Centuries Long Love || Cartaphilus/Joseph (Discontinuted)

Chapter 6

"But you've forgotten that you are also part of her kind and I can't leave my master."
~

"Father! Up!" A young girl with shoulder-length brown hair jumped for her father's attention. I stepped closer to get a better image of the pair. The father's hair matched his daughters, except for the length, and his sapphire eyes held nothing but love for the little girl. The man lifted her as she wished, "Dear, I have something for you." The bubbly girl clapped her hands in excitement, grateful to receive a gift. Her father pulled out a slender, black box to give to his daughter; her purple eyes shimmered as she opened her gift, "Pretty!" The girl held a canary ribbon in her tiny hands while I noticed a slither of magic spiral around the ribbon. The father put her daughter down to tie her hair into a side-ponytail, "You're so cute, my princess."

The father's complexion became as white as paper when he looked at me. My transparent body reminded me, 'Right, he can't see me.' A woman with pale blonde hair and purple eyes stood behind me to stare at the two. "Mother!" The girl ran over to her mother to hug her. I glanced at the father to see his face expressing pain at the sight. "Look at what father gave me! Am I cute?" Her mother glared at the man yet her eyes softened when she looked at her daughter, "You're always cute to me, Princess." The little girl frolicked in joy while her parents had a one-sided glaring contest.

The memory ahead of me vanished into thin air as another scene formed. "Freya. Please, stop torturing Luka." My eyes widened as the father spoke, 'Why am I surprised? Father's book mentioned it.' The blonde woman clicked her fingers, which made the begging man sigh in relief. She frowned at him but snickered when she heard a shriek, followed by, "I'm not a monster!" The father's eyes carried anguish as he fell to his knees, unable to help his daughter. The screams grew louder, "That stupid Sleigh Beggy. You're both fools." Their daughter's shrieking ended and quiet footsteps made its way down the stairs. The father scrambled to stand up while my mother removed the scowl from her lips. Their child looked like a living corpse: her arms transformed into twigs, dark circles weighed her eyes down. "Good afternoon." Her, usually soft, voice croaked as if it pleaded for water.

Her mother's face morphed into insincere anxiety, "Dear, you look like monsters have attacked you. What's wrong?" Her father handed the girl a glass of water as she sat by the dining table. After gulping the water down, the young girl smiled like an angel, "I'm sorry I've locked myself in my room. I promise I'm okay so don't worry." The malicious woman froze when she saw her daughter's smile. Her purple eyes trembled for she realised what she did to her beloved child. "Thanks for the water, I'm going back upstairs."

As the little girl staggered upstairs with her frail legs, her mother left the house. I followed her to see her curled up into a ball as she pulled her long hair, "How can a smile change me so fast? I hate her so much yet I love her to death. What have you done to me, you stupid Sleigh Beggy?" I crouched beside her, conflicted on how I should feel. The blonde woman stood up with a hand over her eye, she sniggered to herself, "That's right. I don't have to kill her. I'll atone for my sins and bring Loki along with me. Goodbye, my monster in angel's clothing."

"I'm not a monster..." A paw rested on my forehead though it moved away once I sat up. 'Mother, Father...I'm sorry I couldn't help you.' I removed my hand away from my eye to see the three cats, my familiar as well as Elias. "You're final—" I interrupted whoever spoke as distress rushed towards me, "Chise! Elias, be ready to catch her." I raised my gloved arm to the sky; a pillar of water lifted from the lake. I ignored Blake's calls for me to stop as I carried on straining my body, 'If I wasn't so tired Elias wouldn't need to catch her.' The bonehead extended his arms to cushion the redhead's fall. After Elias caught Chise, I fell to my knees. My unsteady breathing bothered Elias but I shook my head, "Focus on C—Chise." Blake wrapped his arm around my waist while I rested my aching arm on his shoulders.