Chapter 21: Memories

And there, I saw Hell and I running around while laughing.

My lips were slacked while my eyes can’t peel themselves from the two kids chasing each other.

"Hellios, be careful! You might fall down!" Shouted the little girl with a little voice in a baby pink dress while trying so hard to reach her cute little brother in blue colored clothes.

I was so short. It was a struggle for me to run after him with the dress I was wearing.

"Ahh!" I saw my brother fall when he tripped on a branch that was littering on the grass.

I ran as quickly as I can when Helios started crying. I quickly hugged him in my arms when I got to him. I was only seven years old at that time, I still have no idea that time how to ease my crying brother.

"Mommy! Mommy!" I shouted in a shrill high-pitched voice. I was desperately calling my mother who's inside the villa, cooking for our lunch.

A few seconds passed and a lady with a serene face as if an angel came out immediately, and walked towards to where we were, which is not that far from the villa. She was smiling at us. She looks perfect in her yellow long dress. It complemented her pale skin. It was mother, only a few years younger. She's indeed beautiful.

"Mommy, Hellios tripped." I told her as my brother kept on crying.

Mom gathered him in her arms and shushed him until he stopped crying. I was looking at what she’s doing with a worried look on my face.

"Let's go inside. Lunch is ready," Mama invited, reaching her hand out, which I received and held. Mom and I were holding hands as she carried Hellios on her other arm, walking towards the villa.

I slowly returned to reality, facing Vyl with wide open eyes. He’s just standing beside me with a big smile on his lips.

"D-Did you do that?" I asked him, stuttering in disbelief. I didn’t notice tears were already falling from my eyes. I wouldn't have noticed it until Vyl wiped it with his fingers.

"Yes, I did."

"H-How?"

"I have the ability to make others see with their own eyes what I want them to see." I was a bit confused because of what he said. "And what I have shown you just now was part of your memory. I don't know why I can see it, maybe again because we are bound together. And I just projected it."

I looked again on the grass where Hellios and I were sitting while I was hugging him.

"You miss them, right?" Vyl said out of the blue. I nodded at him thoughtlessly. I do miss them. He didn't ask furthermore about why I cried just now. It's like he knows I carry a big problem about my family even though I didn't tell him a single thing ever since we met.

"So, you’re the reason why I’m seeing scenarios since last year?”

"Yes," He said without hesitation. "By then, I'm trying my best to connect to you. It's not easy. That's why I started by showing you bits of my world. It took me a year to finally figure out how to show my form."

He meant what happened in my bedroom on Hell's birthday. The first time I saw his face clearly.

"I know I troubled you a lot."

"You really did." I said and smirked at him. "No kidding." I added.

"I'm really sorry but I had to do that. I really need you to come with me. Us being unbound means no trouble anymore. We don't have to meddle with each other's lives anymore." He uttered.

He is right though. Because of this bound shit, our life is really messed up. My life was a mess since I was a child.

I didn’t give him any reply but instead asked him to go home. We didn't even go inside the villa. The memories are too much already.

"Let's go home, Vyl." He followed suit immediately. I jumped on his back again and he flew back to the condo.

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When we arrived at Ton Hall Condominiums, it's almost nightfall so in the end, he wasn't able to contact his brother at all.

I got worried a little because someone might have seen us flying. I don’t want to wake up with us being on the news. Vyl looked like he knew what I was thinking.

He patted my head. "Don't worry about being seen. I used a spell to conceal us while we're in the air."

Oh... He's not careless after all.

We then prepared to have dinner. Vyl presented to cook our food and I gave him my permission. While he's doing all the work, I was just sitting on one of the chairs here in the dining room. He’s in front of me cutting ingredients. I hope what he cooks is edible. It’s a good thing that I’m not a picky eater when it comes to food.

While looking at him, an idea crossed my mind.

"Hey, Vyl." I called out to him to get his attention.

"Hmm?" He said while not breaking eye contact with what he’s cutting.

"If you really want to know what's happening in your world, why don't you go back?"

He looked at me in surprise, even dropping the knife he was holding. His eyes widened when he spoke. "You'll come with me now?"

I shook my head to what he said. How stupid am I? He misunderstood my question. "I meant, go back there yourself for now. Then come back here again after you've settled everything."

The surprised look he had morphed into a sad one, returning his attention to chopping. "I can't do that, Ven."

"Why not?" I asked with a furrowed eyebrow. It's a pretty reasonable idea.

"If I'll ever leave this world, it means you are coming with me." He said seriously, making my forehead crease more.

"Why then? You could just go back after checking up on them.”

He sighed with what I said. He put the knife down before sitting in front of me. He clasped both of his hands together and looked at me grimly

"Listen carefully," he said so I sat straight and focused my attention on him. "I only have a two-way ticket, Ven. To come here on earth and come back to Pluvilia with you."

He paused for a bit. I was going to ask something again when he cut me off. "I didn't use just any ordinary magic to come here. I used a certain black magic that consumes the life force of the one using it."

I gasped because of what he said. Black magic? I’m not that stupid to not know anything about it. I may not know the details but it's not called 'black' magic for nothing.

"I secretly learned it back in the kingdom. I didn't expect that I will have to use it someday," Vyl continued to explain. "Even the king was shocked when he heard that I knew how to do it."

I remembered his state when he fell in front of me. He was covered in blood. What he did was gravely dangerous. He could've died, right?

"So, in the case that I did agree to come with you, how will you bring me there?”

"Same way." He said minimally.

"Will I be hurt? Would I also be in a wretched state like you did?"

"No, of course not." He looked at me as if I was stupid. What? I had no idea. "You're not the one performing the magic. I'm just taking you with me. You won't be hurt, rest assured."

I made face in front of him and that made him scowl.

"Do you get it now?"

"Not quite." He looks impatient but I still have one more question left. "How can I be sure that I can come back here safely?"

What if I went there but I have no way to go back here? I don’t want that so I have to make sure.

"That's not a problem at all. The Enchantress promised to send you back." Vyl answered.

"Okay, I get it now. And sorry about what I suggested earlier," I said, feeling a bit embarrassed. I didn’t know that it would be that hard to travel between worlds. What the hell, of course it's hard.

He stood up and ruffled my hair before going back to chopping. "It's fine, Ven. Don't sweat it." I smiled because of that.