(Alice POV)
Why...? why!? this isn't real!
After all the struggles! after all the pain! after everything we did! why!? Just why!?
I thought it was already over, we won over the prophets, so why does Fayna have her chest pierced by that woman who is supposed to be my biological mother.
I want to help but I can't move my body, I can't understand how we reached this outcome, yet before I was able to do something I found myself in a different place.
It took me a second to realize this was the border of the Cross kingdom, knowing there was only one person capable of this feat so I turned around wanting to punch my masked teacher for taking me away, only to realize she wasn't wearing her mask.
I only needed one look at her face to understand what was happening, after all her looks were so similar to mine that it was obvious she was related to me, especially a part of that family.
I noticed on previous occasions that Fayna was trying to help me to mend the past with that family, but today it seems that her efforts were a mistake.
With a mixture of anger and betrayal, I grabbed the shoulders of my teacher shoulders not caring about her or my injuries.
"Why did you take us away?! I could have helped Fayna! We could have helped her!"(Alice)
"...With that body of yours?"(Athena)
Without waiting for an answer my no longer masked teacher gave me a slight flick on my forehead, although it was a powerless flick, it surprisingly made me fall to the ground without any sign of resistance.
As I fell the silver cloak and dark-purple scythe disintegrated in thin air while my body felt powerless. Although I wasn't in the best shape I didn't expect to be this weak, after all this was the first time I wasn't affected by the side effects of that power.
"Sister, your body is at its limits, you have to rest"(Talia)
Talia barely caught me in my fall, I could feel her concern over my condition but instead of feeling thankful, I was disgusted, and before I knew it I pushed Talia with my remaining strength, catching her off guard and making her fall to the ground with a bewildered expression.
"Don't you dare to call me sister!"(Alice)
Hearing her calling me sister was enough to twist my insides in repugnance, it hurts to think just for a moment that I was fine to forgive them. Right now I don't want to have or know anything related to that woman.
I can't shake away the sight of Fayna dying, the image was still lingering on my mind without fading away, feeding my hatred for that woman and that family.
For the first time in my life, I felt ashamed and sickened for sharing the same blood as them, the family who abandoned me in the past, and now took someone important away from me, from my future.
I tried to be nice and forgive them for everything they did, I tried to convince myself that everything has a reason and that there would be a reason behind what they did, I tried to foolishly justify their actions, but it seems that deep inside of me I'm unable to do so.
I resent that family for what they had done to me, for trying to mend this broken relationship as nothing happened, for thinking that everything would be alright with just a sorry, I̴ ̶h̵a̷t̵e̸ ̵t̵h̷e̷m̸ ̸f̴r̶o̸m̷ ̶t̴h̸e̸ ̶b̸o̷t̶t̸o̴m̷ ̶o̴f̸ ̸m̴y̴ ̷h̴e̸a̸r̴t̵.
"Si-sister I-I just wanted to--"(Talia)
"Shut up! Just... Shut up..."(Alice)
Where were they when I was sick and dejected? Where were they when my mom and I were suffering from hunger and cold? Where were they when I learned I couldn't make a contract with a spirit? Where were they when I almost lost my mom on that mountain? Where were they when I needed them the most?
All I know is that they weren't at my side... if it wasn't for my mom, I don't know if I would be able to stand here today... that is my fate as the cursed child of that family.
I could see that my teacher and Talia were looking at me with guilty expressions, but I don't care. I give up on them.
"Alice... please wait... I don't want you to do something that you'll probably regret in the future, so please calm down."(Azazel?)
"Azazel, Why? You must have seen that too right? That bitch killed Fayna!! Why are you taking their side!?"(Alice)
At this point, I couldn't stop my tears from falling, as I couldn't suppress the emotions that I kept locked in my heart. I thought my life was finally getting better. I thought I could live with the people I loved while training and sharing my love for spirits. I thought I finally could be happy...
But I was wrong... every time I felt I was attaining happiness, every time I felt at peace, every time I had a sincere smile on my face... in those beautiful moments something would appear that would shake my world, something that would try to take everything from me.
The loss of Fayna was enough to almost make me lose my sanity, although we fought a lot and played jokes at each other in the end I still loved her as my friend, teacher, and even...family.
But now she was gone... and without her, I knew that my mom will be the next to go.
At best I have a week to be together with my mom if Fayna cleansed her before the dinner... Otherwise... I don't know how much time she has left...
After that... I don't know what I'm gonna do... p̵e̷r̴h̵a̴p̷s̸.̶.̴.̷
"Alice, it's not like I'm taking their side. It's just that I need you to calm down."(Azazel)
"It's easier for you to say that! You don't know how it feels to lose someone dear to you, you don't know how disgusted I'm feeling just imagining I'm the daughter of that bitch, you don't know anything!"(Alice)
I could hear Talia trying to hold back her tears from a while ago, she was trying hard to endure my wrath but it seems that my last words were too much for her as she broke into tears while hugging herself.
My masked teacher hugged Talia tightly while looking directly at me, in her gaze wasn't any sign of hostility or resentment, instead of that, she was looking at me genuinely worried and with a feeling of sorrow that reached the depths of her heart.
