Without any idea of the drama outside, Lilith closed the door gently and went to sit beside her grandmother's side as she beckon her close. "I'm. . . Am I in trouble?"
"Hmm? What makes you think that, dear?"
She fiddled with the hem of her blouse. "Well. . ." she hesitated, not sure if talking about her exploration around the house would be received better.
Annette smiled. "Do you know why I desperately want this meeting with those ambassadors to go well, Lilith?"
Lilith blinked at the sudden question. She shook her head and watched as her grandmother moved to stand by the window, looking at the town below her.
"After that dreadful event that befell our town generations ago, our ancestor, with the help of the given blessing from the heavens, had contained the threat and ensured that our people continues to exist. But in it comes with a price."
"Yes Grandmother, I am familiar of it," Lilith said. "It is why only one child could be born within each generation."
"With me as the first exception, due to my Blessings of Life," Annette finished and turned back to her. "From the moment our family inherited this role, we had been bound solely in this place, unable to ever step foot outside the boundaries of our town lest we replay the same tragedy again." She walked back to her and held her shoulders in both hands. "Just think: a wide open world where we can build better lives, with our people prospering even more than the past decades. Would you think such a chance worth aiming? Why should we continue to let ourselves be tied here for the rest of time when we can do so much out there?"
Lilith had to keep her mouth shut and think her words clearly before speaking. "You, you mean. . . you want to break the magic in our family? To leave our roles and live outside? With you all being. . . normal?"
Seeing the shocked and bewildered face of her granddaughter, she pat her in the head. "Oh my dear, there's more to us than simply living and relying with our blessings."
"But, I can't understand." All her life she'd been dreaming of having her own magic just like the rest of her family. But her own grandmother wants to cast it all away?
"I know how you feel about the magic, dear," her grandmother said to her. "But don't you see? This is what makes you special, more special than any of our family." She held her cheeks in both palms. "You, alone, is the only sole exception to the rules that binds us here. If you wish to, you can easily walk and leave this place and see the outside world, maybe even a big family of your own."
"But I don't want that!" she bursted. "I want--" I want to belong with all of you, was what she wanted to say, but she couldn't get the words out. "I don't want to leave the family," was what she ended up saying.
"Of course you won't love," Annette chuckled and shook her head. "As I've said, you might possibly the only exception of the conditions that bind our family, so I would need your help in achieving this goal. You would help me with this, will you?"
She looked at the serious expression on her grandmother's face and hesitantly nod. This made Annette beamed at her. "How. . . how can I do it?" she asked as the older woman started combing her fingers through her hair.
The older woman hummed thoughtfully, continuing her ministration. "You need not worry yourself with this. I have already found a way to end the contract that binds our family with the magic. I would only need your cooperation when the time is right."
"Contract?"
"All beginnings comes from a contract, dear. And so shall all things must end." Annette stood and escorted her granddaughter to the door. "As I said, do not worry yourself with this. I only need your guarantee to help when I ask for you." Lilith nodded.
"Oh, and Lilith?" she called back. When the girl turned, she said, "Please keep this from the rest of the family for now. I had already planned the perfect time to inform them of this. For the time being, this will be our little secret. Okay?" After she nodded, Annette then closed the door, leaving Lilith standing above the staircase.
Not wanting to go back to her own room yet but not in the mood to visit the town, Lilith walked around the premise of the house, not really watching where she's going. When she came about, she was already close to the entrance that will lead her to that old hallway below the house. She made an "ah" sound, forgotting to ask her grandmother about it. But remembering how her other relatives reacted, she supposed that it's a good thing that she didn't.
She peered at the entrance. It was barely visible even when upclose, and unless you know what to look for you will definitely miss it completely. Lilith wonders how Sol even find such a passage, but was then reminded again of her Aunt Aula's raging expression that she supposed it's probably not that much of a secret.
Maybe it was only a secret to her, she couldn't help but think, her emotions dark. Well, if that's the case, then it would be no problem if I return there, would it? With that in mind, Lilith quickly entered.
It was still as dark as the first time she came, but her brief exploration around the first she came helped much in staving off the fear of the dark, as well as making her trek easier. It didn't take long before she arrived to the same place where the old painting was.
"You came back," a voice said behind her. She turned and saw Aurora looking at her, the surprise and happiness obvious in her face.
Lilith shrug one shoulder, "I promised, didn't I?" In truth, she didn't want to stay up there and see any of her family right now. Her head was still on the plan her grandmother spoke to her and the implication of that to their family.
Aurora promptly grab her by the wrist and lead her to her room. As she sat down, the other girl went to grab something from her nightstand and show it to her, "Some time after you left, they came and brought something new for me." Lilith saw that it was a book, but one she hasn't seen around the house before. "What is it about?"
Aurora sat back to her bed. "It's fairy tale of some sort. The language was simpler than some of the books I've read, but the tale is captivating, and the world described in the text sounded beautiful. Is the outside world really that wide and grand."
"I wouldn't know. Aside from town, I haven't really step foot outside."
"How come?"
Lilith shrugged again. "We were not allowed to. It's one of the things we have to do in exchange of receiving a magical blessing." Except, apparently for her, an ugly voice inside her echoed.
"Oh," Aurora looked down on her book before looking back at her. "So you can't get out, too?"
Lilith turned to Aurora and some of the dark thoughts that was curling around her mind the whole day receeded, now being replaced by guilt after hearing the other's words.
"Would you like to see it?" she blurted without much thought. At the other's confused look, she clarified, "I may not be able to take you to see the big world, but I can show you around the town? I'm really familiar with all the streets that twist around in this place." At Aurora's shocked look, Lilith felt the rest of her anger fade away. Maybe coming down here was a great idea, after all.
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Author's Note: took a break this weekend, but I'm back with the daily updates now. If you guys enjoy the trip until now, please don't forget to vote!