Chapter 189 - Memory and a Nightmare

"Did you give her the dreams that I wanted her to have?"

The shawled man stared at the black-haired woman with her bloodshot eyes staring right at him. Her piercing stare and her foxy eyes were so fixated to his' as if they were staring directly to his soul. And her presence alone could make anyone tremble. Despite her dangerous disposition and her violent tendencies, the aura that she possessed still held a stronger influence.

She wasn't called L.u.s.t for nothing.

One of the 7 Warlock Generals who are the last of their kin.

"Yes." He told her. "The moment she closes her eyes and drifts into slumber, we will be able to see the dreams and the effect on her."

L.u.s.t smirked as she stared at the cauldron which showed a girl slowly drifting off to sleep as she reads a certain book.

**

Darkness and snow.

"Ah." 

"It's that time of the year again."

Faustina stared at Eula, her master, who had stared outside the window. The snow had piled up in front of their cabin and it was artic-cold. Faustina observed her master, whose eyes were set into one direction again. 

She was deep in thought.

Every time every year, she would always become like this. Every winter she would have that expression in her face; similar to sadness and longing. Faustina stared at Eula who was shawled in a scarf. Faustina walked towards her. She was small, oddly enough. Faustina remembers very well that she was sixteen.

But her memories were too hazy, and she was just fixated at her master.

Eula glanced towards the small Faustina who tugged her dress. She smiled warmly as she picked her up from the ground and then carried her to her arms. 

"Look at that snow." Eula said. "It looks like it's glowing at night, right?"

Faustina nodded. Eula always needed to lift her up because she isn't able to reach even the windows. 

What was her age again, at this time?

She couldn't remember.

"Whenever it snows, I'm reminded that it's cold," Eula said. "I'm reminded how freezing I was when I ran here for my life."

Faustina parted her lips to speak, but all that came from her lips were mumbles—and those mumbles were very much like that of a toddler.

A baby.

"Oh." Eula tilted her head. "What is it, Faustina?"

"Ah-goo," 

"Oh. Are you hungry?" Eula asked. "But you just ate earlier."

Faustina wanted to say her name.

"Ma-ma,"

Eula's face brightened up, but then in just a split second, she looked sad once more, even if she was smiling.

"No. Just Eula," Eula said. "You can't call me 'Mama'." 

Faustina reached towards Eula, and then at that exact moment, she saw her own hands. 

Chubby and short.

Like a child.

A baby.

…A baby?

"It would be dangerous for you if you call me 'Mama'…" Eula said. "You have to call me 'Eula'… but it isn't like you're going to remember this, anyway."

Remember what? What was this? Faustina wanted to ask, but she could only mutter sheepish mumbles. 

"So maybe I could do it for a bit?" Eula smiled, but her eyes still looked sad. "Daddy said I can't. But it's hard to. There's a possibility you might remember this… given your mana is… much similar to his mana."

Faustina mouthed her words.

"Da—da?"

Eula chuckled.

"Yes, Daddy." Eula smiled. "He's protecting us. We are protecting you, too."

From who? "A-goo,"

Eula smiled as she stares back at the outside of the window again.

"I can only seal your mana for a while," Eula exclaimed. "I aim to stay until you're eighteen. That way I can warn you what the perils that will await… and maybe the truth too if he permits it."

"Da-da?"

"Yes," Eula smiled. "Your daddy."

Faustina felt her head throbbing in pain. 

Who?

Who was Eula talking about?

"I wish he can visit us when everything is fixed," Eula said. "So he can see how cute you've become… and when that happens, I no longer have to remove it. Your memories."

Memories?

THROB.

'What was this? Everything began to crumble and then distort!' Faustina said into her mind.

No…! 

'I still have so many questions!'

Faustina opened her eyes only to see darkness. Her tears began to drip down to her face as a familiar scene awaited her.

"Eula! Master!"

Faustina cried as she looks around. There was nothing but darkness around her.

And in that darkness, she wept.

"Oh. Faustina~ my dear, dear, special Faustina."

Faustina's eyes widened as she sees the familiar figure of a man standing in front of her.

Black hair.

Red eyes.

And a sick smile on his face.

"You—!"

The man laughed hysterically.

"Oh. Eula… Eula, Eula!" He glowered down on her. "Look at the girl you raised. She turned to be someone who had abhorred all her morals and all the good values you have thought her!"

