For the sheer enormity of the mansion, there were barely any people who seed to live in it. Ignoring my two aunts, who evidently did not live here on a regular basis, there was only Grandmother, Great-grandmother, and Great-uncle Varyn, whom I was yet to et. There weren't even many servants—only one housekeeper, a cook, and a gardener.
After freeing myself from Grandmother, Rosalyn led to et the other two family mbers. The grand-uncle's quarters were the only portion of the mansion I would say was mismanaged. It seed to be a large all-purpose room, with dozens of empty or half-filled canvases, essentials scattered all around, as well as piles of books stacked on both sides of the bed. Ignoring the ss, there was certainly a character to his dwelling, filled with the tinted ardour of oil paints.
"Uncle Varyn gets really mad if anyone touches his stuff, much less cleans it," my aunt explained. "Says it gets between his artistic endeavour."
I could get behind that, rembering how many tis I failed to find my things once Mum tidied my room. But there was a huge gulf between my untidy room and this.
"At this hour, he's likely in the library." She yanked into the adjacent hallway and flew us down a sprawling staircase to reach it.
I imagined them to have a library of so sort, but when we got there, its sheer magnitude went beyond anything I was hoping for. Calling it an archive would not be an overstatent. I imagined a study hall with a dozen shelves full of books, but here was an open, three-storeyed circular structure, all sides stacked with thousands upon thousands of tos. A couple of tall hardwood ladders were lodged on both sides for ease of ascension.
I made a quick ntal math, counting the number of books... If each shelf could hold about five thousand hard copies, and there were over a hundred shelves altogether, there were easily over six hundred thousand books. I knew the Grand Athenaeum at Nayanda was larger, but there were only a few other national libraries that could compare to what we had here.
And in the middle of it rested an easy chair, upon which sat a wizened old man.
"Little Ro," the man said without lifting his head from the book. "You aren't one to bother an old man at such an hour. So what is it now? How did you anger your mother this ti?"
"Lift your head, and you will see."
The man gingerly left a bookmark between the pages and faced us, and at once his gaze fixed upon .
"You are..." he said as recognition dawned on his face. "Arilyn, co here, boy. I have been aning to see you for such a long ti."
His chair slid forward, and only then did I notice it was an artificed wheelchair, running on his essence source. I shot a curt glare at Rosalyn for not telling about Grand Uncle Varyn's condition. Hidden beneath the loose trousers, his left leg was almost entirely built out of wood.
"Heh, don't look down upon this old man," he laughed. "I can walk just fine. This chair is only there to oblige my growing sense of apathy."
As if to demonstrate, he stood up and stumbled his way towards us. After a couple of iffy steps, he strode with a natural posture. At least, that was what it would seem to anyone less perceptive. Both Rose and I were aware of the little kinetic force he was channelling to make it easier for himself.
While having essence did make living easier, Grand Uncle Varyn seed to be only at Noble class, his source of essence was hardly any stronger than mine. Sothing disastrous must have occurred in the past for him to remain in such a state.
"Alas! Years of idle sitting have ruined my good leg, too, it seems." He did not seem too aggravated by it.
As Rose brought his chair and helped him sit, Grand Uncle Varyn clasped my palm firmly. He pulled down to his level and brushed his hand over my cheeks.
"I've been aning to see you since I learned of your birth. But this damn leg of mine does not help at all. Did Ashlyn co with you? Where is she?"
"No, Mum," I mumbled, unsure what else to say. "She's not here."
"No matter." He slapped on the shoulder. "It's good that you are here. Co on, sit. We have so much to talk about."
And the questions began. At least, all his inquiries were limited to and my interests. His excitent only rose when he learned that I draw too.
My grand-uncle seed to be a very simple man at heart. He was an artist and rather disconnected from the world outside the house. Besides being a fine painter, he was also an acclaid writer, sculptor, historian, and philosopher—though I was unsure if he liked being called the latter. Either way, Varyn Amadeus had sufficient accolades in fine arts to earn an honour or two, all without ever considering selling his art.
"I would have certainly sold so," he laughed, "if it were a matter of survival. I'm fortunate to be born into a house that never lacked riches. I never had to sell my art to soone who perhaps would never understand it."
I could get behind his sentint, especially rembering how I had done much the sa with the first painting I drew for Iris. Sotis, your creation becos so personal and irreplaceable part of you that you do not want to let it go. That was not always the case, as I had found whenever I created sothing with others in mind.
"Still," I asked, "wouldn't you want others to look at your paintings?"
