Aine's footsteps were heavy and unsteady, every step she took only drew her closer to the wall. Her reality became distant as her thoughts clouded her mind, taking control of her once peaceful state. Thoughts of what she had just seen in Harry's memories— Thoughts of the lesson he had just stumbled across in the lesson he had with Dumbledore earlier— Thoughts of the truth that she had unknowingly learnt. One that she wasn't meant to discover.
She plodded down the dimming hallway, the flames flickering as she pasts. One by one, they danced away, leaving nothing but a hiss of black smoke and a darkened pathway. Her vision tunnelled in as she teeters to the side. Her face contorted into one not just of pain and sorrow, but outrage and betrayal. A tornado of emotions all jumbled up, all playing at once as chaos ruled over her head.
Her trembling hand reached towards the stoned wall, her tremoring fingers trailing through the rough crumbly surface. She held onto it for support, the shock nearly causing her to pass out but she endured the urge. She pushes through, gulping with every heave of air. Her breath fluctuated between gasps and pants as tears flooded her golden eyes, making them more polished. She refused to let the angry tears spill.
Aine wanted to scream, but all that came out were strangled whimpers, an inaudible plea for help. Her heart was bashing against her ribcage, making her chest tighten. It was starting to hurt, like her mind. It felt like she was being carved open from the inside, something deadly itching to release, to purge the wrath she was feeling.
Her mind churns with repugnance and madness when she starts to piece everything together, the dots connecting like a constellation, forming a picture that was becoming clearer with every link.
Aine's mind trailed back to the memory she had come across. She could barely breathe as the images surfaced in her head again...
A woman stood by the door frame, quietly watching over her husband debating which mobile should he hang on the ceiling near the window, just right above the little cot. The room was filled with sun rays, glowing down from the heavens as the day deepens.
Aine recognized the man. The ash-blonde hair was parted in the middle of his face, the curls framing it. The unmistakable forest-green eyes that Aine knew. He was much younger than she last saw him.
It was her father.
And then there she was— The other woman that was by the door. Aine did not need to be told to know who it was. She knew who that woman was. The features of her face were like what many had told her, she looked exactly like the young woman they described. Golden eyes that sparkled and long black wavy locks that flowed to her hips, tied in a half braid. She had an enchanting aura to her, the way her eyelids fluttered, the way she moves. She was graceful.
It was Aris Luceras— Now, Aris Estoileon. The wife of Elliot Estoileon. Aine's mother.
Aris was gazing at Elliot, choosing between the suncatcher mobile chime. He was smiling so brightly that it hurt Aris, her eyes softening and her curled lips turned down sadly.
When Elliot had finally chosen one and hung it, he beamed when the little stars and sun crystals glistened, and the shells tinkled together, creating a sweet chime. He turned to his wife and proudly showed her his creation, making her smile again.
But the guilt was consuming her every time she sees him smile like that— Smiling as if he was the luckiest man in the world. She could feel a part of her heart just chipping away, slowly but surely. All she could do was caress her swollen stomach, praying that he would keep smiling even when the little baby in her is born.
"What do you think?" Elliot asks her as she makes her way towards him.
Her fingers touched the crystals, spinning them and allowing the sunlight to reflect through them, creating little stars on the walls around the room. "It is truly beautiful, my love. I'm sure our daughter will love it very much," she tells him, rewarding her husband with a small peck on his lips. One that he returned.
Our daughter—
That sounded odd to Aris when she spoke it out loud. She knew that for a long time, her husband always wanted a little girl. However, their firstborn child was a boy, but that didn't mean they loved him any lesser. In fact, both of them cherished their sweet boy, Aion. So much so that they would die for him.
And yet here Aris was, with her baby girl growing within her. She thought she would be happy, but as the days went by and her due date arrives, she was becoming miserable and depressed.
It was her child, but...
She felt something flutter in her tummy, causing her worries to halt and disappear briefly as her eyes grew wide. Her husband mirrored her surprise and excitement. She nodded to him with joy and the man smiled again for the hundredth time of the day.
Elliot planted a kiss on her cheeks before kneeling and placing another on her tummy. His hand rested over it, feeling the slightest movement before he beams again. Like a child, his eyes were full of love and light, excited to meet their little sunshine.
Although Aris loved seeing him smile like that, she was reminded of his light. The light of Elliot's was blinding even to Aris.
It burnt her.
She strokes Elliot's hair lovingly, gazing out of the opened windows as the wind causes the chime to sing again. Her golden eyes settled on a shadow in the distance, right behind the big old blossom tree. There he stood, ever so mysteriously but alluring at the same time. His raven black locks flowed one with the breeze, falling in his piercing icy blue eyes. A tender grin crept onto his face as he saw her staring at him.