"No… I-I didn't—"

"Fraud!"

"Fake!"

"You deceived us!"

Faustina slowly turned to the people behind her.

Maddie, Orwell, Leviticus, Michelle… and everyone else was looking at her with eyes filled with piercing contempt and loathing. Faustina shriveled at the sight. Why? Why are they looking at her like that?

"See? Those are the people you deceived." The forsaken held her by her shoulder and then pointed at the people in front of Faustina. "You are a fraud. Look at them, who foolishly believed your lies."

"I just did it because it was for the best!" Faustina's voice shook at her last word.

"Best for YOU!" The forsaken laughed. "But what do they gain from it? Nothing. You have poisoned their minds into believing you. You, a Heilen, who is the puppet of the king of Feuersturm."

"That's not true… that's not true!"

"It is true."

Faustina blinked.

That voice.

"Eu…la?"

Appearing beside her was Eula…

Whose flesh was rotten and eyes hollow with gloom.

"You must accept that you are inherently evil inside." Eula smiled widely as she wrapped her deteriorating arms to Faustina. 

"That's right. Listen to us." The forsaken murmured with a low laugh.

"Listen to us…"

"Listen to us, Faustina…"

"You are evil!"

Faustina opened her eyes as she panted. Tears continuously dripped down. Her hand was reaching for something, and she was sweating beads of cold sweat. Faustina slowly sat down, hearing nothing but the silence with the ticking of the clock to be heard.

Her chocolate-brown eyes stared down at her trembling fingers.

What was that dream?

A snow in the cabin and a memory that she never thought she had… and a dream about the forsaken and Eula's corpse.

Faustina stood up and then sauntered towards her desk. It was already evening. She had missed lunch. 

The air was chilly, but she didn't want to close the windows of her room.

She opened her journal and began to write the contents of her dream.

'Mama'

'Baby'

'Daddy'

Those words were foreign to her. Eula never uttered them—not a single time. But in her dream, she said them. Faustina couldn't remember the details of the dream no matter how much she tried; but that hellish nightmare, she could remember them clearly.

Faustina stared at the skies as she lets the breeze sway her hair and momentarily let her have the peace that she desired.

**

In that same night, a young man with a silver-colored hair and a pair of amethyst eyes staring at the dark of the night, let himself drown on the depths of his mind.

He had no staff nor was he clothed properly.

Anyone would freeze wearing only a pair of trousers and a long-sleeved shirt. The air in Magierstadt was chilly, especially in the schoolmistress' tower. 

"Ezekiel." 

He turned to the woman who was sitting in front of a desk. She had just finished signing doc.u.ments. She then put down her quill pen, and then proceeded to pay attention to her son.

"What brought you here? Make it quick. I'm a bit busy."

Ezekiel stared at his mother. They were so alike—that people would find no traces of Ezekiel's late father's appearance him.

"Why didn't you fail Anakin Disfiegro?" Ezekiel asked. "You were also the one who held to your ground and didn't fail him despite the fact that the deans all decided to."

Anna Unsterblich stared at her son. 

Even he was straight to the point—just like she was.

"Why?" 

Ezekiel frowned. "'Why'?"

"Why do I need to fail a brilliant student?" Anna smiled. "He possesses the attributes of a good mage. I can see him rising to the top as he polishes his skill. It would be a waste to fail him, no? Especially the circ.u.mstances Magierstadt is and will be facing in a future not far from now."

Ezekiel couldn't answer his mother.

Anna, seeing this, only smiled at her son.

"Is this about his attempt on sabotaging Faustina Feuerlon?"

She stared at Ezekiel, who showed a fraction of surprise. 

Anna shook her head. Her son still has so much to learn.

"I suggest you stay out of the way for a while, Ezekiel Johann. This matter concerns the a.d.u.l.ts. Although you are the next schoolmaster, which is still three years from now, you still hold no authority." Anna exclaimed. "We decided to eliminate the weak for important reasons."

Ezekiel lowered his head.

"The prophecy is being fulfilled. You know that fully." Anna narrowed her eyes. "If we want to keep strong mages, then we must overlook their flaw."

"Do you understand, Ezekiel?"

Ezekiel clenched his fist.

"Yes, Mother…"