismatched eyes, one blue and one gray.

“Cass?” Dehlila went over to the bed and climbed onto it. “What’re you doing here?”

“Mommy got home,” Cassandra replied. “I wanted to see you.”

“Oh baby.” Laughing, Dehlila patted her daughter on the head. “You could’ve seen me in the morning.”

“But I wanted to see you no—ahhhhh…” Cassandra muttered before a yawn rose from her throat.

Braun, now sitting with his wife and daughter, chuckled, “Look what you get for sneaking around at night.” He scooped up Cassandra and bounced her in his arms. “All tuckered out.”

“Can I sleep with Mommy and Daddy tonight?” Cassandra asked while rubbing her eyes. “Helen’s all kicky tonight. And I get kicked from bed a lots…”

“Alrighty then. Sleep with Mommy and Daddy tonight,” Dehlila whispered. She brushed Cassandra’s bangs a bit, causing a shimmer of silver to be seen from within the locks, then kissed the girl’s forehead.

The parents changed into their night clothes then joined Cassandra under the blankets.

“Lullaby?”

“Which one, Cass?” Dehlila asked.

“My favorite. Pretty please?”

“Okay then…” Dehlila took a breath before she began to sing a low, slow song.

“Under the sunset, at day's end… Come nearer, child, and grasp my hand tight. The wind grows cold. Shadows grow deep. But I'm here to guard you, and be your light.”

Cassandra hummed, pleased by the sound of her mother’s singing voice.

Dehlila smiled at the sight of her child, so young and innocent, drifting into sleep for pleasant dreams. She continued to sing.

“When your heart fills with dread… The smallest things will leave you dead…

In the glow of twilight, it's time to rest. Lay yourself down and let your eyes close…”

…..

Miles away, the same song was carried by another voice.

“Still and quiet…” Josele muttered to herself as she scrubbed the floor of the common area. “The air feels like death…”

Spurred on by the lack of anything else to do, the Black Bulls were doing a deep clean of their base. The squad was spread throughout the base. Clearing out dust, washing everything to a shine, and reorganizing their cupboards and cabinets. While some were having fun with their teammates in doing the work, Josele was absorbed in her own world.

“What peril looms beyond…” The words came to Josele from the past, from memories that she hadn’t considered for years. “No one knows…”

“What’s with the creepy tune, Jo?”

“Huh?” Suddenly pulled from her thoughts, Josele perked up and turned to face Yami who was behind her. “Sorry, say that again?”

“I was asking about the song,” Yami said bluntly. “What’s got you singing something so weird?”

Josele blinked a couple of times before letting out a half-hearted sigh.

“I don’t know actually,” she answered and shrugged. “I was just remembering this old lullaby that my dad used to sing.”

“A lullaby? Sounded like some dark ritual chant to me,” Yami replied with a chuckle. He clapped Josele on the back before walking off to resume his share of the cleaning.

Left alone, Josele sat in silence for a bit. The lullaby had never come off as particularly unsettling to her. Then again, she grew up with Thomas singing her the song every so often. He never sang as often as Gwenith did, but Josele’s memory of her dad included him singing that tune to her. He shared that lullaby with Josele for as long as she could remember and only stopped after—

Josele’s hand, gripping a sponge, paused over her bucket of soap water.

When did he stop singing the lullaby? she wondered. I guess I just outgrew lullabies like every other kid. Josele plunged the sponge into the bucket. She had to finish scrubbing the floor.

…..

The Black Bulls gathered for breakfast in their freshly cleaned mess hall the following morning.

Despite everyone working themselves to the bone during cleaning yesterday, the squad was as animated as ever. Perhaps more so as the refreshed environment made the people feel renewed themselves.

Vanessa, Acylla, and Mallory had a lively chat about a Girls’ Day Out. Grey and Finral helped Charmy bring out various plates of breakfast dishes to be shared. Henry waved a book in the air as he chatted with Gordon. Nacht and Yami were respectively holding Gauche and Asta back from each other, both looking quite irritated. Unsurprising for Gauche but a shock coming from Asta. The rest of the squad who wasn’t absorbed in another conversation was having a laugh at the site.

“Just look at him!” Asta raised his hands as best he could to show off Liebe, looking none too pleased with his position, in his miniaturized form. “Is he not adorable?”

“Hell no! Fancy pastries and girls like Noelle and Marie are adorable. But he’s a devil!”

