Aine's eyes fluttered open, meeting a blinding light raining down onto her. She could barely even see until her vision had adjusted to the brightness, it had been a long time since she had been exposed to such luminance. She was laying on the ground, surrounded by tiny little flowers with the warm sunlight kissing her face. She blinked, trying to comprehend what was happening to her.
All she could recall was passing out from the exhaustion trying to rip apart the shackles binding her magic, she remembered the cold trickling liquid down her nose and ears, and the shivering numbness that overwhelmed her. Then, there was the sound of something shattering. Whether she did manage to break the chains or not was still a mystery to her. If she did, it was both a great thing and an unlucky thing since she had completely blown the only time she could have gotten away and yet here she was, fainted and waking up in dreamland.
She sat upright, feeling the gentle breeze carry her long black locks. Her ribs were perfectly fine, in fact, there was no pain and she was clean of injuries from her arms and legs.
Am I truly dead after all or is this just a dream from blacking out?
There was a faint rustling sound when the wind danced by, sending the tall grass and flowers in the meadow to sway while petals rippled in the air. Her fingers sifted through the shallow dandelion flowers on the ground, feeling them prickle her skin. It feels so real and yet at the same time, she wondered if this was all simply an illusion. She blinked, feeling drowsy from the ethereal scene.
The Sun was shining softly, it wasn't too harsh or anything and the wind was nice on her skin too. The girl pulls herself to her feet, still trying to grasp where she was or how she even got here. She looks into the horizon, the skies painted in pastel colours, making everything seem so dreamy and peaceful.
If others were to tread through this idyllic place, they would probably mistake it as a heavenly realm.
It was something Aine had debated, if this was indeed a dream, she wished to never wake. She would rather stay here and be free from the horrible things that she had gone through, as selfish as it may seem. It was serene here and she felt free, her heart was light and there was a fluffy feeling swirling inside of her that made her happy somewhat. Perhaps, she could start a new life here, to live without pain...
Then the faces of her loved ones popped up in her mind and the girl immediately felt guilty. Aion... Draco... Her friends... The upcoming war... She couldn't just leave them all behind, there was still a sense of responsibility. Nevertheless, just being in this very transcendence space made her feel she belonged there, it tempted her greatly.
There was nothing holding her back. No pain, no shackles...
No stupid legacy to fulfil in her mother's stead.
She stares at her feet, planted into the lush velvety ground. A smile crept onto her face when she experienced the familiar feeling of being surrounded by nature. Her white tunic dress flowed freely with the breeze. She was still wearing the same outfit as before and yet she couldn't tell whether this was all made up.
"Sweetheart..?"
Aine's breath hitched and she froze. Her smile disappeared instantly. It was like time had stopped around her when the familiar voice calls out to her from behind. She slowly turned around, her eyes widening at the figure standing before her very eyes, finally meeting the person that she had longed to see. It felt like the last time she saw him was so long ago and now just being in the same field felt so distant and so right at the same time.
Tears welled up in her eyes and she gasped at the man, "Dad..."
Standing next to the large cherry blossom tree was Elliot, Aine's father. He furrowed at his little girl in complete dismay. His hands trembled and he dropped the basket he was holding, the leaves and flowers in it falling to the ground, sprawling across the grassy lands. He staggered, placing a hand over his hung-open mouth.
The man looked exactly how he had looked in Aine's memory— With ash-blonde hair in the same style he had usually worn, and the colour of his eyes was identical to her brother's. The true colour of his pupils was deep green like the forest trees, and although they were no longer golden like hers, she didn't mind it.
Neither of them could believe what they were seeing and it took them a few seconds before it sunk in. Elliot was the first to rush up to his daughter, he ignored the scattered contents he had harvested earlier and engulfed Aine in a tight embrace. "Oh... Aine..!" he breathes, holding his little girl in his arms.
Aine wrapped her arms around her father, clutching onto the back of his clothes as she buried her face in her father. The familiar scent of her father gave her so much more solace than she could ever ask for. She felt safe in her father's hold again and she missed it dearly. Her eyes squeezed shut, filling herself with the comforts of her father. She didn't want to let go, fearing that if she did, he would slip away.
Just like how he once did before.
The terrifying memory of Elliot's face crystalized before it shattered into a million pieces, no matter how much she tries to piece her father back. To no avail.
Elliot pulls away suddenly as if the realization had hit him. He cups onto Aine's face, scanning it for any injuries and she did the same, making sure that she wasn't mistaken. The father-daughter duo was shaking so badly, unable to fathom the truth and words just can't seem to form. "Wh- What are you doing here, Aine?" he questions his daughter, genuinely concerned. He whipped back his head, looking around as if afraid someone would notice her.
