Chapter 11: Adolescence Realized

Floating amidst this endless darkness once again leaves me with a similar emptiness. Gone is that feeling of desperation, the emotion sucked away into the vacuum of space. But unlike space, there is no wonder. If I had stayed a spectator, perhaps I would have found an answer to Ava’s plight.

My mind continues to wander. Maybe I shouldn’t have told her about Ava, or maybe she would’ve taken it better if I didn’t mention the book. No, during that moment both options weren’t possible. I needed to stay truthful, or else I wouldn’t be able to trust myself.

What I did find out was that Ava and Ordelia’s Instinct are somehow related. Ordelia even suggested that such a future could only be a result of her failure as a caretaker. Considering how careful she is, I doubt it could have been her fault, but again, I know nothing.

With thoughts such as these, one could believe that I am feeling a great deal of regret, but I cannot. Not in this place. I could reminisce on Mikels death for what feels like an eternity, wondering about the events that I had no control over.

An eternity...such a thing would be boring.

Such a reality would leave me in a state of melancholy. I wonder how a god deals with such a conundrum, with an existence based on eternity. Even for someone who’s ensured an everlasting lifespan, my vampiric existence so far seems fleeting. I’ve lived for seventeen years and so far it all feels like it’s gone by so quickly. How will everything feel once I’ve achieved my goal?

A sharp pain shoots through what feels like my head, along with a blinding flash of light. A splash of colors manifests before my eyes, forming an image. No, a scene. It’s a small child staring at something intently. As the scene before me becomes clearer, I recognize those gleaming orbs of curiosity. It’s Ava.

“Wow! What other patterns can you make?” she gasps, her face bright with joy.

“Here, we can make one together.” responds a familiar voice with just as much excitement.

Once again I’m spectating through Ordelia’s eyes, and this time it’s just her and Ava sitting at the edge of a small bed. The room itself looks simple with its white walls and tan wooden floors, although the occasional stuffed animal sitting on the light blue bed sheets seem to be the only thing adding character to this room. This must be Ava's room.

With her fingers binded in the threads of The Cat's Cradle, Ordelia puts her hands out towards Ava. “Pinch your fingers on these ends right here.”

Ava carefully pinches the threads Ordelia gestures with a wave of her finger.

“Now slowly pull those threads apart…” Ordelia says, sounding just as focused as the look on Ava’s face.

Doing just as she was instructed, Ava takes care in pulling apart the threads with her small fingers. While doing so, Ordelia starts moving her fingers out of the threads.

“Now unpinch your fingers and spread them apart!” Ordelia says, as Ava takes the formation of The Cats Candle into her own hands.

The look on her face is that of pure amazement, as a myriad of ‘oooo's’ and ‘aahh's’ escape her mouth in astonishment. The red threads between her fingers form a “X” within a rectangular shape. It’s a rather simple pattern for this children’s game of two, but nevertheless, she is still in awe.

It’s hard to tell if her reaction is genuine or not, considering the Instinct's intended effect, but I’m sure that doesn’t matter to them right now. Her eyes were filled with a certain type of sadness the last time I saw them, but she looks happier now. Her eyes glimmering in excitement, as she plays each thread.

Ordelia takes her hand and rubs the top of Ava’s head. Ava looks up at Ordelia and our eyes meet. She looks a bit concerned.

“Ava...how have you been feeling?” Ordelia asks, now sounding a bit hesitant.

“I’m fine Ms.Ordelia, is something the matter?”

“No...well, yes there is but it isn't your fault.”

Ava turns her head, not understanding what Ordelia is talking about. It's clear something is on her mind, as the mood has shifted. She continues to run her fingers through Ava’s hair in an endearing manner, as if lost in thought.

“I know it might be hard for you, but you really should learn to play with everyone else.” Ordelia explains to her. “I won’t be around forever.”

“What do you mean?” she asks.

“Well, someday you’ll find a family that’ll want to take you in. When that happens, you’ll have to get along with not only them but everyone else you meet.”

“Yeah, but you’ll visit me right?” Ava asks, moving her face closer to Ordelias.

“...I don’t think I’ll be allowed to do that.”

“Why not?”

“Well, because...because they’ll be your new family. You would be starting a new life with them and they might get jealous, so…”

“I don’t care if they get jealous, Ms.Ordelia is the only family I need! I don’t wanna go with a bunch of jerks like them!” Ava shouts, as if her hypothetical adopted family were right in front of her.

