My everything (Cid Kagenō x f! reader)

Chapter 12

Waking up with cold sweat soaking your pajamas, you sat up and clutched at your chest, stretching a hand out to let your staff catapult right into your grasp, the red stone at the top emitting a bright light that instantly illuminated your bedroom, your eyes darting around trying to find some form of movement that simply wasn't there.

Cradling the wooden staff to your chest, you hugged your knees, sighing when the light started to dim, leaving you alone in the darkness of the room.

‘Maybe I shouldn't have left his side…’ your thoughts began to race, wondering if things would've been different if you stayed at the Shadow Garden base of operations.

“What are you thinking? You're not even a member.” scoffing, you laid back on the bed, leaning your staff back against the wall right by the bed.

You curled up into a ball, increasing the flow of your mana to strengthen the barriers around your mansion, hoping that at least you could fall asleep after being reassured that nobody or nothing could break in and get to you.

Zenon was dead and so was Olaf. The cult had paused operations for now, so why couldn't you rest easy?

‘I really hope this is just a gut feeling and nothing more.’

Sighing, you forced yourself to relax, your eyes fluttering shut as you evened out your breathing, falling deep asleep.

°

“What do you mean you can't find her?” Cid asked, his eyes darting to Beta as he lowered the map in his hands to the table, his fingers interlocked while he stared at the silver haired elf.

She exhaled, wiping her sweaty palms on her skirt before smiling nervously at the curious male. “She hasn't been seen by anyone since the day you last spoke. And um... What I'm about to say may sound insane, but er....”

“Talk to me, Beta.” Cid sighed, hoping to assure her that he wouldn't get mad.

Rushing into the office, Alpha glanced over at Cid, her eyes wide as she panted, holding a letter out to him. “The mansion is gone! Beta came back earlier to give a report but I did some more investigations and the mansion is actually gone-”

“Do not be absurd, Alpha. How could a mansion possibly just vanish?” he rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair after taking the letter from the blonde and ripping it from its packaging, his eyes widening fraction by fraction as they skimmed across the words written on it.

With shaky hands, the boy placed the letter down, his eyes wet with unshed tears. “Beta. Bring me Epsilon. Alpha, find Gamma and go check one more time to be sure.”

“Of course, Lord Shadow. May I...?” Alpha nodded, glancing at the letter on the table to get permission from Cid, Beta running out of his office to fetch the soldier he requested for.

“Go ahead.” he sighed, blinking back his tears before closing his eyes and spinning his chair around to face away from her, not wanting to catch even a glimpse of the pity he knew would be on her face.

Frowning down at the writing on the letter, Alpha glanced back up at Cid, a brow raised. “This isn't real. She's definitely playing a prank on you because there is no reason for-”

“You don't know that. If she feels like she needs to further her understanding of magic, then there's every reason for her to leave Midgar.”

Cid sighed, throwing his head back against the headrest, only to jump when Epsilon burst through the doors, making a beeline straight for Alpha and snatching the letter from her hands, amethyst orbs perusing the paper before she burst out laughing.

“This is definitely a trick. She's tricking you-” Alpha shrugged, giving the boy an amused smile.

Cid rolled his eyes, regarding Epsilon with a blank stare as he crossed his arms. “And you know this how?”

“I've had a conversation with that woman before and she's not a cowardly person. Lord Shadow, she… W-well, she's a good person, from what I can tell.”

Cid grumbled, sitting back down and slamming his forehead against the desk, eliciting noises of shock from all four elves in the room, Gamma having walked in just the moment before.

“In any case, even if she left the Kingdom, it doesn't necessarily affect her- WHAT ARE YOU DOING, EPSILON?!!” The boy yelled, jumping over the table at the elf that was currently burning the letter he had received from you, using mana to keep her second hand safe from the flame.

“There's a hidden message written on the paper. It says to burn it, Master.” she responded, blinking in surprise when the wisps of smoke began to form letters, another slip of partially singed, blank paper falling from the ashes of the first letter, almost as if it materialized out of nowhere.

The smoky letters made their way onto the piece of paper, rearranging themselves in an order and stopping when a triquetra burnt itself into the top of the new note, your magical energy fizzling through the room and vanishing the next second.

“Now, I believe this should be the real letter. It's addressed to you and me, Lord Shadow.” Epsilon stated, holding the letter to her chest as she made her way over to Cid.

Grabbing her arm, the teen pulled Epsilon into his side, waiting for her to turn the letter over. “Hurry and let's read it.”

“Remember where we first met? It was that same house my parents modeled the mansion after during a renovation. I didn't exactly leave Midgar, Minoru. My mansion is just a little stuck in between spaces and that's why no one can find it where it's supposed to be.”

“No one but Epsilon at least. That's why I want her to come help me move the mansion back. By now, I probably am done with reassessing my powers and developing better control over things to do with intricate spellcasting.”

Sighing in relief, Cid pulled Epsilon into a tight hug, holding back from sobbing like a little bitch into her slime suit, uncaring that the elf had started to glitch and stutter, her face red when he pulled back from the hug. “That's great news, Epsilon. Can we finish reading that letter?”

“I don't even know what she means by ‘moving the mansion’. I'd probably get crushed to death if I were to do that literally.” She rolled her eyes before clearing her throat, preparing to read the last parts of the letter.

“I want Epsilon the precise, to cut a rift back home for me. How does that sound, Epsilon...? Will you help me? All you have to do is find the thread holding the dimension I created together and sever it. It should be somewhere around the mansion's space.”

“And to you, Minoru. If Epsilon manages to get me out of the space I locked myself in, there's something I'd like to talk with you about. Urgently. Behind closed doors as well. Sorry I'm being so vague, but if I give you any hints, I'm sure you'll lose your mind. I believe in you, Epsilon. And you too, Minoru.”

Cid felt his face heat up, covering the lower half with a hand before averting his gaze.

He needed to get you to join Shadow Garden once you were back in Midgar.