Aefia stayed silent for a long time.
Chronos continued staring at the pond, his eyes welling with tears, which he immediately wiped away.
The afternoon sun beat down on them, while the breeze added to the silence. Ripples formed on the surface, which travelled from one end of the basin to the other, before bouncing back.
"Mom was a strong woman." She finally opened her mouth. Her hands stuffed into her blazer pocket.
"She was... Much like you." He leaned back against the backrest of the bench, letting out a sigh. His hands moved up to cover his face. "I miss her so much."
She couldn't say anything about it anymore. The silence felt heavier than having to hear all that.
"I am sorry..." She muttered under her breath.
"Why, sweetie?" He asked while looking towards her, forcing a smile.
"I brought it up first." She answered, lowering her head. "I shouldn't have ruined the mood for you..."
"Huh? No, no! Don't be. In fact..." He reached his hand out, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "I am actually glad I have come across a day where I could speak with you—openly—about this."
She turned her head to look at him. Her lips parting to say something, but she just couldn't anymore.
"Thinking back... I nearly lost my only child multiple times... Haven't I?" He muttered under his breath.
Her eyes widened.
"I remember very well... When you jumped off that bridge," he answered for her. "You were dead. For about a month. And it was because Silence sacrificed herself to give you your mother's powers back, I think I am just this grateful for her."
He let out a deep sigh, patting her head.
"Although, I hate you for doing that. It was stupid... Absolutely, infuriatingly, stupid."
"I know."
"And I am happy you are away from all that right now, that your life is finally getting better. But don't ever—ever—do that again. I lost my wife, and I don't want to lose my daughter too."
Aefia froze under the weight of his hand on her hair, her throat suddenly feeling far too narrow for air to pass through.
The warmth of the sun felt sickeningly bright against the back of her neck. That sound of hearing her own bones shatter, her inability to move her own fingers while still in her body, the excruciating pain.
"You..." Her voice cracked, barely a breath over the rustle of the leaves above them. Her garnet eyes remained fixed on the ripples in the pond, refusing to meet his. "You saw?"
She almost felt like gagging. The memory of it still haunting her to this day.
"I am the Guardian of Time, Sofia. And before you became a Guardian, I was the one who looked after the Smod Empire. That day, I was merely walking around when I had seen you falling... But I couldn't do anything."
Chronos said softly, his tone dropping the stoic edge of a leader, leaving behind only the agonizing grief of a father who had been forced to watch from behind a wall of glass. "Do you have any idea what it feels like to watch the hands of the clock stop on your own daughter's life? To hold the hourglass and watch the last grain of sand drop, unable to turn it over?"
His hands slid to her good shoulder, his fingers were trembling.
"I couldn't cross over. I couldn't stop your fall. I had to stand there and watch you fall onto the statue... watching your blood spill across its palms while your body lay broken for thirty long days in the grave. I spent all those days, praying to God, asking for it to just be a dream. Or to save you by a miracle. I was lucky, because it was answered.
"I didn't understand how it was possible... I didn't care to understand it though." He leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "And if you ask the Guardian of Justice why you were brought here so fast... He would say it was because I forced him to."
Aefia felt a shiver run down her spine. It felt like a strange gesture to receive it from her own father now. Maybe her life truly was getting better.
"You don't know how much I wept in front of your mother's grave that day... Not because I simply missed her. But, I got that one piece of her back. My little girl whom I held along with her—who also loved to grab and yank my hair."
Aefia clenched her right fist inside her blazer pocket so tightly her nails dug into her palm. Her eyes burned, but she refused to let the tears spill. The guilt was suffocating.
"I was... Not in my right mind," she whispered, her chin trembling despite her best efforts. "I thought I was saving the people around me..."
"It was stupid. It was reckless and you betrayed your mother." He spoke while using his sleeve to wipe her eyes. "But if you ever do that again, I am going you lock you up in hand-cuffs in a prison beside my desk until you learn how to behave. I can be a strict parent when I need to be."