Josele smiled at the sight of the Black Bulls, being themselves as always. She glanced past the argument to see an open spot at the table next to Magna. But first, Josele walked up to Nacht.

“Morning, handsome,” she whispered before kissing his cheek.

The greeting made Nacht smile and his whole body relaxed. Gauche used that opportunity to break free and lunge at Asta.

“GRAAAAAHHHH!”

“YAAAAA! WATCH IT!”

Josele slipped by and sat down next to Magna.

“Mornin’, Miss Josele,” Magna cackled as he acknowledged her. “Nice work there!”

“Wasn’t my plan but—” Josele glanced over at Gauche and Asta.

“Look here, Asta! I’ll concede on ‘cute’ but ‘precious’ and ‘adorable’ are out of the question!”

“No fair! You don’t get to keep me from using words!”

“Say Magna…” Josele lowered her voice. “Can I ask you something?”

“Go for it!”

“Do you recall your parents ever singing a particular lullaby to you?”

“Hm? My ma sang a bit.” Magna’s brow creased as he answered. “Not sure if I remember much.” He shook his head and clenched his hand. “But go and tell me that song!”

“Right then. The first verse goes like this. ‘Under the sunset, at day's end… Come nearer, child, and grasp my hand tight…’” Josele didn’t bother to sing the exact tune, only relay the words. “‘The wind grows cold. Shadows grow deep… But I'm here to guard you, and be your light…’”

Josele stopped and let the words hang in the air. Magna crossed his arms and his face twisted up in thought. It was clear on his face that he was searching his memories for recognition. But after a few seconds, he groaned.

“I got nothing,” muttered Magna as he gave a shrug. “Maybe the song was specific to the area you lived in?”

“Weird…” Josele’s gaze fell. “My dad said it was a song shared by peasants.”

“I’m a peasant and I know for sure I never heard that song.” Magna patted Josele on the shoulder. “But hey, there’s still others ya’ can ask. Heeey! Asta! Zora!”

At the sound of their names, Asta and Zora turned to Magna. In fact, the whole squad glanced at him and Josele though most returned to their own conversations. It didn’t take long for Zora and Asta to go over to where Magna and Josele sat.

“What’s up?” asked Asta.

“Better have a good reason for shouting us over.” Zora didn’t bother hiding his irritation.

“I wanna check if you two recognize a song that I know,” Josele answered.

“So not a good reason at all.” Zora rolled his eyes.

Brushing aside the remark, Josele again recited the first verse of the song and even shared the second verse but her voice trailed off as she started the third as none of the boys had any reaction other than confusion.

“And you’re sure we ought to know a creepy song like that?” Zora pressed as his lip curled back in annoyance.

“What’s so creepy about it?” Josele asked with a raised brow.

The guys around Josele were silent for a beat.

“Uh, did you miss the mentions of death and doom in the lyrics?” Zora spat back.

“I dunno if Sister Lily would’ve ever sung that song for the kids…”

Magna muttered, “Maybe your old man made up the song?”

“Ngh… Doubt it…” Josele whispered.

Thomas hadn’t been the creative type. Sure he would carve wood into little animal figures but songwriting was something else entirely. Her mother was more likely to try writing a poem but that wasn’t a full song.

“It could be something your dad got from his parents,” Zora offered with a gentle tone. “Like my dad’s stew recipe. It’s a family thing rather than a peasant thing.”

Josele closed her eyes and hummed. That was the only other thing that made sense.

“Sorry to ask such a weird question.”

“Hey don’t worry about it.” Asta waved his hand through the air. “And sorry I couldn’t help.”

Josele patted Asta on the head to reassure him before the young man left to sit elsewhere. Magna nudged Josele’s arm with his elbow, a sign of good faith. Zora rolled his eyes again but that didn’t stop him from smiling as he went to sit elsewhere. Josele nodded to herself before getting up to sit next to Nacht.

But the topic of the conversation, her dad’s lullaby, stuck with Josele the rest of the day. The lyrics and melody came to mind with perfect clarity. Thomas’s words when he shared it with her, “This is a special song for peasants like us,” echoed too. In her remembrance, there also came questions.

Why was it that none of the peasant-born squad members knew of the song despite what Thomas claimed?

Was it really such a creepy song?

Who taught Thomas the song? And where did that person learn it from?

Where did the song come from in the first place?

What was the story behind the lullaby?