"Hmm, glory and accolades," he said. "I was after them for a fair part of my youth. But after I had gotten a few and learned how ill-fitted these critiques were, I had given up completely. But I had drawn and written a few pieces for my friends and family. So of those have beco showpieces over the decades. But ignoring all that, most often I create for myself and myself alone. One day, I may perhaps donate it all to soone who has the eyes for it. Hopefully, that day is nowhere near."
Our exchange revolved around paintings, artistic intent, books, and history for what felt like a breeze, though it was easily over an hour. In its entirety, it felt as though I were interviewing him, as there did not seem to be any topic I knew more about than Grand Uncle Varyn. Still, he never deaned for my ignorance—only enlightened. It would not be wrong to say it was the first ti I was truly lost in a conversation.
Our discourse was broken only when Aunt Emi ca to join us. I hugged her without her even asking.
"I haven't seen you for a little over a year, and you are already taller than I," she said, tousling my hair. "Gosh, give it another year, and you'll make all the girls mad."
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringent.
That only happens in stories, but I did not bother correcting her.
"Look at the clock," Uncle Varyn said to Aunt Emi. "It's almost bedti for your Nana. Make sure she gets to et Ari, or we'll have another fit in the morning."
Aunt Emi led to the rear of the house while explaining Grand Nana's situation. She was not as crass as Rose.
According to her, Grand Nana had lived so long that her mind was unable to keep up. The power of essence could only delay the cognitive decline for so long, whereas her own essence threads had begun to erode. In a good morning, her reasoning could match that of a great emperor, having led the house and Vasher in troubled tis. Unfortunately, those good mornings were as rare as snow in Olympus these days.
Looking at her, however, it did not feel that way at all. She sat in a rocking chair, wrapped in two folded blankets, listening to the soothing, soulful music playing in the background. As we entered, her eyes fluttered open sharply.
"About ti," the old woman said. "You brought the young blood ho."
Grand Nana looked to be in her twilight years, with a head full of grey hair and a face more wrinkled than a bedsheet, though there was hardly any blemish on her skin. It was a good sign that she already seed to recognise , better than what I had been imagining.
She waved, calling .
"Listen here, little pup," she said, gripping my hand with surprising strength, making it impossible for to break free. "From now on, you live here. You hear ? You and that little girl will live here. I'm sure your grandma will have no complaints. But if she does, I will let her know who runs the house. I will. I will. . . This feud has gone on for too long. Too long. For what? A few outsiders? Old Hade can eat shit, for all I care. But he is not making my family tear itself apart...."
She kept repeating herself, still clasping my arm hard. It wasn't until Aunt Emi stepped in to console her that she finally let go, still muttering under her breath.
"That could have gone worse," Aunt Emi sighed as she left her chamber. "Many a ti, she even fails to recognise , taking for the children she lost."
"Is there no healing?"
"She was on a constant infusion of dream and dawn essence. They help retain so clarity, but there's little we can do for all the anguish that eats at her heart. It was not easy seeing your family—your children—die while you live on."
Aunt Emi had been taking care of Nana for about eight years, inheriting the task from Mum. She had to return twice a week from the Academy to ensure Grand Nana took her dicine on ti.
Half an hour later, we were all summoned for dinner, save for Grand Nana. From what I saw, it was quite rare for the Amadeus household to dine together. It was likely my presence that united them at the dining table. Everyone's attention remained on throughout the al, asking tidbits about my life and how Mother had been lately, until I slipped up a little about the demon incursion and the Blight Lord my parents had faced.
A silence fell over the table as everyone exchanged glances.
"Don't look at ," Rosalyn said quickly. "Big sister never ntioned anything about it."
Aunt Emi shook her head, a heavy breath escaping her lips.
At once, they began hounding for details. Since it was family, I held nothing back.
"I have heard of this a couple of tis in passing," Grandmother said, "but I had not imagined it was my daughter..." Her eyes drifted towards the family painting lodged on the wall to her right. She closed her eyes. "Like father, like daughter."
"Oh," Rosalyn suddenly perked up, rembering sothing. "Um, I may have forgotten to ntion about Big Sister having another kid."
"What?!" All three of them erupted at once.
****
From everything I experienced over the last couple of hours, it seed Mum grew up in a very cordial family, which only made question what had transpired before my birth to cause such a feud between her and Grandmother. The question had crossed my mind many tis over the years, and I had never received half of an answer.
Unable to restrain myself, I finally asked once I had settled into a bedchamber.
