Chapter 1057: Hair Comb
Allura moved towards the balcony slowly. Her footsteps soft against the polished stone floor beneath her.
The meeting was long and with ideas flying left and right, possibilities being shut down and Alice’s downcast expression realising that it wasn’t possible to help her.
They decided to let it rest for a night before they discussed further. An opportunity for the mind to rest and for them to digest everything they’ve learned. Not just about Nyer but everything else as well.
Knowledge such as Kaden’s uncertain fate.
Taking a deep breath, the biting cold welcomed her as cool winds brushed past her.
A freshness to the air unlike that of the Abyss. Crisp to sting the inside of her nose.
Her hair fluttered in the gentle winds as she paused, taking in this moment in its entirety. She closed her eyes as indescribable emotions washed over her.
The relief in seeing Alice being healthy and happy. The joy seeing her growth and...
The bitterness in her heart realising that there were no more exceptions. This meagre time she had left... it was the end.
Was this serenity that she was feeling... inner peace? Knowing that her death is approaching with unhurried steps. Day by day, second by second, step by step.
She stepped over to the railings. Above her, the sky stretched far into the horizon as stars shimmered in the midnight sky. Thousands, millions of distant lights making themselves known in this darkness.
Each one holding a story of its one and like them, their fates were simply one of many.
Who knows... Perhaps to a being like the Outer Gods, the destruction of their world was nothing but a tiny shimmering star amongst the larger cluster. Some were steady, others flickered with tenacity, fighting against the dying light.
For a moment, she stood in silence, looking up at the stars and wondering what lay beyond.
But it was in a moment like this that she remembered something that Velouria once said to her.
Looking beyond and wondering what lies ahead is fine. But one mustn’t lose themselves in the possibilities and forget what’s happening in the present. One can only reach the future if the present is secure.
Perhaps that’s what Nyer struggled with.
Always looking ahead for the future where Velouria came back and not caring about the present.
For the world he desired, the destruction of the present was required.
Allura slowly turned her eyes towards the city, removing her gaze from the stars beyond and focusing on the world beneath her feet.
The city had now settled into darkness. The marble structures that stood proud in the day now becoming rough silhouettes beneath the starlight. One by one, lights flickered to life as golden squares lit up one after another.
Windows into the lives of families unaware of the chaos happening in the world. Or perhaps they were aware and simply choosing to make the most of what little time they had left.
Views of happy families, laughing around the dinner table brought a smile to Allura’s face.
The air picked up and Allura brushed her hair away from her eyes. Night had fully set and the temperature dropped. She reached into her pocket and retrieved a cigarette.
They had long lost their functionality and purpose. Unable to hold off the corruption of Famine while also being unable to relieve her pain.
As it stands, it was nothing but a habit and a way for her to relieve some stress. She lifted her finger and the foreign energy twisted around her hand.
Nightmare energy. The Void that had been mutated and bastardised for Nyer’s own goals.
It’s hard to tell what Feris was currently undergoing. But Allura could tell that Void energy was slowly getting weaker while the manifestation of Nightmare was growing stronger.
Even in that last battle... It felt as though Alice’s Void was ’unstable’. But because of her high control, it was largely ignored.
Shaking her head, Allura let out a sigh before bringing the cigarette to her lips.
Even thought the world is in chaos right now... the biggest worry on her mind was still, in the end, Alice.
The countless fates that revolve around a single girl... The Outer Gods, the surface Gods, the old Lords, Nyer’s plans, Yvael’s ’fortunes’. With such little time left, how much can she even do to help Alice out?
As the one who brought Alice out to the world, Allura felt responsible for the girl. She didn’t want to die while the world was still in chaos. If possible... She wanted to hold out until everything was resolved.
Only when she was sure her powers wouldn’t be needed, would she be okay with the notion of dying.
A bitter smile formed on her lips.
The passage of time erodes on all minds. Like water against rock, even if one doesn’t feel it, changes are bound to occur.
If Allura of the past saw what she had become, no doubt a fight would break out. Screams of confusion and anger, on why she became the way she did. How could she give up so easily? How could she resolve herself for death?
How could she become so soft?
Where was the executioner? Where was the infamous blade of Velouria? Where was the madness that cut through an army for the sake of Ayr?