“Am I overthinking this?” Josele asked as she and Nacht prepared to sleep that night.

A lean but strong arm wrapped around Josele’s middle and pulled her back to sit on the bed. A cold kiss was pressed to her shoulder.

“I don’t think so, darling,” Nacht muttered as he put his other arm around Josele. “It’s only natural to question what we know to be true when we hear something that contradicts that truth.. And that lullaby is something personal to you, so you’re going to think about it even more.”

“Guess you’re right about that…” Josele let out a sigh. She scooted and lowered herself into laying down, which Nacht followed. “Nacht…”

“Hm?”

“Did you ever do that? Question what you thought was true, I mean…”

“Yes.” Nacht’s arms tightened around Josele. His whole body curled into hers. “Many times, in fact.”

Silence fell over the couple. Josele turned in Nacht’s arms and hugged him back. Her lips parted for a moment, but they closed without sharing the sentiment she had in mind. Not that she had to speak it aloud.

…..

Everything will look blurry. Like when it rains and the raindrops fall in her eyes, only it doesn’t feel like there’s going to be rain.

Moving will feel bumpy. Only she won’t be running on her own. Instead, she feels like someone will carry her away as she watches what she will be carried away from.

There will be two people, the backs of which will be turned to her.

The first of them will be a woman with a special knife just like Mommy and Daddy’s and eyes that look at her gently.

The second of them will be a man who has horns on his head like a beast and a kind smile despite his gloomy presence.

She will look past them and see what is coming after them. The form will look unclear because of the water in her eyes but the colors alone will make her stomach churn, thinking of poison and sickness.

The urge to beg them not to go will come to her. But she won’t be able to say it, knowing that they’ll have to fight what will chase them.

…..

Cassandra blinked awake. She sat up in her own bed that night.

She frowned and tilted her head, realizing that she didn’t recognize the people in her dream.

Feeling restless, Cassandra crawled out of bed to go to the window. The night was partially cloudy so the moon and stars were still visible to her. Thinking about her dream, she realized that it looked like there were stars in the woman’s hair. And the man’s face was pale like the moon.

“Weird…”

Her gaze lowered so she could see the wall of trees that indicated the beginning of the forest.

Her family was in and out of those woods daily. Sometimes bringing out dead animals, like rabbits and birds with the same name as all the people in the Forsaken Realm were called. Sometimes, they went into the woods only to come out covered in blood and carrying broken weapons. The family’s weapons broke often.

Except the daggers and swords made from “Silva Steel.” Cassandra wondered how her family had weapons from the royal Silvas. Or maybe they just called the metal that because it was silvery like the Silva name?

Cassandra shook her head and refocused on the trees. And when she did, she saw someone walking out of the woods and towards the cabin. She leaned out the window and squinted to get a better look.

Then, she gasped. The person’s colors made her feel sick, like the colors from her dream.

#black clover #black clover fanfic #nacht faust #black clover oc #josele canty #nacsele #sterling faust #zora ideale #magna swing #black clover asta #as time moves on series

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loosesodamarble · 1 year

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As Time Moves On Part 3: An Overdue Reconciliation

Summary: Nozel gathers his family for a discussion that needs to happen for the sake of the future of House Silva. Genre: general, hurt/comfort(?) Word count: ~3800

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Noelle gazed up at the grand visage of House Silva’s wing of the royal palace. The tall, sleek towers and spires. The windows that gleamed more like crystal than glass in the sunlight. It was beautiful but austere.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” a voice asked from behind her.

Noelle turned around to look at Finral as he leaned out of the portal he was holding open. His brows furrowed in concern and as much as he smiled, Noelle could tell it was something he forced at the moment.

“Don’t worry so much. I’m royalty, I’ll be fine here,” Noelle stated as she flicked one of her pigtails behind her shoulder. When Finral didn’t back into his portal, Noelle instead gave her squadmate a small grin. “I’m me, I can handle myself.”

The concern on Finral’s face loosened a bit. He almost receded into the portal before he extended an arm to Noelle. And from the look in his eyes, Noelle knew. She stepped over and let Finral give her a one-armed hug. She hugged him back.

“You better not come back to tell us you joined the Eagles, got it?” Finral muttered as he gave the back of Noelle’s shoulder a pat.

“If you really want to be stuck with me…” Noelle gave him a squeeze before they both let go.