"Dad... I am not going anywhere," she said, her voice steadying as she finally let her hands slip out of her blazer pockets. Hesitantly, stiffly—unused to offering comfort—she reached out and wrapped her good arm around his waist, burying her face into his high-collared coat in a hug. "I am staying right here. I promise."
Chronos went rigid for a fraction of a second—completely caught off guard—before his arms wrapped tightly around her, holding her so fiercely it almost hurt her healing shoulder.
"I hope so..."
"Me too."
He stayed silent for a while, his hand resting on her hair before he pulled back.
"Sofia."
"Yes, Dad?"
"Happy birthday..."
She smiled back at him. "Thank you."
***
"Ah! My Sovereign... You are back!" Matthew spoke while walking over to where she was at the bottom of the stairs. "Happy Birthday, Sovereign Aefia... How has your day been?"
She said silent for a while, staring at his face.
"My... Sovereign?"
"Is it true that you are currently fifty-eight?"
"Wha—why?! Did something happen?"
"Thank you."
"Huh...?"
"Thank you for looking after me till now."
He stood still, completely baffled. "Why are you saying that all of a sudden, my Sovereign?"
"Because... My father told me the truth... About a week ago." She replied honestly. "You might have already known too."
"Known what?"
"That I am Seraphina's child?" She smiled, clasping her hands behind her while watching his expression immediately change. "The Guardian of Time is my father. I had been busy spending some time with him. That is why I am barely at my place."
A single tear glistened at his lower lashes, followed by a happy sigh.
"So you are her." His voice dropped by an octave. "I didn't know honestly... I thought you were probably a doppelganger... But now that you say that... Welcome back home, Sofia."
For a few seconds, the words echoed in the air. No... Not those ones...
"A—doppalganger?! Seriously?! You didn't know my mother?!" She asked while folding her arms in front of her. "Holy shit, Matthew!"
"Yeah yeah, I know I know!" He scratched the back of his head. "Sorry about that. But blame this old man however you want. But I am honestly proud of you... You already had a very powerful standing given that your family... then your own reputation holds a huge name now."
His complexion immediately softened. "Congratulations my dear... Your mother would have been very proud of you."
"Thanks." She let out a chuckle. "Sooo... What is on the menu today?"
"Whatever you like of course! It's your seventeenth birthday! How time does fly..." He spoke while looking away into the distant skies, tearing up a bit.
"Whatever..." She rolled her eyes, climbing up the stairs to enter the main gates of her castle. "Do come over to dinner tonight! Dad is joining too!" She waved before shutting the door behind her.
Matthew stood straight, then started to run towards Honorary Knights' faction to break the news.
Aefia slumped down the door from behind, letting out a sigh of relieve as she settles onto the floor from tiredness. "Wow... What a long day today was..."
Her smile grew smaller.
"I really won't have seen this day if I had truly died that day... So I am glad..." She whispered to herself before glancing up.
The castle was half-empty. She sent the few servants she had to take a break right after the day was done. So that left her, her handmaid... And—
"What are you doing sitting on the ground?" A familiar voice called out.
—Helio.
She opened her eyes. A smile immediately took over her face. Slowly, she stood back up, took off her heels, and ran to his open arms.
Thum!
"Yes... I am tired." She spoke with a muffled voice while burying her face into the fabric of his shirt. For one thing... He started to dress as elaborately as she did—nearly matching sometimes.
"Why? What happened today?" He sighed, rubbing her back. A fond smile curving onto his face.
"A lot of things... Dad told me about my mom."
"So? How was she?"
"She was... A brilliant woman. My role model... It feels sad... That she passed away."
"It's understandable." He replied, bending down slightly to slid his hand underneath her knees. He was used to doing this quite frequently, so she didn't mind.
"My father told me that he saw my death when I was falling from the—"
"Shh. Don't speak." He looked down, smiling at her. She stared back.
"What? I don't want to ruin the birthday mood alright!" He laughed.
