Chapter 37: What a long night!!!

THUM!

The impact was disastrous.

The Red Queen shot down from the air like a meteor and crashed to the ground with a heart-stopping thud, her settee shattering beneath her.

Vehitoshi’s fist had connected brutally with her face. Blood and spit were inevitable, but devastatingly, three of her teeth had also followed suit.

"MALLORY!" McCoy bellowed, horror flashing across his face as he watched her crumpled form.

"Oh no!" Sarah and Zuru cried.

But somehow, those were still the beginning of their anxiety, since Vehitoshi was already descending towards her, his claws raised and sweeping down with merciless intent.

Genuine terror flooded her eyes. In that brief moment, she realised she didn’t want to die, yet somehow, she was watching death literally descend towards her.

She realised she could do anything to keep living her languid life. That was when a desperate thought flashed through her mind. She didn’t wait to think it through, not that she had much time, but it was better to try than not.

"YOUR MOTHER IS ALIVE!" She yelled.

The possibility of this being futile made her throw both arms over her head. It was a flimsy defence against a monster who could tear her apart with a single swipe, but instinct had taken over before common sense could remind her of its uselessness.

"..."

Seconds passed.

’Hang on, I’m still breathing.’ Relief fluttered through her, although the tremors running through her body were in no hurry to subside. Cautiously, she lowered one arm from her face.

Vehitoshi’s claws had stopped mere inches from her skin.

But it was his expression that made her forget, for a moment, the pain throbbing through her battered face.

His entire body was rigid, every muscle drawn taut as though two opposing forces were tearing him apart from within. One demanded answers, desperate to know how this woman could possibly possess such information, while the other demanded her death for the disrespect.

And so, suspended between curiosity and murderous indignation, the demon remained motionless.

A few feet away, Sarah, Zuru, and McCoy could do little more than stare.

None dared interrupt whatever inexplicable struggle had seized him.

’It worked,’ the Red Queen thought. However, surprise was a luxury she couldn’t afford.

She had been handed an opening, and she intended to make the most of it.

With the last of her energy...

"Laziness," she whispered very calmly, almost inaudibly.

"Relaxation Aspect:

Solace Mirage."

She spread her arms through the air in front of Vehitoshi’s bewildered face.

Crimson embers spread from her hands and spiralled towards his face, slipping past his eyes and into his mind.

The world disappeared into darkness.

When Vehitoshi opened his eyes again, he was no longer standing over the Red Queen. Hell, he wasn’t even in the ruined Yunbuck Village.

He was now standing in a vast meadow beneath an endless sky, surrounded by flowers that swayed in a gentle breeze.

The air carried the sweet fragrance of petals, so familiar and nostalgic.

Somewhere in the distance, birds sang peacefully, their carefree melodies belonging to a world that had never known bloodshed.

Vehitoshi lowered his claws, which, together with his bloodied body, contrasted with the place in more ways than one. Still, he drew in a long breath, savouring the feeling of peace and relaxation.

But then he heard something. A voice.

Very soft, soothing, familiar, and one he believed he no longer had the right to hear.

"Star!"

His head turned instinctively towards the voice... And something inside him gave a painful little stir.

For what felt like an eternity, he stood staring in the direction of the voice. There was a peculiar ache in his chest, a longing so profound that he could neither name it nor bring himself to resist it.

At the far end of the meadow, beneath the shade of a flowering tree, sat a woman on an elongated wooden bench adorned with a royal crest.

Her silver-white hair fell gracefully around her shoulders, complementing the blue royal gown that lent her an almost celestial elegance. In her hands rested a half-finished crown of flowers, which she was weaving together with the quiet concentration of someone with all the time in the world.

Vehitoshi couldn’t look away, even as he walked towards her.

And although she had called his name, she wasn’t looking in his direction. Instead, she was watching a four-year-old boy running towards her with a kind of happiness Vehitoshi found almost overwhelming.

"Mother, come on! You’re taking up my playtime!" the four-year-old complained, his tiny legs carrying him through the meadow. "It’s my turn to hunt demons with Druid!"

Aurelia laughed, the sound as light as the breeze stirring the flowers. Then she lifted the finished flower crown in triumph, and the little boy’s grievances vanished as though they had never existed.

"You made me my own flower crown? Yaaay!"

He rushed to her side and clambered onto the bench, practically bouncing with excitement.

"Of course I did. You’re my little prince." Aurelia settled the crown upon his head, adjusting the flowers until they sat comfortably in his silver-white curls. "Aww, look at you. Absolutely adorable!"

Star’s cheeks flushed.

"Oh, stop that, Mother! I’m not a girl!"

Aurelia laughed again, utterly unconvinced by his protest.

The little boy adjusted his crown with great seriousness, clearly delighted to be wearing something as magnificent as the ones his royal friends possessed. Then, without the slightest warning, he leaned forward.

"Mchuah!"

He planted an enthusiastic kiss on his mother’s cheek.

"You’re the best!"

Aurelia blinked, caught off guard by the sudden affection. A moment later, her face softened into a smile so tender that the sight alone seemed capable of warming the entire meadow.