Ava turns away from Ordelia with her arms crossed, which in its own way is a little endearing. Seeing her act out this way demonstrates her innocence, the same virtue Ordelia intends to protect. Whether or not Ava’s indignation is because of The Cat's Cradle, it’s going to take more than that to convince her.

Ordelia makes a soft giggle.

“Huh, what’s so funny?” Ava asks harshly, her voice still filled with a tinge of annoyance.

“That’s my Ava, headstrong as always. You’ll scare away the boys with an attitude like that.” she laughs, still running her fingers through her hair.

“Who needs them anyway. Timothy is a cry baby and Bastion is such a know-it-all!” she says, turning away from Ordelia.

“What about the girls?”

Ava looks at Ordelia, her eyes downcast. “Milly is nice, but no one else talks to me. They’re so boring. It’s like they're scared of me…”

“Don’t you think you should be nicer to them then?” Ordelia says, while wiping the tears welling up in Ava’s eyes.

Ava sniffles. “Why should I be nicer to them? They don’t understand me, only you do Ms.Ordelia! Playing with them makes me feel so lonely!”

Ava huddles up to Ordelia, her body trembling while tears stream down her face. Ordelia is quiet. An outburst like that would be a shock to anyone, but it’s hard to fault the young Ava. Her heart is exploding with pure emotion, causing a shockwave of her true feelings to come bursting out.

I feel a tightness in my chest, this must be hard for Ordelia to see. Especially since she believes what she’s saying is for the best. While I agree with Ordelia’s methods, it doesn’t seem like Ava has room in her heart for anyone else but her.

She wraps her arms around Ava, pulling her closer. Surprised by the sudden embrace, Ava starts jerking away, but Ordelia in turn hugs her tighter.

“I’m sorry, please forgive me.” Ordelia says, her vision starting to blur from the tears welling up in her eyes. “I just want to see you getting along with everyone. I can’t keep such a sweet girl all to myself. You deserve more, you can do so much more than you think you can.”

“I can’t do it, not without you…” Ava weeps, pushing her face against Ordelia’s chest.

“Then I’ll stay by your side as long as you need me to, for as long as you want me to, until I can save you. My sweet Ava.”

The two of them continue crying in each other’s arms, like a mother comforting her troubled daughter. Such a pair would be inseparable under normal conditions, but their circumstances is what keeps them apart. Something isn't sitting right with me.

How could Ava end up the way she does after such a heartfelt promise? Surely Ordelia wouldn’t abandon her, no of course not, she cares for her too much. Then how-

The air behind me whistles, accompanied by a blood curdling shriek. A dark haze clouds my vision, forcing me into a state of panic. This feeling isn't my own, but it’s so strong that it’s hard to discern it myself.

When the haze clears, I see a door open at the end of a hallway. On the wall inside of the room is the shadow of a tall looming figure. Wondering what it might be, I’m immediately given a reason as to why I shouldn’t let my curiosity get the best of me. I hear a loud thud against the wooden floor, as disembodied laughter creeps out from inside. Someone to my left grabs my shoulder...wait, I can feel that?

“Ordelia, run!” yells the familiar looking woman as she grabs my hand.

The two of them turn and run down the hallway in hopes of escaping whatever that is. It’s clear to me now that I am yet again spectating through Ordelia’s eyes, and somehow things have taken a turn for the worse. It seems to be nighttime as well, with the light of the full moon shining a path down the dark hallway. And it’s thanks to that that I now realize the woman who grabbed Ordelia’s hand is her partner, Tiffany.

The air whistles again, as if something is ripping through it. A woman's panicked screams are cut short, right before a subsequent thud on the floor behind them.

“Stay back!” screams a woman from behind, as a huge explosion goes off.

“We need to get out of here, this is a lot worse than I thought.” Tiffany says in a panic, taking a device out of her pocket.

“Are we really just gonna leave them behind? They...they weren’t even a part of this!” Ordelia shouts.

“That shouldn’t be your concern right now. We need to contact the professor for pickup!” Tiffany shouts back, while dialing on her device.

“What about the children?!” Ordelia shouts, as she takes a glance behind her.

