Epilogue
THREE YEARS LATER
T he manor loomed in the distance. I had waited for so long for her call. The familiar hum of a melody on repeat within my heart. A place once so dark and gloomy now awash with life. Despite the events of my fateful birthday, the manor remained untouched apart from the sole survivor boarded up within.
The halls were unchanged. The portraits lining the halls now brought new meaning. Beautiful colours amassed on the canvas, proving the beauty of their gaze. I looked past the library, not daring to go near enough to relive that night. Instead, I chose to make my way up the stairs. My door was open at the end of the hall. The room was still open to any. Just as it was when I left. Dorian’s bed was still unmade after years of being abandoned. Mine was also still untouched. As if we never left. As if it were all only a single night ago.
The call of the soul led me down the halls. Much warmer now no spirits remained. The room at the end, now clean and bare of belongings. Finally swept away to make way for new life.
The door was already opened as I approached. Grandmother lay on her bed. White hair covering her powder blue pillow. Her breathing was slow and laboured. She had aged gracefully in the time since I saw her last. Memorising the song of her soul. The soul of the woman I owed my life to. I sat on the edge of bed, taking her hand in mine. I willed myself to appear to her. To take off the glamour hiding me from the world. To become corporeal once more. My thumb drew lazy circles in her withered skin.
“Vespera?” She croaked my name. A smile filled my face. Long had I waited to hear her say my name once again.
“Hello Grandmother,” I said softly, kissing my lips against her hand.
“You’ve been gone an awful long time, dear.”
I laughed small at her words.
“I have always been around though,” I said, my thumb racing her protruding veins. The colour of her skin now pale and lacking life. Dotted with marks of her age.
“Is it my time?” She croaked, sitting up slowly to face me fully..
I nodded, not knowing what else to say. A part of me always believed she knew what we were all destined to be. That she knew and didn’t tell us. Not out of spite but out of respect. To give us all the best life she could imagine.
“I knew it would be you.” She flashed a smile brighter than I had ever seen
“You carried me through this world. It is only right that I carry you through to the next.”
She smiled. Her age showed through with the weariness in her eyes.
“I am so tired, dear,” She admitted softly, her hand clasping mine.
“I know,” I whispered. Raising her hand to my lips. Not enough to kill her just yet, but enough to subdue her. It was hard to control my own death touch. Maaier had thought it would match his but mine was less. More of a power than a curse.
“Did you take them over?”
I nodded. Remembering that fateful night. I held my family close as I said goodbye one final time. The Florians were now at peace in their paradise together. My mother had been the last to let go. Holding me tightly against her into a crushing embrace until she faded into the light. I had watched her from the shoreline. The sea air no longer made me sick, now an ever immortal reminder of her final words “You truly have bloomed into the most wonderful woman. I love you more than anything in this world and the next.”
Magdelena had twirled into her paradise. Father standing on the edge with his hand outstretched for the love of his life to take. Swallowing them both up with blazing light when she made contact.
Grandmother smiled. I pulled her into a tight embrace. Slowly loosening the tie on my power. She fell quickly, quicker than most. She was truly ready to leave the earthly plain. Ready to meet her daughters again. We fell back, like shooting stars through the night. She watched as lights filled the darkness like stars before landing on the edge of the dark shore in the cave.
A bright light bursting before us. I didn’t flinch this time as I usually did. Knowing who was coming through to guide her on. My mother stood with open arms. Magdelena standing beside her. Both wearing matching grins. Their gowns were the same pure white as the light of the other side.
Grandmother softened in my arms, falling back against me.
“Go be with your daughters,” I said, holding her up beside me.
“What about you?” She uttered sadly.
“I’ll be there soon enough,” I lied. I couldn’t bring myself to tell her that this was the final goodbye. That I couldn’t see what was on the other side where they now resided. The God of Death had assured me of that. He had reappeared after crushing Arthur into darkness to congratulate me on my ‘new role’ as he called it.
I had him to thank for everything. If he hadn't created the false bookstore to slip me the book I never would have given Maaier my soul. But when I asked him about why it was unfinished, he told me that the story was never finished. His smoke-like persona faded with the confession.
Grandmother smiled up at me, as if she knew I was lying by choosing to believe it anyway. Squeezing me tightly before making her way to Mother’s arms.
She practically fell into them. The last glance my mother gave was to me. Smiling as she was enveloped in light.
“It never gets easier.” The scent of cedar and saffron drifted over me. Maaier drew behind me. Wrapping his arms over me as I held a single rose in my grip. Just as he always gifted me after guiding a soul over to their rest.
“She is where she really belongs,” I said softly. My gaze on the fading light of the other side.
“As are you, my soul,” Maaier said. His lips brushing my hair. We watched in silence as the light drew smaller. Drifting away with the edge of the cave. Taking my loved ones with it,
“Until the world requires us no more,” He said as the light finally dimmed on the Florian shore one last time.
“Until the world requires us no more.”