Aris found herself smiling again. It was a fleeting moment before her husband's voice snapped her to her senses, waking her up to reality. When she looked out of the window again, the shadow had already disappeared, his presence still lingering faintly enough for her to notice.
And so, the long-awaited dreadful day arrived. Aris's little girl came at a time when she was alone when her husband was unfortunately outside treating his patients. Her sweet little son, Aion was away in one of her acquaintance's houses, enjoying his play date with her friends. Aris had thanked the gods that her son wasn't around to see her screaming with such anguish. However, she had missed both of them dearly and yearned for them to be by her side during a difficult time...
Aris was all alone when she birthed her daughter, the screams were agonizing and every second felt like an eternity. The pain was excruciating. She thought she was going to die, it had been hours and she was slowly giving up. She couldn't do it, she was too exhausted, too weak.
Until he came.
There he stood by her side, guiding and encouraging her, whispering sweet-nothings. It was at that moment, she had all the strength in the world. He was the one who gave it to her and he was also the first person that was with her when her daughter was born. The first person other than herself to hear the first cries...
"Oh, she's perfect," Aris gasped at the little angel in her arms, tears gathering in her eyes as she lets them spill from happiness. She looked at him, the man froze next to her with his mouth hanging open at the sight of the small figure.
"She's so small..." he said in nothing more than a whisper, as if afraid to wake the newborn child. He was both in awe and baffled at the same time, unable to fathom how precious the baby was and how beautiful she had looked. Even though babies all look the same when they first came out into the world. "She is... perfect. Like you, Aris..."
Aris giggled at his reaction, she looks down at her sleeping child, admiring every feature on her face that had both hers and the man before her. It took good ten minutes before he allowed the remaining fraction of humanity within him to do what he should do.
He chuckled lightly, dipping his head as he kisses Aris's forehead before touching her child for the first time. He strokes the little tiny black locks on the baby's head, matching both his and the woman he loved. His smile never faltered. "Have you thought of a name, Aris?"
"Aine," Aris answered, watching the baby stir in her arms, almost as if responding to her own name. "It means 'Radiance'. That's the name my husband had chosen."
The man's smile faded a little, and a twinge of bitterness consumed him. One that Aris had felt. She clenched her jaw, the silence filling the air. Heavy and thick. There she felt it again, the cold darkness oozing from him. The corrupting monster daring to surface.
The unmistakable bloodlust.
"It's a lovely name— Aine... A fitting name for a child radiant like you, Aris," he said, his voice lacking emotion. He leans towards the woman, allowing her to rest her head on his chest as he embraces the mother and child.
Aris felt serenity, washing over her exhaustion. Even the unpleasant and painful birth had melted away into him. She felt drained, mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually, but she mustered a smile, closing her eyes to relax into him. This was all she ever wanted.
Until she was proven wrong the next second.
From her side, something cold and sharp was touching her neck, causing her to shoot open her eyes. Her heart stopped when she realized what was happening: A blade on her throat, but that wasn't the worse thing Aris saw. It was the fact that the man who had given her strength when she was all alone now pointing his wand—
On their child.
Aris's breath hitches, she didn't even dare to move a single muscle away from him. She could only tighten the hold around little Aine, still soundly asleep, oblivious to what was directed above her little head. She panicked, causing her heart to race dangerously, and her stomach churned. "What are you doing, Tom?" she asked weakly and softly, pretending nothing was wrong.
But everything right now was wrong.
So horribly wrong.
And she could only imagine how worse it was going to become if she chose her actions wrongly.
The raven-haired man presses the blade closer to her, making her draw in a sharp breath. She was shivering from fear, not just for herself. For Aine. "I have almost forgotten my purpose, Aris... During our time together, I have been blinded away from my motives. But now, here you are. Ever so beautiful but weakened. Like a songbird, I want to keep you for myself. All of you, and now, all of her—" he gazed towards Aine, his smile twisting away.
"What are you..." Aris's words were shortened when she felt the knife dig in and he went on explaining. She could not fathom what was happening, why it was happening. She thought that he was fine, that the remaining darkness within him was gone. He even promised her he was healed from it by her and showed no signs of it whenever he was with her, and whenever she was with him.
"What I should have done a long time ago, my dearest Aris. To accomplish my goal, my purpose— I need you. And I have!" his voice strengthening as his true nature begins to unravel. The man seemed alien to Aris now, she could not see any part of the man she once loved and cared for. "I need what you have, Aris."
"And what is it I have you need?" she hissed, matching the fierceness of his voice. Her golden pupils glared at the man with such fire and he looked like she could really burn him.
"Your power," he replied. "And for that, I need to kill you!"
Aris's hands slid underneath the thick blankets very secretly, reaching for her wand as she brought her daughter closer to her. "Stop this at once, this isn't funny!" she demanded angrily.