"Aunt Emi, what occurred between Mum and Grandma?"
"I want to know that too," Rose chid. "Well, I know more than Pumpkin, that's for certain, but there were so many missing pieces. If she really had anything to do with the dea—"
Aunt Emi faltered mid-motion while opening fresh blankets and shot a pointed look at her younger sister. "It's more complicated and political than anything you can imply. It's best you do not make baseless assumptions."
"Then why don't you tell ?" Rose cried. "I have heard a thousand things from a thousand people, and their opinions vary a lot, but they all seem to agree that Big Sister..." Rose's gaze darted to , and she fell silent.
"I don't know how to explain it, or if I even should," Aunt Emi drew out the sentence and shook her head. "I know for sure that Ash would not like telling you this, and neither would Mother. And I'm certain both of them are still hiding parts of it from , even after all these years."
"I always thought it was related to Mum marrying Father," I mumbled, "but Grandma did not seem to give a rat's tail about that..."
"Well, she did have a marriage arranged for Big Sister, no?" Rose said, gauging whether she should continue.
"I don't think Mum liked that very much."
"She did not," Aunt Emi agreed, "but Ash was as perfect a daughter as she was compassionate. She was in a tug-of-war with Mother for several years over their differing views, but in the end, she recognised that, overbearing as her ways might be, if she were ever to lead the house, she had to walk the path Mother carved for us.
"There are seldom any unremarkable individuals born with the Amadeus surna, but even then, Ash rose above all the expectations Mother shoved at her... Unlike , oh, how I struggled to even et one."
I tilted my head, unable to believe her last statent.
"Trust , they were as overbearing as this house may look to an outsider." She chuckled. "That reminds , the first crack that appeared in thier relationship was because of ."
Her face darkened.
"You see, in my younger days, I was not even half as brilliant as you or either of my sisters. Ash and Rose both took barely seven seasons from their initial training to awaken, whereas you beat them with an easy two-season lead. Can you imagine how long it took ?"
I remained silent for her to answer, but Rosalyn was not as patient.
"A couple of seasons more?" she asked. "You were too enamoured with the theoretical aspects from the beginning, weren't you?"
Aunt Emi shook her head and turned to face the window. "The first ti, I failed miserably," she said, looking out at the night sky. "In the Amadeus household, there is an unwritten rule—it is expected of us to awaken on our own, no matter how long it takes. Naturally, I was taught the sa from an early age. Unfortunately, my talent was highly lacking compared to anyone else in the family. I floundered for seasons upon seasons, until I finally gambled on a highly restrictive potion, and it almost caused my death."
"No! You did not!" Rose exclaid, completely dumbstruck.
Aunt Emi gave a sullen smile.
"Why am I hearing this for the first ti?"
"Because it was the stupidest mistake I have ever made, and I do not like to publicise my mistakes.
"Anyhow, I was nearly dying, writhing on the floor after failing to control the raging essence in my system, when Ashlyn finally ca. She carried on her back all the way to a healer, while Mother was busy dealing with other adult matters."
That explained why Mum was so against forced awakening.
"Nobody was to bla for this whole debacle but ." Aunt Emi turned to face us. "But I fear Ash blad Mother for creating an environnt where I felt like a failure, despite making steady progress every day." She shook her head and sat between us. "Thereafter, she changed her field of study, following in Father's footsteps instead of what Mother was shaping her to be. In ti, she reconciled with Mother and even recognised what she had been preparing her for. Then Father sacrificed himself in a heroic death, and that brought them even closer.
"Unfortunately, as for what happened after that, you will have to ask your mother," Aunt Emi said, rubbing my head. "It wouldn't be right for to tell you."
It did not answer all my questions, but it did explain why Mum had been so overbearingly careful about my training.
That night, I could not lie still in bed. Perhaps the unfamiliar room and its overly comfortable cushioning played a part, but ultimately, everything I had heard and experienced left with far too much to think about. I would be a fool not to recognise that almost everyone in the household wanted Mum to return ho, including Grandmother. Yet there was still sothing deeply fractured between them.
Perhaps that was also why Father had so easily sent here without question. After all, children often beco the glue that nds cracked relationships.
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A/N: Concerning the revision, I have not updated all the old chapters. When it's done, I'll make a post about what's new and what's omitted. It's mostly subtle things, fixing the little inconsistencies, improving pacing, adding more foreshadowing, along with heavy revision to the action scene.
The only heavy addtion is a chapter encountering the Halfliving and a soulbound wolf for Eran's father.
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