It was then I realized how horrible were the things I have said, they were also hurt and tired yet I kept venting my anger on them. This wasn't fair for them either as they haven't done anything to me.
"Alice... I understand how devastated you are right now, that's why I have more reason to calm you down. If you act out of anger you'll end up hurting everyone around you, only to regret what you said in the future."(Azazel?)
"So are you saying that I have to forgive them for what they did?"(Alice)
"Alice, you are a kind girl, you are kinder than everyone else, to the point you are willing to try to forgive your biological family despite everything they did to you in the past.
That's why I have to stop you, otherwise, when you calm down you'll regret what you did and said.
Talia and Athena don't have anything to do with what just happened, they were fighting the prophets alongside you and now they are also devastated by what happened, you just need to look at them to know that.
Second, I don't think that the queen Aiya wanted to kill Fayna as I detected a faint portion of that power coming from her while her spear was piercing Fayna, you can ask Athena about the full details, and finally, you can put down your worries about your mom.
Thanks to what happened I recovered my memories, and as consequence, I regained control over my powers, in other words, we can cure Orie"(Azazel?)
The queen... is innocent? I... can save my mom...? I know... I should be relieved... but I can't... ... How can I believe that?
"Teacher... What Azazel is saying the truth? That woman... Aiya didn't want to kill Fayna?"(Alice)
"Th-that's right si... Alice, ou-- mother isn't the type of person who would something like that, right aunt Athena?"(Talia)
My teacher... so her name is Athena... and she is my aunt... With anticipation in my eyes, I kept looking at her without missing anything. I could tell that she knew that the moment she showed the slightest sign of deception they would lose my last bit of trust in them forever.
"That's right Alice, Aiya didn't -"(Athena)
Athena was ready to tell me everything about the incident but before she was able to speak we were interrupted by a strong ominous feeling coming from one specific direction, the location of the Holy kingdom. Moments later after we felt that ominous sensation an insanely intense black wind struck us, forcing us to resist it with our weakened bodies. Thanks to that premonition we were somehow able to not get blown away.
But just as the winds began to weaken their wind current suddenly inversed and tried to suck us with the suction force being stronger than before. Talia was the most caught off guard of us as she couldn't react to the suction force and got dragged by it. I was barely able to catch her in midair and with the last straw of my strength nailed a light sword on the ground praying for it to be strong enough to hold us both.
As the suction force kept getting stronger the trees and terrain around us weren't able to endure and were sucked in. With no end in sight, I tied Talia and myself with a devil chain and Azazel plunged it into the ground.
Sensing something wrong I took a glance at the Holy kingdom's location only to see a massive black dot getting bigger to the point of being visible all the way here at the borders of the Cross kingdom.
The black dot kept expanding until it finally reached its limit. With the black dot reaching its limits the suction force was gone, but we didn't have time to relax before the dot exploded and released a black mist all around the holy kingdom's territory. All that was left from the Holy kingdom was a black arid terrain with dark puddles surrounded by a black mist, with the mist getting thicker the further it went.
Just as I thought this wasn't enough something completely abnormal and strange happened moments later.
"Wha-What is this... I can't remember the kingdom... I can't remember her name... I can't remember his name... I can't remember their lives, I can't remember what just happened!"(Athena)
"What are you talking about?! Weren't you going to tell me why that woman didn't want to kill Fayna!?"(Alice)
"Fay..na?Why?! Why can't I remember!?"(Fayna)
I don't understand, why is she saying she doesn't remember anything?! is she trying to divert my attention? or is she trying to justify that woman's action?
No... That doesn't seem right... Athena isn't like that and she is clearly anxious. There is also Talia that looks like she doesn't understand what is happening to Athena.
"Alice, Athena, Talia, I have a hypothesis but... if it is what I think it is... then the prophets are a worse danger than I thought."(Azazel)
"Why?"(Talia)
"Before that, Talia, do you remember anything about Fayna?"(Azazel)
"Yes, how can I forget about lady Fayna, the strongest spiritualist in the cross-kingdom."(Talia)
"Thank you Talia... then if I'm not wrong... and I hope I am... this means that her existence was "erased" or at least "blocked"
Right now you and Talia are the only ones able to remember her thanks to your connection with that power. You Alice by being its user and Talia probably by being the existence that emerged to oppose it."(Azazel?)
"What are you talking about?"(Alice, Talia, Athena)
"This isn't the best place to talk about it, everyone needs to rest so Athena, could you take us to Fayna... sorry, Alice's mansion in the cross-kingdom?"(Azazel?)
"I'm able to remember that mansion but..."(Athena)
"Looking at you means that I'm on the right track, I know you feel something off but please endure it for a little longer. When we get there we need to speak honestly, otherwise, we won't be able to solve anything."(Azazel?)
I'm tired... I just want to return to mom and forget everything, but I keep feeling that this was only the beginning of something huge, it made me uneasy, yet I couldn't avoid the sensation that we were going to be in the center of the storm.
As Athena was preparing to teleport us Azazel spoke in my mind without letting anyone know.
"Alice, I'm sorry for acting like a jerk, but if everything goes fine, then we will have a chance to fix everything."(Azazel?)
