CHAPTER 545

MEMORIES

The wind settled deep in the night, lastly washing over the tender high-rises surrounding the flying islands above. The picturesque scenery burned against the starlit sky, hundreds of shimmering flames flickering like fireflies. The world was all but quiet, yet on one of the balconies, isolated by a surrounding array, not a peep could be heard beyond soft breathing.

Hannah sat on a chair, gazing at the distant moon, one of her hands supporting her chin, the other caressing sleeping Aaria’s hair. The girl had remained awake for days and had crashed virtually the moment Hannah returned. The latter had a tender smile on her face as she glanced down, sighing right after. Gently lifting up the girl, she carried her into the bedroom and laid her down before returning, opening a bottle of wine.

She let the liquid churn down her throat and burn away through her lungs, seething her innards. The reality was rather elusive, she mused inwardly; though she had promised Lino to inform Eggor and Cae, she began deliberating on it the moment she saw their faces.

Chuckling bitterly, she shook and lowered her head. Whatever disposition she showed to the world, it seemed that she was still that same indecisive, slightly cowardly girl that she used to be in her youth. The world was hers, yet so were the fears.

The space opposite of her rippled all of a sudden as a figure walked out, surprising her. Alison stood garbed in an ordinary dress, her golden hair pulled behind her ears, a single flower decorating it. The gem-like blue eyes met hers squarely, curving in a slight smile. She had retained her perfectly youthful disposition, though Hannah didn’t know whether it was her natural aging, or using Qi. Even still, the elegance and the beauty that had been the mainstay of her life had both been elevated.

She gracefully sat across and casually took the wine bottle, filling a single glass she had taken seemingly out of nowhere, taking a sip.

“… Ella’s dead.” Hannah muttered subconsciously, as though the pressing mountain that was the burden forced the thought out of her mind and out into the world.

“… yeah.” Alison mumbled lowly, the blue in her eyes shimmering faintly as they grew teary. “Did you tell them?”

“I couldn’t…”

"… I'll do it if you want." Alison offered.

“No,” Hannah shook her head, chuckling bitterly. “How can I offload it on my Junior Sister? I still have a backbone, Ally,” she added. “No matter how hidden it is.”

“… let me at least be there with you.” Alison insisted, smiling weakly, stretching out her hand and grasping Hannah’s. “Lately, it feels, we’re of less and less help to you.”

“… it’s fine,” Hannah smiled, grasping her hand back. “You’ve your own lives.”

“As do you.”

“And it’s to be an Empress.”

"No," Alison shook her head. "It's just one small part of the whole. If I'm being honest," Alison took a deep breath before continuing. "I hold a tinge of resentment toward Lino for forcing so much on you. I can't remember the last time the two of us had any fun together. All year-round, you'd be jumping around like a rabbit, putting out fires that should have been his to put out."

“… I don’t,” Hannah said, taking a sip of the wine. “While I may have an Empire to uphold, he had the entire world Ally. To be honest, having him as a husband is a wee bit exhausting.”

“A wee bit?” Alison chuckled. “That’s one way to put it.”

“…” a strange silence fell between the two for a moment before Alison broke it.

“I’ve remembered, by the way.”

“Remembered?” Hannah glanced at her quizzically.

“… the days at the orphanage.”

“… when?” Hannah asked in a low tone, feeling Alison’s grip tighten.

“When Elta left me,” she replied, her smile weakening. “It all came surging back… like a tidal wave.”

“…”

“… do you think he hated me?” she glanced up, meeting Hannah’s shining, green eyes. “For forgetting?”

“… why would he?” Hannah smiled weakly. “If anything, he hated himself for being the reason you had to forget in the first place.”

“… when I remembered all the horrid things I told to him as you and Master dragged me away… I can’t imagine what he must have felt.” Alison said.

“Hey,” Hannah’s voice turned gentle and warm as she moved the other hand and covered the Alison’s she was already holding. “Without you, he would have died back then, Ally. He knows that better than anyone. I remember, whenever he would talk about you, pain the likes of which I’ve rarely seen in him surfaced in his eyes. Bitterness, self-loathing, anger… he knows, as much as I do, there’s no greater sacrifice anyone, not me, not Ella, not Eggor, not anyone, has made for him than you. I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to hug you and to thank you for what you’ve done for him,” Hannah’s voice cracked slightly as Alison’s lips began to tremble. “Because… every time I imagine my life without him… it’s the sort not worth living, Ally.”

