"..... Ancient language?"
Arsh turned to Gelina with a shocked expression. It was just getting more and more convoluted with every fleeting second. First, The mysterious name and the strange fate related to it. And, now something that was always in front of him, but he never took note of it.
"Yeah… it's an ancient language used by Griffins back in the day. I have no idea how your mother knew about it though."
"…But I do think she has left something for you."
Gelina replied back without delay. Her eyes constantly focused on the strange fonts on the walls.
"What do you mean?"
Alan slammed his hand on the table loudly, asking suddenly.
"...From what I have gathered…"
Gelina paused for a moment, looking at Arsh.
"There are parts of sentences written all over your house. But, when I start reading it from one side of the wall to another, it makes meaningful sentences… somewhat. His mother had left a letter of some sort in the ancient language… addressed to Arsh."
Gelina replied evenly, her beautiful face betraying no signs of any emotions.
"I can even translate it for you if you want. I just need paper and pen… and some time alone to piece all the sentences together. You see… It is already kind of a lot. And the way it is all scattered around everywhere makes it even more difficult."
Sitting silently on the side, Arsh couldn't fathom what kind of emotion he was feeling right now. Finding the last message addressed to him from his mother. Which she wrote for all her life worth of years only for him.
The very last words he was ever going to hear from her.
"....I'll get the paper and pen…. And I also think you should start in my room. She started doing those calligraphi…. notes, from my room first."
Arsh went into his room returning with a paper and pen in his hand, handing them over to Gelina. Who in turn stood up from her seat and moved away from the group, walking towards Arsh's room.
"You guys must be hungry?"
Standing near the table, Arsh asked the group with a little sigh. The day was slowly nearing its end, signaled by the color of the drowning sun.
"I'll cook something, I am pretty good at it too. You guys should rest for now."
Joey stood up from his chair walking towards the kitchen on his own.
"Also Amanda, can you help me out a little bit? Managing everything alone might be a little too much."
Amanda also stood up from her chair, following the slightly bulky adventurer from behind. Who then followed by Nidia and Elsa.
Arsh looked at them with a sigh. The kids were going to be kids, disregarding any kind of situation.
"You know, I used to always complain about those scribbles over the wall. Little did I know, It was for my sake all along. Everything she had to do in secret was always for my sake…. She even succeeded in keeping it secret until the very end."
Arsh took a heavy breath, hanging his head low.
"I can't even keep count of how many things she has hidden from me. Perhaps, I would never be able to either."
Arsh spoke up in a soft tone. His head downcasted to the ground, to hide the expression on his face from others.
Arsh didn't like how he was always on the brink of breaking apart, whenever the topic of his mother came up…. But, It all had to change. He didn't have the luxury to spend his life mourning for his mother.
"...You shouldn't have to be so hard on her. I am sure she had her reasons for hiding everything from you. She always did everything for you, Kid. Going as far as to sacrifice herself for your sake…. You shouldn't hold her secrets against her Arsh. It's not fair to her in the slightest."
Ethan, who was silent throughout the whole discussion, spoke from the side of the table. His eyes faltered with pity.
"WHAT the fuck are you talking about?"
A loud voice resounded through the living room. Arsh lifted his head suddenly, and all of his blood veins popped out on his body.
"The fuck you are on about? When did I ever say I hold anything against my mother? Huh?"
Arsh peered him directly into his eyes. A dark aura emanated around him. It was clear as the day how angry he was.
"T-The way you talked…"
Ethan leaned back suddenly, stammering words that came to his lips. Frightened by the gleaming crimson eyes staring directly at him.
".....My mother had suffered a cruel fate for years. All just for the sake of saving my worthless life. How could I ever hold anything against her?.... I always was the reason for all of her sufferings."
Arsh replied, receding the dark aura surrounding him. Completing his last sentence solemnly.
Something inside of him changed after returning to the same where, where it all started. He now knew how worthless his life has always been. Finally finding the thing, he was desperately looking for for a while by now.
The resolve to let his past go. To finally move forward without leaving any strings attached.
"...But, the people who are even marginally responsible for my mother's fate….. I hold everything against them."
A sinister smile appeared on his face. His crimson eyes tinted with a dark gleam.
"And I'll make sure with my worthless life. They know how well I hold grudges."
After eating dinner together with the group. Which to Arsh was the best meal in his whole life. After only remembering eating mantises and the tasteless muss he used to make with Alan.
Arsh moved to Gelina to ask about her progress. To his surprise, Gelina had completed the task much earlier than he expected, handing him a 3-page long letter with multiple paragraphs.
"It is better for you to read it alone."
Those were her last words before the whole group left him alone in his room. Leaving him alone in his room with complete silence of the night. Arsh heaved a heavy breath, lighting the candle near his bed.
{Hey kiddo…. Hmm no. I think I should give you a name first before writing this. Even if I have already started writing this.}
Arsh chuckled slightly, his eyes moving to the next paragraph.
{Arsh. This is my last message to you. Even though I don't think you will ever read it, because I am not going to teach you this language. It is kind of CLASSIFIED you know.}
{Kidding! I just don't want you to read it in my presence. You will get cocky if you ever read this.}
Arsh hummed silently. It seemed she wasn't able to resist her funny nerves, even while writing the most important letter of her life.
{Today My baby turned 5. He is the most precious thing in the world. Especially when he calls me MAMA….. Always remember how cute you were, if you are reading this…}
"There is no way I could…"
{I think I should stop writing this. There is no way someone is going to read this with such an ancient language. Much less my baby boy. Even the village chief doesn't know about this specific font. It is one of the Griffin's.}
{It's been almost 5 years since I wrote the last paragraph. I have finally decided to write everything significant in my life. If there is even a minuscule chance of Arsh reading this, I am going to continue it. Even so, I don't think I am not going to write about anything other than my baby boy…. I don't think my blue walls are going to remain blue.}
After that, the letter had only notes of everyday life. Mostly focused around Arsh's daily antics. Like how excitedly, he used to tell her about his arm wrestling with the adults and winning. How he used to argue with the village chief and the kids of his age. And how much it worried her altogether.
For a while, it read the same usual everyday stuff. Until Arsh's eyes widened following the 4th to last paragraph.
{He ran away. I failed in killing the last assassin. Even though I promised myself to never write anything related to it, here I am. I don't think I have much time left anyway.}
{ When I discussed with the villagers how I would secure an escape route for them. They instantly declined my request. We have decided to take our last stand right here. I have Edward charged with the responsibility of keeping the kids alive.}
{...For anyone reading this in the future. Just remember we were here. Never forget. The one who rules this world doesn't care for any of us. As long as we do their bidding, this is never going to change. And for that reason. Even though we are forsaken by our own kind. We are going to fight until the end..... for the sake of our kids' future.}
Arsh stood up from his chair leaving his room. His hand trembling, with his crimson eyes were void of any emotions. He jumped up to his terrace without any delay. Finding Alan already present there looking at him with serious eyes.
Alan slowly stood up from the ground moving toward him.
Standing in front of him. Alan muttered, barely above a whisper.
"...I think you can now cry, kid. For one last time."
Arsh looked at him vividly. No feeling in all of his sagging body.
He rested his head against Alan's chest. As the tears started dripping away from his eyes. Without making any sound he stood right there for a few moments, clutching the last letter from his mother.
The last paragraph of the letter in the center of his very hand.
{To whoever is reading this… Please tell my red-eyed, stubborn son for me, who means the whole world to me.
I love you.
You were always the only beacon of hope in my wretched life. …..Thank you for existing. }