Lilith's POV
Yes, I came home in tears, but I restrained them, not wanting my sister to see that I had been rejected.
While I was at the academy, I encountered Aika, Emily, and Conrad.
"Lilith, have you seen Emma?" Aika approached me abruptly. "Are you crying?" she asked.
I quickly wiped my tears away. "She's behind the building; go find her there so you can catch her."
"What exactly happened?" Conrad inquired.
"I confessed that I liked Emma, but it was no use, I got rejected," I said, managing a smile.
Emily placed her hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry, Lilith. Thank you," she said, and they went off to find Emma.
And I continued walking home, trying hard not to let the tears fall; I didn't want my sister to worry about me.
Within moments, I reached our house, only to be met by my sister who embraced me.
"How are you, Lilith? Are you two together now?" she asked.
I removed her arms from around me. "I'm tired, sis. I just want to rest," I replied, heading straight to my room and closing the door behind me.
I dropped my bag and lay on my side on the bed, where my tears began to flow freely.
My tears would not stop, relentless, despite my attempts to control them.
Soon, my sister quietly opened my door. "Are you alright?" she asked, walking toward my bed.
She sat with her back to me as I lay facing away from her.
"I know, you were rejected, weren't you? Honestly, how foolish can that girl be? You’re such a catch and yet she turned you down, that’s just harsh. It’s alright, Lilith, there are plenty of other girls out there. Besides, I'm here, why don't we just get married?" she joked.
"What are you saying, sis!" I retorted.
"Just kidding," she chuckled, gently squeezing my shoulder. "By the way, mom and dad will be home soon. You’re going to be in trouble if they see you like this."
She stood from my bed. "Alright, come down later and eat something," she said as she opened the door and left.
Hours passed, and my tears finally dried. I descended from my room to eat, finding only my sister at the dining table, alone.
As I approached, she smiled at me. "Good to see you've come around. Sit down and have something to eat," she said.
I sat down and began to eat. Shortly after, Mom and Dad arrived, accompanied by another couple, a man and a woman who appeared to be about the same age as my parents.
The woman approached me and embraced me warmly. "How have you been, Lilith? It's been a long time since we last saw each other," she said.
"I'm sorry, but do I know you?" I asked her.
The woman released me from her embrace. "I apologize, I got carried away. My name is Cloe Velouria, and this is my husband, Lucien Velouria," they introduced themselves.
"Velouria? From the wealthy family?" I inquired.
"Come on, we're not that rich," her husband replied.
"Please, have a seat," my father said.
They sat down, but I continued to eat vigorously.
"By the way, Lilith, we visited here when you were only twelve years old. I'm sorry because our daughter ran away back then, upon learning that she was to be married to you," she explained.
I recalled when I was twelve years old, there was a visit from a parent and a daughter. I saw them as they were leaving. Could it be them?
"Has she returned?" I asked.
"I'm sorry, but no, she hasn't. She's still missing. She's our only child," tears suddenly streamed down her cheeks. "It's been years, and we're still hoping to find her."
Lucien quickly wiped Cloe's tears away.
Cloe Velouria, with her blonde curls and deep black eyes. Her face, though marked with worry, retained a youthful glow. Lucien Velouria, his hair ash-colored with striking green eyes, possessed a dignified presence.
"Why have you come here?" I inquired.
They bowed their heads. "Please, we beg of you, find our daughter."
"Raise your heads, I'll take care of it," I reached out my hand to them. "Give me a photo and her name," I requested.
They handed me a picture of a twelve-year-old girl. My eyes widened as I beheld the image: blonde with a bit curly hair, brown eyes.
"Emma, Emma Velouria is my daughter's name," Cloe revealed.
I smiled and finished my meal, then stood up. "Don't worry, ma'am, I'll take care of it," I assured them.
I returned to my room, lying down. I sighed and placed the photo aside before drifting off to sleep.
Upon waking up in the morning, Emma's photo greeted me, a reminder of her at twelve years old. I stood up and placed it in my drawer.
After brushing my teeth and taking a shower, I realized there were no classes today because it was Saturday. I descended from my room and left the house.
I headed to Kill's grave as Raya and I had agreed. When I arrived, I found Raya already there, praying at Kill's tombstone. I knelt beside him, and we prayed together.
After a few moments, we finished our prayers.
"It seems like we're the only ones who still remember Kill," I remarked.
"Perhaps. If he were still alive today, he might have been the strongest student in the academy. Tell me, Lilith, are you still trying to get stronger? To defeat those responsible for Kill's death?" Raya asked.
"Yes, and I'll never forgive them," I replied.
"But do you believe that Kill is really dead? I have a strong feeling that the chairman is hiding something from all of us. I know it because I am also a liar," Raya said.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"It's like the video was edited, it's not believable because if it was done by Oquilonia, the war should have started by now, but nothing happened. Kill's disappearance seems to be treated as insignificant," Raya explained.
"I suppose you have a point, but the Chairman said that if we engage in war, we'll just be defeated, and many innocent people will die. The enemy's forces are also formidable," I said to Raya.
"That's not my point. If Kill was killed by Oquilonia, they should have attacked us by now. Also, how did they find Kill's cloak? I thought it wasn't easy to infiltrate Oquilonia?" Raya questioned.
"I think Kill is really dead, because if he were alive, why hasn't he shown himself to us in the past few years?" I replied to Raya.
"Yes, you're right," he acknowledged.
Afterward, we stood up. "I have to go to another grave. If you want to go home, you can leave first," Raya said.
"No, I'll come with you," I replied.
And we proceeded to the grave he mentioned.
"Who is she?" I asked.
"She's my childhood friend, Eira Glacetail," he answered.
My eyes widened. Did he say Eira Glacetail? If that's the case, Eira is the one in Zenora, the one Kill mentioned not to tell Raya about. But why did Kill say that? Maybe now I can say it, but not yet.
Our visit concluded, and Raya invited me to dine in his hometown at Wyvernland Village, to which I agreed.
"Wow, did you used to live here?" I asked, admiring the surroundings.
"To be honest, this place was just renovated a month ago; it was in ruins before," he explained.
"Ah, I see," I replied. Suddenly, my stomach growled loudly from hunger, and both Raya and I burst into laughter.
We then headed to the temple to eat and spent the night there.