The two gave each other a smile and nod before Noelle turned to House Silva again. Once upon a time, the palace was a cold and lonely prison. She took a deep breath. Then, she took her first step towards the door.

Today, she was returning to her first home.

.....

In one of the palace’s lounges, Noelle sat with Solid and Nebra with tea and snacks on the table between their seats. Nozel was still on his way, finishing squad business according to Nebra. So while the younger siblings waited, they decided to recount their actions from the night Clover Kingdom made their attack against the Spade Kingdom.

“You redirected a spell that large?!” Noelle exclaimed as she leaned forward in her seat.

“Don’t pretend to sound impressed!” Solid snapped back. “I bet you think you could’ve stopped it altogether!”

“I’m not pretending though!” Noelle said, a bit more forcefully than she meant to. “Just take a compliment, why don’t you?”

Solid made a “ngh” sound and his face started to burn red. “What you said was hardly a compliment! Besides, how do I know that you’re not just mocking me, huh?”

“Oh how pathetic that’d be,” Nebra muttered behind her hand. She leaned in Noelle’s direction. “Though if you want pointers on how to get on Solid’s nerves, I can share.” She winked at her sister.

“Yeah, no thanks.” Noelle hid a mildly disgusted look behind a sip of tea. And here I thought Nebra and Solid were as close as can be. Guess they’ll even turn on each other if it amuses them.

Her heart felt heavy at that idea. She’d always felt like she alone was pushed away and knocked down. But the cruel, cutthroat nature of House Silva could target her siblings too it seemed. It really had been for the best that Noelle never fit into that environment, that she wound up in the Black Bulls and became who she was in the present.

Had she been a fool for ever wanting to fit in with her family?

Noelle lowered her cup.

No. She wasn’t a fool for wanting to be close to her family. Rather, she was short-sighted for wanting to fit into a dynamic that tore down the weak instead of encouraging growing into strength.

Noelle glanced to her side to Nebra and in front of her to Solid. Their presence carried with them painful memories but… There was also a relief in knowing that they were okay after all was said and done.

“Ugh. What’s taking Nozel so long?” Nebra grumbled. “He was the one to summon us here yet he—”

The lounge doors were pushed open. And there Nozel was.

Noelle’s eyes went wide at Nozel’s appearance. Rather than his usual attire, Nozel wore a plain white tunic with a low collar. While it wasn’t anything revealing, seeing him dressed that way made Noelle realize that she’d never seen Nozel so casually. Nor had she seen his neck uncovered before. And it was a mildly jarring sight.

“Good afternoon, everyone,” he stated while walking in. The expression on his face looked like a smile but there was a pain to it that made it impossible for Noelle to believe he was happy. “I’m glad you all could make it today.”

In total silence, Nozel directed Solid to sit with Noelle and Nebra on the sofa before sitting in the armchair across from them.

“Nozel, why exactly are we here?” Nebra was the one to ask, being the most comfortable with approaching the eldest brother.

There was a moment of silence as Nozel took a deep breath then opened his eyes, meeting each other his younger sibling’s confused gazes with an intense one of his own. He looked more serious in that moment than he’d ever been in his entire life.

And having seen Nozel in the midst of the battle with Megicula, Noelle was shocked that such a feat was possible.

“It’s time that all of you learned the truth regarding our mother, Acier Silva’s, death,” Nozel stated plainly but resolutely.

“Truth?” Solid echoed. He glanced over in Noelle’s direction, his confusion quickly turning to anger. “But we know what happened to Mother! I saw her! So did you two!” Solid gestured to Nozel and Nebra. “She got sick before Noelle was born and she only got worse after! What more is there?”

Noelle trembled, not so much from Solid’s voice but his accusation. Even though Noelle knew the truth, faced the woman and devil behind Acier’s death, the blame was still on her within the walls of House Silva.

“There is much more to the story that you are unaware of, Solid,” Nozel coldly retorted, making Solid’s mouth immediately clamp shut. “If you’ll be quiet, I can explain.”

After Solid seemed to shrink back in his seat and Nozel took a deep breath to recompose himself, Nozel continued.

“To the rest of the world, Acier Silva died due to birth complications, contracting an unidentified illness when her body was in a weakened state after pregnancy and labor, thus the blame being put on Noelle.”

Something about hearing the false narrative, beyond simply “you are to blame” made Noelle’s stomach churn. So much so that she instinctively put a hand to her mouth.

