Re:War (Discontinued)

Chapter 15: New Starts

I was standing with everyone once again. This time, I was going to succeed. I had to.

Repeating everything I did before, we were in her house once more. This time however, I knew what I had to do.

"All this time.... I spent all this time paying back their debt... letting my body get defiled by men... all for nothing?!"

"Iona..." Alice hugged her.

"Hey, Iona... there's something sticking out of your father's coat..."

"A letter... it's...," she pulled it out. "It's for me?"

"Maybe you should read it," Scarlet sighed.

She tore it open, slowly reading the letter.

Iona, we're sorry for what we've done to you. We don't expect you to forgive us, nor do we think you would, but that's okay. We probably don't deserve it. Our gambling and drinking put you in this situation to begin with. But I heard recently that you would be coming back sooner or later, we've been thinking of giving you a surprise once you do.

We can't possibly change what we've done. But we want to at least have you back with us. The three of us as a family. And, if you really want to, you can go and have an adventure on your on, we won't hold you back.

We just hope you can live fully, without us holding you down.

"Mama... Papa..." her tears welled up.

"Iona..," I held her shoulder, subtly checking for changes in her mana flow. It was still stable.

She was calm... Did... did it work?

She started wailing, holding the letter to her chest. Her cries filled the room, Alice just kept hugging her as Scarlet stood beside me. She loved her parents, even after what they put her through. Her cries were proof of that.

How she wanted to get home, how she wanted to meet her parents again... she never resented them for their actions. She just... loved them nonetheless.

It took a while before Iona managed to calm herself down, Scarlet and Fenrir keeping watch the whole time. I took her upstairs and pretended to stumble across the room from before.

"Letters...?"

I picked up a few.

"Drafts of them. Your father must've been trying over and over to write the letter the best he could. Along with your mother. They must've wanted to send you that letter that day all this happened... I think... you should hold onto that," I sighed. "The feelings of your parents are in that letter."

"Alice agrees... don't lose that letter."

Iona nodded, sniffling. Her eyes and nose were red from all the crying. But... she was safe. No danger of going Berserk like the last two times.

"W-What now...?" She asked. "I don't have a home anymore.... everyone in the town is gone..."

"Iona, come with us! Master will keep you safe! Master always kept Alice safe, you will be no different!" Alice smiled. "We... we can be a new family together!"

That kid's strong. You can tell she wants to cry, but she's holding back, all for a friend.

Yeah.

You did well, Raibo. All you had to do was die twice.

I'd prefer you leave that out...