A loud laughter erupted from him, startling Aris. She witnessed his expression softening tenderly at her and her daughter like a snap of a finger. Aine was slowly awakening with all the loud noises, a muffled cry crackled from her, causing Aris to flinch. She bounces her baby gently, attempting to calm her down.
The man merely simpered, tilting his head to admire the child. He hushed the baby as he retracted his wand, using his hand to caress little Aine. "It's alright, my sweet child... I'll make it quick and painless for your mother. After that, I'll send you to her," he lulls.
Hot angry tears streamed down from Aris's eyes, she lets out a breathy scoff, in a state of disbelief at the words he was speaking to her child.
To their child.
"And when I succeed in my mission. I will join the two of you, so wait for me."
When Aris noticed his wand no longer pointing at her child, she cast a wandless and non-verbal protective enchantment over Aine. Her eyes were full of pain and fury, narrowing at the man she once had trusted. Now, all of her trust in him was gone. Just like the man she loved. It was that easy. As soon as he placed her and her baby girl before a knife was the moment all trust shattered.
Just like that, he was an enemy now. One she must annihilate.
Without fail.
Aris was terrified, trembling from head to toe but she had to be strong. It wasn't just her that was in danger, Aine too. She had to protect her little girl no matter what.
With a shallow intake of breath to prepare herself, she counted to three before Aris shoves the thick blanket away from her to the man. Her sudden ambush made him accidentally let go of the blade from the surprise action.
The woman yells out a battle cry while at it. The knife of her throat grazed her lightly, but not deep enough to wound her. It was just a light scratch and the pain wasn't as intense as childbirth. She swung her legs over to another side of the bed and quickly got off. Her strength left her body like an open tap. Her knees buckled but she forces herself upright.
She was still weak, her magic was slowly being transferred to her child, and she could feel it. She wasn't as powerful as before. She held her stance and pointed her wand at him. "HOW DARE YOU—!" she screams at him, venom in her tone. Her brows slanted down to the side, her expression falling to one of betrayal, sorrow and wrath, back and forth.
"I... I trusted you!" her voice suddenly brittle, her heart shattering into pieces. She felt so betrayed, realizing how it was all a lie, that she was a fool that had played into his palms. "When everyone wished for your death, I sympathized with you! I even prayed that you will find peace!" she cried, her wand shaking as she grips it harder. "HOW COULD YOU!"
The man tossed aside the blanket, now looking at the woman before him with a pitiful frown. "Then I will be judged when everything is over. I will beg for your mercy a million times should you ask of me then. But for now, that matters not to me."
"WHAT OF OUR CHILD?!" Aris questioned, tears flowing. She still believes that he was still good, somewhere inside all that vicious monster that was tainting him. Very deep— But still there.
"If you surrender yourself to me— If you give me what I want. I'll let her live," the man instructed, there was no need for more bloodshed.
Aris shook her head at him. "You are a madman..." she snarled with contempt.
"And you still love me, even as I am a madman," he said, taking advantage of the love she has for him. He could feel the good in him diminishing away as the evil took over. "Do as you're told, Aris. Or I will not show any mercy to you and her."
"YOU DARE TO THREATEN MY CHILD?!" Aris roared furiously as her chest heaved in and out heavily, slowly becoming feral. Her maternal instincts crawled out the second her baby was put into jeopardy.
"She is our child, is she not?" he queried, closing in on her like a predator to its prey. The look in his eyes changed to one of lust— Lust for her power.
"She isn't yours. Not anymore! You betrayed me— You betrayed us! You chose power over love, over change for the better soul!" she snapped, backing away against the wall. Aris steadily shifted her back, the door was just a few steps away. In any circumstances, she would have apparated away but right now, she couldn't. There were too many chances of being splinched especially when she was low on magic and cradling a newborn child. It was too risky.
"Love is a weakness. Love is a downfall. We need change. And I will be the one to start by acquiring power. Power to protect my family, power to vanquish our enemies."
"You have no family, no one. Not me anymore!"
Aris was the first to attack, she did not hold back. The man was now her enemy, there was no need to show any clemency or restrain. Not when the life of her daughter was in danger. She was relentless, living up to the title that she had earned. Even though weakened, she fought hard. The spells hurling in his direction were continuous, every shot precise, shot to maim.
And so was his.
Her eyes widened when she saw him shoot red sparks in her direction, at least ten of them now directed towards her. She winced when a sharp pain rippled past her abdomen, causing her to stagger. Realizing she wasn't going to be able to attack any longer, she cast a protection barrier over herself. She grasped onto the little covered baby in her arms, and a whimper left her.
The barrier cracked under the pressure of the man's magic. He was now right in front of what stood between them, a fragile translucent bubble. There was no remorse, no emotions that Aris could exploit and use against him. He was completely void of all humanity.