“Now it’s true that our mother fell ill late into the pregnancy. It was the reason why she moved to the family’s estate near the border temporarily. Doctors believed a closer proximity to natural mana would strengthen her and a less stressful environment would be better for recuperation. I accompanied Mother on the trip out of concern for her and a yet unborn Noelle.”

Nozel paused and pursed his lips. His hands clenched and unclenched on his knees.

Noelle noticed and she wanted to reach over, to give him some kind of reassurance as he was delving into his memories, reliving the darkest time in his life. But she held back. She guessed that Nozel needed to say his piece, to bear the facts, before whatever pain was in his heart could be healed.

“Thankfully, that illness was merely an aggressive cold. Noelle was born without issue. And after that, Mother was able to recover in a few days, thanks to the environment and attentive care from healers. The servants were sent home early so that our mother, a newborn Noelle, and I would be granted privacy before our own return.”

“I remember that…” Nebra muttered with her eyes narrowed in annoyance. “The servants were back but you weren’t and I was so impatient.” She swallowed and her expression turned grim. “But if Mother had recovered after Noelle’s birth, then what…?”

“While the three of us were alone at the estate, that was when Mother’s true killer arrived. The devil Megicula and their human host.”

Choked gasps escaped Nebra and Solid’s throats at the words.

Nozel shuddered as he closed his eyes, the memories of that day clearly still haunting him.

With painful slowness, Nozel recounted that day.

How Acier had sensed a dangerous presence before Nozel had and instructed him to sneak off the premises while she went to fight the intruder. The way Acier stood before Vanica with resolute determination.

Nozel’s posture wilted as he recounted how he’d tried to watch the fight, as if he would’ve been able to do anything if he joined it. He explained that he had tripped and the jolt caused Noelle to wake and cry in fright. There was pure fear and horror in his eyes when he described how fast, how terrifyingly quickly, Vanica had moved to loom over him and Noelle.

He described Acier’s final attack and the noxious mana that enveloped her and Nozel when it happened. As he described the curse’s effects on himself, Nozel touched his exposed neck.

“With Acier returning to House Silva weakened after labor, it was all too easy for the blame to be put on Noelle. And because of the curse on me, I was unable to defend you, Noelle.” Nozel raised his head and looked at the youngest Silva. “For that, I’m eternally sorry.”

At that point, Noelle was in tears. Quiet but unrestrained tears.

She was not alone. Nebra and Solid were also crying as if their eyes were opened floodgates.

“It was a curse that killed her?” whispered Solid. His head was bowed and his whole body trembled. “And from a supreme devil? There’s no way…”

“But it’s the truth.”

“A curse that powerful should’ve given off some trace of magic,” Nebra retorted, trying to make sense of what she’d heard. “How did no one sense it? Especially if you were under the curse this whole time!”

Nozel closed his eyes and his shoulders appeared to slump further. “Megicula’s attribute was Curse-Warding. It’s a magic that makes curses harder, if not impossible, to break without killing the caster. It only makes sense that Megicula was able to leave a curse that was undetectable, even to the most trained magic users.”

“So for that whole year… Mother suffered more than we knew…” Nebra covered her mouth, trying to muffle her sobs.

“We were only kids at the time. It wasn’t our fault that we believed what we were told,” Solid muttered with his head turned away from Noelle.

The sorrow Noelle felt when Nozel recounted the past began to mix with a bubbling frustration inside from listening to her siblings. Her hands balled up on her knees.

“Is that really all you have to say?” The words left Noelle with little thought. “You’re really going to sit here feeling sorry for yourselves?” She rose from her seat. She glared at Solid and Nebra. “You’re just crying over being ignorant kids and not even apologizing for what you did in your ignorance! And you!” She turned to Nozel. “You say you’re sorry for not defending me but you didn’t even try!”

“Noelle, the conditions of the curse—”

“You could’ve easily worked around the curse!” Noelle snapped. “You never had to bring up Megicula. You just had to insist that I didn’t kill Mother! ‘Noelle isn’t to blame!’ ‘Don’t blame the baby!’ ‘It was something else!’” She threw her hands down at her sides. “You could’ve said any of those to defend me but you didn’t! You made zero effort in protecting me and didn’t try to reach out to me while I was made the black sheep of our family! Why didn’t you try?!”

With all her words having been let out, Noelle sighed and buried her face in her hands.

