Brugmansia

Chapter 12🌹

        I read the letter twice, my mind racing as I tried to process every word. A fake god? The world in danger? And me—the thought that I was somehow crucial to all of this seemed too big to grasp. I felt a tightness in my chest, a feeling somewhere between dread and urgency.

I looked up at Xenos, my voice barely a whisper. "Could you pass me the notebook behind you?"

He reached over, handing it to me silently, his eyes searching my face for any sign of what I'd read. With a deep breath, I opened the notebook, flipping past the first blank pages. And then I stopped, my heart pounding.

There, painted with delicate strokes, was an image of my mother—young, vibrant, with that same calm, knowing expression. But beside her stood the man I'd seen in my visions: tall, tanned, white long hair that looked like a milk river, his hand resting protectively on her shoulder. They looked so at ease, as if they belonged together, as if he was someone she trusted.

I turned the picture over, my fingers trembling, and read the words written on the back in my mother's familiar handwriting:

My father, you're the only real one.

The words hit me like a tidal wave. I stared at the painting, barely breathing, as a thousand questions flooded my mind. This man... he wasn't just a random figure. He was my grandfather, the god Smokey. And what does my mother mean by "the real one"...?

Xenos leaned closer, his gaze flicking from the painting to my face. "Sage, what is it? You look like you've seen a ghost."

I swallowed hard, still processing. "This man... the one I saw in my vision. He's my mother's father. My grandfather. And my mother... she called him the only real one."

Xenos leaned in close, his cool presence lingering just beside me. His gaze was steady as he spoke. "It resembles the god."

Alohi's eyes widened in recognition. "Yes—that's Smokey, the god of smoke and secrets... your grandfather. Wait—don't tell me you've never seen him before?"

Xenos glanced at Alohi, a faint sigh escaping him. "As I suspected... Astrid never told you, did she?"

I let out a sigh. "That's not important right now. What is, though, is what my mother meant by 'the only real one.' The person who sent me this letter called himself Lux, which I'm guessing is a code name. He also warned, and I quote, 'The world you find yourself in is teetering on the edge of danger, its balance threatened by a false god.' So, what could that mean?"

Alohi's eyes flickered with recognition as she glanced at me. "Did you just say Lux? I swear I've heard that name somewhere before..."

Xenos groaned and slapped a hand to his forehead. "You're so clueless sometimes that I wonder how you're supposed to be my superior, Alohi." He sighed, then continued, "Lux is the name of the empire we live in, which means whoever sent this is likely someone from here." He took the letter from my hand, studying it with narrowed eyes. "This handwriting... it looks familiar," he muttered in a low, thoughtful tone.

"Lux said that if I wanted more information, I should meet him in the castle's secret room," I explained, frowning. "But I have no idea where that is. Plus, the castle's closed while we're on break." I looked to Xenos, hoping he had a solution.

He sighed, his expression turning serious. "The castle's secret room is hidden within the maze. But as your guardian, there's no way I'm letting you go there alone—it's dangerous, and you can't even use your magic properly yet."