As Marianne expressed her longing to be with her father, he reassured her with unwavering devotion. "I'll always be here for you, my dear," he whispered. "If you ever call for me, I will come. Even if I'm not physically by your side, my spirit will be with you always." He paused for a moment, his expression tinged with melancholy. "And if the day comes when I pass away, at least I had the privilege of seeing you before I leave this world." Marianne, finding solace in his words, rested her head on his chest, seeking comfort in his presence. Asherton held her close, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead. And in that tender moment, he began to sing a heartfelt song:
🎶
Did my words cast shadows?
Burdening you with a heavy heart, oh?
If time could rewind
I'd reclaim every uttered phrase
Vowing to rescue you from the relentless tide of pain.
🎶
After Asherton sang, Marianne fell asleep on his chest. When he realized that she was asleep, he spread his wings and flew to the Quinlan castle. He entered her room and gently placed Marianne on her bed. After that, he kissed her forehead gently and immediately flew away. When he returned, Elijah was waiting for him in the cave. "Where did you go?" he asked. Asherton smiled gently and explained, "My little princess called out for me." Elijah inquired, "Is it your daughter?" Asherton replied, "Yes, she has grown brave and determined." Elijah continued, "Did you tell her to break the scroll one day?" Asherton nodded and said, "Yes, with her attitude, I'm confident she will achieve it." "I hope she will. Many magicians have become broke because of that scroll," Elijah explained. "If that scroll breaks one day, we will be able to reclaim the land that the Kings once stole from us," he added. "Yes, we will finally have a stable life if that scroll breaks," Asherton said.
FLASHBACK
120 years ago, the Kings stole the village of the magicians because they possessed a powerful scroll. This scroll had the ability to enforce laws that all the royals and people would follow. Prior to its theft, the Feanteishua lived peacefully without any rules to adhere to. However, once the scroll was taken, chaos ensued throughout the kingdom. The scroll was kept atop the tallest mountain in Feanteishua, securely locked or sealed. Once the scroll was sealed, all the magicians were left with no choice but to abandon the village. If they remained there, their magic and energy would gradually fade away. However, there is hope for the scroll to be unsealed by the chosen one, who bears a butterfly image on their back. The butterfly image will only appear when the chosen one has unlocked their power. Only they have the ability to ascend the mountain and unseal the scroll. Asherton has already witnessed the butterfly image because he possesses an unexplainable and unique power that allows him to see glimpses of the future.
When morning arrived, Marianne awoke in her room. She rose from her bed and gazed at the ring in her hand, whispering, "Dad, I promise." Just then, Elena knocked on the door and called out, "Marianne, come out! Breakfast is ready. Don't forget, it's Saturday today." As Marianne reminisced, she recalled the regulation earring and found it on the cabinet. After taking a bath, she picked it up and proceeded downstairs to join her parents for breakfast. The atmosphere at the table was quiet, and they all ate their food in silence. Upon their arrival at Sylvan, Marianne hurriedly made her way to see Ace. She found him in his room, still appearing unwell. Alexander followed her, and she promptly handed him the regulation earring, exclaiming, "This is the regulation earring! I found it for him." "Where did you get this?" Alexander inquired as he approached Ace to put the earring on him. "My dad helped me find it!" Marianne replied. "You mean Vale helped you?" Alexander questioned. "No, my biological father helped me," Marianne clarified. "Oh, so you know who your real father is?" Alexander asked. "Yes! I met him yesterday!" Marianne exclaimed. Alexander remained silent but smiled gently in response.
The earring was finally placed in Ace's ears, and as a result, he started feeling better. His breathing improved, and the coldness that had enveloped him began to dissipate. "Woah, it works!" Marianne exclaimed with excitement as she approached Ace. Alexander quietly exited the room, allowing Marianne and Ace to have some privacy. Marianne gently touched Ace's forehead and asked, "Are you okay now?" Ace responded by gently pushing her hand away and looking at her with disappointment. "You really risked your life for me?" he asked. Marianne blinked twice, surprised by Ace's question. "Huh? How did you know?" she asked. Ace remained silent, but unbeknownst to Marianne, he possessed a unique power that allowed him to establish a connection with her. Even when they were physically apart, Ace could see what was happening in her surroundings. This connection was exclusive to Marianne, as she was the first person whom Ace deeply cared for. However, Ace saw Marianne purely as his younger sister, without any romantic or complicated feelings. "Don't you want to study now?" Marianne asked. "Yeah, you need to study because you're not very smart," Ace replied teasingly as he got up from his bed.
Ace pulled out a book from the shelf and handed it to Marianne. She opened it, and Ace sat beside her to begin teaching. As Ace explained the lesson, Marianne suddenly noticed that the freckles on his face had become more pronounced. "What are those dots on your face? Are you allergic to something?" Marianne asked curiously. Ace looked at her in confusion and gently touched his face. "No, these are freckles. They're natural and a result of my genes," he explained. "Oh, I see," Marianne replied. Ace playfully snapped her forehead and said, "Stop asking pointless questions. Let's continue." He then flipped to another page in the book.