The Mage Paradox [BOOK THREE]

Chapter 16: Another chance

"Yay I have a little brother!" A girl with long silver hair who was at least nine years old smiled at a baby who was curled up in his blanket, snoozing peacefully in his mother's arms.

"Shhh, not so loud Vanna darling, you will wake him up," A woman with the same silver-colored hair prodded. She lay on a four-poster bed, clearly exhausted from giving birth to a baby. A man stood at the edge of the bed, peering at his newborn son, the crown on his head askew.

The Queen took the baby's small hand into hers. "Your name is... Aurelius, named after your forefathers," she smiled.

The scene dissolved and now the young princess was trotting off in the castle corridor, carrying a basket of fruit. She turned and entered the kitchen.

"Here are the fruits you wanted!" the princess set the basket on the kitchen table, where all the chefs quickly grabbed them and set off preparing it with a cry of: "Thank you Princess Silvanna!"

"You are welcome, dear chefs!" Silvanna beamed and she trotted out of the kitchen past more servants and maids running here and there preparing the castle for Aurelius' birthday tomorrow.

Young Silvanna smiled. "I can't wait!"

The scene dissolved and reappeared as young Silvanna was preparing to sleep after the maids rushed out, finished helping the Princess. She tucked into her quilt and closed her eyes, exhausted for the day. 

Brother's birthday is tomorrow, I can't imagine how will that turn out! Silvanna thought excitedly.

But two hours later, Silvanna was awoken by a deafening scream. She jumped out of bed, opened the door, and ran to the source of the sound in her nightgown. A crowd of servants, maids, and guards gathered outside Aurelius' bedroom. Silvanna pushed past shocked servants and maids whispering to each other.

"What's going on-" Silvanna stopped short.

The room was covered in claw marks, so are the floors. The princess drifted her gaze to the crib and saw it was empty, replaced by a blood-soaked pillow and blanket. Then she saw the two dead guards lying on the ground somewhere away from the crib.

Silvanna caught what all the servants, maids, and guards were saying.

"The demon took him..."

Demon. That's all Silvanna heard. She had no idea what happened that day, what happened to her brother, or where he went. But all she knew was... A demon took him.

That's when gentle Silvanna was gone, replaced by one that will spend the rest of her life finding her brother, but he was long lost, replaced by a demon who had a very cocky mouth. And he didn't come home.

For he can't be saved now, he's a demon whose soul was evil to the bone.

The scene dissolved and Dyrroth stood in the white space, stunned by what he saw in his memory... Even though he's not present in the scene that time at all... or is he? He stood in a white void surrounded by scenes of his life. One of them showed him beating Thamuz for the first time, learning to use his spectres (Abyssal strikers), and one when he stumbled upon Nana's treehouse... the most precious memory he had shined gold.

The first one was him able to walk on his feet when he was a baby, with Thamuz and Alice cheering, ("I wonder how is that a special memory...") the other one shows him meeting Ruby for the first time, a flower in his hands, ("I don't remember giving her a flower, since when did I give her a flower?") the next one showed him disguised and going into the Moniyan Empire where her sister stood waiting, ("I don't remember doing that at all!") the next one was him kneeling before that weird lady Vexana who was sitting on his throne, ("I seriously don't remember that happening... how is it even a special memory? Isn't she my enemy?")