"I- I don't know, dad. Aion and I were taken by Voldemort and— They took Aion away from me and tortured us... They wanted to find out where mother was but I... I couldn't give it away, I didn't know where exactly she went and they kept torturing us for answers..." she blabbered on, revealing everything she had been through for the past month. "They kept us in chains to seal our magic and I... I tried to break them but I couldn't and the next thing I was here."
Her father couldn't only gasp at his little girl, he felt so sorry for his children, knowing that they were innocent and shouldn't have to go through such a terrible ordeal. He didn't want to believe this was how their lives were after he was gone. Elliot swallowed, he knew that time was limited and that he shouldn't be keeping Aine here for long. He tucks a strand of Aine's black hair behind her ears and stroked her cheeks, "You need to go back, sweetheart, okay? You shouldn't be here. It's not time yet," he relayed to her with urgency. There was so much he wanted to tell her. He refrained from doing so, knowing that the longer Aine was here, meant that her life was slipping away.
Aine clutched onto her father's arm, "I don't want to go back, I don't want to leave you here alone, dad..." she chokes on a sob, tears slipping. "They'll only torture me more and it hurts... I hate it, I'm scared but I can't do anything..."
Nothing hurts more than feeling powerless when being cornered away by those with power and especially those who know not to control.
Elliot's heart sank at the fate of his children, they don't deserve to be treated so mercilessly and suffering like this. "Oh, Aine... My sweet child..." he exhales, bringing her in for another hug. He could feel his blood boiling over the treatment of his precious children, feeling guilty that he couldn't be there for them. He sighs and closes his eyes, comforting his daughter.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, dad! For all the things I said to you, I've hurt you with all the terrible things I've spoken... And I can't forgive myself for it and— I... I should have saved you but I couldn't... I'm sorry... I'm sorry, dad..." she cried, finally apologizing to her father for what happened back then. It had weighed heavily on her heart almost every single day and it was still haunting her. "It's my fault that you were d..." Aine couldn't finish her sentence, she couldn't say it and her tears could only explain how remorseful she was.
Elliot softened at Aine sadly, he brushed her tears away and made her look at him. "It's okay, sweetheart. It's alright. I don't blame you," he reassures her.
The girl loured, she didn't look like she believed him. If anything it was the opposite, she felt even more culpable.
"It should have been me..." she sobbed.
I should have been the one who got inflicted with the curse and die...
The man frowned at her reply, upset about how Aine really felt. He could hear her thoughts loud and clear and it pained him to know that she felt like she was the one to be blamed for his death. "And what father would allow their child to die in their stead?" he asks her with a gentle voice.
Aine looks down, shameful and Elliot spoke once more. "I do not blame you, Aine. Nor do I blame Aion. I never did," he swore to her with a small smile. "It was the right thing for me to do. Both you and Aion were in danger and just like any other parent out there, I would do anything and everything to protect the both of you from any harm or pain. Even if it costs my life. Because you two mean the world to me, and I love you. That's all that matters, to be able to save and protect the people I love."
"It's still partly my fault..."
"No. No— Sweetheart," her father stops her, and he shook his head. "If anything, I forgive you."
The words that she longed to hear from her father made Aine choke on her tears even more, "I forgive you, Aine," he repeated, knowing that she needed to hear it. Just the pure devastation on her face when he had reassured her was enough to make him tear up as well. Elliot brought his daughter close to him and rubbed her back, making her cry harder. He went on, "I know how sad you are, and I know that you're scared, and that's okay... You were just a little innocent child caught up in the messy affairs of the adults. Because of us, you were hurt by our battles—"
Elliot's voice cracked midway through his speech and he swallowed. He took a deep breath and continued, stroking Aine's hair over and over again like how he always did. "It was never our intention for you to be wounded by our mistakes, dear child..."
He gazed tenderly into Aine's golden eyes, "I need you to fight this for me, you need to wake up and go back, and live your life, sweetheart," he told her. He couldn't bear to hold her down here any longer despite how much he would have wanted to have more time with his daughter. She has to live her life to the fullest, it was not her time yet.
Aine didn't understand her father, she was so blinded by the fact that she could finally meet her dad again after all the ordeal. She was done fighting, she didn't want to fight anymore. She didn't want any more pain. "I don't want to, dad," she shook her head, "I'm tired of going on like this, living every day without any hope or strength. I want to end this suffering, I want to stay with you here!" she voiced.