"Right..." She let out a huff of breath. "So what do we do now?"
Helio looked down at her, a small smile forming on his face. "I was actually wondering the same thing."
"Then why are you carrying me?"
"Because you look tired."
"I am tired."
"I know."
"Then put me down."
"No."
Aefia stared at him for a few seconds, her expression slowly turning into disbelief. "Helio."
"No."
"I can walk."
"I know you can."
"Then why are you still carrying me?"
"Because I want to."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "You are annoying."
"And yet you are still holding onto me."
She looked down and realized her arms were still wrapped around his shoulders. "...Shut up."
He chuckled, continuing down the corridor.
The evening air slowly became cooler as they reached the other end of the castle. The tall windows allowed the orange light of the setting sun to spill across the marble floors, making the entire corridor look almost golden.
Aefia eventually recognized where he was taking her.
"My balcony?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"You will see."
He pushed open the doors leading outside, at which Aefia blinked.
The balcony overlooked nearly the entire backside of the Guardian Realm. The area below was slowly changing with the coming night, the streets beginning to glow with small lights while the tall buildings reflected the last rays of sunlight.
Beyond them, the mountains were painted in shades of orange and pink, with the sun slowly disappearing behind them.
Helio finally placed her down.
She stepped forward, her bare feet touching the cold marble as she walked toward the railing.
"...Wow."
"I thought you would like it."
"I do."
She rested her hands against the railing, quietly staring at the view. For a while, neither of them spoke. The wind gently moved her black hair while Helio stood beside her, watching the sunset. His blonde hair glowing along with the sun.
"It is beautiful," she whispered.
"It is."
She glanced at him. "You aren't even looking at it."
"I have seen sunsets before."
"So?"
"I haven't seen you look this peaceful before."
Her expression changed as she smirked. "...You are getting cheesy."
"I know."
She laughed quietly before looking back at the horizon.
The silence between them didn't feel awkward. It was comfortable. After everything that had happened throughout the day, Aefia didn't feel like she needed to explain anything. She simply stood there. Watching the sun disappear.
"Sofia..." He suddenly begun.
"What?"
"Nothing," he said, sadly.
Aefia frowned. "Don't make that face."
"What face?"
"That one."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You do."
He sighed. "Alright. I won't."
She leaned against the railing, looking down at the forest.
She looked away, hiding the small smile on her face. The sun had almost disappeared completely now. Only a thin line of golden light remained along the horizon.
Helio reached over and gently took her hand.
Aefia looked down at their intertwined fingers.
"You know," she spoke softly, "I thought my birthday would be horrible."
"Why?"
"Because I didn't know my parents existed until recently. Then I found out who my mother was, what happened to her, what my father went through..." She paused. "And then I found out that my father had seen me die."
He leaned down to kiss her cheek. Then pulled back.
"He isn't going to have to worry about that anymore." He whispered, resting his head against hers.
"I know... Is it because of you?" She asked.
"No. I don't mean it that way."
"Then what do you mean?"
"I meant... He would have to worry about something else."
"What?"
"He just got his daughter back... But his daughter already isn't his anymore."
"Hey! Don't be rude like that." She turned to face him.
"I am just stating a fact!" He chuckled.
She breathed out slowly, then looked at him. "Even if he doesn't like it, he won't have a choice but to accept it."
"Because?" He asked, in anticipation.
"...I am happy." Her lips curved into a breathtaking smile.
Helio smiled. "That's what matters."
Aefia leaned her head against his shoulder. "Thank you for coming."
"I wouldn't miss it."
"You always say things like that."
"Because they are true."
She smiled again, watching the last light disappear.
The Realm below slowly began glowing brighter as night settled over the Smod Empire.
For the first time that day, Aefia wasn't thinking about the past.
She wasn't thinking about Victoria.
She wasn't thinking about the bridge.
She wasn't thinking about the grave.
She was simply standing beside someone she loved, watching the sunset on her seventeenth birthday.
And somehow... that was enough.