TBATE: Let The Truth Be Known {Completed}

Chapter 47: The Depths of Reality

ARTHUR LEYWIN

The light at the end of the tunnel. A luminescence heightened by the surrounding void.

"Ah, welcome to the world, Grey."

A man with piercing red eyes and ornamented onyx horns of an elk holds me aloft.

Agrona?

Behind him is a woman, her gorgeous pearlescent hair shimmering in the low light. Her violet eyes gaze at me with a complex countenance.

At the woman's side is a younger woman, a teen in late adolescence. Her wheat-blonde hair and amber eyes are exactly as they should be. The horns that frame her head are larger than I remember.

Years pass.

"Just like that, Grey! Absorb the mana while you walk. It will become easier to do it while doing more complicated things the more you practice."

The woman with white hair claps in congratulations as I walk gingerly, trying to take one step after the other.

"It's hard, Mom! My legs are so short and my balance is off!"

My voice echoes, yet I did not speak. I pitch a fit as the woman chuckles and brings him into a massive hug. In her amethyst eyes, I can see my own reflection. Hair draped down to my shoulders with horns protruding from my head that I can barely see in my upper periphery.

"I know, my sweet boy, but you're smarter than any other boy I know."

Years pass.

The mirror. I stare intently into the mirror.

My horns are a near-olive color. My wheat-blonde hair sits tied tightly behind my head.

A figure appears behind me in the reflection.

"Mom and Dad said to be ready in a few minutes. They're bringing the others over."

A mid-twenties woman, my older sister, calls out.

"I know, Sylvie. I'll be there in a few minutes."

She nods and exits, her feathery hair waving in the draft from my open windows.

I bring my hands to my head and grab a strand of hair from my ponytail, letting it drape along the left side of my face.

"I haven't seen them in so long. Will they forgive me?"

Years pass.

A family dinner. Seated at the left side of my father, he complains about the affairs of Alacyra. The various domains and their hassle.

"We get it, Agrona. Now eat before the food gets cold," Mom reprimands.

"Well, Sylvia, if that happens, we can have Cecilia reheat it. Right, Cecilia?"

"Yes, High Sovereign."

To my left, at the other end of the table, a young woman sits. Her forlorn eyes... they're devoid of emotion or complex thought.

At her left, a young man with features similar to my father's only nods in agreement, his demeanor equally as sedated.

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"And with that, I conclude the meeting."

A man in a lavish suit and tie with cufflinks of multiple-carat diamonds orders.

Finally.

I stand, annoyed by my own mental exhaustion. The meetings are relentless.

The monolithic mahogany doors sway without so much as a creak. It's my 'home.' As King Consort, I have no choice but to attend these meetings in Cecilia's stead as she fends off the nation that sought her powers. Trayden is soon to fall, and when it does, we can live in peace.