Arcane ~ ONGOING

~Chapter Twenty-Six~

👆 Astria with her Papa

A/N: Sorry, it took me a while to write this chapter. Now I hope it is upto you guys' expectation and if it us not, lol, I will try to write it better. Ofc, I wouldn't change the events because that is how I wanted this to happen but I will try to refine my writing more so that it is upto par with the emotions and drama throughout this chapter! Anyways, I hope you enjoy this cryfest!

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"Astria," Zion started quietly, cautiously towards me, "What are you talking about?"

A couple sobs escaped my lips as I tried to wipe the tears away, "I just, I don't know why I'm telling you this. I swear it's not for sympathy. It's just- I don't know," I muttered as more tears escaped my eyes. A hand landed on my back, making me flinch but I settled down after knowing that it was Zane. Zion offered me a perfectly pressed handkerchief. I accepted it with a small thank you and then my eyes landed on a small crooked 'Z' embroidered on one of the corners of the handkerchief.

The little gesture made me cry even more. I was five when my nanny reluctantly taught me how to work with a needle. The first thing I tried was to embroider the initials of my brothers and then had gifted the handkerchiefs to them. It was surprising that they still held on to that and were in good condition.

"Nobody is blaming you for that," Zane stated softly, "We just want to know what you were talking about."

I usually would have never told them but at that moment, I was in hysterics and Zane's warm embrace felt like heaven. "I'm sorry," I whispered, resting my head on Zane's chest as he wrapped his arms around me tighter. I could feel their confusion growing by the second and I felt more and more paranoid of what would be happening.

"It's alright," He whispered back, "You have nothing to be sorry about. It's all going to be fine."

"It's not," I cried into his chest as he softly rubbed my back. "It's all just a mess and it's never going to be alright."

"It is and we will make it alright but for that we need to what happened sweetheart," He muttered as he sat down on the couch with me on his lap. I refused to leave, it scared me too much. I felt that if I left him, even for a second, I would never be able to find that safety and comfort back again. I would be just lost.

"She hurt me just because I mentioned him. I wanted to meet him so bad. But she just wouldn't let me out of the house. And then begged her to let me go, to let me see him just once but she locked me in the basement and just, just hit me. everyday. for three weeks. It hurt so bad but she would just hit me more. She said that no one would be happy to see me there and I would just hurt him more by going. And when she left her phone behind I tried to call you guys, but you just wouldn't pick up. I was in so much pain but nobody helped me. But then she left the house and I tried to break the door of the basement but ended up stabing myself with a piece of wood because I was disoriented from everything. But I got out," By now, the sobs had turned into hiccups, and I had calmed down a title but the tears continued flowing my cheeks as I sat on Zane's lap, my wrapped around his waist and I clung onto him as if my life depended on it. "I spent the next week in a hospital and I was glad I did because I was at least able to see the funeral. I'm sorry, it must have felt horrible to broadcast such a personal event and I feel horrible saying this but I'm glad you decided to do it. The hospital staff was kind enough to left me see the whole thing without any interruptions, they even offered to call someone but nobody would reply from the other side. And then I gave up hope."

I slowly lifted my head and rest it on Zane's shoulder as tears continuously but silently flowed down my cheeks. "You were right, Octavian. I did have a choice. If I had just held on a bit longer, maybe she would have let me see him or talk to him. But I was too much of a coward," I muttered emotionlessly as I stared into nothingness, still holding onto Zane. I felt numb. Recollecting everything that happened during those three weeks was horrendous. And I just couldn't get the horrific image of her drunk, standing over me with a weapon of some kind or another.