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uselessboss · 6 months ago

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Ente & Vivre's Story(Chapter 9)

Knowledge is power, and aware of this fact the Lavernes sought to accrue it, traveling to the ends of the earth to unearth the secrets of the "world beyong the veil", compiling and then immortalizing their findings under the guise of works of fiction- that was their main role.

"I would rather have taken care of this mission myself just like I always did, however I judged that my might not have been enough to deal with it" Matthias' expression was grim "usually the protocol for such situations would require Miss Euryale's assistance, but as she's unavailable I have to rely on the next strongest power, which in this case would be you Vivre"

Their secondary role, although you could perceive it as an extension of the first one, was to oversee the sentence of those which Euryale passed her judgment upon as wel as evaluating their standing upon release. They kept data or their wealth, available connections, genealogical records and even whereabouts of their kin and sympathizers. No one was as meticulous and zealous as them, and combined with their ability to read hearts, outstanding even among those with supernatural affinity, the Lavernes were considered the "scales of justice" of the organization.

"Elliot Vince. Guilty of abusing his spiritual powers to brutalize his victims and extort them of their wealth. A tyrant in potential who was nipped in the bud by Euryale, he was sentenced to a hundred years of imprisonment" she read the profile.

"It was pretty rare for Miss Euryale to give a sentence that long unless the criminal in question was either too influential or too powerful" Matthias nodded "and considering his background I'm inclined to believe it's the later"

"Considering how much of a threat these criminals pose as well as the amount of pain and misery they inflict why didn't Euryale choose to end their threat right there?"

"Death doesn't mean anything for those wrapped in their vanity and selfishness, so Miss Euryale punished them with "awareness"- a prison of stone in which they could bear witness to the consequences of their foolishness- a sight they wouldn't be able to turn away from"

"To reap what you sow huh?" she mutters.

How ironic.

To think that she was once the one to enforce karma on others, now she was on the receiving end of it. Just like others before her, the trail of deaths would follow her steps until its bloody debt was finally paid off.

However was it really fair?

'What I do here is mostly to provide experiences that I believe to be valuable to carry in their lives'

Was it right to attribute all actions as part of the original sin?

Ente was trying his best to build something good. To nurture kindness and compassion and impart his wisdom to help others flourish. It was something undeniably admirable so why should his good intentions be viewed the same as the ills before him?

It was wrong. Ente had nothing to do with tht bloodshed nor he wanted anything to do with it, hea made that abudantly clear when he refused to harm her despite her hostility.

She- No. "THEY" were the ones to drag him into this conflict. They were the ones imposing this retribution on him, so was it really right to say he deserved this fate?

"You know" Matthias started to speak again "although one's actions determine what kind of karma they bring upon themselves that doesn't mean it dictates nor set in stone how their lives will go- their kin included".

"Some turn a new leaf. Others refuse to make the same mistakes of their predecessors. That's how they find a new path to follow. As long as they put their heart into it then change might be possible"

He gives her a brief knowing look towards her before turning back to the road.

"A new path huh?"

What path would she choose, she wondered?

To chase after her brother's shadow or...

'Miss Swan'

Or...

=0=0=0=0=

"Here we are. Make sure to watch your footing Vivre, the floor is unstable here."

"There's a lot of "decay" here"

Decay. That's what they call the lingering emotions left by living beings like sorrow, hatred and bloodlust. Under its influence life withered, the body became feeble, the mind dull and the heart erratic and unstable. As the name implied nothing was allowed to thrive.

"Considering the history of this place it's not surprising" Matthias extended his hand to help her walk through the debris of what probably once was a luxurious foyer "this place was once a stage of massacres upon massacres. It bore a cycle of hatred, envy and greed in which every new owner would suffer an ill fate after being consumed by said vices. The ruins you are now seeing are the result of decades of this vile"

There was a bit of a somber tone to Matthias' voice, a solemnity she found herself agreeing with. It wasn't as if it was her first time in an abandoned house, but still- this place struck a chord with her- a home that could no longer be recognized as such, it hit too close to her.

"How are you doing so far Vivre?"