“Why…? Why didn’t…?” she whimpered between gasps. “Just why…”

Noelle cried.

And her siblings looked at her. For the first time, they saw Noelle as who she had been for years. A young girl, their little sister, lonely and sorrowful. As strong as she was, so strong as to be acknowledged by one of the Great Four Spirits and defeat a devil, she only became that way after living most of her life being shunned and left feeling weak.

Nozel stared intently at Noelle. At her wilting posture, the weight of her grief dragging her down. At her tears, which he didn’t know how to soothe. Acier would’ve known. So…

What would Mother have done? Nozel stood from his seat. I remember her… always holding me close. In the good and bad times. He stepped around the coffee table between them. Then, he put his arms around Noelle. It was not a hug, his hold on Noelle was too rigid and awkward for it to be called such.

“You’re right,” Nozel said with a fragile softness. “After Mother gave her life to protect us, I did nothing for you. You were Acier’s last gift to the world and I didn’t do everything in my power to protect you… I utterly failed you as a brother… For that, I’m truly sorry, Noelle. It doesn’t change anything but I hope that it… that you…”

Words left Nozel’s mind.

He didn’t know exactly what he hoped for. Was it his place to ask for Noelle’s forgiveness? Did he have the right to wish her a better life that he never provided her? He hoped for Noelle’s sake but he couldn’t name anything exact to wish for her. There was so much for her to have that he’d been too weak-willed to give in his own power.

It was his greatest shame.

Noelle leaned into Nozel and quietly cried into his shoulder. It was new but there was a comfort to this intimacy that they’d never shared before. It was the comfort of a dream coming true at long last.

“Acier’s last gift to the world.”

The words echoed in Solid and Nebra’s minds. And the visage of their mother, preserved in their memories and in the foyer of House Silva, could be seen in Noelle.

Nebra pursed her lips and a faint memory filled her mind.

“You promise that I’ll get a sister?” Nebra asked, years ago while pressing a hand to her mother’s belly. “It better be a sister or else— Um… or else…”

“Don’t worry, Nebra. I can feel that this baby will be a girl,” Acier answered with a smile and laugh. “And when she’s born, you’ll be a good big sister, right?”

“Yeah! I’ll help her be a strong princess like you and me and make sure she’s the cutest dressed baby ever!”

Had that really been Nebra? Had she really been so eager to meet Noelle and treat her kindly? Was she once the kind of person who smiled at the chance to take care of someone rather than smile at the suffering of others? What would Acier have said if she saw what became of Nebra after her passing?

All that love and gentleness that Nebra had known before was destroyed by the heartache of losing their mother. The suffering that sank into her bones… And her desire to see it inflicted on others…

Solid, too, became overwhelmed by a recollection of the past.

“Solid…” Acier whispered as she smoothed down her son’s hair. “You’re gonna be a big brother. You know Nozel is really cool, yeah?”

“The coolest and strongest big brother!” Solid exclaimed.

“Yes yes. Well, you need to become a cool, strong big brother too.” Acier hugged Soild to her chest with one hand while touching her stomach with her other. “Can you do that?”

Solid bit his lip. “I dunno…”

“I think you can.” Acier pressed a kiss to Solid’s crown. “Please try, okay?”

“…Okay…”

Solid grit his teeth, fighting back the urge to cry out loud. He was Solid Silva, son of Acier. He wasn’t some weakling who cried or regretted things. He was a Magic Knight, a Silver Eagle. Solid was strong, proud, independent…

And a pathetic man who knew pain but never sympathized with Noelle when she cried, just as he did for Acier, all because someone pointed at her and said “she is to blame.”

“N-Noelle…”

Noelle, stepping out of Nozel’s embrace, turned at the sound of Nebra saying, or rather sobbing, her name.

“Yes?”

Nebra wiped at her tears with the back of her hands and took deep, ragged breaths.

“Noelle, I’m sorry… For… everything… I didn’t know better but I still… Sorry, I’m sorry…”

“Me too… Sorry…” Solid muttered just loud enough to be heard. “I failed you as a brother too…”

Noelle’s eyes went wide.

Nebra, who ignored her at best or mocked her if they ever happened to cross paths…

Solid, who knocked her down both physically and emotionally throughout their childhoods…

Their apologies were pitiful but Noelle felt them in her heart.

“Nebra. Solid.” Noelle took a moment to look both siblings in the eyes.

