????'s POV
"It's , Rose," her voice ca through the door.
"Rose? What are you doing here?" I asked, leaning against the door, surprised by her unexpected visit.
"P-Please forgive for not being able to p-protect you," Rose's voice trembled, and I could sense the weight of her guilt in her words. I knew she wasn't powerful enough to defy Lucian's orders.
Gently shaking my head, I offered her reassurance, though the bruises from the restraints on my wrists betrayed the facade of strength I tried to maintain. "It's not your fault, Rose. You've done what you could. Don't burden yourself with guilt."
"...." She didn't say anything for a minute then,
"T-there's sothing important I must tell you," Rose's tone shifted, growing grave, and a sense of foreboding settled over like a shroud.
Sensing the gravity of her words, I braced myself for what was to co, a knot forming in the pit of my stomach.
'What else now?' I wondered.
"Y-Your parents didn't betray you...
Lucian had been spying near your parent's ho, and when you arrived... he orchestrated a massacre, sparing only you after drugging the food," Rose's revelation struck like a lightning bolt, leaving reeling in disbelief.
"H-Huh?" My breath caught in my throat, my heart pounding in my chest as I struggled to process the enormity of what Rose had just revealed.
'M-My parents... died?'
"M-Mother?" Rose's voice pierced through the haze of shock, pulling back to the harsh reality of our situation.
"Yes," I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper, my mind spinning with a whirlwind of emotions. "H-He... he killed them?" I managed to choke out, seeking confirmation, hoping against hope that it was all just a nightmare from which I would soon awaken.
".... Yeah," After a long pause that seed to telling the truth by itself.... Rose confird, her voice heavy with sorrow and regret, each syllable weighted with the unbearable burden of the truth.
'Drip, Drip'
Tears welled up in my eyes, cascading down my cheeks in silent streams as the full weight of my grief crashed over like a tidal wave. I cried until there were no tears left to shed, until my soul felt hollow and empty, consud by the agonizing ache of loss.
Though one thing was happy that my parents didn't betray ...
In the dead of night, a heavy thud shattered the silence, signalling Lucian's drunken entry into the room. His presence lood over like a dark cloud, his features contorted into a grotesque mask of inebriation and aggression.
My heart pounded with dread as I realized his intentions, yet I was utterly powerless to stop him. "I-I am pregnant. Please, don't do anything now," I pleaded desperately, the words tumbling from my lips in a trembling whisper.
"...." Lucian's silence spoke volus as he callously disregarded my plea, proceeding against my wishes with a cruel indifference that cut to the core.
The following morning brought the devastating news delivered by the trembling voice of the old woman who attended to . In her weathered hands, she cradled the lifeless form of my child, a silent testant to the horrors of the night before.
"Your Majesty, Your child is dead," her words hung heavily in the air, weighted with the unbearable sorrow of a life snuffed out before it had the chance to blossom.
Lucian's gaze lingered on my child, his expression unreadable as he questioned,
"Why?"
The old woman's features twisted in evident discomfort as she struggled to find the words to explain the tragedy that had befallen us, "Due to rough intercourse, you ruptured the womb, and the child was born prematurely," she finally managed to utter, her voice laden with sorrow for the loss we had endured.
"Is that so...?" Lucian's response was dismissive, a re shrug of his shoulders betraying his lack of concern for the life that had been lost.
I remained rooted to the spot, my gaze fixed on the wall before , my emotions locked away behind a facade of numbness. The weight of grief pressed down on , suffocating in its silent embrace.
The old woman's eyes brimd with unshed tears as she regarded the lifeless form of my child, a silent apology echoing in the depths of her gaze. Placing the tiny bundle behind , she whispered, "Forgive ," before silently slipping away, leaving alone with my sorrow.
"....."
"MOTHER!!"
Soon after, Rose burst into the room, her frantic footsteps echoing against the walls as she rushed to my side, her eyes wide with panic as she bombarded with questions. But I remained silent, my voice stolen by the weight of my grief as if sothing inside had simply vanished.
"Aaahhh!!!!" Rose's anguished cry pierced the air as she cradled my lifeless child in her arms, tears streaming down her face in a torrent of sorrow and disbelief. Yet, even as she wept, I remained numb, unable to summon a single tear to match her anguish.
"Mother!! Look at !! Please!!"
"...."
"Please!!"
"...."
"What the hell did that bastard do!!"
"...."
With a final, frustrated cry, Rose stord out of the room, consud by anger. But deep down, I knew that my child had been defenceless against the cruelty of Lucian and the sentinel who protecting him.
Alone once more, I gathered my child into my arms, cradling her delicate form against my chest as I gazed down at her peaceful face. "She will be a beautiful girl," I murmured softly, my voice trembling with sorrow and regret.
And I kissed my child's forehead.
I lost... my friend.
I lost... my freedom.
I lost... my future.
I lost... my parents.
And finally... I lost my only child.
All because of love.