"It's kind hard to breath in this stale air, but other than that I'm doing alright"

"Just a bit more and then we will reach the inner garden. It's where Elliot Vince's stature was placed at"

In contrast with the mess of rubble, broken furniture and thick layers of dust and grime inside the manor the inner garden was surprisingly barren. The plots of earth that lined the stone paths were devoid of any greenery to speak of, with not even the most opportunistic and stubborn of weed growths succeding in thriving there. Everything was sterile, still and washed out. It was something she had taken notice of as they passed by an old pond, a chill going through her spine as her eyes bored into the murky water whose smooth surface went wholly undisturbed.

"The situation is worse than I had expected" Matthias furrowed his eyebrows as they stopped in front of a pristine statue, the only object of interest in the garden that wasn't affected by the wear of time "he's not reacting at all to our presence despite us being right in front of him".

"He has been conscious this whole time?"

"Yes. Because that's what the punishment of awareness entails. They are to be witness of- Oh. The seal is coming undone"

Splothes of color blossomed among grey, akin to freckles of paint tickling down on crystalline water, forming ripples and waves, making hard stone give way to the flutter of fabric and soft flesh- his limbs twitching as his skin got exposed to the elements, as if spurred by an old memory, although too vague to grasp. It seemed his mind had yet to recall its own soreveignty over his body.

Matthias took a step forward, and just in time as Elliot Vince's body toppled like a puppet that had its strings cut. He didn't offer any assistance nor resistance as Matthias carefully maneuvered his body to rest agaisnt the remains of the pedestal that once held his statue, his arms swaying uselessly at his sides as he laid completely limp in Matthias' hold. For a brief second Vivre wondered if the man was even alive.

"Can you hear me?" Matthias crouched down, placing a hand on Elliot Vince's shoulder, the man's gaze meeting his "Do you remember anything about yourself?"

His lips moved soflty, but no sound would come out of them. It didn't seem as if he was trying to mouth words either otherwise they would have recognized patterns to it. His stare was vacant, as if his mind was still trapped in the fog of his year of imprisonment. He wasn't cognizant at all.

"It seems it will take a while until he recovers his bearings so for now we should take him back with us" Matthias shakes his head, picking the slouched man and placing him on his back "Vivre could I trouble you to guide me through the rubble?"

"Yes. Of course"

As they made the trek back to their lodgings ivre couldn't help but think about how, despite how long they had been working together, that this was the first time she ever got to see Matthias exercising his official duties- and with that, a new side to him she hasn't been privy before. She always knew Matthias as a well intentioned, if a bit clumsy, big brother figure, so to see him carry himself with confidence and purpose filled her with nothing but pride.

Matthias didn't spare any efforts when tending to his charge's needs. He came prepared and was quick to and efficient in setting up the wheelchair he brought along for the trip, showing the same expertise as he handled Elliot Vince, seating him as comfortably as he could in the wheelchair.

"I will bathe Mr. Elliot now. Could you pass on the instructions for the preparation of his meal to the kitchen Vivre?"

"Of course"

"Thank you"

Strips of chicken. Vegetables cooked to softness. All made with aromatic and distinct spices. Perhaps it could be chalked up to the influence of Ente's cooking, but she found her eyes keener to these details. She could even see the thought process behind them: Elliot Vince couldn't move his body as he wished yet, hence why he needed something easy to chew, but he was also deprived from the experience of having a meal for a century, so Matthias pushed for something with more "sustenance" so he could indulge himself a bit.

"The meal is here"

And as Matthias helped Mr.Elliot feed himself, she could see his intentions were appreciated. He hasn't uttered a single word, but the trail of tears cascading his face were telling. There was a duality of emotions clashing inside him: The wonder of the new and the lull of nostalgia, he wasn't sure which was which yet. Nevertheless, he found it grounding.

"Now we should let him rest"

As he just had his meal Matthias opted to let the man rest in the couch instead, propping up fluffly pillows for his back and a resting stool so he could strech his legs- and just in in time too, because as soon as he tucked him under his cover he immediately fell asleep.

"Dreams connect people with their subconsciousness. This will help him get in tune with his emotions as well as his memories" Matthias' unique irirses sharpened in shape, pulsating with power, courtesy of his special lineage. His ancestor, the first Laverne, was meant to be a sacrificial cattle, so she was infused with demonic essence, inadvertently bestowing her part of the demon's attributes- The domain over emotions.

"Then... After, we have to wait and see how he will respond to his situation"

"You don't mean it just as him being a threat in potential do you?"

