Chapter 16 - Family Issues

It's been 5 days since I locked myself in the attic and nothing of my daily routine changed.

One good thing was that now I seemed to have more time than I usually did give it my all for 5 days straight without stopping.

Throughout the 5 days, my mother and father would knock on the door and ask me questions. While I could easily forgive and forget what my mother had done I didn't. While this wasn't the first time she had done something like this to me where she would believe everyone other than me but also that the last occasion stung.

While I could understand not believing anything a child would say, yet the lack of trust my mom had to have for me to believe such a crappy lie said by two children both pissed me off and opened my eyes to what's around me.

I realized how naive I was being by judging my father without getting to know him. I was doing the exact thing I criticized many for back on earth.

My lack of trust in father figures made me judge my father and trust my mother a lot more, but what stops my mother from being as bad as my earthly father?

What stops my father from being just as caring as Aroura or even my earth mother?!

Whenever my Dad would come and knock on my door I would always open it as long as I didn't sense anyone coming with him.

I would always ask him if my mother was with him even though I knew the answer before he even knocked, yet I wanted to test him. He didn't lie to me a single time nor did he try to force nor convince me to come downstairs.

All he would say is to come down when I'm ready and to give my mother a chance which I respect. The rest of the time we would chat about Martial arts, stances, and techniques while he would give me pointers on how to improve and also what I'm lacking in.

While he was away I would learn about magic and the elemental particles around me. What I have learned in the last 3 years was that I must imbue the elements with my will through my soul flame. Chanting was a way of visualizing the words you are saying in a way that would allow your mind and will to be in sync and finally cast the spell.

What I'm trying to find out is a way to visualize the magic and imbue my will into the elements without the use of chanting since it doesn't work for me.

What you think would be an easy task turned out to be near impossible. Just visualizing the contents of the magic and trying to imagine it isn't enough. For the first three days, I was constantly trying to create a spell-like air bullet until I gave up and tried to make fire spells and then water spells before the 5th day came.

Aroura would usually come home on 'Friday'. They don't call it that, but I like calling things as they are in my head rather than relearning a phrase unless I'm forced to talk to someone about days that are likely in the future.

Anyway, my mother is waiting for Aroura to come home so I can go downstairs, and it's not that I'm being petty but I'd rather stay here and train rather than go into a warzone.

I am confidently stating that it's either I can't be bothered going downstairs and dealing with the heartfelt stuff or that I'm scared. For all, I know it could be a mixture of both.

The day had finally come when I heard a soft knock on my door. Yes, this is my door now since any room I live in for more than a week is now my domain.

The first thing I feel is that 4 soul flames are waiting outside with my father's being at the very back, barely within my range.

"Who?" I asked with a demanding cold tone that I had never let my sister hear until today.

I could feel there was a moment of hesitancy before she replied "Aroura"

"Aroura And?'

She paused after that question. I could tell mom was pressuring her to say she was alone, and honestly, I wouldn't blame her if she listened.

"J-just me" she stuttered

"hmm?'' I hummed followed with an inaudible chuckle.

"I mean, mom, dad Zack, Zarch, and I are here.

"so not just you" I sneered

"Yeah, sorry for lying," she said in the most apologetic, sincere way possible, making both my heart clench and become filled with guilt over the fact that I had made her apologize.

"don't worry about it. Come alone and I'll open the door" I said before starting to manipulate water magic and condensing all the water vapor in the air into a small ball before shooting it out of the open window.

I heard the sound of footsteps getting further away before there were only 2 souls within my range, one being my father and the other being Aroura.

"Are you sure if you want to come on? It's kind of small here" I said before opening the door.

Their shocked faces confused me until I realized that I had just told them that I knew there were only 2 people in front of my door.

They both got in without saying a word before we all sat down on the floor.

The repaired flood had burn marks going in a circle showing where the wood had been fixed from simply looking for the newest wood and the one within the outline of charred black wood.

"Mom looks sad you know, you should talk to her." Aroura broke the silence

"I'm quite annoyed that she trusts the neighbors more than her own daughter." I mocked back

She didn't expect me to make such a reply so she went silent for a bit before changing the conversation and talked about her Academy life with both me and your father while trying to simplify it for my 'child mind' to handle.

I didn't mind, just her being in the same room as I made my heart warmer and my body relax.

I got up before lying in her lap and going to sleep the instant my face hit her soft thighs.. It felt like my face was in the softest cloud while all my worries accumulated and stress sunk deep into her pillow thighs leaving me empty-minded before falling into a slumber.