Another scream pierces the air, signaling the end of yet another one of the nuns. However, this time an object is flung towards Ordelia. Using her quick reflexes she catches it, but to her dismay it’s something even I didn’t expect. Her fingers set interlocked with the fingers of someone’s severed arm. The palm is still warm to the touch.

So it really wasn’t just a coincidence. Unlike before, I can now feel what she’s feeling. That includes this heightened sense of panic that’s causing her heartbeat to quicken.

“Dammit, why isn’t she picking up?!” Tiffany yells, holding the device up to her ear.

Ordelia tosses the arm away as both of them stand in the middle of the hallway. She looks around with the intent of escaping elsewhere, as they were nearing the end of hall anyways.

She sets her eyes on one of the windows lining the hall.

“You thinking what I’m thinking?” Tiffany says, noticing Ordelia staring at the window.

“But the children-“

“It’s after us, so it’s better that we go out there!” Tiffany interrupts with a point of her finger towards the window.

An eerie laughter echoes towards them from behind. It sounds just as innocent as a child giggling to itself, which is far more sinister under these circumstances. My shoulders tremble as Ordelia glances at Tiffany, who seems to be keeping an air of confidence about her. Although, seeing how the two of them are helpless at the moment, she must be acting this way for Ordelia’s sake.

Afterwards comes a crash, as a black figure with sharp looking green eyes rushes towards them.

“Gust!” Tiffany shouts. Her palm glows for a split second as the window shatters into pieces. Fragments of glass scatter as Tiffany once again grabs Ordelia’s hand.

"Ooo they’re getting away! What happens next?!"

"Patience sister, I’m getting to that part."

What the hell? Who is that, and why does one of them sound so excited?

"The two of them jump out of the window, in hopes of getting out of harm's way. But little did the doting nun know that she’d barely have a leg to stand on…"

The air hisses. Ordelia screams out in pain, tumbling onto the grass below the window. The pain was brought on by something cold and sharp ripping through the back of her leg. I can feel the warmth of her blood gushing from the wound as if it were my own. How is this possible now?

She looks at where her calf has been severed and the pain starts to intensify. It’s the result of her realizing how hurt she is, coupled with the fear of witnessing the weapon that wounded her.

The crescent blade of the scythe looming above her shimmers in the moonlight, as her blood drips from its sharpest point. She forces herself to stand up, but not without a bit of stumbling.

"Terrified by her pursuer, she frantically tries to get away. With labored breath, her hands start to glow. A spell brewing within the palm of her hand."

“Who are you? Show yourself!” Ordelia screams, as the scythe slashes away at her. Hopping back on one leg she dodges the incoming assault. She inadvertently misses her footing on the grass, giving the wielder shrouded in darkness an opportunity to slash horizontally.

Ordelia raises her left hand right as the scythe whistles through the air, protecting her neck with a force field of her Influence. However, calling it a force field would be an exaggeration since it’s more like a small shield in the palm of her hand.

It’s a relief she was so quick to react, but she’s being pushed to her limits. I can feel the stress this is putting on her body; she isn’t built for this kind of combat, but she doesn’t have a choice. The figure is unrelenting when pushing its scythe against the shield in her palm, and it’s beginning to crack under the pressure.

“Ordelia!” Tiffany yells.

She swoops in with a kick, knocking away the figure. It tumbles on the grass before stabbing the ground with the blade of its scythe, stalling the momentum it’s gliding on. Then, as if weightless, it lunges into the air and stands on the pole of the scythe sticking up.

“Tiff, are you okay!?” Ordelia asks.

“Am I okay? I should be asking you that question. Your leg got hit!” Tiffany shouts, looking down at her.

“Yeah, but I’m feeling fine. Just a little scratch that’s all-”

“That isn’t ‘just a little scratch’! If you were cut any deeper you wouldn’t have a leg right now.”

Tiffany is right. While she’s trying not to show it, Ordelia is struggling to bear with the pain. If she were forced to move from this spot, her right leg would have to do most of the work.

Ordelia motions her arms to get up, but Tiffany places her hand on her shoulder. She kneels down towards Ordelia with light blue sparks flickering in her palms, and starts using her healing magic.

"Aw, the other one is ruining the fun. I wanted to see her struggle a bit longer."

"Now Now sis, don’t let your interest wane just yet. There’s still a lot more to this story."

