"That's one thing I would like to know."
"Because I'm still here."
"..." "..."
***
Nirit's POV
Cilicia stood before us both.
I panicked.
What was she still doing here
And wait.
How much of our conversation did she hear?
Jentil wasn't scared..
Her mood was rather.. dark.
She hardened her stance and the natural wave of enmity tightened the air around them.
Right. Cilicia did mention wanting to fight back against Whisper-Realm and Jentil wanted no harm befalling either her brothers.
That was enough reason for them to hate eachother.
This was something I shouldn't be interfering with. And yet..
"You guys, we shouldn't be doing this right now. Let's try to be nicer here."
Too late.
My words weren't enough to settle things now. Cilicia looked mad and Jentil was hardening with stubborness.
"Cilicia, I'm not 'really' on anyone's side. But if you and your little Chibits so much as try to step a foot on our Kingdom again, then I swear.." Jentil glared. Hard.
Cilicia shot back,
"I really hold no hard feelings either but you'd better put a leash on your brothers or we won't be having any peaceful conversation.."
"Oh, now you want peace?" Jentil scoffed, "Let's not talk about that little terrorist group you sent which claimed almost half the population of our civilians. Masked devil of a witch you are!"
" That was a defence mechanism I had to perform as the Queen. A princess like you would NEVER understand how these things work!"
My eyes roamed from side to side as they exchanged words.
" You'd better take that back, Princess!" Jentil thundered, "Not to forget, you're under my barrier." She raised her hands, about to summon something.
That moment, I just had to --
" Ok, that's it!!" I screamed at the top of my voice, driving a wedge between them.
"Enough. Both of you. You can zap me with your powers for all I care. But, you two.. Cut. It. Out!"
"..."
I sighed. Maybe I was a bit too loud, more like a screeching monkey.. but okay.
What was more important was that they were now both terrified of me that they actually stopped arguing.
I started with a more lenient voice,
" Look.. Cilicia, Jentil.. this whole mess up was all my fault and I'll try to fix it. So instead of fighting each other, maybe trying to stitch things up could be more helpful."
They both watched me give my heartfelt speech like I was a child admitting to a crime committed by an adult.
Yeah.. no one takes me seriously here.
" I'll try to be more lenient in regards to outsiders." Cilicia pouted, like it took her whole breath to say it.
Jentil, on the other hand, was rather withdrawn. But she did manage to mutter an apology which.. was fine by Cilicia.
"Great!" I hugged them both. A forced one, though.
" I have one more favour to ask .. Cilicia."
No doubt, she already knew what it was.
"I'll take you to my Realm if you so wish for it."
" Right~" Jentil glared at her, "try not to murder my only friend."
Cilicia ignored her, she spoke to me instead. "But we never met. It would only be fair if I let you alone. I believe a little interference.."
She turned to Jentil with a glare, "costs a lot more than the damage itself."
They really weren't going to drop it now, where they.
I slapped my forehead and tried to focus on what I was about to say next..
"Fine. Open up your portal." I turned to Jentil, "I'm ready."
She didn't need to be told twice. Cilicia opened her portal, spreading her wings and walked through it.
Moments later, I started disappearing..
Magical sparks hovered in the air, I turned to Jentil one last time before I could completely disappear,
" Remember the feather." I told her.
She nodded a 'Yes' and then,
A cold air whisked me to the grounds of Whisper-Realm.
I looked up ahead of me.
Cilicia stood there, high up on a terrace,
She was roughly 20 inches away from where I stood - "Just as I had predicted!"
My theory. Was correct.
---
Narrative.
The house pulsed with loud rock music.
A little distance away from it stood a wide pavilion with its curtains drawn low, crowded with guests who clearly weren't fans of Pop.
Inside the main building, Yuna slouched on a wooden chair near the door.
Eight bottles in, and she was somehow still sober.
She glared at the lit stage where the rock band was performing, her face crumpling with every beat.
She poured another drink, but didn't lift it.
She just stared at it like it had personally betrayed her.
With a long, dramatic sigh, she set the empty bottle down and dug into her bag for her phone.
---
A buzzing sound pulled Nula's attention from her book.
She glanced at the Landline on the table beside her, rolled her eyes, and turned a page of her textbook.
"I'll just ignore it."
Minutes later, she packed her books and switched off the main lamp.
The phone buzzed again.
No one answered it.
It rang twice more… then silence.
---
Yuna stared at the list of unanswered calls she'd just made to the only number she could recognize through her blurred vision.
She dropped her phone with a sigh.
"Hey."
Someone caught it mid-air and handed it back to her.
"You shouldn't drop something this valuable."
Yuna froze.
She'd heard that line before.
That same voice.
It was very familiar. Like it existed only with her memory.
Her eyes lifted.
"Who… Tommie?"
He had a guitar strapped over his shoulder and drumsticks in his hand, tapping them idly in the air with soft rhythms - a habit he never broke.
"You didn't look like you were enjoying my show," he teased.
Yuna rolled her eyes. Same old Tommie.. smug, annoyingly confident, exactly how he'd been back in high school. He hadn't changed one bit.
"The hell I wasn't," she muttered, resting her head on the table. "It was too loud. Annoying."
Tommie laughed.
A soft, teasing smirk pulling at his lips.
"This is what I like about you—"
"Oh, spare me that.." Yuna cut him short. "Where exactly have you even been if you missed me so?"
"Actually…" he leaned forward, gaze steady,
"I should ask you the same."
His voice dropped, blunt serious. But his expression was soft and a mix of worry.
"Yunnie, where have you been? I tried reaching out. But…"
He exhaled.
"Tell me what's really going on. Your disappearance… no phone calls and the girls saying you have kids… I want to know..."
Her eyes finally met his, with a mix of guilt.. of everything she'd been holding back for ages.
"…All of it."