"There's nothing more flimsy than a foundation built on violence and greed. His castle of cards was not meant to last" Matthias stared at the man with pity "still, it was something he built, by believing in his might, and to be forced to face the truth of how pointlesss and insignificant his efforts were would be... Daunting, to say the least. In my experience people like him would usually lash out, at the world or themselves, it's hard to say which will be. Loss is a complicated feeling after all"

"He must be thinking about Louis"

3 years after her adoption Matthias brought a boy to live with them- Louis was his name. He had lost his family twice, the first to Euryale's wrath and the second when his newly adopted family perished while on a mission. As someone who went through a similar experience they though that they might have been able to help him, but it was to no avail. Louis was unable to accept them as his family as such his heart remained closed to them.

She wondered since then if she could have done more for him. If the reason he did what he did was because they didn't do enough. She kept mulling about his reasons over and over.

'Say... Vivre, could you tell me more about your brother?'

'Why are you suddently asking that?'

Now that she thought about it Louis did approach her to talk about something.

'I talked with the others and they told me the same thing: That your brother was the one responsible for arranging their adoptions" he awkwardly shuffled his feet 'None of us ever got to meet Euryale personally, not even once after our parents passing'

'Where are you going with this?'

'It's just... I don't know if it was a coincidence or not- for Euryale to being finally stopped when you were there- it's something I kept thinking about. That everything might have been...'

Intentional.

"....ivre"

But what reason would he...

"Vivre!"

"Y-Yes?"

"Are you ok? You were spacing out"

"Ah... Yes. I'm fine"

She bit her lips.

"No. Actually, there's something I want to ask you Matthias"

There was something she had been wondering for a while.

"Do you know... What was the relationship betwee my brother and Miss Grimoire?"

"Hum..." he cocked his head, eyebrows furrowing as he considered her question.

"Was it... Bad?"

"No. That's not it" he shook his head "Just complex"

"How do you mean?"

"The circumstances surrounding them brought them rather close I think. Both their similarities and differences" he spoke after a pause "They were of similar age and the youngest active members of the Organization at the time. Both were very promising talents, although in Odel's case his potential bloomed a bit later"

"Because of my brother's trauma" she recalls her brother's words about his struggles. The nightmares. The fear and paralyzing feelings of helplessness instilled in him. He had to work hard to overcome them.

"Yes. Euryale undoubtedly played a huge part in helping Odel overcome his past, but it wasn't just her, Grimoire did the same. They were often partnered together for missions and she would often lend her assistance to him"

"My brother never spoke about this before. I wonder why"

"It's probably because of her marriage with Faust. The families closest to Euryale did not take it well, my own family included. Their disapproval of their union was such that they even wanted to prohibit Grimoire from ever being in contact with her mother again" He winces at that as he remembers the venom in his parents' voice whenever Grimoire was brought up "Once I inquired your brother in secret about it and he seemed... Conflicted. But It didn't seen as if he shared the same vitriol as them. He was even the one to advocate for a compromise in Grimoire's behalf so she could be allowed to exercise her obligations, taking up to himself to personally deliver the briefing for her missions and all If I'm not mistaken"

He didn't have enough time to do a more thorough research yet, but...

"And I also found out during my preliminar investigation that it was your brother who convinced Euryale's inner circle to allow Grimoire to see her again so she could meet her grandson" there was a smile on his lips this time "he didn't divulge the reason behind his decision, but I believe it was in part because of you, Vivre"

"Me?"

"Yes. Losing family and assuming the responsabilities of a guardian gave Odel some perspective on parenthood and the importance of treasuring and preserving those bonds. If there was anyone who would advocate for Euryale's and Grimoire's reconciliation it would be him"

"Brother..."

"As for Miss Euryale she held an undeniably soft spot for your brother. To look after those in need, more so when under her care, that was just in her nature. When Odell needed time to figure out his new situation Miss Euryale not only accomodated his needs, but also lent her aid and wisdom as a parent to him. It's why he felt inclined to do the same for her"

"So Miss Euryale... I see. Everything makes sense now"

She had been wondering for a while how Ente knew how to make omelettes exactly as he brother did, but if Euryale taught her brother the recipe then it would make sense for Ente to know it and Grimoire must have know it too.

Why did she never question it before? About how her brother was able to raise her with such ease when Matthias struggled so much to do the same?

She was so focused on trying to paint Euryale as a villain that she never thought about trying to know more about who she really was. For all she knew there might have been an important context behind her actions that would frame reality in a very different way than the one she was led to believe.