“Tiffany…” Ordelia whispers.

“You can hear it too, right?” Tiffany says with a nod. “Who is that speaking? Show yourselves!”

Brother, I think the troublesome one has gone crazy!

Really? Oh dear. Well I suppose trauma can cause one to have delusions-

“Don’t give us anymore of your smug commentary! Who are you?” Tiffany shouts back, looking at the hooded figure standing on the scythe.

For a moment, the two voices fall silent. A light breeze blows passes, as if nature itself is shaken by the tension.

"Ahem, I was mistaken, sister. She seems to be referring to us."

"That shouldn’t be possible! Mortals shouldn’t be able to hear us, are they special?"

"Nonsense, it’s an overstatement to even call them mortals, their Influence is so timid."

“Heh, so we’re less than mortals, huh? That’s rich coming from the two brats that are hiding!” Tiffany protests, glancing every which way around her.

"Hehe, You hear that brother? She’s blaming her lack of awareness on us."

"Indeed, she is, but I expect nothing less from weaklings… Still, it’s impressive that you’re even able to hear us."

“Tiffany, were you able to contact the professor?” Ordelia asks, her eyes darting as she examines the forest behind the figure. There isn’t anyone else around them, but the voice seems so close, so present.

“No, she isn’t picking up. Seems like we’ll have to get ourselves out of this.” Tiffany explains while still tending to Ordelia’s wounds.

"You hear that brother, she thinks she can fight against the inevitable. She must be the knight in shining armor of this Tale!"

“Tale...you don’t mean-” Tiffany says, her breath caught mid-sentence.

Hearing her gasp, Ordelia turns towards Tiffany and realizes that the figure has lunged at her. Its fist firmly planted against her gut, leaving her heather gray eyes widened in shock. The impact lifts her to feet, leaving her reeling in agony, as it goes for a left jab to her face and right jab to her ribs.

Tiffany shouts in further agony, but grits her teeth as she attempts to strike back with her glowing fist. It dodges her fist without missing a beat, and pushes the heel of its foot into her chest.

Tiffany is knocked against a nearby tree, causing her light blue Influence to dissipate as she falls to the ground groaning. The grass shuffles. Ordelia springs up to her feet with a punch, realizing that the figure is about to lunge towards Tiffany once again. The figure doesn't even so much as flinch when it connects, but she got its attention.

"The doting nun with her shields conjured up with her Influence, blocks the oncoming assault. Strangely enough, considering the overwhelming power of her opponent, her stance remains consistent with each hit."

"Wow, she’s doing a lot better than before! Maybe she’s the knight that girl is looking for!"

"Who knows sister, we’ve barely gotten to the good part yet."

They’re right, Ordelia is holding up pretty well, but it’s unnerving how they knew those details before I did. While I’m now more in tune with her state of mind, it's only making things more difficult for me. It’s hard to remain indifferent to the situation when I’m feeling every bit of her struggle. If only I could talk to her…

As she’s facing off against the frontal assault, I sense something incoming from her left. It’s moving fast.

“To your left!” I scream at the scene in front of me, hoping she’d listen.

Ordelia turns left, ducks backwards underneath the scythe spinning towards her, presses her hands in the grass, and rolls away. The figure catches the scythe and rests it against its shoulder as if waiting for the next move.

"What just happened brother? This isn’t in the book. Her top half should be crawling away gasping for air."

"Indeed, that should be the case, but somehow that has changed. Look, even the words on the page have changed too."

"Wow, she really is a knight in shining armor! That’s so cool!"

"Perhaps she is, but I’ve never seen the words on these pages change. Interesting indeed…"

“You’re back again? I thought I shut you out months ago…” Ordelia whispers under her breath.

“You can hear me now? Great, you and your partner need to run! That thing is way too dangerous.”

“Hold on now, when did I start taking orders from you!?” She shouts.

“The moment you decided to dodge that scythe on my warning.”

“I would’ve dodged it without your help, you just reminded me too.” She says with a conceited tone of voice.

“It surprises me how bullheaded one creature can be. Aren’t you supposed to be subservient and open-hearted? You’re a nun!”

“First you insult me, and now my pious beliefs? I serve only the gods, not a demon whose heart grows colder with each kill!”

"Brother, perhaps I was wrong. It seems this one has lost its mind. She’s screaming into thin air, the mortal mind is truly fragile."

