Ch. 2 Aria's Father
1247 Words
"I put it to sleep with my life energy, in exchange… so did I."
Aria gasped, not expecting to hear an answer like that. Was that why her memory of her father was so small? Was it because the man was no longer with her?
"Papa…" Aria clasped her father's hand on her cheek. Her eyes welled with tears realizing how much her parents sacrificed to protect her.
"As long as I don't wake up, and the seal doesn't break, the evil energy within you will never arise. Unfortunately, I still didn't wake up even though this seal was broken."
He woke up because his brother awakened him before he breathed his last. No wonder, when he woke up and looked for the whereabouts of his wife and daughter, he thought he had lost both of them.
"Your mother, Trixy…."
"Dark fae killed her."
A flash of a murderous aura flashed in her father's eyes that made Aria shudder in terror. But the glint only appeared for a split second before being replaced by a gentle and affectionate gaze.
"You've got your wings. Wow, you're eighteen now." really, how swift time flies. "I looked forward to seeing you grow, and I'm sure your mother did too, but... Are you blaming us?"
Aria shook her head quickly. "I don't blame you. You two are my parents and gave me life. How can I blame you? Besides, now I'm fine and have found my soulmate. Meeting you today complete my happiness."
"Soulmate? Don't tell me the boy is a werewolf?"
"..." Aria suddenly felt like she had dug her own grave. "Papa… it's a mate thing, and I… can't…." Like a child caught having made a mistake, Aria stuttered and lowered her head.
"Never mind. It's your life, and I haven't been around for most of your life." The father exhaled a heavy sigh before continuing his words. "I have no right to put my finger on your affairs."
"No, papa. You have the right to interfere in my life. Maybe, I need your advice, but… I kinda hope you will understand my choice."
The father patted Aria's head gently while giving a friendly smile. "As long as you're happy."
Aria breathed a sigh of relief and smiled broadly at her father's blessing.
"Papa, will you tell me about yourself? I remember mother's face and name, but why can't I remember you?"
"It was one of my curses. People will forget me when time's run out."
"Curses? What do you mean? Does this have anything to do with the lord of darkness?"
"How did you know I'm the lord?"
Aria recounted what she saw when a mimicry attacked her in the form of Lord Alexsei. The kind-hearted mysterious vampire did tell her to keep their meeting a secret, but Aria felt she should tell her father.
"He said I am the daughter of the holy light maiden and lord of darkness."
"What does his face look like?" for some reason, Aria detected an inexplicable enthusiasm in her father's tone.
"Like the mimicry we fought, Lord Alexsei. Are you by any chance Lord Alexsei? I also saw another vision and heard that there is a possibility that Lord Alexsei is my father."
The father chuckled in amusement at that. "That's because I used Alexsei's form when I met your mother for the first time. And since then, I have used it to fool everyone."
Aria tilted her head in surprise. Why did her father use Alexsei's face? So what does her father look like? Above all, what was her father's name?
This time Aria wanted to make sure she wouldn't forget all this.
"I thought the vampire who helped me at that time was you."
Her father shook his head and said something surprising. "Not me, but your mother."
"W… what? How could that be? Isn't she…"
"Your mother put a small portion of her magic particles into you just in case your seal breaks. Even though it's not physical, she always protects you, and maybe you just can't feel it."
She felt it. Aria remembered a warmth emanating from her chest and spreading throughout her body as she felt pain and shortness of breath. Aria also recognized the whispering voice that strengthened her while the demon's whispers continued to plague her.
One of the reasons Aria could endure the days of torture leading up to her adulthood was because she heard a voice saying that she would be fine.
'You will be fine.'
'You are strong, and you can do this.'
Was… it her mother's voice?
Is the mysterious vampire who helped her also her mother who took the form of Lord Alexsei?
"Do you know what made me fall in love with your mother?" her father's voice took Aria out of her thoughts. "She's the only one who would never forget me, and only she could overcome my curse and bring me to the beauty of light."
Hearing her father talking about her mother lovingly made Aria's heartache. Tears gathered in her eyes, and they unwittingly rolled down her cheeks.
"Why are you crying?" The father wiped his daughter's tears gently with his finger.
"I miss her… so much…."
The Vampire Lord pulled Aria into a tight hug. "Me too."
The two continued to talk for a while until the sleeping spell for Jarred and Triston had worn off. Aria kept her wings back while ignoring her two bodyguards, considering they were just fine.
"It's time for me to go."
"Do you have to go?"
"Your two friends are giving me murderous looks. Plus, I sensed the presence of an old acquaintance, and I didn't want him to recognize me."
"At least tell me your name. I don't want to forget you again."
"It's not time yet." for the umpteenth time, the Vampire Lord gently patted Aria's head before getting up to leave.
"Will we meet again?" Aria was reluctant to let her father go.
They had just met, and there was still a lot she wanted to tell her father. She had no idea what her father looked like, nor his name. All she knew was that her father was a Vampire Lord of darkness with no name.
How could Aria find him when she missed her father?
"It would be better if we didn't meet again after this," Cecillion answered without looking back. "You already have your own wings, and it's time for you to soar to the sky in your glory. I promise I will see you when you fulfill your destined role."
Her destined role? What is that? Aria did not understand what her father was talking about.
Just as Aria was about to reach for her father's sleeve, the man disappeared right before her eyes. This did not surprise her, considering that her father was a Vampire Lord.
But this shocked the two werewolves who had been watching the man.
They were motionless because they thought the man was just a normal and harmless human. Who would have thought that man was a spell-caster?
Jarred and Triston dashed at Aria as soon as they realized something was wrong with the girl.
"Miss Aria, are you all right?" they found no wounds, and the girl's expression didn't look in pain either. But why did Aria look so sad, as if she had lost someone precious?
Aria wiped her tears that threatened to fall before answering the boys. "I am alright. Let us go home."
- Writer
