As the cold morning in Emberfell was slowly growing warmer and warmer, the rays of the sun no longer felt like ice shards penetrating through the skin, yet like the warm embrace of an open fire at a campsite, itching to keep those nearby it safe. Aiden was triple checking, making sure that he had packed everything he needed, and a heavy sense of nervousness spread throughout every part of his body. But unlike before, this dread only came from the fear of the unknown. Under his mother, Aiden almost never left the house, let alone the city, as she was embarrassed by his existence, and his powerlessness. He soon grew wary ahead of every trip, as he felt he had no right to accompany his siblings, let alone stand by them. His feelings were often consoled by Valarie, although the style of living Hilda imposed on Aiden was impossible to forget. A sense of inferiority coursed through Aiden's bloodstream, his mind not being capable of understanding he was just like anyone else. He was trained from a young age to be nothing more than a servant, to put it lightly. However, when Aldegar was in town, everything tended to change, as Hilda never showed her true side in front of him. In those rare moments of peace, Aiden had the right to call himself equals with everyone under the roof of the Silvius' Manor, yet, he knew not to overdo it, as Hilda wasn't quick to forget…
Truly, Valarie was his only saving grace against all the dreadful words and insults, as well as the degrading behavior the occupants of this house showed towards him. She was quick to stop her siblings and their sharp tongues, trying her best to keep Aiden's head high and a smile across his face. But no matter her efforts, Aiden was always the black cat in his family, nothing could change that, and it was all thanks to his mother. So as Aiden grew older, and his understanding of the world broadened, his fear towards his mother slowly turned into irrational hate. Years went by, Aiden slowly separating himself from those he knew meant him unwell. Never since then did his mother's words strike him like before. He was still forced to comply, as he was under her roof, but he had a hopeful feeling it would all change soon. He now found himself standing at the door to his room, for what felt like the last time, and as he reached for the door handle, he hesitated for a fraction of a second. He couldn't come to terms with himself whether he was ready for what was about to come or not.
Opening the door outward with a slightly shaky hand, he finally made his way out of the room, dragging behind him an overfilled suitcase. His glare softened as his eyes widened and slowly made their way across the hallways and rooms of the Silvius' Manor, Aiden wishing to make one last tour of his childhood home, before saying a saddening goodbye. All the trauma and hate that brewed within him, it all meant nothing now. As he coursed through the remnants of his past, his mind was flooded with many memories, and while some were sad, surprisingly, most were happy. He was recalling times of him playing with his siblings, them sneaking out candy to bring to Aiden despite Hilda's orders, his older siblings teaching him about the world… And as he reflected, he noticed that, his siblings were never truly the ones at fault for treating Aiden poorly at times. All what they knew was taught to them by their mother. And in this moment, while he was fighting back tears from revelations of a past long gone, his disdain towards his mother culminated. "That old hag…" Aiden exclaimed, his voice trembling before he collapsed on the hallway carpet and let out just one singular tear.
As he slowly made his way down the staircase, step by step, even the encounter he had here just this morning felt like forever ago. Valarie and Aldegar were standing by the entrance, waiting for Aiden, while Hilda was standing by the bottom of the stairwell. As the smell of burning firewood made its way across the vast space of his home, Aiden was still at the verge of tearing up. To him, this felt like the perfect chance to finally tell Hilda all of his feelings, since he'll never have to deal with her tyranny again. And as he finally passed by her, he looked her in the eyes, the blood in his veins boiling from just this singular glance. Yet, all he mustered to say was "We'll see who will have the last laugh.", as he even stuttered when he started speaking. He turned around, and almost ran towards the doorway, away from Hilda.
"What just happened, son?" asked Aldegar, as Aiden responded with nothing more than "I just said goodbye, and left before I started crying." And, he wasn't even lying. No matter how certain he felt of his hate towards her all these years, and even now, she was still the woman who fed him each morning, who tucked him into bed each night when he was a child. Whether or not those rare displays of affection were fabricated or not, he wanted to believe they were real, and so he did. "Damn it…" he muttered, before letting out a brief sigh and waving goodbye towards his mother, before finally stepping out the door.
As he took the first step towards the car, suddenly, a loud shouting stopped him in his tracks. It was the voice of his youngest sister, Runa. "Wait, Aiden!" she said as she ran towards the door. When she finally made it, as she was trying to catch her breath, Aiden looked behind her only to see his brothers, Theo and Timo making their way towards him as well. "You weren't gonna leave before saying goodbye, right?!" shouted Runa at Aiden, before jumping in to hug him. And as she hugged her older brother as tightly as she could, almost as if she was scared that he's going to run away, the depths of Aiden's soul were pulsing with a strange sense of warmth, as his sister managed to put a wide smile across his face. "Of course not, Runa, I'd never…" said Aiden, before looking up at his two brothers, both with a sense of pride in their eyes. "We'll miss you, bro. Stay safe, and visit sometimes, y'know?" said Theo, as Timo just shook his head in approval.
