"I CAN SAVE MYSELF."
"Yes," he said, "I believe in you."
With this we both fell silent. I did not know what to say to that and he said nothing more. We just both sat there for hours until daybreak, there was now little time left to sleep. I stepped outside to watch the sun rise from the horizon and after a few minutes he appeared beside me too. "Look, forgive me for being harsh on you. I did not mean to. It's just that I'm worried for you."
"I understand." I said as I gently touched his arm and then we both watched the sunrise in silence. It was a really pleasant morning after a really long night, it felt as if this moment could solve all of our problems. I closed my eyes and felt the soft breeze on my face.
We parted ways there and I came back inside. I brewed some coffee and prepared for my work. My eyes fell on the envelope that my father sent me, I forgot to read it yesterday. I opened it, inside was a two page letter and a dried poppy. I placed the poppy inside my daybook and started reading the letter.
'My beloved daughter,
Twice had you ever asked me for my help and then you grew up to go on your own. I was proud but somewhere I still wanted you to depend on me. But I know better. I am perfectly aware that you have ever just wanted to stand on your own so I made sure I wouldn't interfere in this so important task you had assumed all for yourself. I know I sent Orion to protect your back but that was because I have seen horrors of a world outside our own, there are creatures you had never seen and places you had never been and no matter how you prepare yourself, it, by no means, reassures your victory let alone life.
But I had heard of Orion's decision of trespassing the Glaze so I had to make sure my daughter is at her full potential plus a bit more. So I sent you gifts - the poppy is induced with scent of Crepuscule so it'll make it easier to locate you in case you lost your way and provided your very bad sense of direction I think something like this would help perfectly.
Also, there are manuscripts I had introduced in our castle library that I think might be to your interests, I had informed dear Violet about them so if she visits the next time she might like to look into them things of your interests and convey them to you, if possible. If only you would return home, it would make it all easier and better, you know I do not care about these gentry, that you'll always be superior to them. But sticking to your words is what we always taught you to strive for so I know that you will. You had only made us proud. Me more than anyone.
There is nothing else that I could give you right now but love. And your mother wishes the best for you, so be gentle on her too. She's a Queen, holding the encumbrance of a Kingdom so great that sometimes she may even get rough on you. But let's not forgot she's a mother and a mother's love compares to no one else's.
All things apart, if there's anything you need, I'll make sure you have it. Just let me know.
I close this letter with all the blessings I could bestow on you, take care, my dearest Nyx. We look forward to your triumph.
Yours loving Father
POSTCRIPT- DON'T YOU DARE SEND THEM BACK! DO NOT DARE!!!'
It's been so long since I heard directly from him so this letter appeased me so much. How long had I wished to talk to him and all others out there but I never had written them anything. I don't know why I abstained myself from writing but I was not going to continue it. The fact that receiving a letter felt so good made me realize that they were too expecting to hear from me all this while but I was unconsciously making them unhappy. I decided to write back to my father when Violet would be visiting them next.
But what bothered me was what father meant in his postscript. What did he ask me to not send back? Or who? Did he mean Violet or Orion, perhaps. I don't know but I would think it over once I got some free hours. I wasn't sure what to make of the last part but the rest of it was just a useful, so I asked Violet and Orion to gather somewhere at night to relay everything that we've collected up till now.
I finished my work at Diner and found Orion waiting for me nearby. He was walking mindlessly on the sidewalks, turning at regular intervals, I stood and looked at him for a while. He was walking into a pentagon shaped mark on the surface.
I walked closer to him, he looked up to me and stopped.
"What are you, a child?" I said mockingly.
"Nothing's wrong in being one sometimes. They can see things we cannot." Orion willingly drew my attention to the outlined drawing on the road. Now that I looked closer, it was a large circle with five points marked at equal distances, connecting it would create a pentagon or-
"Or a star, perhaps, " said Orion as if he were reading my thoughts.
"A Star shaped pendant would be a better gift for her. Trust me." He added to make it sound unsuspicious.
"Yes, I know." We said no more, the least we could do right now to avoid any unwanted attention towards ourselves.
Violet was waiting for us at her home.
We walked all the way silent, we had our guards up and we watched for any eye that were upon us all the way. The sky was clear and the stars were bright as ever, it was mesmerizing . I stopped to look at them, Orion also stopped a few steps ahead of me and looked up.
"Maybe, I miss home. Now more than ever."