"Indeed it is, but that isn’t what’s happening right now. The Turning Point of this Tale surely is interesting."

Ordelia turns around and looks up. “You mentioned ‘Turning Point’, how do you know about that?”

"A better question would be, what don’t we know about it. Right, brother?"

"Indeed, and it seems that we’ve discovered a new detail. Someone is caught in your instinct, are they not?"

“Caught in my instinct? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Ordelia replies, as a sudden chill causes her skin to crawl.

"The Cat's Cradle is an instinct that binds its opponent’s in a thread of memories. It can put them in a trance, allowing the user to manipulate a person’s perception while surpassing the barrier of time through their memory."

"Brother isn’t that explanation too long? Geez, what he’s trying to say is that the person you’re speaking to is not of this timeline."

“Funny of you to assume that I’m speaking to anyone other than myself.”

"Haha, she’s so cute. Trying to play it off, don’t worry you’re only making this more fun for us!"

"Indeed. But I suppose we could make things a little more interesting ourselves, don’t you agree, sister?"

One of them claps their hands twice. The sound is flat, yet the echo resonates across the church's backyard. There’s a moment of silence before an immense pressure falls upon Ordelia. Her body creaks as she attempts to stand on her feet, but it’s a fool's errand on her part. It’s like drowning in a deep ocean, where the sea of Influence crushes her as she’s brought closer to the sea floor. For someone like Ordelia, this is what I expected.

She breaks out into a sweat. I can feel myself getting lightheaded as she uses every ounce of her Influence to keep herself from being crushed. Trying to keep herself conscious through the dizziness, she catches a glimpse of something strange as she opens her eyes. While the hooded figure continues standing in the distance, two figures appear before her. But since lifting her head up any further is impossible, she can only see their legs.

“Brother, I think letting her see us is too much for her. It’s not fun if she just dies.” says the female voice.

“Indeed, how disappointing. I guess our avatars will have to do, sister.” the male one responds with a sigh.

As they’re deliberating between each other, their Influence starts to let up. Still dizzy, Ordelia catches a glimpse of them from below their waist. One is wearing a frilly pink dress with white stockings and brown shoes, while the other is wearing dark gray slacks with long white socks and black shoes. And with the blink of an eye, they vanish.

Ordelia stands up, her limbs trembling from exertion. She notices the figure still standing in the distance. Its black shroud flowing in the breeze, standing affixed like a scarecrow with its scythe in hand.

“Up here, girl.” says the male voice from above, sounding just as apathetic.

Looking up, she notices their avatars floating midair. Unlike their humanoid forms, they are now two blobs with faces similar to a jack-o-lantern

“This should be more than appropriate for us to introduce ourselves. Don’t you agree, sister?” the black one says with a deep voice.

“You said it big bro!” shouts the yellow one, with her high-pitched voice. “Hmm...but should we really be doing this? Maximillion might get mad if he finds out.”

That name sounds familiar. Did I hear it somewhere else before?

“Don’t worry, sister. He has more urgent matters to attend to.”

“Since you two cowards have finally shown yourselves, what do you know about the Tale?!” Ordelia shouts, pointing at the two of them.

“For someone whose face was in the dirt, you like to talk big!” laughs the yellow one.

“And it won’t happen again. You two just caught me by surprise, that’s all! Now start talking before I have to get serious!” Ordelia shouts back.

“Don’t let their looks deceive you. Their Influence is far higher than yours.” I warn Ordelia.

The black one sighs. “If your intention is to confirm whether or not we're on the same page, then there isn’t much to explain. We know just as much as you do at the moment.”

“Liar!”

“What is there to lie about? Our knowledge is from the book itself, we know only as much as we read. Besides, aren’t you harboring a visitor from another timeline?”

“What makes you so certain?” Ordelia asks, taking a slight gulp.

“The words written in the book of Tales are predestined, meaning they are written long before the subject is even born. That means that those who are aware of the subject and the events that are going to be brought upon them cannot change the outcome. No amount of foresight can change that…” he explains, his deep voice dragging on, before taking pause. “That means only someone with hindsight can affect it after the fact.”

“Hindsight is 20/20 after all!” the yellow one shouts, bouncing with glee.