"THIS DAMN LOVE!!!" I cried out, the words echoing through the empty room as tears stread down my face at last.
It was because of this cursed love that my life had been torn apart, that my child had been taken from before she even had a chance to live.
I-If I had just listened to my friend... this wouldn't have happened and my child wouldn't even die because of... !
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Yeah... All because of ! A hopeless and Powerless woman!
What a pitiful and laughable creature had I beco.
Looking at my dead child's face... all I could say,
My voice choked with grief, "Please don't forgive your mother," I begged, knowing that forgiveness was beyond reach.
All I had ever wanted was a happy family, filled with love and tenderness. But instead, all I had received was pain and heartache, a cruel mockery of the dreams I had once held dear.
"Sigh," I breathed out heavily, my gaze drifting out of the window, my thoughts lost in a sea of regret and sorrow.
Yeah, right...
'I don't have anything left,' I thought, a bitter realization settling over like a heavy shroud. But before I could succumb to despair, there was one final task I needed to complete, one last regret I needed to address.
"I am sorry, Mariel," I whispered, the words etched onto the parchnt of my final letter to my only friend.
Turning my attention to the lifeless form of my child, I felt a surge of anguish welling up within . "My dear child, I really wanted us to be happy... and I had many dreams for us," I murmured, my voice trembling with emotion, "I wanted to show you the world, to raise you into a strong and fearless woman, just like my friend...
but I failed, 'Drip, Drip....." Tears welled up in my eyes, mingling with the droplets of water that fell upon the letter. "I'm sorry... I couldn't protect you, my d-dear."
The sight of my child, so innocent and yet so cruelly robbed of life, filled with a profound sense of self-loathing and anger.
Revenge? It crossed my mind fleetingly, but I knew I was no match for Lucian. Besides, even if I were to beco strong enough to challenge him, I couldn't even hurt a Sentinel who was considered the top of the world...
"Heheh... I am really the worst"
Also, my soul crystal already weakened due to Lucian's beating... So, there was no hope for .
Lying beside my child on the bed, I closed my eyes and prepared to bid farewell to this world.
With a light heart, I made the decision to overload my soul crystal, ensuring that there would be no chance of revival. I couldn't bear the thought of facing the pain and suffering that awaited if I were to awaken again.
'Crack, Crack'
"Cough, Cough"
The sound of my soul crystal shattering reverberated through the room, a final testant to the end of my existence. As blood seeped from my lips and my body convulsed with coughs, I knew that my ti was running out. The mana within began to disperse, spreading outwards like a fading light in the darkness.
With one last glance at my child, I mustered the strength to utter my final words, a hoarse whisper escaping my lips.
"I... l-cough... love you, my chi...." I choked out, my voice trembling with emotion as tears welled in my eyes. And then, with a faint smile on my lips, I surrendered to the inevitable embrace of oblivion.
...
....
Eli's hands trembled as he read the diary, his emotions swirling like a tempest within him. The words on the page painted a vivid picture of Aurora's pain and determination, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of empathy for her.
"Luna..." he whispered, the na heavy on his tongue as he grappled with the weight of her suffering. He never knew that smiling and jolly Luna had the depth of anguish and loneliness... or the lengths she would go to for revenge.
As he pieced together the events that had led to Aurora's tragic fate, Eli couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled over him. He finally understood what happened to Aurora that Mariel didn't say to him.
"She wanted to kill Lucian for her mother," Eli muttered to himself, his thoughts racing as he considered Luna's motivations. Killing Lucian was no small feat, especially with the protection of the Sentinel, but he couldn't help but wonder if there was more to the story.
Why would Sentinel protect such a scumbag?
He could only wonder.
But then sothing clicked in Eli's mind,
"I see..."
The image of a golden-haired boy flickered in his mind, and Eli's frown deepened as he pondered the significance of Alexander's role in Luna's plans.
Luna wanted Alexander to beco a new king not for the country but for revenge... Purily revenge!!
Did Alexander possess so secret that made him more worthy than Lucian in the eyes of the Sentinel? And if so, what did Luna know about it?
Eli frowned with lots of questions.
"Alexander and Lucian..." Eli mused, his mind racing with possibilities as he contemplated his next move. He knew he needed to tread carefully, lest Luna retreat further into secrecy and isolation.
"What a silly girl," Eli couldn't help but think, his heart aching at the thought of Luna facing everything alone. The weight of her burden seed almost unbearable, and he felt a surge of protectiveness welling up within him.
Her Tsundere cute act was always cute to him....
If he ever ca face to face with his mother's killer, Eli knew that he wouldn't hesitate to end them then and there... but she endured it all along.
Closing the diary, Eli thought his task was finished... But to his surprise, there was another page waiting for him.
"Another page?"
His brow furrowed in confusion as he turned it, expecting to find nothing but empty space.
Instead, his eyes widened in shock as he beheld the words written in blood.
"Maybe Luna continued after her mother...."
He then slowly started to read.
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