CHAPTER 30 - Who Now?

365 14 14
                                    

"Hello," another, experienced-sounding voice greeted back, "I wish to talk to Y/n L/n. It's quite important."

You froze. The situation terrified you. What's the reason? You knew for sure that you didn't know the voice. Yet, something in you leaped with joy of reuniting. And you didn't know why.

"Hey, are you okay?" Camilo asked, putting a hand on your shoulder and waking you up from your daze.

"Su- sure," you stuttered, not even convincing yourself. "Let's go."

And just like that, you went from walking in front of the group to waking in the back of the group.

"Papá? What are you doing here?" you heard your mom ask as soon as the group entered the room.

"Who now?" you muttered, also, walking into the front of the group to get a better look at... the man with a long beard.

"Thought you could run away from destiny, eh, Esther?" the man laughed. "She's old enough to decide for herself."

"I'm here too," you piped up.

"Oh, Y/n," the man smiled.

"I suppose you're my grandfather but I don't remember you," you said bluntly.

He chuckled lightly. "I know. I erased your memories. And I'm here to offer them back."

"What?" you muttered dumbfoundedly, your brain trying to comprehend what the man just said. "Of course I want them back," you said after processing a bit. "But like, why? I have so many questions."

"They will be answered," he assured, stepping closer. You felt Camilo slightly grab your arm. "But first. Your memories."

You nodded. "Do I have to sit down for that orrrr...?"

"Great idea," he said, "I almost forgot. Come, come."

You stepped over to the bench and sat down. The man in front of you raised his right hand and placed his thumb on the bridge of your nose, his other four fingers forming a rectangle on your forehead. The next second, you felt as if someone had just punched you in the face and then everything faded away slowly, your head falling on your shoulder as if you were sleeping.

"What did you do?" Aiden growled after seeing your situation, stepping towards the man.

"Indeed, I must explain myself," the man spoke calmly while walking closer to the crowd and leaving you on the bench. His calmness surprised everyone. "But first, I'm sorry for intruding your home." No one answered him. "I'm Aron L/n. Esther's father. And I shall tell you everything Y/n is relearning now."

Camilo slowly separated from the crowd and slid on the bench next to you, leaning your head on his shoulder so it wouldn't be at an uncomfortable angle for you. He also made sure to reposition your glasses so they wouldn't break before he continued listening to your grandfather. "About 500 years ago, the L/n family got a miracle," everyone in the room, except for your parents, gasped, "it was good and all until about 200 or 300 years ago, one of us didn't get a gift. He was cast out of the family." He sighed sadly. "That sort of tore the family apart. A generation later, there was a set of twins. One of them got a gift, the other didn't. And one of them once again cast out. They had a little sister, who chose not to get a gift. This repeated over and over again until there weren't too many of us with a gift left, I'm currently the last one."

You yawned, waking up from your slumber. Everyone looked at you but you just adjusted your glasses and looked at the distance with a far-off look. "Why did we leave?" you asked quietly. "Why'd you take my memories?" Camilo took your hand comfortingly, not leaving your side.

"You're okay!" Rose cheered, giving you a hug.

Your grandfather sighed, looking to your mom so she could take the explanation over. "You started showing signs of being the next one to get a gift. But we didn't want our family to be more torn apart so I asked papá to take your memories so you could have a normal life," she explained.

"But I only agreed to that until you turned 15 and would be old enough to decide for yourself," your grandfather piped in before casting a glance to your mother. "But your mother clearly wasn't ready for that so you moved."

A silence ensued and Alma decided to break it. "Well, it's sure nice to know there are other people like us. Would you like some tea, Señor?"

"Thank you but right now there's a more important thing to discuss. Y/n," you looked up at your grandfather as he addressed you. "Do you or do you not wish for a gift?"

Storyteller (Encanto X OCish Reader)Where stories live. Discover now