Star hopped off the bench and brandished the little wooden sword clutched in his hand.

"Don’t worry, woman!" he declared, lowering his voice in a rather unconvincing imitation of a grown soldier. "I shall defend you and save the entire North from the demon raid! Yaaaaah!"

With that, he charged into the flowers, his wooden sword held high as he went in search of his friends that played the role of demons.

Aurelia watched him go, laughing softly and shaking her head at his boundless enthusiasm.

"You know, you always had a sense of duty, even when you were little. Protecting me was your favourite thing in the world." She suddenly said, turning towards Vehitoshi.

Shivers ran through Vehitoshi’s entire body.

"You can...?"

"Of course I can see you." Her smile never faltered. "You’re my son, Star. My world." She shifted slightly, patting the empty space beside her in a silent invitation.

Vehitoshi stared at her, then at the seat. Slowly, as though afraid of scaring her away, he moved forward and sat beside her.

Queen Aurelia looked at him with tender eyes. "You don’t always have to think it’s your duty to protect me... It is the other way round." She shook her head softly. "And whatever happened that night... It wasn’t your fault."

Star’s fingers curled against his knees.

He had always blamed himself for everything that had happened that night. He thought that perhaps, if he hadn’t been so focused on himself, he would have kept his eyes peeled for any danger the night might bring. But the danger had been close to him all along, disguised as his favourite uncle, and he hadn’t seen it. And it had cost him everything.

But hearing this from his mother eased that burden, even if only slightly. He looked at her and nodded.

He then lowered his eyes to his hands. "But..." he said with a sniffle, his voice trembling as he struggled to hold back his tears. "Are you really still alive... st-still with... me?"

His mother breathed out as she looked at him with calm eyes, making even more tears well up in his.

"I am wherever you want me to be, my Star," she replied softly. "It can be away from you..."

She drew closer, looked down at his hands, and took them tenderly into hers, stroking them warmly with her thumbs before looking back up at him. "Or very close by you... It all depends on you."

Star stared worriedly at his demonic fingers, but she didn’t seem bothered by them at all.

"But I choose here..." She raised her hand and placed it gently on his chest. "Close to your heart... Always," she added gently, causing the tears to finally spill down Vehitoshi’s face.

He could feel his heart melting further. All the anger, hatred, and regret seemed to wash away, replaced by a sense of comfort.

Yet fear was still visible on his face.

"But... aren’t you scared of...?" He looked down at himself.

Queen Aurelia looked at him calmly and moved both hands towards his cheeks. Star drew his head back, but Aurelia shook her head gently. He exhaled, then stopped retreating, allowing her to cup his cheeks.

His demonic eyes, markings, face, and even fangs didn’t seem to bother her in the slightest. If anything, she gently wiped away the blood around his mouth.

"Life will never work according to all our wishes... because if it did, the world would be in even more chaos than it already is. To maintain balance, circumstances arise that we may come to see as curses or downfalls. Sometimes for a reason, sometimes not. But whichever it is, what matters is that we accept what we have become in those circumstances and make the most of it."

Star sniffled as more tears poured down his face. "I can’t... I can’t accept this. I can’t make the most of this."

His mother shook her head. "There’s no phrase more poisonous than ’I can’t.’"

Star lowered his head, and even more tears streamed down his face. Accepting this fate was hard, so very hard, especially when he knew he could have been something more, something pure, something meant to save rather than destroy.

His mother placed her hand on his shoulder. "Just know this, son... No matter what happens or what you become, you will always be my Star, and I will always love you."

Star gasped. Those words didn’t just enter his ears; they reached deep into his soul.

But that wasn’t all.

He felt lighter, renewed.

He looked down at his hand and saw that his demonic claws were retreating, along with his markings. His fangs retracted into normal teeth, and his long, dark hair turned back to its usual bright white and curls.

His face brightened at once, and a peaceful chuckle escaped him.

He turned towards his mother, but then the little joy on his face drained away.

His breath caught in his throat.

His mother was already dissolving into crimson embers and fading away.

"NO!" he yelled as he quickly reached out and grabbed her hands. He looked around and saw that the entire place was also fading into embers.

He stared back at his mother. "Please, Mom..." His voice broke. "Don’t leave me."

His mother only smiled one last time. "I will always be with you."

She faded away, and Star remained there, holding nothing but air. But now he wasn’t sitting anymore. He was standing, and he was still above the Red Queen.

He looked down at her almost frantically, tears still clinging to his face, confusion mixing with the grief in his eyes.

He looked around. He was back in the ruined village.

Then he turned and saw Sarah, Zuru, and McCoy all staring at him like some strange boy they had never seen before.

He went ahead and looked at his finger and saw that the ring was already fitted around it.

Silence.

But then he slumped to his knees and cried even harder.

"I’m sorry... I’m so sorry."

Tears welled in Sarah’s eyes as she rushed forward and threw her arms around him.

"I’m so sorry too," she murmured, tears streaming down her own face.

Just then, Zuru joined the hug, tears flooding his eyes as well.

McCoy exhaled deeply, then smiled.

"What a long night."