The Hourglass

Chapter XV.

It's all too much. I rocked back and forth on the floor as the truth of Elizabeth's word resurfaced. Sensing my thoughts while not picking up my high levels of cortisol running through my veins, unhelpfully the plaques in the vortex began to display some of my memories with Amelie Phélès.

Amelie:  I struggle to see your future. The wires get all crossed- almost like I'm seeing multiple people's future all at once. I do love you though, Jasmin..even if I don't always show it. M..Marzia, is that you?

Jasmin: Amelie..did you know the truth, or just suspect it?

Attempting to answer the question, I had a vision. Various timelines after timelines flow right before my eyes and each window displayed the moment of Amelie's death. In some alternate timelines, it is Augustus who kills her. In others, Kurtis or Theo are her killer. In other still, she killed herself from the lost of Marzia. I saw my mother - Amelie- dying in over a thousand times in different ways. Yet, in each of the timelines, one consistency remains; before her death, where she sacrificed her remaining powers to me so that I may face the trials ahead of me.

Jasmin: No..No! I can't take it!

Elizabeth: Marzia..I'm so sorry. I don't expect you to forgive me or feel that you've been lied to for years. I..I did what I felt I had to.

Elizabeth's ghost fades from existence. I barely noticed her departure nor heard her final words as I was still having more visions of my mother's death.

Kargo: That is enough!

Kargo pounced on me and licked my face which snapped me out of the vision. Then, I remembered something else that Amelie might've told me.

Amelie: Oh, sweetie. When you're close to death, it's what you did or didn't do in those trivial times that you'll regret the most. So try to enjoy it, yes?

Jasmin: She..she was trying to numb the pain, and I never even brought her that bottle of wine!

Kargo: What bottle of wine?

Jasmin: She-she was drinking with Augustus, and..and-

Kargo: Shhh. That doesn't matter now, none of that matters. Jasmin...are you okay?

Jasmin: Why didn't Amelie tell me the truth? 

Kargo: That she was your mother, you mean? I..I am not certain that she knew. Not for sure, anyway. Apart from Amelie, I knew Marzia the best, and I didn't suspect.

Maybe, still..something tells me she strongly suspected who I was.

Kargo was silent for a brief moment as he considered my answer.

Kargo: After you died, Amelie was inconsolable. She was wracked with guilt and convinced that she had been a terrible mother to you. In that state, she didn't feel able to look after your daughter, Émilina. That failure just made her feel even more worse.

Jasmin: I.. have..a daughter.

Kargo: If Amelie did suspect the truth and if she saw some terrible fate which lay ahead of you- a fate you were not strong enough to face, she would have willingly given her life to give you power..to give you a fighting chance.

Jasmin: She could have told me her plan!

Kargo: If she had, would you have let her go through with it?

Jasmin: I..Probably not.

Kargo: Of course you wouldn't. If she knew that  her power you would die..or much worse. Well, it's no wonder she kept her cards close to her chest. Still, all of this is purely speculation. It's possible that she didn't know at all. However, there's one thing that I do know.