It was another narrative she needed to rethink about.

=0=0=0=0=

"Where am I?"

A ceiling he didn't recognize. A bed different from what remembered. A room strange to him.

"What is this place?"

He was in a daze. Like his mind was still wandering through a fog of years lost. His limbs felt as if they belonged to a stranger, his movements wholly uncoordinated and floppy, akin to a fish out of water.

"So you finally woke up" A deep voice boomed as a set of hands that didn't belong to him aided his body to sit straight. He raised his head, finally seeing the face of his speaker, a man as wide and stout as a bear with the uncanny eyes of a goat "Welcome to the dawn of a new century Mr. Elliot Vince"

Elliot Vince... Yes. That was his name. He remembers now. Who he was, what he had and what was lost. He remembers everything.

"Who... Are you?" His voice croaked, an inelegant blabber from lack of use. It seems he was still suffering from the side effects of his imprisonment.

"We are members of Euryale's Organization" a new voice spoke, this time belonging to a woman of fair features "We are here to oversee your release from Miss Euryale's sentence"

Euryale... That's right. She was the one responsible for the situation he was in. He had know of her fame and the rumors around her strength, but arrogantly paid no mind to it. No men, even in hundreds or thousands, was able to overthrow him, so he didn't think of her as a threat, and as a result of his foolishness he paid a steep price.

"Where is Euryale?"

"She's... Unavailable"

"So I guess I missed her last incarnation. What an awful timing" he let a hoarse and humorless laugh.

How the might has fallen.

Confined to a bed and at the mercy of his enemies. What a sorry state to be in. To think he was once a youth brimming with vigor and ambition, but now? He was a shadow of the man he used to be. Time spent in futility wore down his soul. Witnessing everything he accomplished being torn down and rendered meaningless made him question if there was even a point to it at all.

And as ironic as it is, despite being the reason for him being in this situation in the first place, Euryale was the only link remaining of his old life.

"Go ahead. Take my life. I don't care anymore"

"You are mistaken Mr. Elliot. We are here to help with your rehabilitation"

"Are you now?" He scoffed "I can sense your spiritual power. It's far beyond the likes of what your position implies"

"I won't deny your claims. It would be naive to disregard the possibility of retaliation, a modicum of prudence is required" the man answered upfront "However that doesn't change the nature of my words. I meant what I said. We are here to help, as long as you let us"

"Are you sure about that? Wouldn't it be easier for the likes of you if you dealt with me right here instead of having to worry about me becoming a threat later?"

"Wouldn't you rather regain your autonomy so you could make a choice of your own instead of being corralled into one?"

"..."

"You got a second chance in life and it's up to you to decide what you will do with it. Until then it's not my place to pass judgment on you"

In the end he decided to take upon their offer.

"His body seems healthy. There's no signs of muscle atrophy either. He will be on his way for a fast recovery after some sessions of pool therapy:

"Very well. Shall we start immediately Mr. Elliot?"

"Is that how you do it? Offer us a helping hand in our "time of need" to put us in your debt? How cunning"

"As long as you are of no harm to anyone you are free to do as you please. You don't owe us anything"

"Hah! And you expect me to believe that?" He scoffed.

"The powers from beyond are naturally drawn to people like us so our involvement with "that world" is all but guaranteed. Even if we don't intend to get you involved in our affairs it can't be crossed out the possibility of it happening"

He had to give it to Euryale, her subordinates were trained well.

"Your reverence is admirable. Euryale's capacity to instill such worship from her followers are truly enviable"

"You mean to call us as sheep to be herded, but that couldn't be further from the truth. It would have been counterintuitive otherwise, because how could Miss Euryale be able to entrust us with the duty of running the Organization in her absence if we were that dependent on her? Everything would have fallen apart a long time ago if that was the case"

Their discipline and composure were impeccable. Despite his taunts and jeers they remained unfazed, carrying their duties just the same.

He was, admittedly, intrigued.

"I do wonder... Euryale enjoys the title of strongest human in history, but what would happen if another possessing an even greater power were to appear? Wouldn't that make her existence obsolete? Would you be tempted to change charges then?"

