"HEY," I LEANED on the railing, taking a good view of the land behind this house. I do not actually need to do this act. I was a ghost. I would certainly pass through. But I still acted as if I could touch the railing. What could I say? It was fun. "You have not been in the mood since I came back," I added. "I hope I am not annoying you with my presence."
Of course, I was joking.
"Well," Aseyana smiled, "If you talk about annoyance. No one can get on my nerves now other than my family."
I crunched up my nose. Should I say I was getting annoyed by her family, too? No kidding, though!
"Thanks for taking care of my family's side, by the way. I would never have a relaxing conversation with you now without your help."
Peace of mind was important. Otherwise, I do not know what to do if they were also in danger.
"I admire your family," said she with a sigh. "I am quite envious."
"What is there to envy?" I smiled. "No family is perfect. If you say I have great parents, I will undoubtedly say otherwise. There will always be ups and downs in a family. You will feel neglected, alone—- will even think of ending this life. After all, there is no reason to go further. You have no sense of belongingness. It is as if your existence is nothing but an accident. And you have no purpose in this world."
It was like you were born to go with the flow.
You live.
You study.
You work.
You retire when you are about to die.
Then, die.
My only hope was for death to be the actual ending. Otherwise, it would be a vicious cycle if we go on like this.
Endless cycle of rebirth and death. How terrible.
"Did you find your sense of existence now?"
"I did not," I whispered. "I still feel empty. So, I will accept what fate throws at me." I looked at her. "How about you? Have you found the reason for your existence?"
Aseyana fell silent. She thought of it for a moment before shaking her head. "I do not know."
"I bet you will find it soon," I winked at her. "You are a beautiful, powerful witch who knows nothing but to save people in need. You are kind. You know how to separate your own interests from the others. You always choose the good side. I think your purpose in life is to save people like me, a damsel in distress."
She chuckled. Then, "How can you be certain I am what you think of me?" asked Aseyana. I could not help but notice her fingers playing with each other.
She was uncomfortable.
She was nervous.
I would love to hold those fingers. Unfortunately, I was a ghost.
"You are helping me," I answered.
"Maybe I am only helping you. How can you be confident I will do the same for others?"
I shrugged. "I do not know about that. But facts presented themselves to me. They showed the goodness of your heart. After all, you chose to help me over your own family. No matter how much you hated them, you will never fight against them if you do not share the same beliefs with them."
Our eyes met.
"Will you do the same if your family embarks on the road of something you agreed not with them? Will you defy them?" Her eyes were starting to get teary. When a tear managed to pass her barrier, she quickly wiped it off. "I am feeling guilty. I know why Liliane is doing this. The elements needed for a particular ritual made me understand her motive. Yet, I still cannot let her do it. I cannot wrong you for something you are not at fault."
I looked at the sunset. It was soothing.
"It will be hard," I said. "You know. I never failed to follow my mother's instructions during my childhood. She wanted me to do this, and I did. She wanted me to do that, so I did. I studied hard. I followed what she wanted me to become. I used to be a kind, obedient kid. But it was tiring. I do not know if this will help you realise things, but after all those years of being a goodie kid, I defied her afterwards."
"Why?"
"We had a conflict of interests."
"How did it go?"
"I have proven myself," I spared her a smile. Those were the most difficult times of my life. I had left the norm—- the normal cycle of life. I did not meet their expectation. So, everyone was angry at me, calling me stupid, and no one supported me. "I want you to think things through," I added.
"I do not regret fighting Liliane and… Uncle Silas."
"No, I do not mean that. It is your choice. Listen to your heart and mind. Do not let my words affect you. Do not let anyone influence you. Think things through. Because whatever decision you make today will definitely impact your future. Besides," I grinned, "At the end of the day, they are still your family. And regardless of their imperfections, they tried to raise you on the right path. And so are my parents. You and I became stunning girls and better people. I do not know about your parents, but I see a certain aunt hovering around you like a protective peacock."
"Peacocks are protective?"
I took a deep breath to calm my nerves before facing a certain someone.
"Why do you always arrive the moment we talk about you?"
"Because I heard my name. It made me think it is my queue to do my grand entrance," Yasha answered.
I beg to differ. There was no grandeur in her arrival.
"I certainly have a good aunt around me," said Aseyana, smiling as she stared at Yasha.
Awww…
Yasha giggled. "You finally know my worth!"
We stood there in silence, watching the sunset. It was a beautiful view with a moment of peace.
Suddenly, I wanted this kind of life. A peaceful life in the countryside with my own family. That would be great, would it not?
I never longed for my own family, to be honest. And I still feel the same way until now. But having it was not as disgusting as it used to be.
A face flashed inside my mind, and I could not help but cringe. Why was Magnus' face showing up? Was it a good or a bad omen?
"Tatia."
I was pulled out of my thoughts when I heard someone call my name.
"Yeah?" I looked to my left and saw no one there. I did not even see Aseyana left.
"Being part of the Vates Family will make your life a mess," said Yasha.
I stilled.
"Good thing you are connected with Magnus rather than Silas."
"What?" Silas and I? That sounded disgusting! I shivered at the thought!
"What I want to tell you is this—- you are in good hands if you let Magnus in your life. He is a bastard," she raised a brow. "I admit that. In fact, none of my brothers are good. But Magnus, despite his emotional detachment, always leaned on the good side. He will never let harm befall you. He will always be by your side—- that, I can guarantee."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because in the past few weeks of our friendship, I figured out you tend to keep things to yourself. You are not willing to open up. At least not romantically," Yasha laid her arms on the railing. "I heard your conversation with Ase."
I sighed. "I do not even know if I made sense."
"Do not belittle yourself," said Yasha. "You are trying to help, and I am thankful for that. That kid is broken more than you have imagined."
"And so are you," I could not help but point that out.
She chuckled. "We all are. But my priorities changed over the course of time. I no longer hold onto something I will never have. Instead, I focused on something I have. Then, protect it with all my life. Right now, I do not feel broken. But I am scared."
"Of what?"
"Losing the people I love. My brothers will live even if this world dies, but Aseyana… she is still fragile. One wrong move, and she might die. That is what scares me the most." Then, she scoffed. "Why are we talking about this? We are talking about you and my brother. Like I said, open up your heart, let him in, and maybe you will finally fill that void inside your heart."
I did not respond. After all, that guy and I were already dating. That would be a good start, would it not?
"Will it make you feel better if I say he is a virgin?" She wiggled her eyebrows, much to my embarrassment.
"How the heck did you know about that standard of mine?" I felt my blood rush up to my face.
"Your mother told Aseyana. And Aseyana told me."
Oh, goodness gracious!
"Anyway, you cannot escape your fate with him," Yasha added. "I like you, so I do not want you to follow in my footsteps. But if you did, I will always be your greatest ally. I will kill my brother again and again for eternity."
Yasha smirked eerily. The smile that I loved about her. Without it, she would not be Yasha.