If what they’re saying is true, that means my words have been influencing everything up to this point. They did mention that the words in the book changed after I warned her. If just the slightest warning can change the Tale entirely, I dread to think how much what I said so far has affected this timeline. I knew I should have taken more caution from the beginning, but the idea of time travel seemed so absurd.

But should we even trust them? When I got a sense of their Influence, it was far above anything I’ve ever encountered. With that level of power, what could their motives be?

Ordelia places her finger on the side of her head. “So you mean to tell me that this guy is my key to saving Ava?”

“It depends, right Ava?” Says the black blob, glancing at the hooded figure.

The figure pulls back the dark hood shrouding its appearance, revealing the face of the troubled girl. Veins protrude around her jade green eyes, while her pupils give off a vibrant glow. The darkness that covers her arms like a sleeve pulls back, revealing her fair skin underneath. Looking at her cold expression, the more it reminds me of present-day Ava. This must be her Turning Point.

What’s strange is that Ordelia doesn’t seem surprised. Why is that? Surely her desire to save Ava hasn’t faltered. Maybe she knew?

“You hear that Sintobi, you’re gonna help me save Ava!” she declares, sounding a bit too over ambitious.

“It’s not like I have a choice…I’ll help in any way I can.”

There’s still a lot I need to figure out, so working with her is my best option. And seeing how this is time travel, saving Ava should be our first priority. We have to prevent her from going down the dark path that led her into Mayor Greene’s grubby paws.

“Leave me...you won’t...you can’t leave!” Ava’s voice cracks in a shrill manner, as if her aching desperation is calling out.

“What does the book say, brother?” the yellow one asks with the same glee. Unconcerned with the confrontation that’s about to take place.

“Sister, do you think I would make us go through the trouble of using our avatars just to read the book further? I have something else in mind...”

The droplet-like shape of the black blob distorts and begins to ooze. The thick black ooze seeps onto the ground as it gurgles and bubbles like molten lava. Leaving the grass and plant life surrounding it to wilt and decay in an instant. I’ve never seen someone’s Influence alone affect the physical world around it, let alone be this thick. It’s unlike anything I’ve seen before. What are they?

The pitch-black ooze settles into a puddle atop the grass, before lunging it’s black tendrils towards Ava. She waves her scythe around. The air whistles with each slash, as she takes swift cuts at each of them. The severed tendrils fall to the ground, melting away into what looks like splotches of ink. When did she become so skilled at wielding a scythe?

The next moment, each of those splotches stretches into more tendrils. Ava’s eyes widen as she waves her scythe around once again, but there are too many. With at least triple the number of tendrils compared to just a moment ago, she is quickly overwhelmed.

Sensing Ordelia’s urge to take action, I reign her in with a warning. I know she’s anxious but I get the sense that Ava isn’t the one in danger.

Once they absorb into her body, her posture goes limp. Her body hunches over while her arms dangle in front of her, but her stance remains steady and rigid.

“Brother, she’s a mere beast. Giving her your Influence will surely brea-”

Ava bellows, as her mist-like Influence seeps from her body. It begins to spread around her, creating a ghastly scene as her Influence sharply rises before us. It almost feels just as overbearing as those two, but it isn’t leveling out. The feeling is getting worse, which means she’s getting stronger.

Having felt Influence similar to this just a few moments ago, Ordelia manages to keep her stance steady this time. She’s a quick learner, but I doubt she’ll be able to keep it up. If Ava were to attack now, Ordelia wouldn’t have the reflexes to react given how much she’s concentrating on maintaining her footing.

“You see sister, this girl is closer to one of us right now. It’s in the nature of those with a Tale to want more power, so it’s our duty to judge those with one.” says the black blob, with a smirk. “Now claim your master, Headless Horseman.”

With a snap, Ava disappears. In an instant, the green mist that was engulfing the backyard vanishes, leaving a clear moonlit landscape before us. The pressure of Ava’s Influence has been lifted from Ordelia’s shoulders too, but something feels strange. While her senses were cleared instantaneously, I can still feel something there. Wait, these are my own senses…

“Ordelia, in front of you!” I shout.

In the blink of an eye, the blade of her scythe appears before us. Catching a glimpse of the wide grin on Ava’s face, it’s like the desire for mischief is coursing through her being, bolstering her killing intent. At this point, it’s clear the girl Ordelia knew is gone.