Scarlet

After leaving the pod dock hub building, I make my way through the falling snow towards the top class residential area while keeping an eye on my surroundings for any assassins or bounty hunters. Because there have been a couple of those over the past few days.

Nothing more than nuisances though.

Except that first one that is. But he was turned into a paste by a certain psychopathic squid man. One who happens to be my uncle.

I never did hear anything on the news about that. So I guess the government covered up his actions.

“You also never talked to Aria about her being your cousin,” Tar says, his voice echoing in my head as I walk through the snow-filled street sidewalk with my hands in my pockets.

Yeah, that would be too much of a hassle. It’s not like I can just say ‘hey! I’m your cousin!’ and not explain anything else. Not to mention that, considering how our parents ‘raised’ us, I wouldn’t be surprised if Aria has never even met White. And then there’s the fact that she might even associate family in a bad way thanks to her father.

That’s a random possibility though. No guarantees it’s true.

For all I know, she could accept me right away.

In the end, I don’t have the time to worry about it right now.

Maybe after the tournaments.

My thoughts come to a halt as I feel a tingling at the back of my neck, making me stop in place and look up at the ceiling of a nearby building to find the silhouette of someone standing there, just barely visible through the snow. But I can’t make out any actual details of them beyond their long white hair and black outfit.

Who is that?

They don’t move from their spot on the roof, leading to me just staring at them for several seconds.

Eventually the snow lets up just a little bit, revealing a bit more of them, only for them to suddenly vanish right after I catch a glimpse of their outfit.

“The heck…?” I mutter with a frown.

From the glimpse I got, they were a woman with long white hair wearing a black jacket over a black shirt and pants. And they were just standing on the roof staring at me.

Considering that they didn’t attack before leaving, I’m assuming they’re friendly. Or at least not an enemy.

But one thing that’s bothering me…

She looked very similar to me.

Was that… White?

I stare up at the roof for several more seconds, the snow slowly growing stronger again before I eventually sigh.

If it is her, then I’m disappointed in her even more than before.

I continue walking over to the top class residential area again putting any thoughts of my birth mother out of my head.

A Roof Several Buildings Away

Amelia knows that she shouldn’t have done that. But she had to see her again. And more importantly, she felt like she owed her to let her at least see her, even if they couldn’t talk.

Out of nowhere, Amelia hears a very annoying and very familiar laugh that has her eyes narrowing as she turns around to find a man cloaked in shadows wearing a black cloak standing behind her.

“I didn’t take you for a coward, Whitey!” Black says, not bothering to hide his mockery and amusement, being one of the few amongst those who know about the prophecy – an admittedly very small number – to be vocally against it, although more on a matter of his personal hatred of prophecies and anything of the sort. “Oh, wait, yep, I kinda did.”

“What do you want Will?” Amelia asks, deciding not to bother with his taunts. “Shouldn’t you be commentating on that tournament?”

Will Wright, the Black Knight of Humanity, creates a seat made out of shadows and sits down on it cross legged as he leans towards Amelia and says, “I don’t know, shouldn’t you be looking after your own daughter instead of pawning her off on some rando because a prophecy told you to?” And right when Amelia’s eyebrow twitches at his comment, he leans back again and adds, “Besides. I have a shadow clone dealing with that.”

Amelia rolls her eyes and crosses her arms, the winter storm still growing stronger as the seconds pass. But she doesn’t say anything in response to Will’s words.

“Wait, are you actually regretting your decision?” Will asks, his eyes widening in surprise before he bursts out into laughter, almost falling over backwards if it weren’t for a spear of shadows moving up to push him back into his sitting position. “You have nooo idea how long I’ve been waiting for this day! To be able to laugh in your face as you realize just how much you fucked up your own family by not going with your beloved prince’s plan of raising her in Tartarus instead!”

Amelia’s eyes begin shining with an ethereal white light as she scowls at the man and waves her arm, sending a flood of white light straight at him, only for the light to pass straight through, bisecting the man and making his body vanish in shadows. Only for him to reappear several meters away with his hands on his waist as he leans forward and whispers, “You fucked up, and you understand that now. No changing that!”

She sends another wave of null light at him, but he just does the same trick again and reappears elsewhere while laughing.

“Go ahead and get your anger out,” he says in between laughs as Amelia turns to stare at him without attacking this time. “Because knowing how that girl is, I doubt she’ll ever forgive you. Her father? Maybe. If given a couple decades. But you? Nope.”

Amelia’s teeth grit at his jeering tone.

But then Will turns completely serious, catching her off guard, “Ya know, I honestly considered taking her in myself. For a moment, of course. I wouldn’t make a very good father after all. And I’d rather not have you and her daddy going after my hide.” Will frowns. “You really should’ve ignored the prophecy. At least Leonidas was willing and wishing to break the first part of the prophecy.” He then shakes his head and clicks his tongue. “I really hate prophesies. Because so many of them are self-fulfilling, and others require a cost.”

Will suddenly breaks apart into more shadows that fill the area as his voice echoes across the rooftop, “And the price paid for this one was one paid by both you and your daughter. Her future apathy and distaste for you ruining your chance at a family, and any and all of her struggles up till now.”

The shadows then begin to slowly dissipate as he leaves behind one last sentence.

“Enjoy the life you’ve wrought for yourself, Amelia. Because it’s the one you decided on, whether you regret it or not.”

Amelia clenches her hands into fists before a few tears begin to leak from her eyes.

Then she vanishes as well, leaving the rooftop barren of anything but the falling snow.