The experience had bedevilled Aine— Each day, as the sun rises and falls, there was only more darkness, more misery. Her strength to live was draining away, knowing that she could never fight against those barbaric monsters. They were too strong and as much as Aine wanted them to be dead, she could never beat them. Hope was diminishing and no matter how much she prayed to be free, the gods will never listen to her.
Elliot held his daughter's hand, giving it a tight squeeze. "No, my sweet girl. You are my daughter. You are... Elliot Estoileon's daughter. You're a strong and brave girl. You're my little Sun that has her flames asleep for too long." There was a glint in Elliot's eyes as he gave her a firm smile, "There is nothing to be afraid of, Aine. You have the fire inside you, set it ablaze," he nodded to her.
"I... I have no fire. I never did, dad. I am nothing but a tiny flame that will be extinguished with a blow..."
Her father crouched down to her, looking at Aine with a determined gaze. "A Sun can never be extinguished, my child. Because our flames give us strength, we shine, not let ourselves burn. We shine to burn gallantly the others. We have nothing to fear, for the fire can never hurt us," he reminded.
At that moment, something clicked inside Aine. She recalled something and it seemed that Elliot had noticed that she had caught on too. "Luceo Non Uro," they both said in unison. It was the words of their family's motto: I shine, not burn.
Aine's lips curled slightly when she heard those words and Elliot nodded to her. "In this case, I would like to reinstate my words... We shine, and burn."
"Lucere et Ardere..." Aine mutters.
"That's right, Aine," Elliot answered. "There's no need to fear. So, shine beautifully for me. Let me see that blazing fire you have kept locked up. Set it free."
The girl gulped, uncertain of the path she had to set to. She was conflicted deep down but there was still something that had her found resolve after the words her father had told her. No fear, set it free. There was a warm glow spreading across her chest, radiating to her fingertips. She glanced at her father, heart still wavering. "If... If I go back, will I never get to see you again?"
It pained Elliot immensely to accept it but he must. He nodded slowly, still holding onto his daughter's small hands. His lips pursed together, hiding the quiver. "Not for a very, very long time. So you and Aion must live your lives to the fullest okay? Be the person that the two of you have always dreamt of being. And when we see each other again..." he pauses, Aine looks at him with wide eyes, he stood up and plants a kiss on top of her head.
"I want you two to tell me about all the stories you have," he added. "Promise me, Aine." It was like the last thing Elliot had wished for his children, it was for them to live their lives to the fullest that they could, search and acquire the happiness fit for them and when it was time, they wouldn't have any regrets like him.
"I promise..." Aine whispers, hugging her father for one last time. She took in all she could from him, breathing softly and deeply. Elliot too had embraced his daughter for one final moment, both of their tears slipping away. He could feel her presence fading away and he only ever clung onto her tighter. "I don't want to let go..." she lets out in the softest voice.
Me too... Elliot said in his head, but he couldn't say that out loud. He didn't want to hold her back. He mustn't anymore... So the least he could say was, "I know..."
Though there was much more to talk about, they decided to wait until they saw each other again. Although there was no holding back any of their tears, it was the only thing that they could let flow freely and take in as much as they could from each other. "I love you, dad... Always. To the Sun and back, until the Sun shines no more..." Aine said.
"I love you too, sweetheart. Until the Sun shines no more..." Elliot repeated, the last tear trickling down his cheek. He moves to see his daughter's face for one last time.
Aine met her father's eyes, he smiled at her and nodded. Feeling the fluffy light sensation wash over her, the sight of her father soon whitened away with another blinding light. Not wanting her father to see her sobbing for the last time, she pulls herself together and offered one last smile to him. A genuine, sweet smile.
At last, the light finally tore the father and daughter apart. The warmness that they each found diminished away and Elliot and Aine both saw each other no more.
Then the final seal finally broke inside the girl...
~~~
(Trigger Warning: Graphic description)
The gates forcibly swung open, and came strutting down to the cellar was Bellatrix Lestrange, trailing behind her were two Deatheaters— Lahar and Riley. Their meeting was abruptly interrupted earlier when they had heard the sounds of Aine's screams before a still silence followed. As there was no one tending to the girl, it was odd and had aroused their confusion. It was also imperative that Aine mustn't die as the Dark Lord had ordered his servants to keep the girl alive as possible. He had great plans for her after all.
Gravely annoyed, Bellatrix growled as she was prepared to lash out at the girl for the inconvenience that Aine had caused. However, her heels halted when she saw the girl. It wasn't just Bellatrix's eyes that went large, Lahar and Riley's too and their jaws dropped. All of them stared at the timid frail looking girl sitting by the corner of the cell, her head was hung low and none of them could see her face.
