Saturday, November 18th, 2045
Mourntale Estate, Magic City, Netheria
Inside the room that she had occupied for more than two decades, Amelia sat at her old study table, reading the book on architecture that Keith had gifted to her.
She had spent the last two months engrossed in it, and she was still as fascinated by it as she had been the first time.
The methodology and the construction techniques, which involved both Magic and Runes were just too exciting to learn, and then there were these Runic Seals that opened an entirely new horizon of Architecture to her.
"Amy!" A young girl came rushing into the room, wearing a very excited smile on her adorable face. "Good morning!"
"Good morning, Helena." Amelia closed the book and greeted back her sweet little cousin.
Helena was 11 years old now, and she was the youngest daughter of the new Head of the Mourntale Family, Vladimir Mourntale, and her maternal aunt, Eleanor. And if she was being honest, this girl was her favourite cousin too.
Despite herself, she could not help but smile brightly as she found the girl wearing the old glasses that she had left behind.
"How do I look?" The little girl asked, grinning, and knowing well that she looked very cute.
"Suits you." She playfully flicked her nose and looked into the soulful emerald eyes of the little girl that were the same as hers. "You skipped breakfast."
"I was at Grandfather's cottage," Helena informed her. "He's asked for you."
"Okay." She nodded, and then stood up, leading the girl out of the room, holding her delicate hand.
"Why does your husband not come with you when you visit us?" The girl suddenly asked, and Amelia curiously looked at her.
"I never asked." She smiled. "And Keith was not home again when I decided to come."
"Does he know you have come here?" She inquired again.
"Maybe." Amelia shrugged and smiled at the habit she had picked up from her dear husband. "And why are you asking me these questions, little Helena?"
"Just curious." She giggled and then started skipping.
"Curious about what exactly?"
"Married life... Ouch!" The little girl winced and pouted when her favourite older sister tapped her head and narrowed her eyes.
"Focus on your studies and Cultivation." She advised her but sighed when the little girl misunderstood her words.
"So you are not happy with your marriage?" She innocently asked.
"I am happy." She smiled and then gently caressed her head. "But you are too young to think about these things."
Helena did not say anything and just kept skipping in silence as they exited the main compound.
"Humaira is getting married next month." The little girl finally talked about what was truly on her mind.
Humaira was her older sister, and she was going to marry their cousin, Igor, who had been her childhood sweetheart. The two had been engaged ever since the day Humaira was born, and she had smiled when little Igor insisted on taking her in his tiny arms and their aunt finally relented.
Thankfully, they had only grown fond of each other from that day forward.
"She's always smiling, always happy. Brother Igor is always ready to go with her wherever she wants, and they both even train and study together..." The little girl started talking and ended up pouring her heart out. "I don't have anyone like that."
Amelia smiled at her words and gently squeezed her hand.
"We all have our own lives, and we are all very different from each other. So, why do you think that our life and destiny would be the same as another person's?"
Her question made the little girl curiously look at her, but before she could raise any silly and innocent question or her mind could dwell on any sad thoughts, she continued.
"If you want to be happy, don't think too much about the future. And do what you must do every day, which in your case is to be very responsible with your training and Cultivation. You are very talented." Amelia advised her and giggled as she watched the girl pout.
"I am already stronger than anyone my age. What's the point?"
"You are bored." She guessed and finally understood why this silly girl had too much time on her hands to dwell in silly thoughts.
"Maybe." The little girl started skipping again.
Amelia glanced at her, sighing in her heart.
The girl was indeed very talented, perhaps the most talented Auror the family had had in the last several decades, not counting her, who had always been secretive about her Cultivation Realm. But Helena was almost as talented as her when it came to Cultivation, and just like her, she had not required any help in opening her first Aura Node at the mere age of six.
No one in the younger generation in the family stood a chance against her, and not only was her Cultivation higher than theirs, already being in the Nascent Profound Realm, but she was also a gifted fighter as well.
It was also the reason why all her cousins had started drifting away from her as they felt overwhelmed by her and also envied her.
She now had practically no one to play with, and it was truly a sad thing for someone who had an inherently very cheerful personality.
Subconsciously, she remembered the words that Minami had once read to them during their story time.
"Being talented is a tragedy when you have no one around you who can match you."
She did not really agree with those words, but she felt that they fit the people who had the same personality as the little girl next to her.
"Hey, Amy?"
"Yes?" She broke out of her thoughts and looked at the little girl.
"What's your Cultivation Realm?" She curiously asked.
"You promise to not tell anyone?" She smiled and the girl innocently nodded her head. "I am stronger than anyone in the Mourntale Family."
The little girl raised her brow and frowned a little, but then her mouth dropped open as she finally registered her words.
"Even stronger than Grandfather?!" She exclaimed.
"Yes." She nodded and giggled when she watched Helena look at her in disbelief.
"Does Keith Cultivate?" The girl suddenly asked.
"Yes."
"Is he also as talented as you?"
"Yes." She replied and then smiled at her adorable cousin. "But I won't tell you how strong he is." She clearly told her before the girl could raise her next question.
"Okay." And the girl did not insist and was soon lost in her own thoughts. "Amy?"
"Yes?"
"You don't miss us?" She asked, not looking at her.
Amelia could have lied to her to keep her heart, but she was not fond of lying.
"Not really." She honestly replied and watched the girl nod her head before lowering it, obviously feeling disheartened. "And it's because I am mostly busy, and the rest of the time, my family keeps me company. I really don't get much time to miss you all, but when I do, I visit you." She smiled and caressed her head.
"Hmm..." Helena nodded her head.
"And when I do miss this place, you are the first one I think about." She giggled as she watched the little girl turn to look at her with misty eyes.
"You do?"
"Yes." She nodded her head and sighed in her heart as the girl innocently smiled at her words.
Helena happily started skipping again, humming a tune that popped up in her mind, and no more words were said until they reached their destination.
Amelia instinctively looked inside the cottage, right through the walls, and frowned a little when she found her uncle present in the study room, discussing something with her Grandfather.
By the looks of it, they were discussing something very serious, and she had a hunch that she was called to take part in this discussion.
"Let's go!" Helena pulled her forward when she found Amelia slowing down, and she allowed the little girl to lead her inside the cottage.
As soon as they reached the study and the wooden floor slightly creaked, both Alaric and Vladimir turned silent.
"Amy is here." The little Mourntale entered the room and announced, making the old man smile, and then both Alaric and Vladimir stood up as she walked in.
"Grandfather. Uncle." She lightly bowed to them and then walked forward to sit in the vacant seat.
"Lena, why don't you wait outside? Uncle and I have a few things to discuss with your sister." Vladimir gently spoke to his daughter, who obediently nodded her head and then closed the door behind her as she left to go and tend to the flowers in the backyard.
"Is everything okay, Grandfather?" Amelia straightforwardly asked, and also looked at her Uncle, and watched them both sigh at her question.
"No." Vladimir shook his head.
"Another war is brewing," Alaric informed her, and Amelia frowned at his words.
She was a little surprised that the enemies of the Mourntale were throwing away the caution and were willing to take the risks, but once Vladimir explained things to her, she learned that things were different from what she had thought.