"We aren't anywhere close to Miss Euryale's raw power, but that doesn't make our existence unnecessary- Miss Euryale is, but only one after all, so she can't be everywhere, which is why our support is of utmost importance- and the same could be said of her. She accrued strength and knowledge of several lifetimes, the contribution her experience brought would always be invaluable"

"Then... What if she fell in disgrace? What would happen then?"

It was easy to reap praises when you were on top. From the pinnacle everything bellow felt distant and yourself untouchable, but as it was proven to him it wasn't impossible- and when that happened the so called "followers" would be quick to denounce and plot your demise- he saw it with his own eyes while in his stone prison. The flimsiness of it all.

"It won't matter because... From the beginning Miss Euryale never asked us to follow her. What she really wanted us to protect was her convictions. Her resolve" the man's voice grew oddly solemn "Even if she were to cast away everything the proof of what she stood for would still remain, and we will protect it no matter what because that's the legacy she left for mankind"

"Protecting her legacy huh?"

His subordinates were individuals of weak will and greed. They pleaded fealty to him, but only because they envied and feared his power.

At the time he had paid no heed to it as he was assured of his strength- betrayal are for those who show weakness after all, and he lacked any to be exploited, although even if he had one he doubted they would have been capable of acting on it, that was how low of a opinion he had on his subordinates. To him they were servants: Negligible existences and never once equals. The only expectation he had for them if you call it that was to see them grovel on the ground like the writhing worms they were.

However he forgot that even worms could be ravenous animals if left unchecked. As soon as he was taken out of the picture they were quick to swallow everything up until it was hollow and rotten, including their own.

As quickly as they were to acquire power as easily it was for them to lose it. Opportunism, betrayal, paranoia and ruin. It was a neverending cycle.

Now that he thinks about it, despite having the upper hand and being in a position to flaunt her superiority over him Euryale never did so. Her bearing was dignified and cool. Impervious to his derision as she carried her sentence without preamble. Others would have taken the chance to either gloat or spat their grievances, but curiously enough Euryale did something completely out of norm by giving him parting words with a promise of reunion.

'It doesn't feel as if she ever left in the first place to be honest'

He doesn't know if the effect was intended or not or if it was simply a result of the spell's nature, but as he was in the process of being sealed he could feel her presence surrounding him. Her power permeated his stone prison, granting him an odd sense of companionship through the long years of wait and, in an ironic twist, granting him permanence when everything else crumbled to dust. It was a shackle but also a shield, no one was able to touch him while under this state.

"We will meet again huh?"

0=0=0=0=0=0

"This situation is worrysome"

"How so? Mr. Elliot has been far more cooperative as of late and his physical rehabilitation seems to be proceeding well. He can even walk now"

"It's just... His fixation on Miss Euryale. It's unhealthy"

"Ah!That's...!"

"Is something wrong Vivre?"

"...No. It's nothing" she shifts her gaze.

A fixation is the right word to describe it. Not only for Elliot Vince, but for her brother as well.

'Then... What if she fell in disgrace?'

'Miss Euryale is a wise person. You can always count on her to know what to do'

'It won't matter because... From the beginning Miss Euryale never asked us to follow her'

Faith and trust, but not blind loyalty.

She never noticed it before because her brother was her world, but now that she had a chance to have an objective look at Elliot's situation and take in the similarities between him and her brother she had to admit that it wasn't... Normal.

"The way they talk about Miss Euryale is like they are talking about a God"

The line between devotion and fanatism could be blurry at times and there was no telling to what lengths you would be willing to go once yu have crossed it. As much as she would have liked to believe in her brother's innocence she couldn't deny this possibility and that scared her.

"What would you suggest for us to do Matthias?"

"For now let's steer him to other prospects. If he ever find out that Miss Euryale won't reincarnate it-"

"What did you just say?"

They turned around to meet with the cold gaze of Elliot Vince.

"What do you mean she won't reincarnate?"

Guess there was no way out of this.

"After her passing 20 years ago Miss Euryale didn't go through the reincarnation process" she hesitates "As for her reasons... They are unknown to us"

For the longest time she had believed Euryale had done it out of spite to her brother to stop anyone from attempting to retrieve his body, but truth to be told she didn't know for sure. With no one being able to undo the seal placed in her home she couldn't confirm it herself, so things could be very much different from what she thought.

"That doesn't make any sense" Elliot started to mumble "No one should be able to best Euryalle, be it man or demon. She's supposed to be untouchable!"