What caught their attention wasn't just the sight of Aine sitting awfully still after causing such a ruckus. Bellatrix furrowed with confusion, masking her surprise. "Madam Lestrange... T- That... That girl..." Riley stammered with shock.
Glimmering in the darkness was something bright, resembling the moonlight. All three Deatheaters were both stunned, and too in awe to move a single step.
Aine slowly peers up at them, her golden pupils glowing through her locks. It was like she was still in some sort of trance, needing time to adjust to the strange occurrence that had happened. She could still feel the touch of her father as if reminding her that he was always with her. That gave her enough strength, which was a rare thing since all she ever felt was feeling weak throughout this whole time.
The last of her long raven black locks transitioned into white, no longer showing any hints of the black that it used to be. Now, pure white like the snow it was almost as ravishing as the Sun's light in this dark, and cold basement. With how anaemic her face had looked with her new hair colour, she had looked unworldly. It was strange because even though the girl was battered up in a rough shape, with dried blood from her nose and ears, she was both beautiful and hauntingly ghostly.
When her golden eyes pierced through her white hair to the three figures that stood before her, it sent chills down to their very cores. There was something unusual about the girl's aura, it was disturbing enough to see her look so different from what they had seen earlier. She even looked like a completely different person with the new change of hair colour, all traces of the fragile girl they knew was gone. The glow of Aine's topaz-coloured pupils only enhanced the discomfort and uneasiness everyone in the room had felt.
Bellatrix gulped, lost for a moment before she stomps towards Aine and cursed at her, "YOU STUPID WENCH! WHAT DID YOU DO?!"
Something snapped inside Aine, she felt a crackling sensation inside her chest. So raw and profound that she has never felt it before. She could feel her magic crawling back into her body along with a stronger power. Her lips twitched up, absorbing and allowing herself to host this new strength she had unlocked.
There was nothing holding her back anymore, her shackles were completely destroyed, reduced to nothing but crumbs of metal.
She was free—
And she had nothing to fear.
No fear. Set it free...
Aine took a shallow breath and her eyes landed on Bellatrix who flinched.
Ardeat.
All of the sudden, without any warning. Lahar who was standing behind the female witch began to combust in flames. He started screaming when black flames appeared from the ground, they grew and latched onto him, dragging him down as they began to engulf him. The fire danced with such passion, like hands grabbing the man, climbing over him.
Lahar panicked, he could only scream in pain while the other two of his comrades watched in horror. "H- HELP ME! MADAM LE—" he yells, writhing in anguish. He attempts to reach out to Bellatrix frantically for help. The woman, however, had already taken a step back to avoid coming in contact with him, she was distraught by the sight. His other companion, however, was trying to set the fire off with the conjured water from his wand, slicing away the flames that only towered over his comrade even more.
Aine lurched forward, hobbling on one foot. She watches the three withdraw back. They could feel the sudden wrath of the girl in front of them, they were all fooled by the petite girl. There was no way that this was the same person they knew before, the very being in front of their eyes was no human.
Aine had thought that it was rather thrilling watching Bellatrix and Riley cower backward, they had given up helping their fellow comrade who was shrieking his lungs out, clawing at his chest desperately. It wasn't until the screaming had subsided that Aine had enough.
She softly blows a wind from her lips, and the man who was in agony from being burnt alive stopped screaming and withered away into ashes in a split second. There was nothing left besides a small pile of ashes and soot of the man's shadow left on the ground.
Both Bellatrix and Riley could only gape at it, their bodies shuddered. Bellatrix let out a shrilled scream, horrified. She glared at the girl who turned to her, causing her to recoil. For the very first time, Bellatrix was shaken to the core by what Aine had become, and what she had helped to create.
The stares of a mere girl she once had full control of before were enough to send her trembling with such a fear she has never felt before. For the first time, Bellatrix feared what Aine Esotileon was capable of doing, she was truly afraid for her own life now at that very moment. She soon became even more alarmed when Aine advanced on her, Riley had frozen on the spot, unable to move from the terror.
Aine narrowed her eyes, her hand raised towards Bellatrix and the woman became hysterical. "St... Stop..."
Her lips curled into a smirk, making Bellatrix hitch her breath. She was almost right in front of the older woman, staring right into her terrified eyes. There was a hint of the devil in the golden pupils of Aine and along with the smile that the girl had worn on her face, it had made her eerie and sinister.
"S... Sto... Stop..!" Bellatrix said again, paralyzed with fear that she had forgotten she was even holding her own wand.
Fear is a plague... And fear messes up your head.