“…”

“In his heart, you’ve reserved a palace that can never be replaced,” Hannah smiled, tilting her head slightly as tears began streaming down her cheeks. “A corner reserved entirely for you. Because, without you, none of this, none of us as are now, would have been possible. Thank you… thank you so much…”

"…" a dam inside Alison's heart cracked as she began sobbing, running over to the other side of the table and thrusting her head into Hannah's lap. The latter embraced her gently, holding the trembling body as though it was made out of glass. The golden hair spilled over Hannah's blue dress like the morning sun spills over the sky, breathtaking to behold.

“Tsk,” a click of the tongue startled the two as they turned to the other side of the balcony where a figured draped in tight leather stood leaning against the concrete fence. “Are you two kids? What are you doing, bawling your eyes in the middle of the night?”

“—come,” Hannah extended one of her arms, her lips stretching out into a beaming smile. “If you don’t, I’ll make an imperial decree nicknaming you a flat-chested pig.”

“…” Lucky looked at Hannah dubiously for a moment before sighing, shaking her head and smiling helplessly, walking over and joining a rather cramped threeway hug. While Hannah and Alison still sobbed for a while, she hid a stealthy smile of her lips. It seemed to her, at that moment, that the decades of bone-breaking struggles, heart-wrenching pains, and soul-ripping agonies… was all worth it, just for now. For this.

The three remained embraced for a little while longer before pulling away, sitting around the table, drinking wine in silence. The reddened eyes spoke volumes to the bleeding, yet continuously healing, hearts.

Hannah gazed over the two women sitting with her, realizing that without Lino, she most likely would have never met them. Rather, whichever way she looked, he was the catalyst for everything that orbited her life; the friends and foes she made along the line, the changes she experienced, the lifelong stories that were still unfolding. The vastly foolish boy hellbent on revenge had cornered the world in his palms, yet she hardly cared for that; in her mind, Lino's greatest achievement, perhaps, was forming the core of their little group, most of which were already fast-asleep, resting after the restless few days.

“… we should hold a small gathering one of these days,” Hannah said. “Just us gals. We can invite Val, Seya, Xia, Namia, Lyn, Litha, Elta, Reli, Alana, Ayla, Edith, Ava… everyone.”

“Oh? The gossiping event of the era?” Lucky mumbled. “Count me in.”

“Oh, speaking of gossiping!” Alison seemed to liven up all of a sudden. “You won’t believe who I saw together just a few hours ago!”

“Who?” Lucky and Hannah asked.

“Ty and Lyn!”

“What?!” Lucky exclaimed, far more surprised than Hannah. “She confessed?!”

“She confessed?!” Hannah exclaimed even louder. “Didn’t he?”

“Eh? He fancied her?” Lucky quizzed.

"… what? Did his fawning really get to your head?" Alison asked with a slightly dubious gaze, causing Lucky to feel dripped in a cold sweat for a moment. "He was clearly using you to get a reaction out of her. Don't tell me his flattery felt real nice, huh?”

“N-no, of course not,” Lucky quickly denied. “That brat? Psh. What flattery? He was just annoying. Fuck him.”

“… oh wow,” Hannah mumbled. “You throw people under the wagons faster than booze from the wagon.”

“… how long have you been thinking up that one?” Lucky asked, noticing Hannah’s proud expression.

“I stole it from Lino, actually,” Hannah shrugged. “He sometimes sleep-talks, just listing one terrible pun after another. It’s like a treasure trove.”

“… wow, talk about desperate…”

“Oh, shut it,” Hannah rolled her eyes at Lucky, taking a sip of the wine. “Good for them, still. First Seya and Avon, then Rio and Xia, now Lyn and Ty. If we can convince them to hold their weddings on the same date, we can throw the biggest celebration the world has ever seen.”

“Eight months of non-stop drinking, dancing, and screaming!” Lucky exclaimed. “Let’s fuckin’ do it!”

"Oi, hold your horses. What do you mean by eight months of non-stop drinking? Do you want to kill us all?" Alison rolled her eyes.

“Tsk, just because you’re a lightweight doesn’t mean the rest of us are.” Lucky said.

“… I’m fairly certain only you, Hannah and Lino could endure that without dying. And I’m twice as certain you’d still end up crippled for life afterwards.” Alison retorted.

“… fine, fine, fine, we won’t do eight months. We’ll do seven!”

“We first have to ensure they don’t break up, though,” Hannah said, stroking her chin like a master tactician all of a sudden. “Ladies, start brainstorming.”

“…” Alison observed the serious two with a faintly bemused, but more so terrified expression. It was almost impossible for her to figure out whether they were just fooling around, or were genuinely serious; what’s worse, her gut feeling leaned onto the latter. The two were certainly insane enough to pull it off – she was well-aware of it.