Annette had never felt so clueless, left hanging without understanding anything since that incident when she was nine years old. She had felt unmoored then, and she kept reaching over to hold a hand to her side.
She remembered feeling helpless when she could only grasped air.
But she had quickly pulled herself then. She didn't have to think much; only one thing. She whispered a promise, and slowly built Annette. The adults were still running about like headless ants at that time, and they were left speechless when a young kid managed to pull themselves together faster than any of them.
When her blessings came, they had all but follow her words. Her gift is an exception from the rules that bounded their family for generation, surely that speak of great things to come?
But Annette didn't take everything to importance. She only need to think of one thing.
But now, in this present time, faced with her granddaughter who was trying to look sure despite the obvious anxiety showed by her slightly shaking frame, she felt like she was thrown again in that hopeless vaccum, not sure where she had missed her steps and not sure how to get back to sure grounds.
Lilith watched as her grandmother stood perplexed after hearing her statement. For a moment, it reminded her of a small child that was being told no for the first time in their life.
But then the look on her grandmother changed as something dark spark in her eyes. "No?" she kept repeating, each time the warmth from her earlier words dripping into nothingness.
Lilith was slowly taking steps back, pushing Aurora with her as she tried to speak to the older woman. "I don't want that kind of magic, Grandmother. Isn't it just like stealing if I could have them from someone, from my own sister? That sounds a little unfair to me."
"Unfair?" Annette clocked her head to the side, eyes wide. "But she said herself that she doesn't want it. Why would it be stealing if she's giving it back?"
"But it's not that simple, isn't it?" The two of the kept backing until Aurora gasped when she felt the wall behind her. Something glinted from Annette's hand, and Lilith couldn't help the whimper that came from her mouth.
"Please Grandmother," she called in a soft voice, trying to tone out the shaking from them. "We can still look for some ways to break the limitations given to us by the magic. We don't have to look for anything right away. Please. . . I don't. . ."
"Break? Of course, it's why we're supposed to do this. Of course, of course. You were going to help us, for the family."
"No!" Both of them jumped at the sudden loud voice. Annette's face was red with fury, her glare seemingly seething. "You all need to follow me! I am the head matriarch of this family, and so I know best what to do for the improvement of the family! As you are a Solerna, you must follow my words and do what I ask you!"
"Grandmother, please!" Lilith called, but her words seemed to escape her as she was grabbed by the arm.
"Now now, don't you always say that you wanted to have magic like all of us?" Annette soft whisper was in contrast with how strong she was holding Lilith. "I can help you achieve it. Shh, don't worry. I'll make sure to keep my promise to you this time. I won't be held back this time, Annette. We can now get out of here and see the world."
"Grandmother!" Lilith tried to pry the fingers wrapped around her as the older woman continued to mumble things that was starting to get confusing. Yet the grip stayed firm and was even getting tighter, making her yelp in pain.
Aurora was confused by what's really happening. She had thought that the older woman was being nice to Lilith, but the more they stayed in here, the more the woman was slowly slipping into something she couldn't understand. At Lilith's yelp, something flashed in her eyes. Blood dripping from something sharp, a sound rumbling and breaking, something large falling on top of them.
Shaken, Aurora finally moved to Lilith and helped with prying the fingers off her. This place is dangerous, they shouldn't stay her for much longer.
"We need to go!"
Lilith saw the familiar frantic look from her twin, similar from the one when that owner was hacked right in front of them. She doubled her effort in trying to escape, but the fuss had only made Annette madder.
The scuffle made the older woman lost her footing, and from her hand, a small knife slipped and accidentally slashed the top of her hand. The pain made her lossen her grip and the two girls quickly tokk some few steps back.
"Grandmother!" Lilith exclaimed as tries to move towards her, but Aurora called to her, "We all need to leave! This place is dangerous!"
Finally recognizing her presence, Annette turned her glare to Aurora, "You! Stop trying to derail things! Not ever listening when we told you to stay put, do you want to give Mom and Dad something to be mad about, or do you always like to get me in trouble?!"
"What is she talking about?" Lilith mumbled. "Grandmother, please let's get out of here! It's dangerous!"
"If you really want to get rid of your gift," Annette continued without listening to her granddaughter's words, "Then let's just wish for all of magic to end then!"
Something rumbled in the distance. Cracks slowly appeared from where their grandmother was standing, reaching towards the beams and continuing to the ceiling. Lilith's eyes widened as the walls started to show some signs of collapsing, smaller cracks appearing from the larger ones.
She saw the blood that dripped from the small knife. "Don't tell me. . . did the magic registered that as a wish?"
Annette stood there and looked at the small knife in her hand before shifting her gaze towards the two. As she tried to say something, her body dropped to the floor, completing the ceremony.
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Author's Note: I'm almost done with this, I think. I hope I manage to finish this within this week.