And as all the Silvius' siblings were enjoying a family bonding moment, Aiden again turned his attention to the doorway, and there stood Hilda. She was the only one who didn't come outside to say goodbye, though that didn't surprise Aiden in the slightest. However, her face was bright red and she was frowning, her eyes burning with a flame of hurt. In that moment, Hilda finally realized that no one in this family truly shared her ideals about powerless people, and that now, she was the black cat, not Aiden. Without even saying a word, she turned around and left as quickly as she appeared. "Well then, bye everyone!" said Aiden with one final retreating glance at the Manor, and a wave towards his siblings. Valarie started the car, and they began their trip towards Sylvanwood.
As they made their way out of Emberfell, Aiden felt a strong tiredness take over him, as he promptly fell asleep. The car ride went by in the blink of an eye, and as he was slowly and reluctantly waking up, Valarie was parking in front of his new apartment building. He unloaded his bags from the trunk, before finding himself staring Valarie in the eyes, neither of them knowing what to say. And as Aiden tried breaking the silence first, and saying goodbye to her, Valarie cut him off. "Don't say it yet," she said with a warm smile. "Let's go get you settled into your new place first." Aiden nodded, returning her smile. Together, they gathered his belongings and made their way into the apartment building. It was a modest but well-kept complex, with a rustic exterior blending brick and wood that fit the forested town of Sylvanwood. As they rode the elevator up, Aiden couldn't help feeling a bittersweet pang. This was his first time truly living on his own, a new chapter untethered from the imposing shadows of the Silvius' Manor. The doors opened onto a cozy hallway, and Valarie led him to his unit.
"Here we are," she said, unlocking the door. "It's not much, but it's yours." The apartment was quite small, yet comfortable - a combined living and kitchen area, a bathroom, and a simple bedroom. Noticing Aiden's pensive expression, Valarie gave his arm a reassuring squeeze. "I know it'll be a difficult adjustment, but you have a fresh start ahead of you, Aiden. No more walking on eggshells or dim shadows of the Manor." Aiden managed a half-smile at that. As they set down his belongings, he felt a melancholic wave pass over him. This was really it - he was living separately from his family now, and the Manor was fading into the past. Letting the sadness of her brother leaving overwhelm her, Valarie pulled Aiden into one final, fierce hug, holding him tight. He could feel her body trembling slightly with suppressed emotion. "I'm really going to miss you, Aiden," she whispered, her voice thick. "You've been my best friend for as long as I can remember." Aiden hugged her back just as tightly, a lump rising in his own throat. All the times Valarie had been his protector, his confidante, his lifeline in the cold walls of the Manor - they rushed over him in that moment.
"And I'll miss you," he managed hoarsely. "More than you'll ever know, Val. You kept me going all these years." They held onto each other for a long moment, two kindred spirits who had endured storms together. Finally, Valarie extricated herself, swiping quickly at her eyes. "Don't be a stranger, okay?" she said, forcing a watery smile. "Write to me. Let me know you're doing well here." Aiden could only nod, not trusting his voice. Valarie leaned in and kissed his cheek tenderly. "I love you, little brother. Go live your best life out there." With that, she turned and hurried from the apartment, running away from the sadness encroaching her soul, leaving Aiden feeling unbearably alone for the first time. He sank down on the couch, the first few teardrops of a thousand more unshed ones tracing down his cheeks. After allowing himself a few moments, he straightened and looked around his new humble abode. Valarie was right - this was his chance at a fresh start, free from the Manor's oppressive shadows. Wiping his eyes, he stood and glanced out the window toward the tree-lined streets of Sylvanwood.
As the sadness in his heart was slowly being overpowered by the newfound sense of liberty he had, Aiden remembered he needs to go meet with his new boss. Leaving the apartment just as abruptly as he arrived, he figured he should ask for directions, but instead chose to find the place by himself, immersing himself slowly into his new life here in Sylvanwood. Slowly pacing the streets, with every step Aiden was more and more impressed by this town's rural beauty. The lifestyle is much slower than that in Emberfell, not that that's something he dislikes. The noisy streets filled with hundreds of people, the lack of nature, all of these were things Aiden was more than willing to give up. Yet still, the new environment proved challenging to get used to. He felt like he was blind his whole life, and just gained vision for the first time, the way the sheer beauty of this town left an unforgettable mark in his brain. Before he even realized how much he walked, Aiden was now in front of a large, industrial style building with a logo and the words 'Sylvanwood Commerce' imprinted on the side. "Yep, this must be the place." whispered Aiden to himself.