Ophidian's Genesis (UNDER REVISION)

CHAPTER 10

Jessica arrives at her mansion door whilst being greeted by a few maids. The events of this evening left her with a mind full of questions.

'Who was that woman?'

'What happened to those animals?'

'How did that animal mimic Seline's voice?'

'What happened to Seline?'

It swarmed her mind while the maids led her to her bedroom to help her get changed. Once she had changed into a nightgown, she put herself in a robe before exiting her room to proceed to her parent's room. She knocks on the large wooden door of her parent's study, "Come in." Said her father from the other side of the door. With a deep breath, Jessica enters the room.

Her father stood tall with a pipe in one hand and her mom sat down on the couch in front of the fireplace, the only light source in the room. "Dad, Mom." Jessica greeted quietly, clearly overwhelmed with the night's incident. Her dad puffed a smoke, "Come closer." He says while putting his pipe down on a coffee table.

Jessica obeyed and moved toward the lighter part of the room. "You wanted to say some–"

"You need to get over yourself." Her mom stood up, wine in hand.

Jessica raised a brow and tilted her head, "I'm not sure I get what you mean."

"You have been... confused for weeks now. Muddled." Her father starts, "Your friend is dead and mourning is normal. But being depressed for weeks about it isn't normal."

Jessica's mouth went agape. Staring at her parents as if they were crazy, "Uh... that's the whole point of being in mourning. You have to be depressed."

Her mom groaned, annoyed with Jessica, "Depression isn't real! You're just sad because that weird kid you call your friend, you can't use her anymore because she's dead!"

Jessica's eyes widened, she was flabbergasted. She does give the benefit of the doubt to her mom because she was drunk but still, it was offensive. She sighed then bit her lip hard so she wouldn't escalate the argument furthermore.

Shaking her head, "Anything else?"

Her father spoke, "Start befriending people of our status. That Seline girl wasn't even worth any of our attention, we were practically doing charity to her family by even interacting with them."

Jessica breathed deeply, "That Seline girl was the best person that I have ever met."

"You really can't rise above your station, can you?" Her mother's voice dripped with disdain as she approached Jessica. "When I was your age, I was achieving far greater things. President of the student council from middle school through high school, a scholarship student, magna cum laude—I accomplished everything through sheer determination. What have you done, exactly?" She loomed over Jessica, her face inches away.

Jessica fought the familiar urge to lash out. Instead, she stood tall, refusing to give her mother the satisfaction of a reaction. She would not fuel this narcissistic fire.

"'Depression' wasn't a convenient excuse back then, and it shouldn't be now," her mother continued, her smile thin and cruel. "Get over yourself. You and your 'ADHD'—or whatever fabricated ailment you've conjured—stop seeking attention. You're simply a troublesome child." She spat the words, her eyes glittering with malice. It was as if a demon had materialized solely to torment her. "Your father may indulge your...fancies, but I see through your charade. You crave the attention."

A younger Jessica would have crumbled, desperate for her mother's approval. But this Jessica simply smiled. A slow, unsettling smile that morphed into a low, chilling laugh. Her mother's smile vanished. "What in God's name are you laughing at?"