ᴍᴏᴏɴʟɪɢʜᴛ ᴀꜱꜱᴀꜱꜱɪɴꜱ「 ˢᵒʳᵘʸ ᵛˢ ˢᵒᵏᵉᵉᶠᵉ 」

15 [portrait]

It was the next day when the girl woke to her mother's voice pulling from her sleep.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd slept so well, it must've been ages ago.

"We're sorry about last night, Soph, it got intense." Edaline says with a grimace, "And Grady and I would love to make it up with you over dinner tonight, we can go to the Forbidden Cities and get that wonderful pasta you always talk about—it may have some animal products, but I believe we can indulge every once and a while."

The blonde girl smiled at her adoptive mother, nodding along in agreement. Being stuck in her head last night was eye opening to say the least, and the best she could give her mother was that small smile.

Edaline's hands brushed up and down her arms as she placed a kiss on her forehead. "I understand that you must still be spent, so I'll leave you be."

When her mother left, the girl did a very human thing—she stuffed a bunch of pillows under her covers before she opened a portal. She also wore clothes that no longer had any of Sandor's trackers in them.

Where she was going, she didn't want anyone following, even though they would think she was sound asleep in her bed.

After stepping into her portal, she ended up in the same place she'd left a day prior. And the land was just as breathtaking as before.

"Back so soon, witch?" A cocky voice called from an intercom thing hiding in the bushes.

"Not by choice, bastard."

Ruy was silent for a while. Because the person speaking was Ruy. She recognized his voice—it was low, and he had a way of making his words soft or hard—it displayed the emotion that he usually hid. And she knew he hated it.

"Ah, you must be here for Mr. Song." More of a statement than a question. But either way he was right.

The blonde girl sighed, "So are you going to let me in or not?"

On cue, shimmering the shimmering gates opened and she walked in, greeted by Ruy right before entering the castle.

And she was struck once again at how tall he was.

"Welcome back," he said with a smirk, "they've been expecting you. You've never been one to flee, so we knew you'd be back soon."

He was talking about her departure. How she fled when she saw Keefe.

"I'm just here for Tam."

"If that's what makes you feel better." He snarked and she reigned in her eye roll—he'd enjoy that too much.

As they walked in, it was at a slow unhurried pace, and she would normally get annoyed, but she knew he was only going slow because she didn't remember how to move around Elysian and would definitely get lost.

The next corner they turned led them to a hall with portraits, many of whom she didn't recognize. The hall was named The History of the Moonlight Assassins and the further they traveled down, the more faces she slightly remembered.

But she came to an abrupt stop when she passed a portrait with a black tarp thrown over it. And before Ruy could tell her to not, she pulled it away.

In front of her was a beautiful lady. She had gold spun hair and mismatched eyes. High cheekbones and little dimples. Her eyes were kind and her smile real. But that didn't stop the chills from running down her spine.

The girl gawked at the painting before looking at Ruy who couldn't meet her eyes.

"This is my mother? Isn't it?"