The maniac muttering goes into a crescendo, his voice getting louder and more hysterical as he buries himself in denial.

"Her gaze... Of all the memories lost in time, hers was the only one to survive. I still remember her eyes, the eyes of an indomitable spirit. The strength of someone with unyielding convictions. There's no way someone like that would ever lose heart!"

'We shall see each other once more in the future'

"She... Promised to..."

Everything happened too fast.

"Mr. Elliot! Get out of there please!"

He was standing precariously at the edge of the railing of the balcony, his body swaying in the wind like a small candle about to be snuffed out, looking just as brittle as their first meeting.

"There's no point to it anymore" his voice trembles "I already lost everything I knew. Euryale was the only thing left that made sense and if she's no more then..."

He took a step back.

Matthias lunged forward.

There was a huge uproar afterwards.

She remembers the screams of horror of the passerby, Matthias' own frantic voice as he instructed her to call an ambulance as he did the same with the police and the grotesque scene waiting for them as they reached the ground floor- A mess of broken bones, limbs with contortioning in unnatural angles, the flesh exposed and blood pooling close to their steps- hardly recognizable as a once living human.

"His face is still intact"

Emptiness, hopeleness and loss.

Elliot Vince's expression of abject despair... She feels like she saw is before, but where? And from who?

"Vivre" Matthias gently touched her arm "The police will arrive here shortly, could I ask you to guide them here?"

"Yes. Of course" She quickly averted her eyes.

That's right. What she should be doing right not is focus on the tas at hand, everything else could wait until then.

The next days were busy with filing paperwork, getting the logs for Elliot Vince's rehabilitation process as well as his psychological evaluation. The trips to the police station took most of the time however, as they were at the scene at the time. They wanted to be thorough with their investigation after all.

"...Just to recap all the information you gave us so far: Your relationship with the deceased was strictly professional, and you were entrusted to look for him and take care of his needs on behalf of someone called "Euryale Miller" is that right?"

"Correct"

"And... Let's see..." the policeman checked his notes "As for the motive behind his suicide you are both claiming that it was because he caught you discussing about the death of his benefactor and your concerns over how it would affect him?"

"Yes"

"What kind of relationship he and his benefactor had?"

"I... Am not sure myself. From the details Matthias shared with me it didn't seem as if Mr. Elliot had any reason to regard Miss Euryale with fondness but..."

"But...?"

"That's my personal take on it, but I think the reason why he developed such a... fixation on her was because she was a "figure of stability" for him"

"How so? Would you elaborate it for me?"

"Some of the choices he made in his past led to his ruin, and while most took advantage of his downfall, Miss Euryale put him in a position to come in terms with it. It probably made him realize that her perspective might had a point, and for a man like him who had nothing left it might have been to tempting to latch to it"

He was really similar to her brother.

Odel also wanted to live by his own rules at some point. As a boy he was rather spirited and rebellious, refusing to follow in their parents' footsteps and regarding Miss Euryale with ressentment and animosity.

'I didn't like her because I thought she was a threat to my freedom' Odel shook his head as he mentally admonished his younger self's actions "I was awfully rude to her during our first meeting, calling her names and being a total brat"

'You, brother?'

She remembers being surprised by this reveal as she always saw her brother as a proper, refined and mature man. She couldn't ever picture him as acting crude and crass to anyone, let alone Miss Euryale of all people considering how much adoration he held for her.

'Yes' he had winced in mortification 'However Miss Euryale didn't get angry with me. She kneeled to talk with me eye to eye and told me that I didn't need to follow her, only advising me to learn the basics for my own protection as the forces of the beyond were naturally drawn to people like us'

And not long after that her brother was dragged into the matters of the supernatural.

His classmates were doing a dare of courage, something meant to be a harmless scare, but somehow they got hold of instructions for a real ritual and ended up summoning demons that made his school their hunting ground. It was a massacre. All his friends were killed in the process while he could only cower in fear in his hiding spot inside a cramped cleaning closet.

'I hated myself at the time. "If I wasn't so ignorant I would have recognized it was a real ritual and stopped it" I thought. "If I knew how to wield my power then my friends wouldn't have died". I couldn't stand my own weakness'

Their parents were away on a mission in another country at the time so Miss Euryale was the one to answer the call and rescue him.

