"Princess! Come down for dinner." Eldina yelled from the kitchen, as she finished dishing the food and was slowly carrying them to the dinner table. "Coming mum." Seraph replied and within minutes, she was downstairs.
She reached the table and immediately pulled out the chair, her stomach grumbled when she feasted her eyes on the food. Damn! was she hungry.
She picked her cutlery and immediately started to eat. Her mother soon joined her. Silence rang in the room, only the sound of the clicking of metals with ceramics could be heard.
Eldina faced Seraphina, looking at her with all the love in the world, if only se knew that she was going to die soon. She didn't know if to tell her or remain silent. She didn't know when but one thing she knew—she didn't have much time left.
"I love you, princess—" She said suddenly making Seraph choke on her meal, although it wasn't something new—her mother usually told her she loved her but why so sudden. "I love you too, mum." She replied after taking a drink of water.
Her mother smiled warmly. "Promise me that if one day I die you'll live your life the best way possible, you won't change or close yourself off from the world." She said and Seraphina furrowed her brows. What did she mean by if one day I die?
"Why are you saying this mother? It's not like you'll die soon, will you?" Eldina chuckled and shook her head. "No—"
"Then why are you being so dramatic. God!" She huffed taking another spoon full of rice. The woman looked at her with pity and somewhat admiration. She had lost alot of people in her life, and she promised not to leave her but faith had other plans.
With a sigh, she went back to her food and in a few minutes, she was done and packed the dishes to the kitchen. Seraph too joined her, helping her wrinse as she washes them.
"Seraph. Please open the window"
Seraph's eyes moved to the window and saw it wide open, the room was already chilly but she could see sweat droplets form on her rmums forehead. "The window is open mum"
She inched closer. "You okay—" she asked and the woman smiled. "I'm fine, just feeling a bit hot, please prepare a cool bath for me."
Seraph thought for some seconds before remembering something. "Oh, is it that time of the month, you're having crav—"
"Shut up and go prepare the bath." She snapped, cutting her off and smacking her head. She groaned and walked out of the room.
Eldina checked if Seraph was gone before removing her hand from the pocket of her apron. A gasp tore from her lips, her hands....they were red. Her veins pulsating with every passing second, her hand felt like it would explode. She placed her hands in the cold water, hoping that it would calm the insane burn she felt in her hands but all she felt was heat, insane burning heat.
It was time.
She pulled her hand out and tried to walk but it was impossible, her skin was peeling off her bones, like that of a broken doll. She was paralysed and she couldn't scream, she didn't want Seraphina to see this.
She shut her eyes momentarily, a hot tear rolled down her cheek. The pain was unbearable.
"Mum, I'm done filling the....MUM!!!!" Seraph yelled when she saw the state her mother was in. Her skin broke off her bones, falling in pieces to the ground, blood trickled down her nose, eyes and ears. Seraph's mouth flew open, her heart rate tripled as she stepped back. She could barely keep herself up. "Mum." She screamed again running to the woman.
She smiled warmly. The same way she always smiled. She tried to mask the pain but Seraph could already see the immense amount of pain she was going through.
The held her close to her body as she muttered some words, it was a spell, her tear dropped on Eldina's body and immediately dispersed into thin air.
"Why isn't it working!" Seraph snapped her voice from the tears. Eldina reached for her cheeks, caressing them with all the care in the world. Although her hand was burning hot, Seraph didn't care, she placed her hand on top of her's as she stared at her with nothing but pain in her eyes.
"I told you I loved you... right? I'll always be there for you, even if I die today I'll forever remain in your heart, I'll never leave you—"
Seraph drew in a breath—finding it hard to breathe, her lungs felt clogged. "You can't leave me, you're all I have left. " Her voice broke as she said that.
Eldina shushed her. "You'll always have me, no matter what." "Mother..." She croaked, her mind reeling back to the times when they were together, when she promised that she would always be there for her—when she promised that she would never abandon her.
"I'm sorry I couldn't stay long enough....." Her eyes went shut and immediately her body dissipated into particles. Her ashes rained down, filling the room with dust and debris. All that was left was her dress.
She felt her world stop, everything just seemed to freeze, as each particle of ash felt, she swore she could hear her mother's faint whispers. She wished it was all a dream, she wished it was all fake and her mother would just walk through the front door with that bright smile on her face but it didn't happen, her mother was gone and Gone for good.
Air swirled around the living room and immediately, a woman walked in, her eyes were blank and voidless. Seraph felt numb, her limbs felt like they weren't hers, she didn't even notice that there was someone else behind her.
Until she felt a force wrap around her neck and pulled her off the ground. "Your mother is dead so you have nothing to do with our clan anymore, you're not one of us and you never will be—"
Seraph looked at the woman, her eyes filled with pain. "Are you going to kill me? Go ahead. KILL ME."