Aine took another step, her smile never falling and it intimidated Bellatrix even more. She debated about what to do next, surely she wasn't going to kill her off at this instant. It would be such a waste, especially after what she has been through, killing Bellatrix straight away would have been too quick and a merciful thing to do. Though it was a pity that she had done that to Lahar, it was because she just wasn't in full control of her own powers. It was just an accident, Aine said in her head, feeling no remorse whatsoever for the cruel deed she had performed.
It wasn't until she was near the entrance of the cellar did reinforcements came. It wasn't just anyone that had arrived, standing next to Snape was the man Aine had detested with her whole heart— Voldemort.
"What is the meaning of this?" his bone-chilling voice questioned and Bellatrix flinched, whipping around as she quickly ran over to his side. Aine wasn't sure if she was merely hiding from her or if she had wanted to defend her beloved master. Either way, it didn't matter.
"My— My lord! Th... That stupid girl—" Bellatrix blurted out, she met Voldemort's eyes and immediately cleared her throat, changing the way she addressed Aine. "She murdered Lahar, my lord! She killed him!" she screeches and tattletales the girl to him.
Voldemort glimpsed over to the miserable pile of ashes and simpered before he trails back to Aine who stares at him with an empty look on her face. Amused, he chuckled. "Fascinating..." He noted the different aura Aine had, from her white hair to the gaze, and to the oozing waves of power from the little girl.
"You... Will... Let me out of this chamber," Aine muttered coldly, she wasn't taking 'No' for an answer and it seemed that Voldemort had no intention of rejecting her offer as well. His eyes curled up with a hidden agenda behind those snake-like pupils.
"Of course, Aine. You will..." he replies with a soft voice, almost like a whisper. "It seems that we have tortured you enough, isn't that right, Severus?"
"Indeed, my lord," Snape answered shortly, eyeing Aine whilst the girl paid him no attention.
"You will release my brother as well," Aine ordered. Her words caught Voldemort off guard, there was so much authority in her gentle voice and it reminded him of Aris very much. He couldn't hide another burst of laughter.
Intrigued. The Dark Lord was very drawn to this side of Aine. He hummed, casting a look to Snape and Bellatrix who both nodded. "Very well. You may state your own terms which I heartily agree and I certainly do have some that I wish you would uphold as well."
The girl cocked her head, wondering why he was giving in to her like this. So easily after all this time, he had been playing with her. She was sure that he wanted to know the whereabouts of her mother before, and since Aris has yet to show herself. Why did he agree to let her go?
What did Voldemort truly want? What was his motive?
She waited for him to state his own conditions, never wavering from the intense eye contact with the wizard that many had feared. She could, however, feel herself slowly losing strength once more though she had forced herself to stay awake.
Voldemort descended the short flight of stairs, he stood in front of the fearless girl who stared up at him. He smirked, somehow feeling a little proud. Then, he leans towards Aine and whispers. "I'm afraid what I want from you needs to wait a little longer, Aine. For now, at least..."
Aine squinted at the Dark Lord, her eyelids getting heavier and her vision began to cloud, her surroundings became muted and she could only read from his lips. A curse left her mouth but she couldn't hear anything. She was falling... Plunging into the darkness. She felt all the strength in her body leave, and she slumps forward.
"For now, at least... I need you to sleep..." Voldemort whispered to the girl, catching her as she falls into him after he rendered her unconscious. He turned to Snape who as usual showed zero emotions, he already knew what was going to happen now to Aine.
"You don't seem too fond of my decision, Severus," the Dark Lord stated.
"It is no consequence to what I think, my lord," Snape responded. He was only merely there to answer to his master's wishes, nothing more.
Voldemort studies his aide, and yet like before. He couldn't quite read him. He grinned, looking back to Aine who was still in his arms, completely in deep sleep. He strokes her long white locks and brushed them away from her face, he gazed down with a tender look.
"It's time."
─── ⋆⋅☀⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☀⋅⋆ ───
Happy New Year's Eve everybody! It's also my birthday today so double updates for you guys! The year really flew by so quickly, doesn't it? I barely got myself together and the next year is already approaching in a day! I wish all of you a better year in 2023 and better health and happiness~
Anyways, I hope you aren't bored with all of these pre-actual plot chapters! I just want to lay down some groundwork before we get to the main storyline! And also to have some more moments with papa Eliot because I just love his character so much and didn't want to let him go just yet. But yes, the time will come though I assure you, I'll still write him in since he does affect Aine's life a fair bit too! So just bear with me a little longer!
Leave some of your thoughts so far in the comments and upvote if you liked this chapter! ^^
I love you all so much and thank you for sticking around~ <3
- Zeneria