'I still remember her warmth as she held me close to her, her strong spiritual power enveloping me in a protective hold. It made me feel safe' Odel smiled, voice going soft and brimming with tenderness at the memory 'As I cried and blamed myself for what happened Miss Euryale gently wiped my tears. She didn't chastise nor criticized me, instead she told me that the scorn should be directed at the criatures of the beyond for being scheming cowards'

The world he sought after was no longer, because how could he expect normalcy after what he went throught? It was simply unthinkable.

Miss Euryale was there, however. Paving a way through her steps, building a safe footing for him to step on. It was in her that he found strength to ground himself and a new path to follow, his new purpose to live for.

But what would happen if the person building said path was no longer there? What would you do after being faced with the gapping chasm at the end of it? Would you stay rooted in place or...

Or...

"It seems today is the last day they will inquire us" Matthias greeted her after they exited the police station "You can now go back to Ente's place if you wish so Vivre"

"..."

"Vivre?"

"Ah. Sorry, I was just thinking about what happened during these last days" she rubbed her arms, feeling cold at some realizations she had "And how Elliot Vince's situation reminded me so much of my brother's"

Was she mistaken? All this time she had believed that Euryale took her brother's life, but what if it wasn't the case?

"I saw... Miss Euryale trying to hurt my brother, I'm sure of it. I picked the fire poker and stabbed her in the back because I wanted to stop her, but then she knocked me out" she muttered, eyebrows knit together in concentration as she tried to recall her past, a lump forming on her throat "When I woke up they were both dead. The fire poker I used to stab her was buried in my brother's chest- That's why I thought she had done it"

But Odel's eyes...

That's why seeing Elliot Vince's face had made her so uneasy. The despair and hopeleness in those lifeless eyes were the same, the exact same as her brother's.

"Loss and unfullfilment, they are similar feelings in a way, aren't them? Both lead to regrets. To longing and emptiness. They had the same gaze- And all directed towards Miss Euryale"

Odel was laying on his side, facing Euryale, eyes fixated on her.

Even in death he was chasing after her.

"I... Don't understand anything anymore" she shook her head. "I'm not sure If I really know my brother anymore"

"Vivre..." Matthias stepped forward and held her in a tight embrace.

It had been a while since he last did that. As she grew older unsavory rumors about their relationship began to spread around, so they ended up avoiding showing any display of closeness, a foolish decision is retrospect, as the only thing that accomplished was creating a distance between them and stopping him from being there for Vivre when she needed him the most. Now that they reconciliated at last he has sworn to never make the same mistake again. He would support Vivre in whichiever way he could.

'I have a favor to ask of the Lavernes'

"Maybe... Just maybe, there's a way to find out Odel's true intentions"

"What do you mean Matthias?"

"My ancestor, the first Laverne, made a pledge of loyalty towards Miss Euryale, using her power to engrave her feelings in a memoir to convey her devotion to her descendants. It's considered our greatest treasure as it contains her heart."

According to their tradition he was supposed to be granted access to the memoir after he was judged ready by his predecessors, but because of his parents' early passing he hadn't the opportunity to claim this right.

"No. That's not it"

'Do you understand Matthias? Our ancestor's memoirs contain the deepest secrets of her heart, joys and sorrows included. If your mental strength isn't enough to wistand it then your own heart will be consumed in the process'

He got a glimpse of it once. It was only the cover, but it was enough to give him chills. His control of his bloodline's powers weren't well developed at the time but it was still enough to make him tremble to his foundation, the emotions contained inside it were THAT powerful.

It was true that he had dreaded his family's heirloom since then, however the will inside it wasn't the reason behind his hesitance in unsealing it.

It was shame for letting his weakness fail his loved ones over and over again.

Because how could he dare to show such a pathetic heart before his ancestor's display of unwavering will? He wasn't worthy. He didn't have in him the conviction to match her resolve.

"Vivre is doing her best to move forward and I should do the same." he furrowed his eyebrows, mouth set in a straight line "I won't run away anymore. I will face it, for Vivre's sake as well as mine"

"...Your brother once sought our family for a favor. To requested for a similar memoir to be made for him. "

"Does that mean...?"

"Yes." he nodded with determination "As soon as I wrap things here I will make sure to return home to look for it. Odel's memoirs as well as my ancestor's."

It's time to face the truth.

#my useless boss #vivre swan(useless boss)#matthias laverne(useless boss)#odel swan(useless boss)

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