"Have you seen your Ama?" Halvalt redirects his gaze at Obrecht, to which the latter doesn't meet.
Obrecht is too busy looking about the cave house, searching for any traces of Odeti. Clearly, she isn't nearby when we exited from the Hidden Library, so we all assumed that she would be waiting at home.
The image of Odeti always patiently waiting and cooking something for us in the kitchen whenever we get home—it's a hard to shake off warm impression.
And yet the house has long been cold; the cozy atmosphere of previous dinners nowhere to be found. The contrast is so apparent, far from what I'm used to, that I, not the mention the son and father beside me, feels as if there's something off about something, though we can't quite place a finger on it.
"I need you to stay here", Halvalt heavily emphasizes the last two words. He turns to look at both of us sternly, with his look at Obrecht much more intense than at mine. "I'm going to go look for Odeti. I'll be back after a while. Videre might have already given his account of things, but in my opinion, both of you are still liable to take responsibility for both your own actions, despite who instigated it."
I solemnly agree in silence.
He turns to leave but hesitates for a moment. I hear him take in a breath before he turns to Obrecht and voices his afterthought, "Don't let me catch you wondering in the tournament, young man."
Obrecht straightens up like a soldier on attention and nods once.
Having received Obrecht's stiff nod and my soundless acquiescence, Halvalt turns to head somewhere, his footsteps mysteriously loud and echoing in spite of the crowd's clamor below. We follow behind him until we are left by the entrance.
For a moment, I scan the blue cacophonies that paint the scene at the Circ. The blue wiggling lump of cotton candy downstairs cheer for their favorite fighter among the many participants in the tournament, not a single soul aware of anything has happened in just a span of one day.
A finger slowly tugs on my pinky, slowly, until one by one, all fingers have been captured.
"What do you want to eat? I'll make it for you."
Despite myself, I feel the ends of my lips curl a bit upwards.
"…" You were breaking plates by the age of six, and your destructive power has tripled, if not quadrupled by then, and you expect me to let you in the kitchen?
"What, what are you looking at me like that", he stammers. "I can at least cut the ingredients proportionately!" He acts the motions with his hands in a silly manner, that gains him a smile from me.
"Who allowed you in my kitchen?"
A sassy remark makes Obrecht and I flinch, letting go of Obrecht's hand quickly—someone had managed to walk close by so quickly, not even alerting either of us. The realization kept feeling tense, but upon seeing that a familiar face emerges from the shadows near the canyon wall, we unknowingly ease ourselves into her presence.
"Videre may be softhearted enough to let you in, but oh, not me." Odeti crosses her arms over her chest. "I think sixteen years of you chaotically growing up has already taught me quite the lesson. If we let you cut the ingredients, we might as well let you slice and dice the chopping board, and the kitchen counter." She turns to me and asks in a softer tone, "Finished already?"
Knowing that she's asking about the meeting, I answer positively.
"Oh", she answers in a noncommittal but positive manner, as if there's something occupying her mind. Odeti walks to us. "Then, how about I go prepare for a sumptuous dinner for my adorable children?"
The mellow blue light reflected from the million crystals cast upon her countenance, as if she's somewhat distant despite the friendliness of her voice and her words.
Was it just my imagination?
The peculiar moment passes when she turns to Obrecht and ruffles his hair, to which the latter just lets his Ama do as she wishes.
If parents spoil their children by giving everything they need and want, then children also spoil their parents by reluctantly letting them do as they wish, even if it meant slightly influencing their life and future by letting them decide in their stead. But it's so easy for things to go out of order if they don't have good communication. The same applies to any relationship.
"Where's your Apa?" Odeti belatedly notices the disappearance of one of her favorite people. "Did he make the both of you wait at home alone? I swear—that man!" She looks as if she's sternly scolding her husband in her heart. She enters the house. "Well, given how your Apa thinks, I bet he must've gone back to the Hidden Library or to Tenth's household to look for me." [1]
The pots and pans clink and clang as she rummages on a few that she'll be using, even tossing a few pieces of potatoes and other ingredients on a pot with the intention of rinsing them. She then comes out of the kitchen again only to find us awkwardly standing there and watching her from the kitchen.
"Instead of watching me, why don't you go look for your Apa?" Odeti turns to her son.
Obrecht hesitates a little as his eyes stray to me for a couple of seconds.
"Don't worry. I'm watching, I'm watching~. Nobody's going to snatch your lover from you while I'm on guard duty", Odeti teases offhandedly, but nonetheless, is pointing her thumb at herself as if she's the most reliable mother in the world.
Did she just—?
Odeti places her hands on her son's shoulders, turning him around, before she tried to bossily push him back out of the house again.
The keyword is 'tried'.
"Just because you already have a lover like Videre doesn't mean you can neglect your Ama now", she quietly pouts and whispers when Obrecht refuses to budge an inch. She glances at me from the corner of her eye.
