Stepping outside to take a break from the stuffy indoors, I savored the fresh air that filled my lungs. The atmosphere was a stark contrast to the sterile environment of the hospital I was in earlier. It was as if the scent of blooming flowers and the rustling of leaves under the gentle breeze had a healing effect on my soul.
As I looked up, the vast blue sky stretched out before me, beckoning me to bask in its vastness. The old man's words echoed in my heart, reminding me of the sacred duty of safeguarding our loved ones. Just as I was willing to do whatever it takes to protect my children from harm, he would do the same for his granddaughter, as she was just as precious to him as my children were to me.
I took a deep breath, feeling the crisp air fill my lungs. As I exhaled, I let out a sigh, and then I noticed something that caught me off guard. "Oh, it's winter already?"
Time had flown by so quickly that I hadn't even realized that the seasons had changed. But as I looked around, I could see that the world around me had transformed. The leaves on the trees had fallen, leaving bare branches that reached up to the sky. The ground was covered in a thin blanket of snow, and the air was filled with the soft sounds of snowflakes hitting the ground.
As I pondered on the passing of time, my thoughts turned to Leon. It was around this time of year that the enrollment for sword schools opened. If Leon had continued his schooling, he might have become quite skilled in swordsmanship by now.
As I daydreamed, the snowfall became heavier. The white flakes twirled and danced in the air, creating a picturesque winter wonderland.
***
Time had flown by, and it had already been a week since I last spoke to the old man. We were still confined to the hospital, mainly because Leon refused to leave his room. I had tried to persuade him that staying cooped up for too long wasn't good for his health, but he remained stubborn. I couldn't help but wonder how we were going to convince him to come back home with us.
Currently, I was standing outside with my wife, Elisa, who was sipping on a steaming hot cup of tea. Winter had arrived, and the snow was falling heavily from the sky. We were both bundled up in thick coats and scarves to protect ourselves from the biting cold.
"Do you think that we're preventing the future from happening by keeping him locked in his room for his entire life, Leonelle?" my wife asked, taking a sip of her hot tea.
"In order to prevent it, we just have to keep him inside our house for as long as possible. If we prevent him from going out, then there's no chance of him falling off that cliff."
"But is that enough? Will it really prevent that vision from coming true?" she asked, looking at me with concern.
I pondered on my wife's words for a moment. It was a difficult question to answer. Was it enough to prevent the future from happening by locking Leon in his room? The truth was, I wasn't sure.
"I don't know, Elisa. All I know is that I want to protect our son from harm. And if keeping him inside is what it takes, then I'll do it."
"But at what cost, Leonelle? We can't keep him locked up forever. Eventually, he'll have to face the outside world."
"I know that, but for now, we have to do what we can to keep him safe."
Elisa nodded, taking a sip of her tea. The snow continued to fall around us, creating a peaceful atmosphere.
"I just hope that we're doing the right thing," she said softly.
I put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, hoping to comfort her. "We are doing everything we can to protect him," I said with conviction.
But despite my words, Elisa still seemed to be troubled. "I just hope that our fears are unfounded," she replied with a hint of worry in her voice.
I looked up at the sky, which was shrouded in thick, grey clouds. The sun was nowhere to be seen.
"I wished it was nothing more than a..." Elisa's words trailed off as she suddenly stopped, her attention captured by something in the distance. I turned to look and saw nothing out of the ordinary.
Concerned by Elisa's sudden change in demeanor, I couldn't help but inquire about what was wrong. "Elisa? What's wrong?" I asked, trying to keep my tone calm, yet concerned.
As I gazed at her, I noticed that her eyes were glowing, which only intensified my worry. "Elisa, snap out of it!" I said, hoping that my gentle shake would bring her back to reality. Eventually, she blinked, and her eyes returned to their normal state.
As I breathed a sigh of relief, Elisa's expression changed to one of fear. "I saw a vision. It was about Leon," she said, her voice trembling with fear.
