If Only It was Meant to be (OH HOLD TILL 2023/24)

Dead Soul

PREVIOUSLY: Leaf headed towards the shop to pay the 3/4th amount, May had completed the tour of the castle with Drew, Dawn agreed to take part in the auditions, Misty was with Ash preparing for it.

Leaf walked towards the antique shop. This time, she was greeted by the same two sisters cheerfully. Leaf smiled at them.

"I came to pay for the crystal." She said as she placed the check. The girls looked at her in confusion.

"Miss, what Crystal?" Leaf blinked. She explained how the crystal looked and how the old man gave the crystal for a very low price to her. How she would retain 1/4th of it for her equipment supplies and rest hand it to the girls. The two looked at each other.

"It's impossible Ma'am." The elder one replied. 

"We know all about the antiques present here." The little one said

"But we didn't come across anything that fits your description Miss." The elder one finished. 

"We always show our customers nearly every item in display for purchases, we never come across such ...glowing Crystal you told us about." The younger one added.

"But.... The old man...." Leaf Trailed. Her eyes then travel towards a photo on the Counter Desk. She picked it up.

"Whose this guy?" Leaf asked. He looked a lot like the old man she met before, but more young, better health and..... alive. He was smiling and his smile reached his eyes.

"That's Our dad." The elder one replied. 

"Well, if it's really true what you said.. " The younger one trailed. The elder gave her a warning look. 

"If It was true?" Leaf insisted. The younger one looked at her sister with puppy dog eyes. She sighed before nodding.

"Our father was a collector of antiques. He even joined the archeologists who were interested in the studies of antiques. He came across three men who sold priceless antiques for very low prices. Our Dad was a greedy fellow, he even bargained the price further and later sold the antique piece at much higher price than the original. One day, one of the simple man came across Our father, demanding the money for the antique they sold to him. He refused to do so, the person became furious and cursed him. Dad took it lightly, but a month later.....Accidents happened." She took a deep shaky breath before sighing.

"He was bankrupted, humiliated in public, mom died, it became very hard for him to pay for our education too. He became so restless that the last time he smiled? Was a distant memory. He had frequent panic attacks too. We took him to hospitals but we couldn't afford the bills. One kind woman told us to head east from Mount Kiltra and meet a saint named Monk Sinwicked. He told us that the only way to relieve the pain and trauma our father was undergoing was to undo the evil deeds he did and sell three priceless antique pieces at a very low cost. When three kind people would come back, returning the money or claiming that he mistook the price of it, He shall be free of his stress and could rest in peace." She looked at the younger sibling, hoping her to continue the story.

"He worked himself to the bone." The younger one muttered. "Became pale, his eyes were lifeless. Somehow he managed to get his hands on priceless antiques. He got a good deal from the antique shop we owned, and returned the money to those simpletons that he cheated. We had to stop our education, but we didn't stop reading. We read about history of these antiques, marketing strategies and what all not from the used books, and wore hand me down clothes. Our father's first sale of priceless antiques was a miserable failure, same with the second and third. He grew more restless and pale. The fourth one, however, was a success. The Kind Man gave us half of the original price of the piece that we sold to him. Dad was so happy." 

"The fifth one too was a success!" The elder chimed in with a giggle. "Father was so ecstatic that he was dancing around the house, throwing Halloween candies whenever he twirled. He would grab any stranger's hand and shake it, danced with our servants, made blueberry pies for us! After that night, he hid the priceless antiques somewhere we didn't know. The sixth one was a failure. His health got worse but he didn't gave up hope. He would constantly fantasize what we all three would do with the money, how we would continue our educations and won't have to work in this shop. But we told him we loved working here. He was proud of us, he smiled so much at our response that his cheeks began to hurt."

"I wish you came sooner though." The younger one said with a small smile. " He would have invited the whole city for a celebration!" 

"Then what are we waiting for?" Leaf asked looking at the two. " I am sure that it was your father who made the sale. I am the seventh one ain't I? Where can I meet him?"

The elder one laughed half heartily. "It couldn't possibly be our father you see." She said with a smile. But to Leaf, it appeared fake. "He died three years ago." 

The younger one was searching something in the desks. 

"Eureka!" She exclaimed as she pulled out a rusty old album. She flipped through the pages, her eyes concentrating on the pictures it consisted. The elder one rushed to her side, trying to see what her sister is up to. Leaf just stood there, stunned. It was too much to sink in. The man she met? Leaf looked at the photo. She was sure it was their father. There was one photo hanging on the wall, of their father with a cryptic smile when he had his first task accomplishment. It resembled the one she saw on the old man's face so much that Leaf couldn't think that the guy died Three years ago.

Suddenly, The younger girl brought the album in front of Leaf. Her finger rested on the top of the page with a familiar looking crystal.

"Is it... Was it that crystal you bought from our store?" She asked hopefully. Leaf looked at the picture and then at the two. They were anxious for her response. The elder one looked like she was thinking of ways to lift the younger's spirit up if it was negative. But the younger one just stared into Leaf eyes with such hope and....Despair

Leaf nodded. "Yes, He sold it to me for 50 paisa." She said. A bright smile formed on the younger one's face as the elder looked at Leaf from shocked, trying to figure out if she was lying or not.

"See Sally! See! Our father's spirit shall Finally rest in peace! He must be so happy that he accomplished his mission!!" She exclaimed. Sally, the elder sister glanced back at her younger sister with a small smile which seemed force. 

"So it appears to be Sammy. Guess we can't refuse the money now. " She said as she took the cheque. "In Honor of our father's spirits."