Aris held on for as long as she could, praying that someone would come. She clenches her jaw hardly like she did earlier birthing the very child in her arms, her teeth daring to break from the force. She mustn't let go. Not when Aine was still here when that man is.
A gut-wrenching cry erupted from her as she used what little strength she has left. Depleted of energy, strength and magic, her barrier charm began to shrink. She still managed to leave some attacks on the man. The memories flashed past her eyes, only causing more pain in her heart when she came to terms with how much he had meant to her, and how happy she was when he was next to her. The man whom she once wished happiness, freedom and love that he deserved, to be away from the darkness corrupting him.
But she has to kill him now.
However, Aris wasn't sure if she could. A strained sob choked out. She panted, taking a knee on the ground. Her dull golden eyes went large when the shield cracked, the fracture spiderwebbing out. And as easily as it was to tear apart a paper, her barrier was torn. It happened all so quickly that she couldn't react. The man wasted no more before shooting his last spell to end it once and for all.
Aris watches in horror, the slow-motion green spark approaching closer and closer. She did not hesitate before all instincts took over as she moved to put herself first instead of Aine. "NO!" she shrieks, squeezing her eyes shut, waiting for the pain that never came.
There was only an explosion before two shadows clouded her vision. It was hard to see with all the smoke and debris but there they were—
Help had come at last.
A pair of arms held Aris from behind, supporting her weight. She tore her sight of Albus Dumbledore and the raven-haired man to the person behind her. Tears trickled down as she wept into his comforting arms. "Eli..." she sniffled.
Aris couldn't say anything besides his name, she didn't even know what to say. She was feeling horrible now when he had finally seen the secret that she has kept from him. As heartbroken as she was, Aris was thankful he was here.
Elliot sighed out of relief, he caressed her dishevelled locks and kissed her temple. He brought his wife closer to him, he was shaking so badly like her. For a second, he thought that he wasn't going to make it, that he would be too late. He hushes her, stroking her back to ease her. "I'm here, Aris. It's alright now. You're safe... You both are..." he gazed down at the baby in her arms. The little girl he always wanted was there but...
His eyes darted over to the man Dumbledore was battling, the similarities were uncanny. He spotted them almost immediately. The angelic girl in Aris's arms looked exactly like his wife, the colour of her hair matching the woman in his embrace, but also the man before him. He felt a pang in his wrenching heart, his pupils wavering from the betrayal and heartbreak. He tried his best not to show it but the flicker of pain in his eyes did not fool Aris.
"It was a mistake on your part. You should not have come today," Dumbledore said with a low voice to the man before him.
The raven-haired man smirked, his gaze adverting from the older wizard to the couple behind him, under his protection. "It doesn't matter. I have done what I have done. There is no reversing the deed now."
"YOU BASTARD!" Elliot bellowed.
The man only laughed, further taunting Elliot. "Oh no, Elliot. The bastard is already there," he responded, jerking his brows to Aine.
"YOU—!" Both Aris and Elliot were quick to get on their feet, ready to attack the man for what he had just called their little precious girl. Dumbledore held an arm out to stop them before they could do anything rash. He would not put the newborn in harm's way any more than it already was.
Dumbledore eyes the front man, grinning ever so proudly as if he had won. "I will come for you again, my dear Aris. And when we see each other again the next time, do not deny me," he warns her and Aris stiffens up. Her fists balled together beneath the blanket of her daughter. "No matter how many times you may run and hide, I will find you. And no matter how much you deny it, know that the child in your arms— Is mine as well!"
His eyes landed on the baby, impervious to the chaos revolving around her. His lips curled again, "My blood will forever be running in hers too. Our sweet, precious... Little Aine," he reminded. His words were filled with affection and were gentle as he spoke of the girl. He diverted his gaze back to Aris one last time before a black smokey hurricane took over his body.
When the smoke cleared up, the man disappeared. His presence was gone but the words remained deeply embedded in Aris's ears, tormenting her for as long as she lived. But it wasn't just the words that the man had spoken to threaten her that caused the seed of misery to blossom.
Aris looks down at her baby girl, her closed eyes opened slightly but enough for the mother to see the brilliant golden eyes.
The man was right, his blood was now flowing through her child's tiny body along with hers, and her power— The child in her arms whose heart was beating so strongly was his...
That was what haunted Aris. It was then she realized, there was no turning back...
She had birthed a child from a monster.
─── ⋆⋅☀⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☀⋅⋆ ───
YES! I have returned from my short hiatus. I'm sorry to keep you guys waiting but here it is! Did you guys manage to figure out what Aine truly is now? Did you guys see that coming? Let me know in the comments!
Upvote if you enjoyed this one~ ^^
- Zeneria