Again, Noelle’s heart was warmed by the foreign affection that she and her siblings never had before. It wasn’t an “I love you” but the kindness in “sorry” was more than enough for her at that moment.

“Thank you…”

Her words seemed to break a dam in her older siblings.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” Nebra whimpered, lacking the pride and grace she usually carried.

“What kind of answer is that?” Solid managed to sound indignant and annoyed as he cried. “Shouldn’t you be mad or something?”

Noelle pressed her lips together.

Maybe she should’ve been mad, or at least bitter towards her siblings. After all they’d done to make her life miserable and then she experienced love with the Black Bulls, she could’ve easily resented them. But rather than hatred, what she felt for her siblings…

“I don’t know,” Noelle muttered. “I should be angry but I…” Her head shook ever so slightly. “I want to forgive you. I want to be a family with you guys but I’m not sure…”

“You don’t have to have an answer right away,” Nozel stated, drawing his younger siblings’ attention to him. “I don’t think any of us really know what to say.”

The Silvas looked between themselves. Nozel’s pale violet eyes. Nebra’s deep pink like gems. Solid’s clear blue. And Noelle’s blush pink.

The four of them. Together. Like they should’ve been from the moment Noelle had been born.

As their mother had wanted…

“There’s something I believe you all should see,” Nozel said to break the silence that settled over the siblings. “Follow me.”

With that, Nozel walked towards the doors of the lounge. Nebra, Solid, and Noelle passed confused looks before following their brother.

The walk was quiet. Hearing the full story of Acier’s death and the tears they’d all shed had thoroughly drained the siblings of energy.

Nozel led his family through the halls of House Silva to a back wing of the castle, to an area where the rooms only existed because the palace had been built so excessively large. He guided them to a room that had been left unoccupied for the last sixteen years. The door opened and the light flickered on with a bit of effort from underuse.

The room was empty. Save for one large cloth draped over something else which appeared to lean against the wall.

Nozel walked to the cloth covered object. Nebra, Solid, and Noelle followed him up to it. As they approached, different expressions crossed each of their faces. Noelle raised a brow in confusion. Solid’s gaze was a pensive one. And recognition flashed across Nebra’s face.

“Nebra, Solid, do you have an idea what this could be?” asked Nozel. His hand rested on the object, curling up in the cloth covering.

Solid narrowed his eyes on the obscured item. “No. Should I know what it is?”

Nozel pressed his lips into a line before shaking his head. “You were so young. It doesn’t surprise me that you don’t remember.” He then looked to Nebra. “Do you recall?”

“It’s still…” Nebra blinked rapidly and seemed to be straining to speak. “I thought that you… that you maybe destroyed…”

“No. It’s been here this whole time.” When Nozel said this, a pained smile came to his face. Years of suppressed grief and love made his heart ache. “Noelle, if you truly wish to mend the broken bonds of our family, then you should see this. We all should.”

Nozel pulled on the cloth.

Depicted in immaculate detail on canvas was a portrait of the four of them with their mother. Acier sat between Nozel on her right and Nebra on her left. Solid sat on Nebra’s other side. And Noelle was cradled in Acier’s loving arms.

Acier’s smile was absolutely radiant despite how much pain she must’ve been in from the curse. Nozel did his best to portray dignity but pain still showed on his face and he'd been unable to smile for the artist. Nebra and Solid’s composure in the portrait, too, seemed forced. The only person who beamed as brightly as Acier did in the portrait was Noelle. Her angelic smile was almost framed by the blanket and Acier’s arms holding her.

Noelle’s legs gave out from under her.

“Mother…”

Nozel knelt down beside Noelle and put an arm around her shoulders.

“She wanted to hold you for as long as possible,” he whispered. “She loved you with everything she had.”

“I don’t… even remember…”

In the corner of Noelle’s sight, she saw Nebra’s skirt pool on the floor as her sister sat down.

“It’s okay. Just let it out.” For the first time, Nebra sounded like a sister. And she felt like a sister as her hand gently rested over Noelle’s.

Noelle shook her head, fighting the tears that were already in her eyes. She’d cried enough already. She stilled when she felt a hand on her back. There were no words but the warmth of Solid’s hand lightly pressed against her back was enough reassurance.

Noelle let out a wail. Only after seventeen years was she mourning the loss of her mother.

After seventeen years, her siblings were finally there for her, comforting her amidst their own tears.

It was a long seventeen years. But they were finally over.

..........