"Grandmother, wait!" Lilith called as she pushed the door open. Aurora was looking at her with wide-eyed surprise and nervousness. Her gaze flitted from the girl to older woman, going back and forth. In truth, she was not comfortable with the older adult's presence; she could never be sure what she feels, and the way she sometimes look at her make her nervous.
She felt like this woman hates her, even more so compared to the other adults that came to her room.
"Lilith, dear, what's the matter?" the woman looked at Lilith with furrowed brows. Her tone was a total opposite with the way she talks to her, but Aurora still couldn't shake the creepy feeling coming from the woman.
"I. . ." Lilith stood there, unsure. She looked at Aurora, who were standing and looking a little out of place in the room but was still unharmed, and then to her grandmother who looked a little concerned, probably with the way she suddenly busted into the room.
"What is it, dear? Is there any more problem? Did the visitors arrived?"
There seems to be nothing wrong. Her grandmother still talked normally to her, without even berating her with her sudden entrance. Luna did always accused her of being the favorite, but Lilith chose to pay no heed with that and was just glad that her grandmother was not holding over her head the fact that she was powerless and was therefore useless compared to them.
Maybe it was after what her cousins told her earlier, but she couldn't help the fright that was slowly growing inside her chest as she listened to her grandmother talking to her in her usual way. Her eyes dart around her face, as if trying to look for something hidden.
She knew of her sister's existence, might even ordered for her imprisonment all these years. If it wasn't for Sol's half-prank intentions, she'll probably continue without ever knowing anything. Only one child per family could ever receive magic. She looked at Aurora again.
"It's, well. . ." she swallowed. "How--I mean, I was wondering if there really is a way to get rid of a magical gift. . ?"
"Ah. You're curious of the process?"
"Well." Shoving her nerves down, she moved closer to where Annette was. "I was just, um, thinking. That if there's a way to return magic. . . Is there any way, to wish for it?"
Annette's face lifted as looked at her granddaughter with a small understanding and delighted smile. "Hmm, and why do you ask? Do you wish for one, yourself?"
"You said I'm special," Lilith pushed her words. "But I. . . I want to be like you. Like Sol and Luna, and Mother and Aunt Aula and Aunt Carina! I--I want a miracle of my own, too."
She had never seen her grandmother show any extensive emotion, but this might be the closest she'd ever seen her so excited and delighted that it honestly worried Lilith.
"Of course I meant it! I always thought of you special, dear. And I did told you I'd help you didn't I?" When her cute granddaughter quickly nodded her head, Annette gave a chuckle and told the two to follow her.
There was door on the right side of the room which her grandmother made as her study area, but Lilith had never seen that door opened before. Annette grabbed a small old key from her pocket to open the lock and, holding a candle, proceeded to walk towards the other side.
Aurora was at lost, but seeing the only person she ever knew shaking slightly, she opted to move closer to Lilith and held her hand. She much prefer to stick close to her than the old woman Lilith called grandmother. Lilith squeezed her hand gently in reply and let herself be pulled by the other girl towards the open door.
The two girls felt the floor sloping slightly downward, but Lilith only proved her hunch when they arrived at the creepy circular room they passed by earlier when they were escaping.
"Grandmother," Lilith proceeded to ask as they stopped in the middle of the room. "What kind of room is this?"
"Hmm?" Annette looked at the two. "Oh. Of course you wouldn't know, but this is a special room, my dear." She turned and gestured at the room with two outstretched arms. "This is the room where our ancestor first received her gift! This was where the magic that saved the entire town first came to be."
Lilith looked around after hearing that, seeing the place where the said first miracle happened. Lilith always loved that story; she'd lost count on how many times she repeated that tale whether for herself or for others. But when she spied some dark stains on the floor, Sol's question earlier rang on her ears suddenly filling her with an urge to run.
Annette walked closer and held Lilith by the shoulder. Her smile was wider now, but the look of her eyes was something new. "This is where we'll have your gift, Lilith. Just like how the first savior received her magic, you will be having yours in the same way. Isn't that special?"
Hearing those words just made the terror in her spiked. Lilith tried to step back, but the grip on her shoulders were strong, painful. She felt herself mumbling, but she couldn't hear anything that went past her mouth. Annette's brows furrowed as a questioning look replaced her earlier smiling face.
"No?" Her words were cold despite the question, and the grip on her shoulders tightened further. "What do you mean dear? No?"
Lilith was shaking her head as she tried to escape the hold. Annette tutted and pulled the squirming girl closer for a hug and a pat on the head.
"Are you afraid that it will hurt? Silly girl. Trust your grandmother. I will make sure that nothing will happen bad to you," she cooed atop her head as she continued to caress her hair. "Shh, shh. Don't worry. When you have your magic at last, you will bring even greater pride for our family, and you will help us in taking our first step outside of this town! You said you like to help me with that plan, no? When you'll have your gift I know you'll do amazingly."
"My. . .gift?"
Annette nodded. "Your gift will help us leave this town for the first time and guide us towards a new age, dear. We will show the world of what we can do, and they will help us take our first steps in establishing a new age for our family and this town. We will do what our past ancestors failed to do, and establish ourselves past the boundaries of this small town."
Lilith's gaze flitted to where Aurora was. Her grandmother seemed to have forgotten the other girl, all her attention directed to Lilith. Lilith was not sure how much of what will happen did Aurora understand, but the other girl only had her sure gaze towards Lilith
Lilith was the first one she'd ever talked to and spent time with the longest, so of course she'll trust her more than anyone.
Lilith remembered how Luna kept implying how lucky she was, not burdened by how people placed too much on them because of their blessings, and wondered if it feels somewhat like this.
She realized that she didn't want to disappoint that trust.
"No." Her tone was steadier and calmer than earlier, making her grandmother moved back a step in surprise.
"No?"
Lilith stepped back further and grabbed Aurora's wrist, pulling her close to her. "If you want to use Aurora to give me a blessing, then no. I don't want it."
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Author's Note: I am honestly trying to procrastinate these incoming chaps because they're so dang difficult to write hahaha. I never liked confrontations and stuff, so I don't know what to even write in these scenes.
Anyway, I still hope this is good enough. Hope you guys will enjoy this.