Was she making sure I heard it? T—To make sure that she knows?
At the mention of 'lovers', I whip my head at their retreating figures, and precipitously, I feel so alarmed and self-conscious about having only Odeti and I at home. Obrecht doesn't look like anything other than slightly surprised and respectful, as if he was ready to worship the profoundness of his mother. I rub my temple.
Am I imagining things? Does Odeti really know?
Before I could rush to join Obrecht in his errand, Odeti closes the door on Obrecht's face, making my heart beat faster. She pauses and we listen to a few complains and disbelief, before we hear footsteps running to the same direction Halvalt left.
The silence hangs around us for a moment, with neither one of us breaking it.
I have yet to form an explanation on my head when Odeti comes back into the kitchen. I could only lamely say, "…I can explain—"
Odeti giggles softly as she envelops me in a tight hug. "Going to explain something so obvious?" She pauses in her teasing. "Why is your skin feverish?" She questions whether I'm alright as she inspects me thoroughly for any unknown serious injury, even placing her palm over my forehead under the mask.
"…I'm fine."
A hand caresses the pendant hanging over my chest.
"That's good to know", she sighs, sounding reassured. "It's almost midnight."
My intuition goes haywire. I know she could have meant that us having such a late dinner, or so, but for some reason, I think of something else.
What's going to happen at midnight?
"Come to think of it", she starts whilst caressing my head, "there's a something I wanted to ask you way back since we met at the library—well actually, it's more of a reminder than anything else."
Odeti takes a step back, and flashes me a kind smile.
I almost bury down the premonition I had due to her caresses. I feel tender inside with such previous concern directed at me, but my blood freezes the next second when I hear her utter the next words—
"Why aren't you staying close to Vera right now? Didn't I tell you to remain by the vessel's side?"
Dazedly, I look up slowly to her face. It's the same kind smile, but it wasn't Odeti's.
Aovialutre?
And then it clicks in—Aovialutre's third soul, why we couldn't hear her footsteps even when Obrecht and I were alert… why Odeti and Aovialutre had different but familiar kind smiles.
Hold on, at the coming of age ceremony, was the reason I got in contact with Aovialutre's first soul at the temple…also because of her? Then—Was it from start? When did it start? Was I marked by her to be this 'wanderer' from the very first meeting?
So many conjectures…There were a lot of coincidences before, but why haven't I noticed sooner?
But then I also realize—Wasn't it because I trust her?
I look up at her.
Without me noticing, the whole floor was covered with rippling black shadows, eerie and quiet, ready to jump and attack when provoked.
Did I trust wrongly again? Just like that time with Laris…Did Obrecht know? Was Obrecht in on this ploy?
So many questions springing up, I take a step backwards one at a time, frightened by the person in front of me.
How long…?
Odeti's smile falters when I leave the scope of her reach. "Don't be like that, child. I don't mean you any harm. It's just safer if you're with Vera right now."
How long have you all been manipulating me?
I hear her sigh miserably. "It's really not what you think, Videre. Can't you let me explain a few things first?"
"…How long, how long have you all been fooling", I trail off.
"I'm not—" Odeti chokes a bit. "Nobody is fooling you", she says seriously. "I didn't—"
"Since when", I cut her off with a question I desperately wanted to know.
She dithers for a few seconds before she admits, "Since your ceremony."
The truth sinks in the silence as I digest her confession.
"It wasn't my intention to hide it." She moves, raising a hand at my direction. "The timing just wasn't ideal and—"
I step backwards, frightened. The chairs and the table screech a bit at my collision with them. Eyes wide, Odeti's lips are open and ready to utter words of comfort.
It isn't that I she had already said the words, but instinctively, I know that she'll say them, like she has so many times before; when I was anxious, when I was sad, when I was doubtful…
My eyes sting.
"Videre", she calls out, taking a step towards me.
I jump away from her reach, taking only a second before I dash out the door. Unconsciously, I had used my power to make her unable to move as I run away.
Through the passages, and the archways and the cold, cold breeze drifting through the passing hallways, I don't stop. With such an unstable mood, I decidedly run towards the forest, away from the canyons and cave houses.
My fatigue in the morning isn't enough to make me stop running among the trees. I couldn't care less about trampling which, nor about not making a sound, even hitting a few with my uncontrollable shadow vines. It was as if hitting the innocent branches and buses would alleviate the turmoil inside me.
I stop abruptly in a dense part of the forest, chest rising and falling sharply, as if hyperventilating. I look down at my feet. Half of my body had already been devoured by my shadow, along with the surrounding foliage.
I place a hand over the mask, as if to hold it in place. Taking a very deep breath in, I calm myself as I slowly disperse the accumulated darkness that seemed to want to swallow the ground along with me.
I can't lose myself now, concentrate, or else I—
"I knew it", a cold voice mutters.