All that’s left is a walking corpse smoking a cigarette late at night.
’If the old me appeared right now... No doubt she would call this a sh*tty life.’ Allura laughed inwardly.
She was only gentle when she was around Kaden. Outside of it... well... the past should remain in the past.
"Kaden..."
At the mention of his name, Allura’s fingers tightened.
There was a period when... neither of them talked to each other. They simply lived with the knowledge that the other was alive. How many years has it been since she last saw him face to face?
It’s always been messages or ravens.
In front of familiars, she could still laugh it off. Still lash out and rage. But if she saw him in person...
*Knock knock...
A gentle soft knock interrupted her thoughts as Allura glanced back.
With her life now tied to her energy, she had to let go of her habit of setting up a radius of detection.
A barrier that would’ve warned her if anything or anyone with malicious intent was to approach.
With her original barrier down, Karya and Gin had decided to take over the job themselves. So if neither of them appeared...
’It wasn’t an enemy.’
"Yes? Come in." Allura called out as the door slowly opened.
A small gap just big enough for Allura to see who was on the other side.
’Ah...’
She recognised the small hand holding onto the door handle.
A strand of white hair poked out as if testing whether or not it was allowed before the rest of her head followed.
The black and white hair of a certain mead loving girl.
Alice hesitantly poked her head through the gap, just enough so that her eyes could be seen but not the rest of her body.
Between her arms she held a pillow as the words she had prepared in her mind disappeared the moment she saw Allura.
Stammering through her words, Alice glanced down and tugged at her fingers.
"I... erm... Can... Can I sleep with you... tonight..." Her words became quieter near the end.
It was a strange and childish request. For Alice, sleeping alone in a tree or any room for that matter would’ve been normal.
It’s not like she hadn’t tasted her own fair share of hardships.
But now that she found Allura again, a single desire dominated her mind.
She wanted to be next to her. To feel safe in her shadow.
A gentle smile appeared on Allura’s face as she nodded her head.
"Of course. Is something troubling your mind?" Allura asked softly.
Hearing this, Alice’s eyes shimmered like precious gems as she quickly ran into the room.
*Pit, pat, pit pat~
Her bare feet pattered across the floor as she arrived by Allura’s side.
Her excitement quickly cooled as she wasn’t sure what she was allowed to do.
Seeing her reservations, Allura laughed inwardly and made the first move.
Her arms wrapped around Alice and pulled her into a hug.
"!!!"
"Since it was more of a serious discussion earlier, you couldn’t relax properly could you?" Allura spoke softly.
Feeling Allura’s embrace, Alice shook her head as she closed her eyes and hugged Allura back.
An uncontrollable smile hung on her lips but Alice buried herself deeper to hide it.
Allura felt her heart ache. Not from pain but from the sweetness of seeing Alice act like this. Like seeing a tiny kitten nuzzle up to your arm, she felt her heart filled with a sweetness like no other.
As her fingers brushed through Alice’s hair, she paused momentarily.
"You know, Velouria used to do something for me when I was first adopted under her care." Allura chuckled. She glanced around before pulling a small chair towards her.
"Hm?" Alice tilted her head in confusion before following Allura’s orders and sat down.
Allura spun Alice around, making sure the girl faced the night sky along with the stars.
"Fighting battles is fine but one must understand how to take care of themselves." Allura spoke with a gentle tone, one that was similar to how Velouria spoke to her back then.
She reached into her pockets and pulled out a small hair comb. It was obvious at a first glance that it was a rather old. The material had lost some of its original sheen, and faint signs of wear marked its surface. Yet every edge was smooth, every tooth intact. It had been maintained with care over many years.
Slowly, Allura started to brush Alice’s hair. Each stroke was gentle.
No rush in her movements, making sure that the comb wouldn’t get tangled in Alice’s hair. A slow rhythm that Alice found herself getting lost in.
Some may call it monotony, but Alice found herself treasuring this moment like no other.
Allura’s hands remained steady, gathering sections of Alice’s hair before brushing it through with extra care.
The love and care that Velouria showed back then... The gentleness she showed to the girl scarred from battle and scared of the world...
She’ll show it to Alice.
