Black Magic

Chapter 72: Realization

ELEANOR'S POV

As I sat down, trying to make sense of the chaos that had unfolded before my eyes, a flood of memories and emotions washed over me.

I was transported back to my childhood, to the days when my parents' rough relationship cast shadows over our household.

Their constant fighting, fueled by my father's lack of love for my mother, had scarred me deeply.

The revelation of my father's relationship with Magdalena before getting married to my mother resulting in a child named Thomas, came crashing back to me.

And he was forced to marry my mother while he was having a baby and in love with another woman, that's why he hated my mother so much.

Just like what I did with Aiden.

I remembered the numbness I had felt when I first met my half-brother, a tangible reminder of my family's brokenness.

And then there was the twist of fate when my mother, Florence, resorted to dark magic to win back my father's affections, only to have it tear our family apart in the end.

The memory of Aiden entered my thoughts, a bright spot in the midst of the darkness that surrounded me.

Our love had been genuine before Astrid came into the scene but it was overshadowed by the chaos of my family's secrets and lies.

I remembered the heartbreak when Aiden left me, his reason? The dangers that lurked within my family's history of black magic and madness.

And then there was Astrid, my cousin, who had once been a source of comfort and support.

But the betrayal I felt when Aiden chose her over me cut deep, leaving scars that may never fully heal and Astrid knew that I was still in love with him.

I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for stealing him away, knowing that it had ultimately led to a path of destruction for all of us.

The tragic end of my mother's life, the consequence of her desperate attempts to manipulate fate through forbidden magic, haunted me.

The black magic that had woven its way through our family's history had left a trail of destruction in its wake, leading us down a dark and twisted path that none of us could escape.

And that black magic haunted me, now my family is ruined.

As I processed the tangled web of family history and betrayal, a new layer of complexity unfolded before me.

It was revealed that my father, Eugene, was not only involved in the tragic events that led to my mother's execution but that he held a prominent position as the favorite general of Emperor Albert.

The protection afforded to him by his powerful position had shielded him from the consequences of his actions.

The revelation that General Matt, my mother's brother and my father's best friend, harbored a deep resentment towards my father for the lack of love he showed towards my mother added another layer of tension to an already fraught family dynamic.

General Matt's unyielding quest for justice for his sister, my mother, drove him to seek retribution against Eugene, fueling his rage and determination to right the wrongs that had been committed against his family.

The fact that Thomas, my half-brother, was now involved with Astrid, Matt's son, only served to further complicate the intricate web of relationships within our family.

The thought of Thomas victimizing Astrid, of all people, ignited a fierce protectiveness within me.

It seemed unthinkable that he would choose to bring harm to someone so closely connected to General Matt, adding another layer of treachery to an already convoluted family drama.

As the truth of our family's dark secrets continued to unravel, the desperation for justice and closure grew stronger within me.

The shadows of the past loomed large, casting a long shadow over our family's present and future.

And in the absence of General Matt, who had disappeared in his quest for justice.