My heart started to race, and I felt a wave of unease wash over me. I knew that Elisa's premonitions were accurate, so I had to find out more. "What did you see?" I asked, trying to keep my tone steady.
Elisa hesitated for a moment, as if she was trying to make sense of what she had seen. Then, she started to recount the details of her vision. Her voice was low and shaky, as if she was trying to suppress the fear that was overwhelming her.
***
Elisa's POV:
As I stood there with Leonelle, the world around me suddenly shifted, and I found myself transported to a completely different place. As I looked down, I noticed that my feet were sunk deep in knee-length snow. But it wasn't the pristine white snow that I was expecting. Instead, it was stained red with blood.
As I followed the trail of blood, my heart sank when I saw a beautiful girl lying motionless in the snow. Her entire body was soaked with crimson blood, and her face had turned pale blue. Despite her condition, her eyes fluttered open, and she looked right at me.
Then, she pointed something behind me, or rather, at the person who I was seeing all this. It didn't took long for me to realize that I was seeing this vision in Leon's eyes.
"Run...Leon."
And then, all of a sudden, everything went black.
***
Leonelle's POV:
"...A-and then, everything went dark."
As Elisa recounted her vision, my heart sank with every passing word. I couldn't imagine the horror of seeing such a gruesome sight, especially knowing that it involved someone we cared about deeply.
The girl lying in the bloodstained snow could only have been Shionne, the very person Lord Aerith had entrusted to me for protection. The weight of her loss hit me hard, and I felt a desperate need to change the course of events that had led to her untimely demise.
"Leonelle... How... How can we change the future...?"
Elisa's voice was filled with despair, and I could tell that she was struggling to hold back tears.
I placed my hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "I promise you, Elisa, I will do everything in my power to change the future," I said, trying to sound reassuring.
Elisa's tears dripped down her cheeks, and I wiped them away gently with my finger. "For now, let's go back inside," I suggested, hoping to give her some sense of comfort and support.
Elisa nodded, and we made our way back into the hospital. As soon as we entered, I sensed that something was amiss. The healers were agitated and moving about frantically, clearly in a rush.
I stopped one of the healers and asked, "What's happening?"
"The head of the Alistair house wouldn't wake up," the healer replied.
***
Shionne's POV:
As soon as I received the distressing news, I felt my heart drop to my stomach. Without hesitation, I knew I had to rush to the hospital where my beloved grandfather was being treated. My grandfather was the only family I had left in this world, and the thought of losing him was unbearable.
As I made my way towards the exit of the estate, one of the maids stopped me in my tracks. "Young lady, wait! Don't rush!" she said, trying to prevent me from leaving.
"I have to go see my grandfather! He needs me right now!" I pleaded with the maid, my voice shaking with emotion.
"I understand your concern, young lady, but we cannot let you leave. The head has instructed us not to allow you to leave the estate," the maid replied, her tone firm and unwavering.
My heart sank even further as her words sank in. I felt trapped, frustrated and helpless. How could I be expected to stay calm and collected in a situation like this? How could I just stand by and do nothing while my grandfather lay there, fighting for his life?
"But I need to go to Grandfather's side!" I cried out, my desperation mounting.
"I'm sorry, young miss, but we simply cannot allow it. Please, try to understand," the maid pleaded with me, her tone gentle but insistent. The maids stood their ground, determined to follow their orders and prevent me from leaving.
As I tried to run towards the entrance, the maids easily grabbed me, their strength overpowering me. Even though I struggled with all my might, I couldn't budge from their grasp. They held me firmly, but with a tenderness that suggested they understood my pain.
"Let me go! Let me go, I say!" I yelled, my voice echoing through the hallway.
But my efforts were futile, and the door that was once only a few steps away suddenly seemed impossibly far. I was trapped, unable to see my grandfather in his time of need.
"We couldn't let you go, young miss. I'm sorry," the maid said softly, her eyes full of understanding.
Tears streamed down my face as I begged the maids to let me go, but they remained steadfast in their duty to keep me inside the estate. All I could do was wait and hope that my grandfather would pull through this ordeal.